Tag: Blu-ray

Categories
Blog

Phil Spencer and Xbox One: Put Up or Shut Up

Xbox head Phil SpencerXbox head Phil Spencer has spent a lot of time trying to silence Xbox’s detractors but with Xbox One’s third month on top of Sony in NPD console sales it looks like Spencer’s approach is panning out for Redmond.

When Spencer entered the doors at Xbox’s headquarters in Redmond, WA he was putting out a lot of fires and he needed to change consumer perceptions about Microsoft’s Xbox One platform which didn’t debut well compared to the Playstation 4. He has done a lot for consumers since he started at Microsoft, but what he has done to internal Xbox team perceptions might prove to be his biggest coup. From the outside, at least, it looks like Spencer’s reign at Xbox has done wonders since the turbulent launch of the system.

Continue reading “Phil Spencer and Xbox One: Put Up or Shut Up”
Categories
Blog

Microsoft finally realized that Blu-ray is owned by Sony

Possible white Xbox One
White XBONE
Trying to look innocent in that white dress.

Microsoft came out this generation with it’s head held high from it’s successes last generation. They held it high enough that the public could smell the fetid air of superiority wafting off of every news report leading up to the launch of the Xbox One. The stench caused the community to explode over DRM issues, Kinect connections, and the ‘Gamestop dilemma’ of used games. All of these issues led to Giantbomb naming Xbox One the Hottest Mess of 2013.

They garnered that title for continually planting their feet and soon after go back on their unpopular decisions concerning the new direction for console gaming. Sony was able to sit back and watch. Microsoft seems like a ditsy high schooler and Sony takes the persona of the unaffected kid sitting in the corner of the lunch room brooding knowingly that high school life is bullshit and it is all gonna end one day.

According to rumors from gamespot.com and VG247, Microsoft might release a newer version of the XBONE at a $399 price tag sans Blu-ray drive and add a Bluetooth adapter.

This seems like another adolescent move for Redmond. If they lose the Blu-ray drive, what are the discs going to come on? DVD? Are they going to try to resurrect HD-DVD? Are they going to try to go all digital?

The anonymous “secret source” in the story could not confirm some of the specifics that came out earlier this week, but s/he did confirm that they were working on a new console for less than the current price tag.

I, for one, hope that they do try to get a more competitively priced console on the market, but I don’t see how dropping the Blu-ray drive could even be on the table without making more of a mess of what they have done.