How Microsoft Apologists Are Bad for the Gaming Industry

Every system has its fanboys. In fact, everything on this blue sphere that involves competition has its own set of fanboys, and honestly, in my opinion, that’s fine. And in a way, it almost seems natural for people to defend what they’re passionate about. It might be a game console, a sports team, a car manufacturer, a movie, a phone line, or even a computer company. But what’s not natural is fanboys or fans constantly defending their chosen love’s missteps with complete obliviousness, and with a smile on their face. The latest Xbox One apologists seem to happily take this obsession to another level entirely.

KINECT

The Kinect sucks. Period. We ALL know it. If the general public had the chance to buy a Kinect-less version of the Xbox One for $399, they would buy it over a $499 version with the Kinect. It’s ok for the first few times, but motion technology is just not there yet. But the way Xbox fanboys go on about it, you’d think it was a godsend. In reality, it’s not. Sure the voice commands are innovative, but the motion technology? It barely works. Look no further than The Fighter Within. And 4 years later, the Kinect’s motion technology is still not even close to being what Microsoft says it is. Even the Xbox UI is a complete mess because of it.

The apologists constantly tell people things like “You’re just not using it properly” or “You have to get used to it”. Why should someone have to train themselves to use an operating system? Shouldn’t the goal be making it effortless? You shouldn’t have to TRY, to play a game or use an operating system, it should just feel natural. When I put a controller in my hands and play a new game, I don’t have to try to play it; I just do. This is the problem with the Kinect; you can’t just use it intuitively, and so it doesn’t really work or do its job properly.

Since the introduction of Kinect for the 360, the 360 has had only 12 exclusive non-Kinect games released for the Xbox 360, and the crowd don’t seem to have a problem with this.

Maybe, instead of acting like something that doesn’t work, does, the apologists should be demanding a better product that they would like to buy versus being forced to buy, this time around.

DRM

Where do I start… Well, Xbox fanboys acting like DRM was a great idea the way Microsoft was doing it, makes me and most of the gaming community sick. Honestly, their attempt at this move was in all reality based on how complacent Xbox fanboys have become. Microsoft knew that the fanboys would sit back and let it happen, defending it every inch of the way. Fortunately for you and me, the rest of the gaming community stepped in and said what Xbox fanboys have been trained not to: “No, I’m not supporting that”. If no one stepped in, this could’ve been a complete disaster for the industry. To all the Xbox fans that actually stepped up, and everyone in general: I commend you. You did the right thing. The apologetic mindstate of the Xbox fanboy is dangerous for the entire industry, and not just the Microsoft platform. And no example can better convey this than the DRM fiasco.

RESOLUTION

Xbox fanboys move the “goal posts” whenever they can, regarding resolution issues or strengths regarding Microsoft platforms, and the Xbox One’s resolution issue is a perfect example. The 360 was known for having superior multiplatforms games, due to the complexities of early development on the PlayStation 3. Xbox fanboys would brag about games having more grass, 40p higher resolution, better lighting and all sorts of development advantages the 360 had over the PS3. The same Xbox fanboys, were unable to see the difference between HD-DVD and BR. Now fast forward to 2013. The big multiplats are running at anywhere between 180p and 360p higher on the PS4 than the Xbox One (with a more stable frame rate) and now the droning statement of “Graphics don’t matter, it’s about gameplay” is a common phrase you hear on any forum where resolutions come up for discussion. I’ve even heard “720p looks crisper” come out of people’s mouths, which is nothing short of laughable considering how big a deal it was for the Xbox fanboys during the lifecycle of the 360. The reality of the Xbox One resolution issues goes back to the Kinect; the Xbox One is $499 because of it. You allowed the Kinect, they gave you the Kinect, and not a system capable of wearing the crown of “Graphics King” of this generation.

PAYWALLS

Almost everything on the Xbox One is hidden behind a paywall. And that paywall’s name is Xbox Live. If you mention this to an Xbox fanboy you’ll probably receive this answer: “Who has an Xbox without XBL?”. The answer? A Iot of people who live in rural areas, countries with little to no internet access, and people who don’t game online who only play singleplayer games. The funny thing is that Adam Orth was a perfect representation of an Xbox fanboy. Inconsiderate and dismissive.

You should NOT have to pay to use your Netflix, Skype and Internet Explorer, if you don’t like play games online. But you guys just keep allowing it and not really saying anything about it. Again, complacency proves to be dangerous for everyone else, as you being ‘ok’ with this spawned the idea of locking down your system with DRM. This is NOT ‘ok’ and you guys should be doing something about it. You should be fighting against it. If THIS doesn’t boggle your mind, I don’t know what will.

FAILURE RATES

From wet towels to burned down houses, there are Xbox 360 users who have went through 8 360s. 8 360s. I would never allow myself to go through 8 PlayStation 3s. How many do you have to go through before you stop? What kind of a message are you sending to the manufacturer? All they know is that when their system breaks down, all the consumers will eventually buy another one, and keep repeating the cycle.

The Xbox One has a rumored disc drive manufacturing problem, stemming from an alleged Foxconn employee’s actions. And guess what happened? Some Xbox Ones released with a disc drive that eats discs. And why is this okay? Because you’ll buy and go through 8 of them if you have to, to get one that actually works. The Xbox One is smoking, leaking fluids, and having a slew of problems that aren’t normal hardware issues. Why? Again, because you’ll go through 8 of them if you have to, to get one that works. Either that, or until Microsoft is forced to make ones that work. The saying “You buy crap, you’ll get crap” sums this up perfectly.

LIES, SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Microsoft lies. Sorry, Microsoft lies a lot. From Major Nelson flipping switches to Albert Penello embarrassing Microsoft employees on NeoGAF, Microsoft seems incapable of telling the truth. They mislead people about the cloud, specs, and even dedicated servers. Only one game on the Xbox One uses dedicated servers and that’s Forza Motorsport 5. According to Xbox fanboys, none of this stuff is a big deal and is not a reason to cause an uproar. Don’t worry, they run Titanfall on the PC with a Xbox One controller, it’s not a big deal. They have lied about resolutions, not being aware of smoking consoles, and more. Really, why should they stop? I guess we’ll just have to wait for the truth to come out eventually, right? Right.

SUMMARY

Enjoy whatever console you own (whether it be the Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Wii U, etc.) but it doesn’t mean you have to accept everything the big companies do. Corporations of any kind will push and stretch the consumer as far as they can be pushed and stretched. And when you’ve been stretched, lied to, and pushed around, well, sometimes you need to push back with your voice and your wallet. When it comes to profit margins, companies will get away with anything they can manage, and as long as you, the consumer, are complacent with their offerings, the corporations will keep pushing your limits. Xbox diehards: you need to raise your standards and demand a little respect from Microsoft, because as of right now, they have no respect for you.

*The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect SpawnFirst as a whole.