Tag: Kinect

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Microsoft Finally Has a Reason to be on the Front Page Again

crossed out kinectMicrosoft came out with a bevvy of news today. Not only will they be releasing a $399 version of the Xbox One without the Kinect peripheral, but they have been restructuring their Xbox Live Gold membership program in some interesting ways.

First, Microsoft has announced that it’s “popular” Games with Gold program on the Xbox 360 will be coming to Xbox One. Microsoft, a company who loves touting it’s numbers, announced that their Games with Gold program has had “over 12 million people” download their Games for Gold games, “resulting in nearly 200 million hours of free fun playing Games with Gold titles.” I think the PR guys splooged in their pants with that sentence. 

phil spencer laughingThe blog post which probably wasn’t written or published by Microsoft’s Phil Spencer detailed that access to the “free” games would be “subscription-based,” putting Games with Gold in line with the Playstation Plus program. Basically, if you aren’t paid up on your subscription, you won’t be able to access these game anymore. 

Next, Gold members will get exclusive discounts on games through their terribly named “Deals with Gold” program. This program will give Gold members savings up to 50 – 75 percent off games. This is another program that Playstation Plus currently offers, sans the stupid name.

Finally, literally, FINALLY! Microsoft users will be able to access Netflix, HBO Go, and many other apps without having to go through the Xbox Gold pay-wall. This is great news for those Microsoft users who don’t have Gold but want access to these services gratis. This change to their Xbox service is the most insignificant (in terms of implementation), yet it is the most brain-dead in terms of customer service. Microsoft should have ended this long ago.

an xbox logo in MinecraftIt has been awhile since Microsoft has had anything interesting to say, in my book. It has been said over-and-over but they have been struggling this generation – much like Sony struggled at the beginning of the last generation. Hopefully, these changes to their business plan will help them in the coming months.

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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.