Microsoft May be Much More Ahead of the Game Than You Think:

While MS PR has handled the back lash very poorly indeed, far too many people are burying MS before the new generation has even gotten off the ground. I don't remember this much widespread bashing of a console maker ever just months out from a new console generation.

MS is going full force into the digital gaming realm and that is for sure where the future of gaming is heading. You can tell they are actively trying to push digital moreso than physical. It is still too soon to tell but this may end up being remembered as when MS actually got ahead strategy wise of Sony in the gaming industry. With it still being months until release there is going to be a lot we do not realize yet and a lot we are still going to learn.

It dosn't take an expert to realize that gaming continually moves more towards an online connected experience. In the future its going to end up being that many game developers will use cloud computing as a standard to enhance gaming experiences that cannot be realized only on a local box. As has been and as of now, years go by in gaming and the realization that the hardware in your box needs to be updated becomes a reality. This is why we have continual new console generations. We see it now. Try playing Grand Theft Auto IV on console and then play it on PC with settings maxed out. You will see an incredible difference. Granted that is an older current gen console game, but even new games coming out now on console are very noticeably behind graphics wise than that same title on PC.

the Gaming industry is in a major transition period right now and has been for at least a few years now. digital gaming has broken the barrier that physical media based gaming always had. Its more convenient, faster, more advantageous and increasingly more reliable. MS sees this happening and are making some serious changes to prepare for that. Sony im sure is as well, but they seem to be trying to be much more subtle with it, but also it gives the message that they are behind MS in preparing for the future standard of gaming. We know MS has made a huge increase to their cloud servers to 300,000. I highly doubt Sony has built an infrastructure anything close to that. Xbox brand has just about always had a more extensive online experience that offered more services than the Playstation brand. Now before I get gang banged by this site's passionate Sony fans I will say that Playstation online always had some of its own advantages. But I am confident in saying that Xbox just about always had a more extensive online connected, community based experience than Playstation. It was the original Xbox that really took the console gaming world head on into online multiplayer competitive gaming.

MS is definitely getting its share of lashings right now. But what will Sony fans do IF this turns out being that; MS is becoming much more prepared for the future of gaming going all digital and Sony will end up being a few steps behind and difficult for it to catch up? Initially both consoles are going to sell out from the opening of the gate. I would not be at all surprised if the PS4 takes a decent lead in 2014. However, if Sony is not preparing now for the future as much as MS seems to be then it will only be a matter of time before Sony are playing some serious catch up.

These changes coming out of MS are said to be completely "anti consumer". Or is it that more and more gamers are opting more for convenience rather than a greater feeling of physical ownership? If you have not done any Steam gaming or digital gaming then you probably wouldn't quite understand. Im sure maybe some will disagree but by and large digital gaming is so much more convenient and simple. The only main difference is maybe a greater feeling of ownership with physical versions, but when comparing that with convenience...we live in a world where convenience trumps just about anything if its a very similar experience guys. But whats more is that Xbox One will allow you in a group of 10 Family members or Friends to share all of your game libraries! I don't see Steam doing anything like that and this Xbox One feature for the most part solves any gamers lending/borrowing concerns at the same time making it even easier! The only con with that would be if you are someone who has a group of 11 or more friends that you regularly pass a game disc around to. I would think by the time all those players played your game it would have taken at least a year or more! And I know how it is with a lot of my friends guys....I let them borrow a game and I don't see it for 6 months because they play that along with other games and it takes them longer. One of my friends still has Resident Evil 5 and I let him borrow it over a year ago lol!

I'm sure many also have not thought of the implications of always being connected online from a gaming experience. Surely the infrastructure is not quite there yet in all areas of the civilized world, but its getting there guys. Cloud computing may not seem as significant now, but I truly see it as becoming more and more the norm as it will provide much richer experiences into gaming. As more and more can be handled from dedicated powerful servers that means less and less output is needed from the local gaming boxes. A local gaming box will of course still be needed for quite some time to still handle lag sensitive data, but the whole method of gaming is changing. Its no longer becoming just a disc you go buy at a retail store, stick into your drive and just get the experience that the disc offered. Its now much more becoming a connected experience that will eventually make almost all new games inoperable without an online connection. You may laugh at the thought of that but its where gaming is going. We will soon see a game's description for all platforms including Sonys that says, "online connection required" to even play it.

My feeling is that 5 years from now honestly we will look back at this and say, well MS took some heat but really got ahead of everyone else in the gaming industry. Sony may be along the same path, but by the feel of it their infrastructure isn't quite as much prepared for what MS has prepared with Xbox One. Right now PS4 seems to be the absolute favorite and rightly so with what the basics/norms of gaming that traditional gamers have always known. But this may be a seismic shift in console gaming that only MS seems to be fully preparing for. Im not saying MS is going to FOR SURE be the leading console in 4 years but signs point that its very possible. However, they still have to overcome this current sentiment and widespread belief that they are only trying to be anti consumer and just restrictive. Their plans for Xbox One I think are being percieved by many in a misguided way, but that is mostly their own fault for not being prepared for that.

Go ahead various platform fans...because I'm sure you have some strong opinions to rip me a new one with :) But I personally think we will say how we wished Sony would have been willing to take some more heat now in order to be on pace with where the Xbox One might be four years from now.

I know its long, but I hope you at least enjoyed the read. Thanks!

It will come down to the games and the experience. If publishers support the x1 with exclusives and they can sell kinect and the tv experience to non gamers than ms could very well have a hit on their hands. Gamers will be dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age whether they like it or not.

However, if ms doesnt get the needed support, than it will not top sony. Honestly, ms has done a piss poor job selling the machine and its benefits so far, which makes me think ms isnt the company to get the job done, but you never know...

What will I do?

Nothing...if it somehow sells the most his gen, good for Microsoft.

However, I don't see it happening. Japan won't help for sure.

Physical media is going away whether the Xbox One is a hit or not. Its just a matter of time. All these people raging about used games sales will be singing a different tune in a few years.

I'd go superhero and bust into people's houses and smash their Xbox One's with a pipe wrench.

Nothing. It won't work in my country anyway.

First off physical media is NOT going away. No other media has have that happen so i dont know what alternate reality some are living in where they see that is the case.

OT What i will do? NOthing, just like 360 was beating PS3 i still bought PS3 and enjoyed it along with WIi. If we go all digital, i will either just stick to PC which is far superior in that field anyway or just stop gaming.

And if something like in the movie "The PURGE" was implemented you could even get a huge posse one day a year to do that with no consequences. :)

I'd call them, The Red Ring of Deathsquad.

While its not going to completely go away...It is also true that more an more gaming is becoming a digital event and sooner or later gaming from a disc will be considered retro. They will still exist of course but in a very limited fashion.