So, the cat’s out of the bag. Microsoft’s “one ring to rule them all” digital entertainment hub of the future, the Xbox One, finally has a price. Now, the big question is: will gamers, and more importantly consumers at large, be willing to pay that price to make the new Xbox the center of their living room?
In truth, there wasn’t very much about Microsoft’s E3 press conference that was very surprising. The new games for the system look great. Pretty much expected that. There will be a new Halo to launch a new Xbox console. Gee, that’s never happened before. Xbox One will be the “one device” needed to connect to all your digital media and entertainment sources. Well, we sort of knew that was the direction things were moving anyway. So for the most part, the press conference was the usual bluster, boasts, pomp, and circumstance that we’ve come to expect, and in truth, enjoy from E3 press conferences. However, there was one piece of information that really stood out: the price. $500 dollars for this new console. Not including games. Not including any peripherals such as new compatible Turtle Beach headsets or extra controllers. $500 just for the box and what’s in it. Is that too steep?
A few years ago, there was another cutting-edge console that had all kinds of cool technological bells and whistles; it had built-in Blu-Ray.
It’s was a monster of a machine in capability and technology, and therefore worth every penny of the $400 dollar premium price to be a proud owner of a PS3. Except the masses didn’t quite buy that, or the console. In fact, the non HD, underpowered Nintendo Wii ended up dominating things for quite some time, and not only did it not have Blu-Ray, it couldn’t even play DVDs! Once the price came down a bit, people started buying in to the neat technology the PS3 offered, but it was rough going there for a while. Is Microsoft sailing into those same stormy waters?
Personally, $500 is too much. I think the tech is cool, I think the games will do some innovative things with the new technology (loved some the things mentioned about Forza 5 and Battlefield 4), but $500? And then I have to go buy those games? That’s asking quite a lot, especially considering my WiiU makes for a good digital hub for my media. No voice control, true, but touch screen. No window-in-window, but with a little extra patience, I can get what I want. No, it’s not a slick, not as high-tech, but it’s a whole lot cheaper. Then there’s the fact that Sony is debuting the PS4 at around a $100 less than that. Ouch.
That could be a problem; it’s almost like the reverse script from back when the Xbox 360 and the PS3 went head-to-head in their debuts.
So, is $500 too much? We’ll get an idea this holiday season when the new consoles release, but we probably won’t really know until late next year for sure. In the meantime, it’s really your opinion that counts, so what of it? Would you spring for a shiny new Xbox One for $500? Share your thoughts on why or why not in the comments below.
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