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In addition to criticisms about the Xbox One’s connectivity policies, its used game policies, its supposedly invasive Kinect sensor and its policies toward independent game developers, Microsoft has also had to deal with criticisms that the Xbox One is overpriced at $500, which just happens to be $100 more than what Sony is charging for the PlayStation 4. Gamespot U.K. has spotted an interview that Xbox boss Don Mattrick had with Bloomberg TV last week where he defended the $500 price point and said that it was cheaper than many analysts had been expecting. More →

In addition to all the other controversies surrounding the Xbox One, we’re now hearing grumblings from independent developers who are unhappy that Microsoft is telling them that they need to have a publisher to sell their games on the Xbox One marketplace. Eurogamer last week talked with Lorne Lanning, the head of independent game developer Oddworld Inhabitants, who said that Microsoft’s new restrictions on independent studios mean that his company won’t release any new games for the Xbox One or the Xbox 360. More →

Microsoft doesn’t exactly need any more negative publicity for the Xbox One, which is why the company was eager to quash rumors that it would start charging more for games on its next-generation console. A Microsoft representative told Polygon late last week that it will sell new Xbox One games for $60 each, the same price that it charges for Xbox 360 games and the same price that Sony will charge for games on the PlayStation 4. The Xbox One has generated quite a bit of controversy in the gaming community for its connectivity and used games policies, and it has also been criticized for being $100 more expensive than the Playstation 4 because of the mandatory inclusion of its next-generation Kinect sensor.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter has long been very bullish on Microsoft’s chances for success with the Xbox One and earlier this year projected that it would dominate both the PlayStation 4 and the Wii U in overall sales. But Barron’s reports that Pachter went on CNBC on Friday and was seemingly baffled by some of the decisions Microsoft made with the Xbox One, particularly its insistence that you have to log onto the web at least once a day to play games. More →

The Xbox One’s $499 price tag might not just be a lot to ask of gamers eager to embrace the next generation of video game consoles, it might be flat-out “dangerous.” Microsoft has had a rough couple of weeks following the debut of the Xbox One. The console’s controversial game-sharing and used game policies have drawn a great deal of criticism from bloggers and gamers alike, and even Microsoft’s exciting new Kinect sensor is drawing fire. But everything else aside, one industry watcher believes it’s the Xbox One’s price tag that will scare away a large portion of Microsoft’s potential customers. More →

The Xbox One has been a public relations nightmare so far for Microsoft. The console’s debut was marred by unclear policies and misinformation, and gamers haven’t been shy in letting Microsoft know how they feel. But it’s not just the used game policy, game-sharing limitations and connectivity requirements that have people up in arms — some gamers are absolutely outraged at one of the Xbox One’s most innovative new features. More →