So is the Xbox One a gaming console or a cable box that can play games? That's the sort of question that has been asked countless times following the console's announcement by not only by consumers but developers as well.
People Can Fly developer Adrian Chmielarz wasn't too impressed with Microsoft's Xbox One reveal, giving the company the benefit of the doubt while sharing personal disappointment. He said to Eurogamer:
Because we all wanted to see the future of gaming, and we got almost none of that, and what we got were weak pre-rendered movies that looked worse than some of the games I have on my PC right now, or a dog and fish AI. I have no reason to prefer any console over the other, hell, I want them both to succeed – more platforms for our games, yay!
He added:
But, to be honest, I don’t think anyone from Sony lost any sleep.
He can't be too far from the truth. The backlash following the Xbox One reveal has been unprecedented. It isn't just one thing that's being scrutinized; it's the entire package. The console is Kinect-centric, it intrusively enforces online DRM, and most importantly Microsoft has shown more interest in casual applications than what made Xbox 360 such a competitive console: gaming.
It'd be too easy to write-off Microsoft at this point; this war is far from over. The PS4 has some issues of its own and both companies—heck, you can throw Nintendo in there, too—still have a lot to show at E3. For now, Sony can enjoy its monumental lead, but when June 11th comes around it better be ready to play ball.
