All they need to do is include the headset and reveal a good date. I doubt they will drop the price but that would be icing on the cake. Just having a much better and direct presentation without any mystery and conflicting statements will do wonders.

I feel like dropping the price to $399 is a better idea than keeping $499 and throwing in a free year of Gold. I'm saying this as the profit return on a year of gold probably outweighs the profit turned on a console, even if at $399, $449, or $499.

The reason I also state that is even if the One came with a free headset or a year of Gold, consumers might not see the value and still see it as the "expensive" console. If Microsoft swallows their pride and takes the price cut and keeping the Kinect, it gives them a lot more leverage in their war with Sony. Will Sony throw in the PS4 Eye at $399 or keep it as is?

Again, Microsoft has been dealt a second chance. They need to play their cards right or be made a laughing stock for the third time this summer.

Major Nelson says reintroduction is not true.

http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comm..._one_at_press/

Even if they were looking for a mulligan, which they should be, I wouldn't think they'd communicate it that way, so some drastic/desperate move is still not out of the question.

Agree that a price drop would be the smartest. I heard it described yesterday as the "Xbox One...hundred dollars more than a PS4". I guess they could cover some of that ground with some combination of a game, a headset and a year of Gold and still save a bit of face.

As for an October launch, every report I've seen is that they won't be ready to do that from a logistics perspective. The limited pre-order quantities were the first sign of that, while Sony has been quite bullish about theirs from the very beginning. I fully expect Sony to launch late October and XOne to launch mid to late November.

Speaking of...has the Internet decided how to abbreviate this thing?

hope it comes out by Thanksgiving, so we can Skype with grandma after dinner.

I didn't realize just how big the Xbone is...bigger than the original 360...guess they aren't taking any chances with temps:



Also, neither of the new boxes looks right standing up. 360 is really the only console I ever liked standing up...maybe the Wii.

I don't see Microsoft dropping the price to $399 AND keeping the Kinect bundled in. That would just further prove their lack of confidence in their product and the brand. The Xbox One will sell just fine. Granted, it might not sell as well as the PS4 in the first year due to the higher price, but once Titanfall, Halo 5, and a couple other exclusives hit, it will be right back in the running.

Has Cliffy B announced if he's working on anything right now? If not, I don't see how they haven't thrown a bunch of money at him to introduce a new IP for next gen.

I totally get that your trolling this thread and all, but is it necessary to keep calling it the Xbone? I get that the Xbox One isn't the best name and all, but to keep calling it the Xbone comes off as childish.

I like Xbone. It's kind of endearing if you're not super sensitive.

It's usually best to embrace these things. Relax and let it happen.

I've been seeing XB1 a lot lately, which makes sense and follows the 3-character abbreviation that most consoles take on.

"XBone" is tired already, and eyeroll-inducing to anyone with maturity (coincidentally, I was just listening to the latest Joystiq podcast where they booed a user question that contained "Xbone").

You'll find tons of instances of me using X1, XO, XB1, XBO and Xbone interchangably and not meaning anything by any of them.

I first heard Xbone on Weekend Confirmed from Jeff Cannata, and if you know him, there wasn't any negativity there. I actually think that if they hadn't screwed everything up so badly, the name wouldn't have taken on a negative connotation at all and would have been embraced.

Anyway, if Xbone really bothers people, I'll just apologize and call it whatever doesn't bother you, but I really do think it's an endearing name. If I owned one, I'd totally call it my Xbone. What are you doing tonight? Playing with my Xbone! Not to bring politics into it, but it's kind of like Obamacare. At some point, Democrats just said "Fuck yeah, Obamacare" and ran with it.

I'm also surprised anybody's still listening to Joystiq after the McElroys left. Is it any good?

I, for one, had no idea what you were talking about when you said Xbone. Had no idea you were just trying to be "cute"

I interchange X1 and Xbone based on the news. If there is good news, X1. If it's more MS "bone"headedness, well you get the idea.

Man, I never knew there was so much animosity towards the name "Xbone", I'll be sure to use it as much as possible. I do have an Xbone preordered, and I don't really have any negative feelings towards the system, besides the whole forced Kinect issue.

On the latest reddit thread, Major Nelson said that he's pushing for the Kinect to be able to be turned off/disconnected completely (although still package with every XB1), as well as including a headset with the console.
http://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comm..._press/cbdjtlx

There's no power brick for the One, right? That's why it's so large... the power is internal this time. If I'm remembering correctly.

Ooh, now things are getting interesting.

There's no power brick in the PS4 either -- that's that little black rectangular thing to the right of the towering Xbox One in that photo above.

Its really a no-win for them now. If they keep it packaged and it can't be turned off, internet will complain about being spied on. If they package it and say it can be unplugged, internet will complain about being forced to pay $100 for something they won't unpackage.

Everything I've read says X1 has a power brick. PS4 does not.

Bigger box means MORE POWER.

At this point I just want the option to unplug it. I can wait until Halo to buy in, or a price drop.

Let's make this a rule, if you are using the Xbone name, call it the M$ Xbone, so we know you are serious about the name.