The Xbox One’s Failed Do-Over at E3 2013
E3 Announcement Fails
Now this one is kind of breaking the rules since the Xbox One technically wasn’t announced at E3 2013. Microsoft jumped the gun and announced it slightly before at their own event a few weeks prior. That reveal, though, was such a disaster. During a time when DRM in gaming was on the forefront of many gamer’s minds, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox One would require mandatory online connectivity, which if fulfilled, would make buying, selling, and playing used games a thing of the past potentially. And, on top of that, the Kinect, which was already flaming out at that point, was apparently going to be a mandatory purchase (lumped into the price of the Xbox One) and was required for basic functions. It wasn’t the greatest week for Microsoft, that’s for sure.
Luckily though, instead of stewing in the shit brew they made for themselves, Microsoft had an opportunity via their E3 press conference to put together a do-over, and do some damage control. Surely, Microsoft paid attention to the terrible initial reaction to the Xbox One, and would have put together a plan for back pedaling on the biggest video game stage of the year, right? Wrong.
Microsoft doubled down on their terrible bet and built a moat complete with angry alligators around their dumpster fire so no one could save them. Not only did they reconfirm all the terrible things that no one wanted such as needing to have an online check to play games, and having restrictions on used games (which led to this now legendary posterizing moment from Sony), but at the time Head of Xbox, Don Mattrick, then sealed their fate. Mattrick said in response to all of the backlash and concern about being always-online: “fortunately, we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity, it’s called Xbox 360.” WOOF. What a line, and what a way to hand Sony a massive headstart in the battle for the console generation.
To their credit, Microsoft reversed just about all of the things people hated about the Xbox One’s reveal. They have spent the better part of this generation innovating and refining the product through ideas such as Games with Gold, and Mixer integration in an effort to play catch-up. In the conclusion of our review of the Xbox One X, we noted how far the platform has come. Still, that reveal, and the failed E3 do-over, was too much to overcome.
