GameCentral readers reveal whether they’re planning to get a new Xbox One console or if they’ve already decided to give it a miss.
The Xbox One was released on Friday, which means there’s only one obvious point of discussion for this week’s Hot Topic: are you buying one and if not why not? We wanted to know your reasons for either buying an Xbox One this year, waiting until later, or refusing to buy one at all.
The responses were mixed, but tending towards the negative. The biggest problems were a lingering mistrust of Microsoft after the disastrous unveiling, and resentment at having to pay more for the inclusion of Kinect.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Yes, I’ll be buying a Xbox One (and a PlayStation 4)at launch. Went for the Forza Motorsport 5 day one pack. Will probably get Dead Rising 3 and Ryse (have most titles that are multi-platform on current gen so no need to buy just for graphical superiority).
Was interested in Crimson Dragon and Killer Instinct but read a couple of bad reviews on Crimson Dragon and never been a fan of microtransactions in games, so will pass on Killer Instinct. I see myself buying more games on Xbox after Driverclub slipped from launch on PlayStation 4 and fancied Arcade Pinball until reading you need to buy the tables. So yes, I jump in straight away to be the Joneses but always have (with the exception of GameCube and PlayStation 2).
David Fraser
Holding back
I’ll admit that, with a couple of hours to go on Thursday night, I was very tempted to nip along to my local Tesco Extra to see about picking up a last minute Xbox One. Yet I held back, because there are still so many gems to enjoy from the current generation. I’ve been an Xbox 360 gamer for much of this generation, so I still have PlayStation 3 classics like The Last Of Us and Journey to enjoy, and that’s without considering the great games that have been coming out for the 3DS and Wii U.
I’m even yet to catch up on some from the last generation, considering I’m yet to get round to playing Ōkami HD, so the idea of paying over £500 so I can enjoy a slightly prettier FIFA or (shudder) Ryse doesn’t appeal.
laj105 (gamertag)
No regrets
I’m getting an Xbox One on Friday and I can’t wait. I’m getting Forza Motorsport 5 and will be upgrading my Xbox 360 copy of Battlefield 4 so I can experience 64-player warfare on a console for the first time. My decision was made much easier when Microsoft changed their policies on the DRM issues that everyone, rightly, kicked up a fuss about.
It fundamentally comes down to the games or to be more specific, the exclusives when making my decision. With Halo 5 looming on the horizon, I couldn’t imagine not having the game at launch. Titanfall looks amazing and right up my street. Project Spark and Quantum Break are looking promising and I’ll be keeping my eye on them. The PlayStation 4 exclusives just aren’t doing anything for me personally and even the Uncharted 4 announcement failed to raise more than slight interest in me.
Why I’m getting one at launch is quite simple. I can afford one firstly, and the aforementioned Battlefield 4 and Forza 5 I am simply salivating for. I shall be keeping my Xbox 360, for Dark Souls 2 mostly and to continue my YouTube channel that I’ve just recently started doing. (Shameful plug coming if any one wants to check it out) I will get a PlayStation 4 in the future, probably if The Last Guardian finally arrives, but for now, I’ve made my decision and I’ll let you know if I’m happy with it.
REBROCK (gamertag) Add me!
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Trust issue
I’m not buying the Xbox One at launch and I really can’t see myself buying one for a long time either, if at all. It’s not a matter of cost, I’m lucky enough to be able to afford both if I wanted, it’s just that I don’t trust Microsoft to not turn around in a year or two, when they have a committed userbase, and reinstate all or some of their draconian DRM and trade in policies.
I also resent being forced to pay for Kinect when it is not something I’m ever going to use. I don’t want to jump around in front of my TV playing games, that’s what I have real life and exercise routines for – all I want to do is sit and play games.
It saddens me a touch as I’ve been a committed Xbox 360 user this gen (I’ve had four Xbox 360s) until my Gold membership expired in May and I couldn’t renew it due to a problem with my account online. I won’t go into specifics, but Microsoft’s online help is a shambles. It was at that point that I decided to go for the PlayStation 4 and then my decision was reinforced by the policies they no longer have.
Also, and I suspect this is the reason a lot of people have chosen a side, most of the people I play with are getting the PlayStation 4.
Cakeboy79 (PSN ID)
Media machine
I’ve never had any interest in owning an Xbox, but maybe Xbox One will change that. Why? Solely because of the way that Sony have crippled media access on PlayStation 4. Maybe they will restore MP3 playback and DLNA access in a future update but it’s a maybe and I haven’t seen anything definite about restoring the ability to play media through external drives.
We’ve had Sony hardware since PS one (two of each console) although the PS one’s are now retired to the loft as PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 can do the job. Can we retire any more after getting a PlayStation 4? Nope, no backwards compatibility. I checked how many PlayStation 3 exclusives we have, and it’s not many, so no big pull factor there either. So, it’s really a fresh start and I need have no loyalty to Sony based on prior investment or exclusive content.
So, would I be excited to get Xbox One? Not at all. The split screen idea is nice, but not a huge draw. Overall, I’m finding this new generation underwhelming so far and a backward step in some respects. When the PlayStation 3 first came out it really did feel like a huge leap over the PlayStation 2, with built in Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Blu-ray, HDMI, USB ports, the ability to plug in external hard drives, copy and play/view your own pictures, music, videos.
It was obviously so much more than just a games console, it was your media and entertainment hub for your living room and that’s how we’ve used it. I don’t think either of the new consoles is such a leap but for me, Sony have given Microsoft a big opportunity by their attitude to media access.
I plan to wait and see if Sony pick up the ball again, and would be quite happy to get something in a couple of year’s time when issues have been ironed out, prices have dropped and better games are available. Maybe we’ll end up getting whichever one has the most flexible approach to media.
David ‘Daley’ Thompson
Dad dancing
In a word, No. Not now, not ever. The Xbox brand is starting to look a bit stale and suffering from whatever the digital equivalent of middle-aged spread is. Like a dad at a disco, it’s not cool and it’s trying too hard.
Phil303
Moot point
I’m not buying either next gen console, but that’s because I can’t afford one. If I had managed to save up I can’t imagine I’d want to put my chips on either machine just yet. If, however, someone offered to buy me one or the other, at this point, based mainly on what exclusives are available for each, and therefore what I’d be playing over Christmas, I’d go for the Xbox One.
In reality though the best games are the cross gen ports like Need for Speed and Call Of Duty. So maybe the higher resolution on the PlayStation 4 would swing it that way but then again the Xbox pad might swing it back.
As someone said during the week, the generally poor line-up of games is hard to get excited about. The main thrill would be having a new price of tech to play with. If I was to choose based on that theory then even though it’s technically less powerful the Xbox One does look more ‘next gen’ with its multimedia features and Kinect 2.0. It also looks like it has better build quality and I for one think the design is a lot more modern and mature than the PlayStation 4.
But all this nit-picking is pointless. It’s possible that every exclusive on whichever console you choose could be absolutely terrible. No one can predict what the games will actually be like regardless of the pedigree of franchise or talent of the developer. Therefore swearing loyalty to one or the other at this stage is a gamble. In all probability things will turn out to be even enough but it’s still a gamble I wouldn’t be willing to take with my own money.
I’m actually kind of glad I can’t afford one as I’d be ripping my hair out by this stage trying to choose. What is strange is that the only game that you have reviewed in the last while that has made me consider getting a new console at this point is Super Mario 3D World.
@PjDonnelli
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Hearts and minds
I won’t be getting an Xbox One, for a variety of reasons. I have pre-ordered a PlayStation 4 already and simply wouldn’t be able to afford another console, or find the time to play on it, as well as my Wii U, 3DS and PS Vita. My mates are all getting the PlayStation 4 too, which is also a major factor in my purchase. The negativity surrounding the Xbone has also had an effect on my choice, with some bewildering decisions from the Microsoft hierarchy.
All the U-turns that followed were expected after Sony’s E3 briefing knocked Microsoft for six. But it was the way that the Microsoft execs went about trying to erase their mistakes from history that got my goat. The PR disaster was compounded by arrogant and evasive execs like Don Mattrick, Major Nelson, and Phil Harrison, which was in sharp contrast to the Sony camp of Shuhei Yoshida, Mark Cerny, and Jim Ryan, who were more forthright, and kept corporate BS at a minimum. In the race for hearts and minds Sony were streets ahead of their rival.
With little between the two consoles in terms of features, the main reason for buying a console should be its choice of games, and for me this is where Sony have the upper hand. While both launch line-ups are pretty uninspiring, I am really looking forward to seeing what Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, Japan Studio, Santa Monica Studio, and all the indie developers can do with the new PlayStation 4 hardware.
Microsoft just don’t have the first party exclusives that would tempt me to buy their console at the moment, and with third party studios struggling to get their games working as well on the Xbone as they do on the PlayStation 4, it looks like Sony have turned the tables from the current gen, and have an easier to develop for, and more powerful console that is also nearly £100 cheaper than their competitor. Having to fork out £429 by including Kinect is a risky move, and personally I just see it as a gimmick, like the PlayStation Camera, which will only get used with the odd party game.
While I won’t personally be buying Microsoft’s new console at launch, I still think it will be a success, and gaming needs both companies, along with Nintendo to be strong, as competition is only good for the industry. This next week is an exciting time to be a gamer with two console launches, and I hope new owners of the Xbox One enjoy their new purchase over the weekend, as I’m sure I shall enjoy my PlayStation 4 next weekend. I just hope there aren’t too many faulty consoles out there to spoil the party!
Cubes (PSN ID), Cubes73 (Nintendo, Steam, Raptr IDs), Cubes1 (Twitter), Kevin M
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