The Sony presentation gave us a rough framework of what to expect or not expect from an event like this. Though they debuted many aspects of their console, they kept certain information hidden. With Microsoft, it stands to reason that they may indeed keep some of same info under wraps, giving people a reason to tune back in a few weeks from now during E3 itself.
Here are five questions that immediately come to mind when wondering what we'll see from Microsoft tomorrow. Feel free to add your own queries in the comments.
How Much Will It Cost?
This is an item that Sony didn't reveal during its presentation, and if I had to guess, I think that Microsoft may keep this a secret until E3 as well. That said, if they were to come right out and say that somehow, some way, they were making the next Xbox incredibly cheap in order to rack up a massive install base, that would be a headline grabbing story that would have all the buzz heading into E3.
Everyone's best guess for how much the PS4 will cost at launch is generally around $400. It stands to reason that the Xbox could indeed come with a similar price tag, but rumors have been floating around that it could be much, much less. The idea there would be that Microsoft would take a huge loss on the console itself, but nearly everyone and their uncle would buy one, and they'd get their box installed as the cornerstone of a household entertainment system that does far more than play games. Of course, this could just be wishful thinking, and we won't know until we hear it from Microsoft directly.
Will They Show the System?
Sony took a lot of flak for something that in the grand scheme of things, should be relatively unimportant. Much like
If I had to guess, Microsoft will try to one-up Sony by either announcing the price or showing the system, but not both. Something has to be left for E3, after all. I would wager that the price is the more important aspect they might save for later, and as the biggest criticism of Sony's event was that they did not show the system, it would be an easy trump card for Microsoft to pull.
How Much Will They Focus on the Living Room?
I've said before that I can see a clear positioning framework forming between the PS4 and the next Xbox. Sony went all-in on gaming, saying that the PS4 is a dedicated gaming machine and they even literally said out loud that they care less about "the living room" than they do the games. Conversely, that leaves Microsoft a wide-open opportunity to be the console that's more than a console, and every year they seem to add more and more things that allows the Xbox to be more than just a gaming machine. You can even order Pizza Hut from your Xbox now for crying out loud.
The question heading into this next console generation is just how much overlap the two systems will have this time around. For all their rabid fanboys, the PS3 and the 360 were ultimately very similar, with only a few major difference like PSN vs. XBL and their respective handful of exclusive series. Now of course Microsoft will still focus on games, and Sony's system can do more than play them, but they do appear to be seeking out somewhat different niches in the market. Microsoft has the potential to make the Xbox a must-have living room object for even non-gaming households that works in conjunction with all their other products. Sony doesn't quite have that same sort of reach. Microsoft is famous for having half their keynotes not even mention games at all, and I'm wondering to what extent that will be true tomorrow.
Will They Negate Any Controversial Rumors?
One thing many are hoping to see from Microsoft is that the company dispels some of the nasty rumors that have been floating around concerning the new Xbox. The two main ones are somewhat related. First, it's been said that Microsoft will require a constant internet connection for games to be played. That eventually evolved into the idea that it will be up to the publishers to turn that option on and off, but hopefully they will say outright whether or not that's the case.
Secondly, it's also been said that games must be installed to the hard drive to be played on the new system. That could work in tandem with the above "always on" functionality, but could also mean that theoretically, the new Xbox doesn't play used games. Sony didn't specifically say that the PS4 would play used games (or even play discs, for that matter), but had to clarify later in interviews that was indeed the case. Microsoft needs to come out at clear give a big yes or no on both of these issues. Best case scenario is they say neither are true, but if they say nothing? That would seem like a yes to me, and look for a thousand interviewers to ask those sorts of questions as follow-ups after the event.
What are They Going to Call This Thing?
It stood to reason that the PlayStation 4 was going to be called the PlayStation 4, but I don't think anyone believes that the new Xbox will have a "720" attached to the end of it. Rumored names so far include Xbox Infinity (my favorite), Xbox Fusion or just Xbox, the last of which seems very hip, though I'm not particularly a fan.
Think that a name isn't all that important? Well, just ask the Wii U, which should have been called the Wii 2 in order not to confuse its customers about what it actually was. Many casual consumers believed (and still believe, for that matter) that the Wii U was simply an addition to the current system rather than a new system in itself. The Wii 2 or Super Wii wouldn't have created nearly as much confusion.
I don't think the next Xbox has to worry about people not knowing it's a new console, but a name is important, and it's one piece of information we're absolutely guaranteed to learn tomorrow, no matter whatever else they choose to keep hidden.
What else do you want to know about the new Xbox? Let me know in the comments.
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