The customer is always right.
But, what happens when a corporation’s goals no longer align with the demands and expectations of its loyal consumer base? What happens when the follow-up to said corporation’s most successful console is unveiled, boasting features which neglect, or outright challenge the wishes of its audience. As we’ve seen following Microsoft’s unveiling of the Xbox One, the result has been a potent cocktail of confusion, incredulity and anger.
A significant portion of the vitriol can be attributed to expectations. Being the last of the Big Three to unveil its latest entry in the console wars, it was expected that the Xbox 360’s successor would offer more RAM, a switch from DVD to Blu Ray, an improved d-pad and a refined Kinect camera. In short, the Xbox faithful desired an evolution of the experience it had come to love, not an overhaul ushering in unwanted change.
However, in the months leading up to its unveiling, a number of troubling rumors began circling the web. Chief among these were the rumors that the system would require a persistent connection to the internet to function, and would feature some  prohibitive measures to restrict the playing of used games. Netizens were quick to express their displeasure, but Microsoft never offered a response to confirm or deny the rumors. The belief (hope?) was that Microsoft originally planned these features, but had quietly chosen to remove them in the wake of all the negative feedback.
Then came the reveal.
Opening with a sexy sizzle reel featuring the system, Kinect 2.0 and the revamped gamepad, the Xbox One seemed to tick off most of the boxes. But, once the lights came on, it became clearly evident that Microsoft had a new audience in mind. Devoting a staggering amount of the presentation to the Xbox One’s broader entertainment capabilities, gamers were left feeling like the red-haired step-child everyone ignores at family BBQs. Emphasizing the Xbox One’s TV and multimedia functions, Microsoft was careful to avoid portraying the system as a games console. Instead, they highlighted partnerships with the NFL and Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, demonstrating their new content strategy.
Games felt like an afterthought with no-brainers like Forza 5, FIFA 2014, and Call of Duty: Ghosts making appearances. The lone surprise was a new IP titled Quantum Break which featured a brief live-action trailer featuring no gameplay footage. It was also mentioned that the Xbox One would see fifteen exclusives, eight of which are brand-new IPs in the 12-month window following the system’s launch. No titles, screenshots or trailers were featured. Instead, gamers were asked to wait till Microsoft’s E3 conference for more information.
This deliberate avoidance of the content which has driven the Xbox brand’s recent success has baffled and infuriated gamers. However, when viewed from Microsoft’s perspective, it begins to make perfect sense.
Microsoft is a business and it sees an opportunity to control the living room with a product which functions as a hub for all aspects of a customer’s media consumption. It understands that such a vacuum might not exist for much longer and made the move to position the Xbox One at the forefront of this emerging product category. It is Microsoft’s strategy to control this new category before it has fully taken shape, similar to Apple’s early domination of music consumption through the introduction of the iPod and iTunes service.
The Xbox One is a product made by a company which believes that its interests are better served by looking to other areas besides gaming. Make no mistake, it will continue to boast exceptional franchises such as Halo, Gears of War and Forza, but Microsoft has no intention to let these titles determine the fate of its new device.
The customer is always right… but you aren’t the customer Microsoft is eyeing.
