Because gamers weren't sitting around bitching on the internet NEARLY as much as they do now.

Sega is a gaming company who catered to its audience and the gaming industry as a whole. Microsoft is a software company who got into the console market to spite Sony for refusing to use Microsoft's software in the PlayStation 2. There. Someone had to say it.

Internet wasn't a thing back then, which is pretty much the main contributor to why companies receive major backlash whenever they do something wrong these days.

This settles it, you are Interested in Microsoft's Products, and not  just in the Xbox One, for a Microsoft point of view this might be a good thing, but for Xbox's Point of view, this will harm the console, people purchase console waiting games for it, PS4, is getting a lot of exclusives only because of Companies's Own Will, like King of Fighters, Nier Automata, and other games exclusive for PS4, because those companies wanted this way, if Microsoft, cannot ensure that they will make their own games, so the World is Doomed, they are the ones who have the most money to do this,launching games for PC, will not make Microsoft, produce more games, will only bring them nearly the same money or even less, but this time without the necessity of Hardware.

This means less Third Party support for Xbox One, and only because the game will launch for PC, does not means that will came for Xbox, only because they use "Windows", is just a OS, the port of the game need to came from the Developers, and they will still need to make the port for the console, i don't see how this can benefit Xbox One's Owners, if is for more people in the Multiplayer Lobby, they already have enought, and  would grow more without exclusives coming for PC, this was the only positive thing i could think about the  Xbox One, and PC Integration.

And the biggest problem is that now all Microsoft's games will be made for 2 Plataform,  more Development work, and less optimization for the Xbox One, because will also need to make the PC Port.

People had to be Patient otherwise they would die, the Internet was Much slower than it is now.

Probably because the Internet is not as accessible as it is today

Complaints would be shared among people you knew and people across the world would not hear about that :p

Because you see the investment in the hardware not in the ecosystem. I'm not investing in the device itself... I have all my games on Xbox 360, One or Windows PC.

Since when having games also available on PC makes consoles useless or sell less? This is just speculations.
Do you really think so many people bought the Playstation 4 because of exlcusives? And not because it was just cheaper at first and even at even price with better capabilities and same support form third parties than any other platform out there?

My Xbox One will not stop being able to run any game just because they are available on PC.

I mean, if you assume that exculsives are the main selling points for consoles; I definetly understand where you are coming from. But I just don't believe it the case.

So I'm back to my point; I'm investing in Microsoft eco-system, not in a single piece of hardware. And that's Microsoft vision too I believe.

Yes for your point about the "box" itself; I concede that :) This move may not be the most beneficial for sure. But that's not what Microsoft is aiming for, their vision is about the eco-system.

This means less Third Party support for Xbox One, and only because the game will launch for PC, does not means that will came for Xbox, only because they use "Windows", is just a OS, the port of the game need to came from the Developers, and they will still need to make the port for the console, i don't see how this can benefit Xbox One's Owners, if is for more people in the Multiplayer Lobby, they already have enought, and  would grow more without exclusives coming for PC, this was the only positive thing i could think about the  Xbox One, and PC Integration.

And the biggest problem is that now all Microsoft's games will be made for 2 Plataform,  more Development work, and less optimization for the Xbox One, because will also need to make the PC Port.

Why is that? While it may requires more work (I mean after all they need to optimize for both platform and one of them supports a lot of different hardware); third parties are ALREADY doing that. There is nothing new here. Why would it be different with Microsoft openly supporting that from the start? (and actually providing better unified tools to develop for WU API, Xbox and Direct X which may speed up the process and optimization at the end).

.......not worth comparing, even if I limit myself to the 2 decades that have passed between now and then as the primary reason. Sorry.

With some few Exceptions, Third party games are not better than Exclusives, this is because they focus on what will sell consoles, the Exclusives, and work just in 1 Version,  you can only attain such Quality when you are working just for the Game, and don't have to worry to port the game for others Plataforms.

And about your comment up there, the Price is important, but isn't All, they don't purchased PS4, because was Cheaper, is because of the Games, and Exclusives as well, PS3, sold more than Xbox 360, in the same time, and was Twice the Price, LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted, and Demon Souls, helped it to sell, you can see the jump that Hardwares have when Exclusives come out, the Games are what sell consoles, and if is exclusive for 1 Plataform, this sell more Consoles.

And, other reason that the PS4, is selling so much is  because the console is the Main Standart for Third Party Developers, the console receive more support, than Xbox One, and Wii U, and is all thanks to its Install-Base, and the Install-base, is thanks to Sony's Decision to stay as a Traditional Home Console, with Exclusives, without any Mandatory, while Xbox One, was launching games for PC, had a Aways Online Mandatory, and was 500US$ because of Kinect.

The Wii U, have good Exclusives, but the console don't sell because only launch 1 Game each 2-3 Months, and have a Poor name that confuse consumers, while PS4, for example, have a lot of Exclusives, and a lot of Third Party Support.