Xbox One reveal – less focus on games

Microsoft have sold a staggering 76 million Xbox 360 consoles since its release in 2005. Based on their May 21st event it would appear Microsoft want to target the huge audience of TV addicts.

The Xbox One is going to be tightly integrated with the living room environment. The system will be able to play movies, surf the world wide web and review upcoming television episodes, all at the same time.

The Xbox One reveal did touch on games, but a lot of the presentation was focused on the television/bluray/Netflix player/Skype integration. The interface allows the applications to be toggled from window to the next instantly and even can display two windows side by side.

It is clear that the Xbox One is not solely targeting the gamer. Microsoft want a larger audience adopting their upcoming console.

Forbes added “The fact that all consoles have added value should make the Xbox One’s extremely nifty extras appealing to gamers.  Writer and superhero movie editor of FilmBuffOnline William Gatevackes said, “I bought a PS3 because it was as good as some of the other Blu-Ray players on the market. The fact it plays games is bonus.” For those who want a games console that doubles as a Blu-Ray player and triples as web browser, the Xbox One may be your future all-in-one device.

Jesse Divnich, EEDAR business analyst and vice president of insights, has already taken note. Divnich wrote, “We view Xbox One’s television integration as a large opportunity for Microsoft…”

Microsoft are also focusing on the integration with Netflix, a popular application in various parts of the world. There are however some countries that don't yet have Netflix support, so it will be useless.

Since the reveal yesterday many gamers are complaining that Microsoft are forgetting their core audience. Kitguru reader John Mcintyre emailed in and said “I think the Playstation 4 looks to be the console that purist gamers will want. The Xbox One wants to be a jack of all trades and it will alienate the core audience who just want to play games. Microsoft don't seem to be focusing on upcoming game titles.”

Kitguru says: The Xbox One may be a videogame console, but it appears that Microsoft want less of a focus on gaming, and more focus on the integration of the console as a central platform for all media.

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