CONCLUSION
NEXT-GEN IS HERE
Microsoft has insisted it has the software gamers want. But it's also maintained that this generation is about more than that. It's repeatedly outlined a vision for a console based around entertainment, apps and connected experiences, tied together by Kinect, which has been met with apprehension by the enthusiast audience.
To be clear, Kinect isn't a fully realized product yet. Gesture support is functionally non-existent, and there's a lack of good examples of how Kinect can contribute to games. There are certain elements of Microsoft's strategy that are missing at launch, like support for Twitch streaming and HBO Go. And the console's television functionality impresses … if you watch television.
But in many ways, the Xbox One's bold direction for the future is well in place. The integration of voice controls and its media strategy are a boon to everyone, and the ability to run apps while playing games is something we now want on every gaming console we have. That it has a handful of strong, exclusive games at launch only supports its legitimacy as a gaming console and not just an entertainment hub.
The Xbox One is an impressive marriage of software and hardware that raises the bar in terms of what we expect from a living-room machine. Looking forward more than it looks back, the Xbox One feels like it's from the future.
