Through the power of overwhelming negativity and public ridicule, Microsoft has reversed some of their controversial policies that were planned for the Xbox One. Namely, the company has announced that they will no longer make users jump through hoops to buy used games or share games with friends, and also no longer require an internet connection or check in every 24 hours. However, Microsoft has no plans to change any other policies for their next-gen system.
Speaking to CNET, Marc Whitten, chief product officer for the Xbox, revealed that they will not be dropping the $499 price point to get closer to Sony's $399 price tag for the PlayStation 4. He believes that, at that price, gamers who purchase the Xbox One are still getting a bargain for how much they paid for the system:
"We are really, really excited about the value we're going to deliver on day one,"
In addition, Whitten also stated that Microsoft has no plans to change the functionality of the Kinect, which comes standard with the Xbox One. There has been concerns about the device's ability to listen in to gamers even when the system is off. Whitten again emphasized that the only command the Kinect will be listening for when the Xbox One is off is "Xbox On", and that feature can be turned off. Whitten also said that the company will not change the requirement to keep the Kinect plugged into the device, saying that the Kinect is "part of the Xbox One architecture."
While some gamers may be pleased with the change to some of the Xbox One's policies, it may not be enough to sway the public opinion back away from Sony and their PlayStation 4. We will see what happens once gamers can actually get their hands on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year.
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