More Xbox rumors: What are you doing Microsoft?!

     I know every gamer is aware of the PS4 and new Xbox coming out this holiday season. Sony was gracious enough to hold a press conference giving us details on the PS4 and answered some questions. Rumors continue to swirl about the next Xbox and to make matters worse, Microsoft has yet to provide any kind of information. What's even more alarming is that Microsoft has not even tried to dispute any of the rumors. Two new articles posted on IGN about the "always online" feature of the next Xbox are not only troublesome, but they almost seem to push the rumors into facts.

     One of the articles posted talk about a source communicating with Kotaku. The source stated that if the console is disconnected from the internet for more than three minutes, any game or app that was running will stop. So it sounds like if the next Xbox is not connected to the internet then you won't be able to play games, apps, or anything. Basically your console becomes a brick...awesome right?!

     The other article is on how Microsoft's Creative Director, Adam Orth, posted some rather arrogant tweets regarding the negative responses to having an always online console. One of his tweets said, "The mobile reception in the area I live in is spotty and unreliable. I will not buy a mobile phone." Apparently he even tweeted to a BioWare employee, "Sorry, I don't get the drama around having an 'always-on' console. Every device is now 'always-on'. #dealwithit" Myself, as well as others, have found these tweets to be very arrogant and make him come off as an ass.  Granted these are his opinions and not Microsoft's, but you can't help but be putt off by his tweets.

     I understand having an always online game or console to help stop piracy. When I play my Xbox 360 I am connected. However, to have a console that when it looses connection becomes unusable is a bad move. Microsoft has to understand that not everyone has high speed internet or even internet at all. Then there's always the possibility of your internet service going down for some reason. So if that happens you won't be able to do anything on the new Xbox? People do not want/like the idea of being told you have to be constantly connected. Does Microsoft see how bad this is? Surely they do. Microsoft has to see how many people are angry and turned off by this. 

     I own both a PS3 and a Xbox 360 and like them both. However, I will admit that I am a bit of a Xbox fanboy. That's why I can't understand why Microsoft would pull something like this. Is it because they have such a strong presence in the gaming industry with the Xbox 360 that they feel they can't loose? If all these rumors are true I don't think they will be such a dominant force. Sony seems to be learning from their mistakes and really listening to fans and especially developers on what will make the PS4 good. I really want both the PS4 and next Xbox to do well. I know these are still rumors and nothing is official. It still makes it tough to hear. Microsoft needs to shed some light on the next Xbox and alleviate the tension and anger gamers are having with all these rumors. One thing is for sure. It's going to be an interesting next gen console war.

Written by: Alter Ego 83