Microsoft: A legacy in jeopardy

Once considered the dominant name in the console war, Microsoft is forced to sit by the wayside and watch as their legacy spirals down the drain with the Xbox One.

When it was announced that the Xbox One, Microsoft’s follow up to the Xbox 360, would not allow consumers to play pre-owned games on the console, there was a collective gasp throughout the gaming world.

When Sony announced that their Playstation 4 would be fully compatible with pre-owned games, Microsoft was quick to back pedal in the hopes of salvaging their dignity. Considered by most to be the one of the most comically miscalculated moves in the history of the industry, it is Microsoft’s lofty goals that have cost them the war with Sony for console dominance.

If you go into any video game retailer and ask them which was a better selling system, the 360 or the Playstation 3, the majority of the time it will be the 360 that will get the nod. The systems overall interface, combined with a user friendly online experience, coupled with amazing Microsoft only shooters and adventure games, made it the obvious choice for the majority of gaming enthusiasts.

When given the choice between a game on the 360 or the PS3, I would always choose the 360 game. Everything about it was better when compared to the Sony product. Surprisingly this is no longer the case.

Current number comparisons between the sales of the Xbox One and the PS4 show that Microsoft is falling behind. In fact, the gap between the two systems seems to be growing at a fairly steady pace.

The proverbial “bells and whistles” of each system are leaps and bounds above the previous generation of consoles, but it is the over abundance of “technological breakthroughs” that Microsoft is beaming about that has made the Xbox one such a negative in the eyes of the gaming public.

Rather than focusing on video game entertainment, as they should, Microsoft has attempted to create a mass media tool that interacts with the user via voice commands and gestures. Rather than viewing such additions in a positive light, it is the general opinion of the public that it would have been better for Microsoft to simply focus on games, rather than keeping gamers connected to every social media site via their gaming console.

Microsoft’s legacy has been compromised to say the least, but the war between the two companies isn’t over yet. Whether or not Sony will be able to capitalize on this is still up in the air.