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.
“Microsoft is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” he said. “They want you be able to access every game publisher instantly. That means you have to log in every day. Gamers are up in arms. They don’t want big brother looking over their shoulders. Microsoft has a lot of ‘splaining to do, as Ricky Ricardo used to say.”
Although the up-in-arms gamers may very well turn out to be a vocal minority, they’re also likely to be the gamers whom Microsoft is relying on to generate strong early sales for the Xbox One when it launches later this year. As Forbes contributor Dave Thier wrote recently, the combination of policies that anger gamers and a hefty $500 price tag could be dangerous for Microsoft if it’s not more careful.
