5 things Microsoft did right during its E3 Xbox One X event

By Daniel Rubino
published

Microsoft got a lot right with its One X reveal. Here are my picks for the top five things it nailed, and why they matter.

The gaming world is still reeling from Microsoft's 90-minute reveal of the future of Xbox gaming. After giving it some thought, these are my favorite things about what was announced.

Messaging is everything, and Microsoft had a challenge on its hands: How to convince people that "Project Scorpio" is a true evolution of Xbox One and not a clean break that raises the entry-level cost? I think Microsoft nailed it. Here's how.

1. Xbox One X name

When companies name products there are often mini-tantrums thrown by the enthusiast community that garner a lot of attention. Microsoft chose Xbox One X as the official name for "Project Scorpio, " and it's an excellent one for a few reasons:

  1. It continues the "Xbox One" naming scheme to reinforce that One X is just a higher-end version of the One S.
  2. It's a throwback to its history. The slogan "nothing is greater than the power of X" goes back to the original Xbox launch, and I thought it was a brilliant throwback to Microsoft's gaming legacy.
  3. When I hear "X," I usually think of top-secret projects, futurism, or "extra" as in XL. And X is just kind of a cool letter. It even adds symmetry to the name X … X.

2. Xbox One X design

Related to the above messaging, Microsoft needed to avoid a radical shift in design for the One X. The first thing you likely thought when you saw it for the time was "Hey, that looks a lot like the One S … but slightly different." That was the point. Going all-black, too, was a throwback to the original Xbox and Xbox One as and something that was missing from One S.

Regarding the actual design, Microsoft kept the power supply internal and made the whole console even smaller than the One S. Those are both wins. It also doesn't hurt that I like the design of One S, as I noted in my review last year:

Overall, the Xbox One S's design is unique, and it almost has a retro vibe. It lacks the ostentatious elements that usually afflict gaming PCs with hard angles and glowing lights. Instead, the One S is subtle, muted, and it reminds me of the work of German industrial designer Dieter Rams … less is more.

Microsoft needed to play it safe with the design. Luckily, the One S template was a great place to start for the One X. In fact, the design is so uncontroversial it's almost boring. But I still like it.

3. Preserving OG Xbox games

Microsoft's backward compatibility program for the Xbox 360 is so successful it is rolling it back to the original Xbox. Sure, that's just a cool thing for gamers – more stuff – but it was the way Xbox head Phil Spencer presented it that got me: preserving gaming history.

Seventy-five percent of silent films have been lost forever, and the same thing could happen to games unless someone preserves them digitally. It may seem trivial, but developers and game designers sweat blood to make a lot of titles. Why lose that just because of a new whizzbang console?

Bringing compatibility to the original Xbox is more than just servicing hardcore fans. It's about preserving gaming history. That's authentic and admirable.

4. Diversity of games and exclusives

I remembered watching all the new game announcements two years ago at Microsoft's E3 presser. Sure, it was fun and bombastic as ever, but many of the games were military-style first-person shooters (FPS).

I get it, those are popular franchises, but as a more casual gamer who could not care less about Call of Duty whatever, I was bored. This year's lineup was spectacular. Between platformers, FPS, and RPGs, there was something for everyone. Some ultra-violent titles like State of Decay 2 looked fun, but then there was Forza Motorsport 7 for racing buffs. And who didn't get excited about the new Ori sequel or that Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) game? I'm not even into DBZ, and I was like "WANT!"

Phil Spencer said he tried to find artists and creators from around the world to bring unique and engaging games to Xbox. After seeing the lineup that felt authentic, because there were so many different art styles showcased. Gaming in 2017 should be about diversity of style, gameplay, and design. Microsoft did that well, and it was refreshing.

Finally, Microsoft came out the gate with 22 exclusives for the One X answering that lingering question, "Yeah, but what can I play on it?" While we knew of Forza Motorsport 7 and existing titles like Gears of War 4 going to 4K, it was a relief to hear there are many launch titles, as well. Getting console exclusives, even the less impactful console exclusives, is essential to generating hype, and Microsoft gave everyone a pleasant surprise.

5. Price

Yeah, I'm going there. Even before the announcement, there were rumors of the $499 price point floating around backchannels. The gaming elite and media – an insular crowd – had already declared it dead. The issue was old school thinking, or that this was a generational shift in consoles, a clean break leaving One and One S behind in the dust. I understand how the "console wars" are viewed, but it's also evident that this model is changing. Companies can no longer do clean breaks, and the One X is not that.

The other aspect is demographics. Your average Xbox player is now 35 years old. Sorry, kids. As an "old" myself, my generation was the first to grow up on living room gaming consoles. I fondly remember our ColecoVision or playing on my cousin's Atari 2600. We grew up and didn't stop playing video games.

Now we have careers and disposable income. I've pointed this out before with the $4,000 Razer Blade Pro, which is not aimed at 20-year-olds but adults with income because that's a thing now that did not exist ten years ago. Companies should be catering to adults who game that want a premium experience. Of course, Microsoft should not forget young adults, either. But the artificial $399 barrier should not be kept in place because of them. Microsoft just dropped the price of the One S to $250, making sure it can hit that lower, super competitive tier.

In 2017, we have pricing and feature levels for TVs, phones, PCs, coffee makers, bathroom scales, wearables, and everything that is electronic. The idea that gaming consoles should be locked to some nonsense barrier because of legacy is stupid. And considering the specifications of the One X and its ability for true 4K gaming, the $499 price compared to a PC build is a downright bargain.

Luckily, many of you seem to get this, which I attribute to Microsoft's excellent announcement execution. In our ongoing poll, nearly 75 percent of you say you will buy the One X with only 8 percent saying "no way, it's just not worth it."

Wrapping up

There is a lot of risk in announcing new gaming consoles, let alone ones that are trying to break tradition release cycles. Microsoft could have flubbed the One X's presentation in many ways, including with a terrible name or a radical redesign that confused consumers about where it fits. By keeping it looking like the One S and using the same nomenclature, Microsoft made it clear that the One X is just a high-end version of One S and not a new system that plays different games.

Finally, by diversifying the game announcements, getting that big exclusive number out in front, and preserving original Xbox games, Microsoft catered to the entire gaming audience.

While it remains to be seen how well One X will be received, there is a lot of positivity following the announcement, and that's good for everyone (even Sony fans).

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

76 Comments
  • Nice break down. I agree about the price especially, it might suck for you guys in America, but in Australia it is priced really well, it's half the price of a phone for crying out loud, if people can buy a high end phone they can buy the One X.
  • Whats the Australian price?
  • $649. To put that into perspective the RRP on the 950XL when it came out was almost $1100, granted the majority of our phones sell on payment plans but still. As another comparison, the entry level upcoming Surface Pro will be $1199. $650 is nothing, it's basically the weekly wage for a full time 18 year old.
  • Exactly! Sure 950XL was $1099? Coulda swore it was $1199, that was only in the very early days/wks ofc.
  • I could be off on my pricing, I can't remember if I paid $1088 or $1188 to be honest.
  • My 950XL was listed as $1208 at JB Hifi, sat on the shelf for 9 months, got it for $720.
  • Sounds right, major 3rd-party retailers generally sell slightly above the very 1st (& subsequent) RRPs.
  • Turns out I paid 1127 at Harvey Norman about a month after release. So yeah, $1199 would be the original rrp.
  • $650 in a week for an 18 year old?  Is full time 40 hours in Aus?  That'd be $16/hr!  kids are rich in Australia!
  • 38 hours is the minimum for full time. That being said there are a lot of high expenses as well.
  • No VR support????
  • Regarding the name. Xbox One X = X.B.O.X. Coincidence?
  • Nice!
  • I think it has to do with Windows 10, X for 10. Its a convergence that microsift has been on about. But its all cool either way
  • Xbox is one word, so it's actually XOX.
  • Kiss hug kiss
  • XboXoneX . So, now we have XXX
  • More like XBox One X
  • XBX sounds cool
  • they are ready for more mature gaming
  • Time to replace my xbox 360 then 😆
  • Can't wait to get my hands on this beast.
  • No price yet for indian market.
    $499 ~ 32,000 rupees
    Which is cheaper than current price of ps4pro 38,990 rupees.
    But Indian tech sites are expecting it to be 45,000 or 50,000 which isn't good enough.
  • Wow I was waiting for this news finally Xbox One X
  • Basically you put for every negative point something that might be considered positive but ignore all the bad reasons. For example, you think the name is great because it has an X "that sounds like some top-secret projext" but ignore all the reasons of why it's probably a really bad name. You take the pricing and say **** the sales but you forget someone has to buy the console in order to get more content from the developers. You say there are lots of exclusives but in fact most of them are timed or indie games. Noone is going to buy a $500 console for an indie game.
  • I think you missed the point on the price. Dan is not saying they don't need sales, he's saying the people this is targeted at can afford a $499 console. I am happy with the UK price of £449 and if I can guarantee to have it on launch day I'll be pre-ordering. The Nintendo Switch was £280 at launch, totally different consoles but that's essentially a tablet with some good controller accessories and optimised OS (I have one and enjoy it) but it has nowhere near the power or tech that's in the One X
  • I am not saying that it's too expensive for everyone - I probably will also get one. What I am getting at is that this is not a competitive price. This won't change a lot for Sony and neither will it for Microsoft. It's just what everyone was expecting. It's not something good (nor is it bad), it's just as it is.
    The price is not setting a statement. It's not a call for war on Sony. It's just being like "meeh I don't care about winning back those fans we've lost. We'll just sell it for 499 and keep everything like it was before".
    It's like they are not even trying.
  • Nope. You're flat out wrong there. The PS4 Pro's competitor is the Xbox One S. And that pricing is quite competitive. The Xbox One X is for those who want more than the Xbox One S or the PS4 Pro offer.
  • The xBox One S cant even compete with the normal PS4. The Xbox X was going to be the holy grail but it apparently isnt. Hence it wont change anything. Btw, do you think Sony is sleeping?
  • As far as performance is concerned the Xbox One X is the holy grail because there is nothing in the market that can compete regardless of price.  Performance always comes at a price.
  • Do you double-check what you write? What kind of cheap excuse is that? PS4 was cheaper than XBox One and had more performance than even Xbox One S.
    Cheap excuses always come at a price.
  • No, it isn't, regardless of what Microsoft claim.
  • Actually it is setting a statement. It's saying: "This a a premium product and much like the Porsche 911 GT, we revealed, it comes at a premium price. If it's to much for you we have these other great options, the XBox One and XBox One S, much like Volkswagen Group has Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche. Great products at different price points."
  • Yeah. Nice statement. So when your Volkswagen and Audi aren't selling well and you're getting your ass kicked, you launch a Porshe 911 GT to get a stronger stand in the market right? Wow.
    By the way, this is different, because when I buy a car, I probably don't care a lot about what my friends drive. When I buy a console, I care a lot not only where my games are but also where my friends are playing.
  • And your conflating 'not selling as many as PS4' with 'not selling well' which is incorrect. For MS and Xbox to succeed does not require Sony and PS4 to fail/lose.
    To take it back to the previous analogy Toyota's sales do not constitute VW's targets. Although they can serve to inform what the market/customers want.
  • "Toyota's sales do not constitute VW's targets"? Are you kidding me? VW said they want to be the No. 1 manufacturer (in terms of sales!) and Toyota was the No. 1 manufacturer (also in term of sales) and is trying to get that position back from VW right now. You shouldn't use those analogies, because it's exactly the opposite of what you want to say. I could quote goals of the VW management about 3-4 years ago, but I will let you do that for yourself. Microsoft is not selling as many consoles as PS4 and it is already in a downward spiral. If more people buy PS4, less people will buy the Xbox because their friends are using the PS4 (read: word-of-mouth). The potential market (of first-buyers) they can sell their entertainment consoles shrinks with every PS4 that is sold. If Microsoft sells 9 Xbox and Sony sells 11 PS4 today, the gap in one year might be 3-17 due to the leverage effect in place here. I might be takling to a so-called "fanboy". Let me ask you an off-topic question: Do you believe Windows Mobile is a success?
  • No sane person thinks W10M was a success. It's a good mobile OS but far from successful. If I owned a PS4 now I wouldn't be interested in the PS4 Pro after seeing the One X personally. I have an Xbox One I hardly get to play and a Nintendo Switch i get to play slightly more because its portable. I'm too busy working to game really but I'm going to get a One X because I don't spend a lot of the money I earn so to me its affordable and worth the premium experience for the precious amount of game time I get
  • I'm a fan of gaming. I have been for over 35 years. I have owned or do own pretty much every console released in the last 3 decades. Now to pick at semantics, wanting to be number one is a goal, VW success does not hinge on outselling Toyota, it is on meeting sales targets and maintaining profitability. Being number one is just a mantle and these days you can segment any market to almost make it a pointless pursuit (i.e. number one in the luxury or safety segment). As for windows phone/mobile from a sales, marketing, consumer awareness or any aspect of a product or business model it has been an unmitigated disaster. Have i enjoyed the OS and my various devices since WP7? yep. Also has MS been able to take any of what they've developed/delivered over the last few years and use it going forwards? Who the hell knows or cares. If they release something cool I'll get it, if they don't I'll get something else. Tired of so much pointless angst and negativity, not all successes requires someone to lose. And I will continue to enjoy the PC, PS, XB and Nintendo platforms.
  • All Xboxes are compatible for gaming even with your PC and i wouldn't be surprise with Nintendo Switch, so the only thing you have to care about is are your friends on PS or XBOXES, that's all. I would own them all anyway, i like Sony for Metal gear and the next Kojima and other exclusive and i like Microsoft for Forza, Anthem and other games and Nintendo for Zelda and perhaps Metroid. So the price of the XBOX X here have nothing to do with what your complaints, if you don't want to buy that because it's too expensive just buy the other available XBOX, it's simple no?  As stipulated in this article the XBOX X is for peoples who can afford it or has played games since they were kids, i've started playing games since the Amstrad 6128, so for me the price of the XBOX X is ok for me. But i would start with a XBOX S because i think 4K TV is not ready yet, i mean in term of prices...
  • They don't need to sell the most to be profitable
  • What are the reasons it's a bad name? I think it's good.. It's like the equivalent of a Lumia 950 vs a Lumia 650. It's clear that one is the more premium option.. Since phones now cost $800+ dollars. I don't really see the issue with the $499 price tag.. That's the equivalent to a mid-level phone.. My only complaint is with the game industry in general.. I'm the gamer who ONLY does single player.. I do the story mode or campaigns. I hate how many games have eliminated split screen experiences.. Everything is designed for x-Box live.. Online multiplayer...
  • Dan, nice article. Especially the price point, reading and listening to all the nay sayers, they really seem to miss who this is aimed at. This version will appeal to those of us that have already, or plan to this year, buy a 4k TV. If you have made that jump, $500 to make full use of you fancy TV is really not that big of deal. And to all those who question if 4k is a real thing I say, "Check out Best Buy, it practically impossible to find a 1080 TV."
  • Seriously, if $500 is too expensive, then people can buy the One S, not everybody can afford premium products and companies arent going to sell things at a loss just to make people on a budget feel better about themselves
  • Exactly. Should they also just stop selling the S period when they made the X price lower? People have options, and this thing will sell. You think people don't buy Surface because they can get the HP cheaper? People buy what they want.
  • I would seriously like one of those Porsche 911 GT's, unfortunately I don't think Porsche is going to price it in my range just cause I get whiny.
  • The thing I love is that all this stuff works on the Xbox One S.  It may not work at full 4K, but the games will play and the licenses will stay with you, so when you CAN afford the Xbox One X whether through saving or a future price cut, all those games are upgraded to the more powerful spec.   And with increased backwards compatibility, Microsoft is basically saying that most of your Xbox games will always come with you.  And you can play them on ANY Xbox One.   The really wonderful thing is you can load all your games on an external HDD and just plug that into the new console, sign in, and you're ready to roll.
  • Exactly my thoughts. It amazes me how people can complain about the price tag when we all experience price/quality segmentation everyday, in all things - phones, laptops, tablets, TVs, cars, houses, groceries, clothes etc. I was at Best Buy the other day to get a new TV, and I could see various 'grades' of 4K TVs, all from Samsung and LG. Just buy the one you can 'afford' and feel good about, no need to complain if it's beyond your 'budget' - I'm not going to expect the best for free or at a cheap price, that's just silly, I could as well expect free money without going to work :-)
  • My first thought when I heard the 'X' was in reference to Windows 10 (Roman numeral for 10).  Knowing that the console is going to merge more and fall in line with the PC.  My husband and I had a heated discussion this morning an "exclusives" (as he is a PS fanboy).  And I told him that yes, the PS has sold like 40M whereas the Xbox One is half that number, however there are probably over 100M PCs out there running Windows 10.  There is no such thing as an Xbox exclusive anymore.  It is a Microsoft Exclusive
  • Daniel it's also an acronym for X.B.O.X.
  • No it's not. Xbox is one word, so it ends up being XOX.
  • Debatable, its technically a contraction based on DiretX Box, which is where the console got its name
  • Not really. Their gaming box was named after their famous PC gaming API Direct X. So it became "X"box.
  • Incorrect. Xbox is short for the internal name a Microsoft.DirectX box... As the Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox one, S and even the Xbox X is based on DirectX, yea the software you need to install to play games on Windows 10
  • I think its fairly priced tbh for a console of this power.
  • I completely agree with 3 and 4! I think it was great to show indie titles when others showed sequels and remakes. The diversity of game genres has been a sore spot for 'Next' gen consoles and Xbox nailed these two points! Consumers and time will tell on 5. I think offering the console without a controller could have made the price a non-issue. Xbox One owners already have controllers, so offering it without could have lowered the price point while allowing new owners to choose one of the many Xb1 controller options. Kinda like the Surface Pro (5) without a Pen included. In regards to name, you do make a strong case. Personally I don't hate the name, but I don't like it either. I refuse to abbreviate it x.b.o.x. This product name seems stale and mailed in. Nice that the product name team got paid for that...really? In regards to design, the bottom metal base looks like it could have been made on the same machines for a Surface product. And that's what bothers me about the design, it's so conservative that it will blend into my TV stand and not in a good way. They could have definitely done more for design. Heck, show the basic design shape and allow for design Lab style custom colors/designs and MS could charge a lot more. Xbox had real opportunities with name and design to show they learned from past errors, I think they missed those opportunities, big time. I would love to a Xb1x with an X on it, kinda like the original, who knows, maybe they will do a special edition. And where is the green (Xbox brand color) in this or any Xb1 console? Other than being a cube, it doesn't appear to pay homage to the first Xbox. Not to sound like a hater, just seeing a lot of missed opportunity. Will my opinion help, probably not, so I'll shut up now.
  • I disagree with you on the design point.  I love the fact it is understated and blends in with the surroundings.  I have a simple TV stand/desk thing and the Xbox One X will fit in there nicely.  Personally i cannot stand the over the top gaming gear with bright LED lights and ridiculous shapes.  This thing will generally sit in a living room so big factor for me is that it doesn't destroy the overall feel of the room by being visually loud. As for the price i think it is fair.  $500 doesnt seem like a huge amount to me considering the technology etc.  I have ben looking at building a mid range gaming PC that performs at 1440p and that would cost in excess of $1000 without a monitor.      
  • I feel with the xbox one and ps4pro, the age of exclusives is coming to an end. Xbox is offering backwad and forwards compatibility, some games that are exclusive in one gen are not in another. Also, the high end AAA titles that will be 4k + HDR + also VR cant keep making expensive games for expensive games for an exclusive market. Numbers are required. And then there is windows 10, xbox play anywhere and Windows convergence. Exclusives will make less sense in a "non console wars" era that we are moving into. Nintendo and microsoft playing nice, Minecraft multiplayer available on all platforms etc. There is a reason most of the exclusives from Microsoft atleast are timed exclusives. Its not gonna be sustainable in the coming models of gaming without generation cycles, alot more like mobile phones. I buy a phone every two years, perhaps that i'm using a windows phone contributes to it but it works just great for me.
  • I agree, from a business perspective how can the likes of EA, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and Square Inix afford to make a console exclusive? AAA games are getting stupid expensive, and are only going to be more so with VR and 4k. Why would they ignore half of their potential market? Obviously Sony Entertainment and Microsoft Studios will make exclusives but how many titles can they work on at a given time?
  • I agree with points 1,2,3, and 5. The name is fine, the design is good, I like the peripherals around my TV to be discrete and Xbox does that better than a PS4. The backwards compatibility is a killer feature for me, and with original Xbox compatibility added this got even better. The price is OK too, you definitely get your money's worth. However I think you are wrong for point 4. Microsoft's E3 was weak on games and exclusives this year. Medium size and Indy games are great if you already have an Xbox, but its the AAA and exclusives games that sell consoles.
  • There were 42 games announced with 22 of them being console exclusives. I'd say the lineup was really strong in that department. The variety of different games was also nice to see.
  • Here's what they showed in the order they showed it: Forza Motorsport 7 Exclusive Metro Exodus Cross-platform Assassin's Creed Origins Cross-platform PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Launch Exclusive Deep Rock Galactic Launch Exclusive State of Decay 2 Exclusive The Darwin Project Launch Exclusive Minecraft Cross-platform Dragon Ball FighterZ Cross-platform Black Desert Launch Exclusive The Last Night Launch Exclusive The Artful Escape Launch Exclusive Code Vein Cross-platform Sea of Thieves Exclusive Tacoma Launch Exclusive Super Lucky’s Tale Exclusive Cuphead Exclusive Crackdown 3 Exclusive 19 ID@Xbox games in a 2 minute montage Ashen Launch Exclusive Life is Strange: Before the Storm Cross-platform Middle-earth: Shadow of War Cross-platform Ori and the Will of the Wisps Exclusive Anthem Cross-platform So 7 exclusives, 8 launch exclusives, 8 cross-platform and 19 indie games (7 exclusives, 11 cross-platform) Like I said, lots of games to play if you already have an Xbox, but if you are in the market for a new console these dont give you a reason to go Xbox over PS4. (If you are into racing, Forza is the only exception, its IMO the gold standard for console racing, much better than Grand Turismo)
  • 1. The name: Incredible - a billion dollar company's marketing machine incapable of creating conistent, compatible with human logic and human sense product names following the scheme $PRODUCTNAME $VERSIONNUMBER $APPENDIX, where $VERSIONNUMBER is incremental and $APPENDIX is an abbrevation telling the products capabilities inside the model range of $PRODUCTNAME. 2. The design: Where they failed with 1. they succeeded with their design. The new console shows a strong relationship with XBOX ONE S. Plus, and this is just my personal impression, it breathes the power it inherits . 3. How can Microsoft better advocat compatibility from generation to generation than by making first XBOX' games playable on the new generation! Unfortunately, I sold all my XBOX games over a decade ago. It would be great to just see them run. 4. Total fail. The whole diversity in announced games stems from indie titles. When looking at triple A titles exclusive on XBOX, there is only H/F/G. Recent projects got cancelled like Scalebound, got downsized like Recore or simply turned out mediocre like Quantum Break. Indie titles aside, all they showed us on the recent press conference was deafening 'crash boom bang'. No story, no heart, no passion. Just racing and shooting for (pre-)puberal audiences. Now, look at Sony's media event. Just from the trailers Sony showed, there were several moments of laughter and dread and sympathy and sorrow. Microsoft's only title which triggered similar emotions was of course Ori and the Will of Whisps. Not much here. 
    Concerning exclusitivity, the only way to succeed as a console platform, the XBOX has to either become fully PC compatible instead of just sharing a tiny tiny fraction of the PC catalogue or has to receive a large number of XBOX exclusives as it was the case before 'play anywhere'.
    As things are, XBOX ONE is just an impotent appandage in the WINDOWS 10 world suffering from an insufficient and diminutive catalogue which is just a tiny subset of titles people are able to play on PC. 5. I don't want to go into comparing it with a PC of similar capability, because such a comparison didn't into account the flaw of XBOX which is, that it only plays a very tiny subset of games a PC can. But $499 (probably €549 in the country where I live) is a price that seems absolutely reasonable to me. Nothing else to say.  If Microsoft had announced some titles compelling to me as a story loving singleplaying gamer and would start offering PC game developers a kind of 'XBOX adaption toolkit', which moreover would enable them to release typical PC games in genres like strategy games on XBOX, I would buy this beast on day one.
  • "there is a lot of positivity following the announcement, and that's good for everyone (even Sony fans)." I think only in the sense that there's no way Sony will allow the One X to go unchallenged and we might get the PlayStation 5 sooner than expected. Otherwise I fail to see how any of this was good for Sony fans lol
  • Regarding #4, I kind of felt the opposite. Felt like there were very few 'big' games, and way too many indie or 'weird art style' games, none of which really helped drive the point of the Xbox One X being powerful home. (Intentionally pixelated art doesn't actually look any better in 4k)
  • Nice article. Especially agree about the price and the target market. 399, 499.. Doesn't really matter. Still cost a lot less than my phone. I have a job, I can buy things. The younger generation's parents can splurge, or get the cost effective "s". I honestly think they covered their bases here.
  • Great writing dan. I personally am excited for this future again. 
  • I agree with all the points, a lot of smart moves. Still, the lack of new exclusives is a big disappointment. After closing Lionhead, loosing Remedy, ending Scalebound etc. it just Looks like the smallest First-Party-Lineup of Xbox history. Sure, they will still make some money. But rather then switching to the One X, I would rather get a PS4 now. Nextgen? It's always about First-Party-Lineup!
  • Thank you.  You captured my thoughts precisely on all of these specific five points.  3 and 5 are particularly salient.  Adult professionals who love gaming ARE A THING.  A 250$ pricepoint for the One S is a great deal.  I remember the NES at 100$ when I finally convinced my parents to get me one. I may not be a hard core gamer like my brothers and nephews (who are all fine with the One S), but I am super excited about this new addition to the family.
  • My only concern is: If an adult with income to spare can afford a $500 console, why not get a dedicated gaming PC instead that has more upgradeability and customization? I would love to see an article comparing both options.
  • Well, this adult with the available income, would rather sit in my recliner, with my 55" 4k, HDR TV, and a controller in my family room than be holed up behind a 20something inch screen in the den. I can play with my wife, if we have enough gaming we can switch to Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon or pop in a 4k Blu-ray.
  • That adult might not have the time or interest in tinkering, troubleshooting and maintenance.
  • And I loved the "preserving gaming history" approach. It has more value than how many people are actually playing the old games, although in reality I believe each gamer has an oldie that he/she would love to play every once in a while. I just hope publishers take this seriously and make more games backwards compatible.
  • About the price. I truly believe that the price is very reasonable. A high end phone or laptop costs nearly twice as much and don't nearly have the entertainment and gaming capabilities. To even build your own 4k gaming rig would cost more. The CPU and GPU alone would cost about $800. But also, I don't care personally if a game is in 4k. I think 720p games look good. I just want to play all of my favorite games. That is why the Xbox One S is perfect for me when I get around to buying one.
  • Interesting way of finding "positives" about the conference even though some of those looked far fetched for me. But here are some things where I felt they went wrong.
    1) Misleading gamers and the community about "22 exclusives" and "timed exclusives". Passing timed exclusives as "exclusives".
    2) Keep using anti-gaming policies like timed deals.
    3) Besides the yearly forza (which we knew was coming) they announced ZERO AAA games that they are making! After months/years of nearly nothing this is UNACCEPTABLE!! 
    4) They hardly talked about what the power of X really meant? Only one game was said to be 4k native 60fps. This was suppose to be the year of the scorpio but they mostly showed indies with low quality texture. I mean Minecraft in 4K? WTF??
    5) They didn't show us the power of the cloud and building destruction on crackdown 3.
     
  • For the XBox One X? It's coming, according to Microsoft they are focusing on PC VR/AR this year and want to develop wireless VR for the XBox One X. Makes sense in a way, their PC partners are all releasing headsets this fall and I'm thinking they want to let them gain some traction.
  • I just watched them put together a XBox One X on E3 Daily, if anyone doubts the value of the $500 price tag should watch it. The engineering that went into the design and manufacturing of this beast is amazing!