With Sony revealing the release date for the PS4, we are now waiting for Microsoft to release news on their Xbox One console release date. The PS4 will come out on November 15 in the US and November 29 in Europe.
A new leak from a product placement employee who works with Walmart has said it will come on November 8, a full week before Sony’s PS4 release date. This could be a clever move by Microsoft to get the Xbox One on the shelves before the PS4 even arrives, getting excited shoppers on the bandwagon.
The Xbox One is unlike to come after Thanksgiving or Black Friday, this is a secret rule all tech companies seem to follow, getting their devices and products out before mid-November in order to grab big media attention and consumer attention.
Microsoft has been on a full on retreat since the slamming at E3, where Sony crushed the Xbox One’s small hype. Even before the unveiling, rumours and leaks showed the Xbox One to have DRM, used-sale policies and other nasties, making consumers look to the PS4.
However, in the months past, Microsoft has reverse policies on DRM, used game, always-on Kinect and indie game development. This has made the Xbox One a more open console, but some innovative ideas like digital sharing and making sure developers get all the money for game sales.
The problem was the way Microsoft approached the console, they did not offer reasoning why one thing had to be this way and one thing had to be another way. It was a big miscommunication and it dented Microsoft’s fanbase, forcing them to change policies and rethink the Xbox One.
Games are a big part of the Xbox One’s appeal, it has a lot of exclusives in the line up and with the new indie policy allowing anyone to create a game the same way anyone can create an Android app, it could lead to a huge line of fresh titles, amongst the piles of garbage we are going to see if the platform becomes completely open.
Microsoft is also focused on TV and this may draw down users in Europe and Asia, where the US TV connections will not work. The Xbox One will offer NFL content, but it may not offer anything in Europe and Asia, although Europe gets a free copy of FIFA 14 to cover that issue.
Source: Kotaku