AgDr_ODST said:
I'm at abit of an impasse when it comes to how I feel about what you said and the next gen moving forward. On one hand I agree unquestionably that you and I as gamers don't owe loyalty to any particular console or company be it MS&Xbox or Sony&PS4 but the heavy handed wording over the check in, I don't quite agree with. If I were to still buy an Xbox One, at this particular time I would have no problem by and large with the 'check in', but I can see how for many it would be an issue so I'm not so blindly ignorant as to not be able to see how it would affect others. The used games thing might present a problem if not for the fact that I buy most of my games new and at launch[footnote]At this moment only 2-3 of the games in my admittedly small library were either previously owned or are currently on loan from a friend. [/footnote], that might become an issue later on down the road if I stick with Microsoft for now at least its not an issue. One final thing you say you were a 'huge' 360 owner, but what prompted the change? Was it something before or after the X-One reveal that made you change your mind?
I'd be happy to tell you what caused the change of heart.
Frankly, I just took a big step back and looked at the Xbox One, and all I see is a system defined by what it CAN'T do rather than what it CAN, and then I took a step further back and saw how it compared to its competition.
The Xbox One:
1) must check-in with Microsoft once a day. If it fails its check-in, it will not work for 24 hours. Obviously, some people have better internet than others, but nearly 60% of next-gen console owners did not take their system online, while many don't have good connections in rural areas, and, globally, internet use is much more limited. This doesn't take into account servicemen serving overseas, college dorms that have rules that you can't use their internet for gaming, and impractical housing layouts that don't put an internet router near the television. Again, problem for many, but not all. PS4 works 100% offline so nobody playing it has to worry.
2) inevitable loss of games. All the games, old AND new, require that online check to work. But eventually Microsoft will shut down the servers when they feel they don't need them anymore, and you'll have a brick for a system and no way to play the games you paid hundreds of dollars for. It's like shutting down an MMO; that's the end, only a system-wide scale. In 10 years, none of your games may work. Xbox 1's servers were totally shut down three years ago; what promise is there that in 10-20 years you can play ANY games on this system? PS4 games will never have this problem.
3) loss of game ownership; and this is a big one. The reason Microsoft can even DO that is they have taken the stance that games are not a product you own but exclusively a service they provide; a service offered on their terms which they have the right to alter and even discontinue to their benefit. It's a huge slap in the face of consumer rights, spits on the First Sale Doctrine, and generally robs customers of a protected legal right they've had for decades. You don't "own" a game collection any more; you have an extended rental they permit you to possess until they call it in. PS4 games will work decades from now with full game ownership rights in-check.
4) used game fees and restrictions. Reselling your games is now a major hassle, and can only be done at "approved" retailers (I assume Ebay, Amazon, Craigslist, and YOU YOURSELF don't qualify). This doesn't include the additional activation fees, the inability to properly share or loan your games, or the fact that game "licenses" can only be transferred ONCE, meaning the used game market will be stifled. That also rubs me the wrong way that Microsoft and the publishers feel entitled to getting a share of used game profits, when legally they are entitled to NONE of it, while actual developers won't see a dime because they're paid hourly wages anyway. PS4 has ZERO used game restrictions.
5) The system is region-locked. This is nothing new, but it's still a major issue for people who move around or travel, or, in this generation's case, the fact that really amazing games and DLC were locked out of certain regions (I created a UK and Japanese account just to get some UK-exclusive and Japanese-exclusive DLC for Xbox games that never made it to America). It's a huge block to importers and those that travel or move internationally. Again, PS4 is region-free.
6) mandatory Kinect and privacy concerns. Microsoft tried to downplay this and even deny it, and people who defend them will claim "conspiracy theory nuts" and "tin-foil hats", but then the scandal that is the government spying program PRISM comes to light just the other day and Microsoft is revealed to be the first person on-board with giving the government access to user's personal and private information, chat-logs, skype videos and conversations, etc. And then they create the "always-on", mandatory Kinect that can see everything you do, even in the dark, track your movements and moods, your spending habits and gaming habits, etc. It's not optional, is not removable, and even "turning it off" only puts it in a state of hibernation. That, and the fact that apart from Dance games, the Kinect never worked well. PS4 has an optional PS Eye device that's not required whatsoever.
7) Xbox Live is still a rip-off. It really is. Of course, Playstation is charging for online now too, but unlike Xbox, which is more expensive and fills your dashboard with a sea of unwelcome ads, the Playstation version is cleaner and actively rewards PS+ users with new games that fully justify the price of the service.
8) non-removable harddrive and mandatory installs. The Xbox One has mandatory game installs, and a 500GB HDD. That seems like a lot, but if games are going to be around 40-50GB that's going to fill up FAST. It's non-upgradable, non-removable, so you're stuck with it, even if you have an external HDD. PS4's HDD is customizable and upgradable, plus gives gamers the option of playing from disc if they desire, leaving space open for other games or features.
9) System power. Many devs have come forward and confirmed the PS4 is actually more powerful than the Xbox One, with more memory to use, faster processing power, better CPU and internal hardware, more developer-friendly, and gaming optimized.
10) indie support (or lack of it). This is a big one too. Xbox One showed... what, one or two indie games, and one of them is an "indie" game bought by over 11 million people already? They only went after the most popular ones, while Playstation 4 revealed a nearly 20+ roster of indie games. Furthermore, Xbox One demands indies find triple-A publishers, or have Microsoft publish it (and take some money from the indies), while PS4 allows indies to SELF-PUBLISH while PS4 revealed plans to actively promote the indie games, including offering them as free titles on PS+. Huge win for indie gaming.
11) Price. $499 for Xbox One. $399 for PS4. A hundred dollars is a huge difference, especially when the PS4 offering more player options and freedom with better system hardware. Xbox One tacks on additional fees too and has far less options (unless "I can watch TV on a console" is a big deal to you).
12) Games. This is always going to be debatable, but I feel Sony just has better games and exclusives coming their way. Microsoft's "exclusives" have not been getting favorable press coverage, while their old hallmarks have sort of passed their prime (Bungie abandoned Halo for "Destiny" which is on PS4, Epic has no plans to make more Gears of War games, Fable has sunk in quality, etc.). Even "Killer Instinct" was revealed to be a money-grabbing free-to-play game where you have to buy every single character in the roster... ugh.
13) Gamers. Xbox One doesn't want you. It doesn't want gamers. It wasn't made with you in mind, just publishers and TV watchers. Games are a tangible side-effect, like games on an iPhone. Any system that has so much between YOU and the GAMES is a system not for gaming. PS4, by comparison, is a game system, front and center, for gamers, with very little between you and your games. It's more convenient, more powerful, more respectful of you as a consumer, less expensive, and boasts enough exclusives and genre variety to keep gamers happy for months and years to come.
That's how I saw all of this, at least, and I know I'm forgetting some things (such as PS4's Cloud-based backwards compatibility plans and Vita connectivity), but that's the overall gist. I hope that clarifies why I changed from Xbox to Playstation this upcoming generation.
