XBox One [console]

[Neil]

[krakenslayer]

Even so, if it drops by £100 it's still far, far more than any parent on an average income is going to want to spend so little Johnny has a big smiley face at Christmas, except they'll feel they have to. It's fine for someone working who wants to spend that on themselves if they have the money, but my parents winced at the prospect of spending £100 on a Megadrive for me when I was 11, never mind the best part of a months wages! I suspect, in this case, it will drop by a fair bit more than £100. The retailers don't even have a ballpark figure for the final RRP, so they're just playing safe with an insanely high estimate. It also allows them to upsell people loads of extras on their order come launch day: "Hey, you've already paid/commited to pay us £600. The console is only £300 now. Why don't we just give you £300 of games and accessories to make up the difference, since you were already willing to spend the full amount anyway?" They're clever bastards. I would be very surprised if the console, or a version of the console (something akin to the Core/Arcade 360s), isn't avalable for under £300. Three hundred seems to be the psychological barrier between acceptable and "get tae fuck" with consoles.

[Neil]

I suspect it will be well north of £300... Wouldn't be surprised if it's close to £399!

[krakenslayer]

I suspect it will be well north of £300... Wouldn't be surprised if it's close to £399! Possibly. It's all speculation at the moment, of course, but there has been a lot of talk about industry going for a lower launch price this generation: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/gener...tion-4-pricing

[MinionZombie]

There's talk of the PS4 being $349 and the Xbox One being $399 ... I wouldn't be surprised if they just changed the $ for a £ to shove it right up the arse of those using Sterling, conversion rates be damned ($399 is about £260).

[Neil]

^ So the PS4 is cheaper too! Another nail in One's coffin?

[EvilNed]

Even so, if it drops by £100 it's still far, far more than any parent on an average income is going to want to spend so little Johnny has a big smiley face at Christmas, except they'll feel they have to. It's fine for someone working who wants to spend that on themselves if they have the money, but my parents winced at the prospect of spending £100 on a Megadrive for me when I was 11, never mind the best part of a months wages! Isn't that what new consoles cost, tho? What was the initial price of the 360 upon release? - - - Updated - - - There's talk of the PS4 being $349 and the Xbox One being $399 ... I wouldn't be surprised if they just changed the $ for a £ to shove it right up the arse of those using Sterling, conversion rates be damned ($399 is about £260). You got to add taxes to the dollars, tho. So 400 bucks would be more like 450, wouldn't it?

[Neil]

Sky (UK) to offer XBox One? - http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-8647689.html Sky television viewers may be offered Xbox One consoles as part of their package later this year, according to speculation surfacing at the videogame industry's largest gathering in Los Angeles. Microsoft is understood to have been in talks with the broadcasting giant and is keen to expand on the current offering which allows Sky TV services to be viewed on Xbox 360 consoles. It is not known whether the device would work as a replacement set-top box or work alongside the existing Sky+ HD device. But it is believed the console would be offered at a reduced cost, allowing Microsoft to shift more consoles than its nearest rival Sony which is preparing its PlayStation 4 for launch.

[Danny]

Sky (UK) to offer XBox One? - http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...s-8647689.html Sky has put out a statement saying this isnt true. in other news: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57...ming-check-in/ You must log in to xbox live from the console in your home once a day via the internet or it locks off the ability to play games.

[krisvds]

What makes most people so sure Sony wont be going the DRM route? Both companies will most likely leave the decision with the game companies themselves. Little hypocrits. Goes a long way into explaining why the EA's of this world are all but abandoning the wii U. Top dollar is to be made on PS4 and Xbone. Mark my words; both will make it nigh on impossible to go buy/sell second hand games.

[Mr. Clean]

If anything....I'll go with the PS4 due to Xbox's next price hike of XBL Gold Membership that no doubt will be coming in 2 to 3 years if not sooner....Since they have figured out that they can convince people to buy those season passes for call of duty and other titles....Microsoft will try to squeeze another 5 or 10 dollars out of their consumers.

[Neil]

I'd buy the PS4 just in the hopes of a "The Last Of Us" port from the PS3

[MinionZombie]

Well if the "One" requires, and will still require by the time of launch, a daily connection - then I'm out, I guess - I wouldn't be able to connect it at all (I'm not even connected now on the 360, and nothing will have changed by the time I would have bought a "One") ... ... so it looks like MS don't want my cash (nor the cash of similar folks like myself). Morons.

[krisvds]

Good read: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ts-us-to-smile The fact that Microsoft's policies governing game ownership, sharing and privacy are not surprising does not make them any less devastating to consumer rights, should they be formally adopted and become a standard. They sacrifice our freedom to own and trade games for no other reason than corporate self-interest.

[MinionZombie]

Some more clarification - but every time folks try to clarify things, it just gets more confusing and complicated. Regarding connections - every 24 hours for everyone (hence why I'm stuffed by MS), and if you want to play a game on your account, but on someone else's machine, then it has to connect every hour. What's more, they recommend a 1.5mbit connection ... surely everyone has that, right?! NO. They don't. And you know who doesn't? Me. At best we're at 1.2, but in the last few days it's gone - for the first time - below 1mbit ... we're languished around 0.8mbit at the moment ... or, in other words, an "F" national rating, and an "F+" global rating ... and we've got no wireless whatsoever. Yeah, MS, everyone's got superfast broadband. Go f*ck yourselves.