Disclaimer: The
following post on the SJBMCPRS Report is based primarily on my experiences with
the Xbox One console and is a follow-up to the eighth (8th) post on the
SJBMCPRS Report. Therefore, the impressions and opinions are purely of my own
and should not be considered as ‘definitive’ regarding the Xbox One as many people
have their own opinions and have the right to express themselves. That said, this
post will contain some real-world properties, as well as expressions that may
be taken as offensive to people.
The moment I (the author) purchased
and obtained an Xbox One console was the 21/12/2013, 14:50, in the Tesco Extra
supermarket, Yeovil, Somerset, United Kingdom. It’s been two (2) years now, and
on the 21/12/2015; I will share some of my experiences regarding the ongoing
life cycle of the Xbox One. Considering I asked myself these questions in a
previous post (where I reflected upon my first (1st) year with the
Xbox One), I will ask myself again now that I’ve had two (2) year’s experience.
So without further ado:
Did it reach my expectations? Was
it worth the cost? Was it ludicrous to buy at the time?
My answers to these questions are: “…it’s still not there yet, and it feels like someone has thrown a pie of dog turds to my face when I consider what I paid for the console and the games and additional accessories when I did two (2) years ago, and seeing what could’ve been had I waited two (2) years”. In a nutshell then; it was ludicrous to have gotten the Xbox One console when I did, and to have spent so much money to become an early adopter of the console.
My answers to these questions are: “…it’s still not there yet, and it feels like someone has thrown a pie of dog turds to my face when I consider what I paid for the console and the games and additional accessories when I did two (2) years ago, and seeing what could’ve been had I waited two (2) years”. In a nutshell then; it was ludicrous to have gotten the Xbox One console when I did, and to have spent so much money to become an early adopter of the console.
(Record
abruptly stopping sound) But then again, the same could be said for
the other eighth (8th) generation consoles when they too were new on
the market then and therefore were expensive and ‘lacking’ compared to now.
What is reassuring when looking at the expense of obtaining the Xbox One
console when I did is that thankfully, the Xbox One didn’t stagnate and die off
shortly after release like the Nintendo Virtual Boy, or flop for a year and be swept
under the carpet like the Amiga CD32.
Furthermore, I can honestly say that while it still feels like
I made the mistake of purchasing the Xbox One when I did, I have found much
enjoyment in not only the gaming experiences but also the rejuvenation of the
Xbox One as a whole following its ‘flawed’ launch. Now its true (for the most
part) that the experiences with new consoles improves over time with additional
games and updates; but Microsoft is unprecedented in the efforts to redeem
itself and the Xbox division by making changes and upgrades during the Xbox One
life cycle. I won’t go into any great length about what is now possible on the
Xbox One and how it stands today in the market because there are plenty of
documentations and videos to illustrate these points, however I will say the
overall experience and expectations with the Xbox One are vastly improved compared
to those in previous years.
Arguably the best evidence of Microsoft trying to make the
Xbox One more appealing to gamers and their fans and supporters is the offering
of Xbox 360 backwards compatibility on the Xbox One. When this development was
unveiled at E3 2015, there was a perception that the Xbox One got a victory
against it competitor: the PlayStation 4. Now that this feature is available to
every Xbox One owner (with internet access and Xbox Live); that perception is
more apparent (especially) in the face of Sony’s rather blatant and controversial
means of retaliating (by allowing PS4 owners to PURCHASE (very few) individual
PS2 games from the PlayStation Store as PS3 owners could with selective PS1 and
PS2 games for a fee). Compared to the offerings on the Xbox One where it
currently offers a hundred plus (100+) Xbox 360 games to be played on Xbox One
either through the physical Xbox 360 game disc, or through the Xbox Store for
FREE! Sony and the PlayStation variation comes across as like a downpour
raining urine on gamers.
Of course the perception of how much the Xbox One has improved
since its launch in 2013 is also due to the expanding library of games in 2015,
and unveiling of ‘must have’ titles like Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of The Tomb
Raider (which is a timed exclusive), Forza Motorsport 6, and future ‘exclusives’
to be released like ‘Gears of War 4’, ‘ReCore’, ‘Scalebound’ in 2016. Adding to
this is the gradually increasing number of Xbox 360 games becoming compatible
with Xbox One over the oncoming months, and it does look like the Xbox One will
continue to improve with time, and gain the interest of gamers who haven’t
obtained the Xbox One console yet. As for me personally, these developments are
encouraging and guarantee my support for the Xbox platforms and as a gamer for
years to come in spite of issues and gripes I still have.
(Record
abruptly stopping sound) Now before continuing with this post, I should make it
clear that this is not in any way ‘favouritism’ for the Xbox One over other
platforms, or any attempt of mine to say: “F*** you PlayStation and Nintendo!”.
I am well aware that during the year of 2015, both Sony and (Nintendo (albeit
to a lesser extent) have made announcements and improvements to improve the
service and experience of the respected platforms. The reason I am doing posts
that are focused on the Xbox One is because it is the console I own, and
therefore I do not have other ‘current gen’ consoles to compare or have
experiences with the other platforms.
Strangely enough though, it isn’t the vast improvements or
developments that has been made that make me like the Xbox One overall more now
than I did when I did my first (1st) year review of the Xbox One in
2014. Nor is it the possibilities (like original Xbox backwards compatibility,
and storing music freely onto the hard drive (like one can do with the Xbox
360)) that are seemingly more probable in the light of the backwards
compatibility for several Xbox 360 games. What pleases me is the fact that the
Xbox One has continued to develop and progress despite the poor reception and ‘flack’
it gets ever since its initial unveiling. Given the list of commercial failures
there have been (which were due to various reasons), It did occur to me that
the Xbox One would be latest commercial failure and would be shunned in favour
of Microsoft trying again with a completely new system. The constant shaming
that is addressed at the Xbox One because “it cannot perform as well as the PS4”,
or “DRM policies”, “cost”, “inferior sales” and so on would be reasons for
publishers and developers to shy away and refuse to develop anything on the
Xbox One, and in turn greatly hinder the platform to the point that it would
only be Xbox-owned publishers and developers making content for the Xbox One
and therefore replicate the mistakes of Nintendo (which still does harm the
perception of Nintendo in the eyes of gamers, publishers and developers). And
yet, this hasn’t been the case and I (among many) am benefitting from Microsoft’s
support of the Xbox One in spite of the competitive disadvantage to the PS4 and
gaming PCs, and negative reception early on. The Xbox One may not be the most
powerful console, or the most popular, or offer the ‘best gaming experience’ in
the eighth (8th) generation of video game consoles, but the Xbox One
had enough pros and reasons for to purchase an Xbox One console in 2013, and
now in 2015; there are more pros and reasons for me to continue playing and
supporting the Xbox One.
There is however one (1) development in the year of 2015 that
makes me particularly infuriated with myself for purchasing an Xbox One console
in 2013 (aside from the cost). The development in question is the release of
the ‘Xbox One Elite’ which offers a superior one terabyte (1TB) solid-state
hybrid hard drive and an Elite Wireless Controller for £400 or so. Considering
when I purchased my five-hundred gigabyte (500GB) Xbox One console (with Kinect)
in 2013 for £429, I nowadays kick myself for purchasing the ‘basic’ Xbox One
for as much as I did, when there was a ‘better’ version of the Xbox One console
in the pipeline for about the same amount of money.
“Curse my incompetence and impatience…!!”
Realistically however, if this Xbox One Elite development was
such a game-changer, then I would’ve by now replaced my ‘basic’ Xbox One and
purchased the Xbox One Elite. The reality is however that I have not done that,
and I won’t go out to purchase the Xbox One Elite; unless for whatever reason
my existing Xbox One console where to permanently imitate a dead celebrity like
Richard Whiteley or Michael Jackson. The reason being is because I don’t see
how ‘drastically superior’ my gaming experience would become with an Xbox One
Elite compared to the experience I have currently, plus I no longer need to
worry about how much hard drive space there is available after having several
games installed upon the hard drive, because I can easily apply an external
hard drive via the USB 3.0 ports and gain the same amount of hard drive space
(and more) compared to the Xbox One Elite. While it would have been nice to
have saved money getting the superior variation in 2015, as opposed to
obtaining the Xbox One in 2013; it isn’t crucial for my level of gaming
experience.
Now hear me out; while I am a gamer and have been from the
moment I understood what I was doing when playing on a Super Nintendo (SNES), I
am not ‘hard-core’ and obsessed with optimising the gaming experience with
surround sound, 4K TVs, £100+ headsets and gaming chairs. I don’t mind that the
Xbox One doesn’t display a game in 1080p, or if the origins of Xbox isn’t of a
pure gaming company like Nintendo. I enjoy what I enjoy, and if the Xbox One
can (and does) satisfy my desire to play games, or utilise apps like YouTube,
Netflix, and then order a pizza through the ‘Domino’s Pizza App’ if I’m hungry;
then the Xbox One is perfectly alright with me.
So what happens from here on; do more games, apps, updates and
developments come along through 2016, and 2017? I do not know as I am no
mind-reader and nor am I capable of predicting the future. If, however the Xbox
One continues along this course of improving and expanding, then I see no
reason why the Xbox One won’t gain more interest and sales in the year or so to
come. All I can be (hopefully) certain is that on the 21/12/2016, I will
write/type up another post reflecting on three (3) year’s experience with the
Xbox One, and perhaps by that time; I will have a better comprehension of how
the Xbox One truly compares and contrasts against the other eighth (8th)
generation consoles as my brothers and sister will get their hands on the Wii
U and PS4 on Christmas Day 2015.
Until then, I will draw the twenty-eighth (28th)
post on the SJBMCPRS Report to a close. As usual I apologise for any offense, in
spite of the disclaimer at the start of this post forewarning my intent NOT to
cause offense while expressing myself. Feel free to comment or imply your own
perceptions, and I will have one (1) last post uploaded and available to read
before the conclusion of 2015. Until next time, see ya!
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