Microsoft on Wednesday night shocked the gaming world when it announced that it is abandoning plans to restrict Xbox One game-sharing and used game sales. The company also said it is eliminating the requirement for the Xbox One to connect to the Internet at least once every 24 hours. A vocal minority complained that these policy reversals will inhibit the evolution of video games — this is the Internet, after all, and finding contrarian viewpoints is never difficult — but the move was largely met with positive responses from gamers relieved that Microsoft listened to the widespread criticism. Preorders for the Xbox One also immediately jumped past the PlayStation 4 on Amazon.com. Pricing is another area of contention when it comes to the Xbox One, but Microsoft has confirmed that the company does not intend to lower the console’s $499 price tag.
When the topic was broached by CNET during an interview this week, Xbox chief product officer Marc Whitten said Microsoft has “no plans” to lower the console’s price. “We are really, really excited about the value we’re going to deliver on day one,” he said.
Microsoft’s Xbox One will launch at $499 this coming November, which is $100 more expensive than Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4. The new video game console includes a Kinect sensor accessory while the PlayStation 4 will not ship with Sony’s similar “Eye” accessory, but many gamers aren’t impressed with Kinect’s new feature set and would prefer a less expensive option.
While Microsoft has only announced one new console bundle thus far, the company has in the past launched video game consoles with multiple available configurations. The Xbox 360, for example, debuted with a $399 20GB console option and a $299 4GB option.
It is unclear if Microsoft plans to make a cheaper version of the Xbox One available at launch or sometime after the console debuts.
