Though we’re still back in the prototype stages here with the Mad Catz Android-based gaming console called “Project M.O.J.O.“, we’ve still had the opportunity to take a look at the basic build here at E3 2013. This machine aims to do battle with the few similar products on the market today, namely OUYA, for starters,
The folks at Nyko have made a surprise one-two hit today with a variety of accessories that are aimed in the public eye directly at such next-generation devices as NVIDIA SHIELD. What we’re seeing right here is the functionality described in our first presentation of their new SHIELD dock, but without the dock. Here we’ve
As Sony’s presentation last night appeared to center on the game Destiny, so too are we seeing Microsoft bring the heat today with the game Ryse: Son of Rome. This game is developed by the folks at studio Crytec, the same folks that brought the world Crysis. Here with Ryse: Son of Rome, Microsoft’s Xbox
As titans like Microsoft and Sony brought forth new waves of games for their next-generation consoles coming later this year, Nintendo brought on an E3 2013 presentation with franchise continuations for the console they’d already had on the market for months: Wii U. Showing up via live video feed from Nintendo headquarters in Kyoto, President
This week at E3 2013, the folks at Ready At Dawn studios have shown a title that’d been just whispered of before today – The Order: 1886. This game will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive title and will follow a band of steampunk-like characters heading in to battle with what appears to be an age-old
This week the folks at Sony have made the console official for the PlayStation 4 – not just a box, but something a bit more sharp. This machine doesn’t take on any new specifications here at the start of the week at E3, but here with the reveal of the machine, the keynote just got
This week the folks at Mad Catz have made it clear that they’ll be joining the Android In The Living Room fad with a gaming console known as Project MOJO. This device will take on a form not unlike the gaming console known as OUYA and will also be going into competition with the BlueStacks
Microsoft wasn’t terribly clear on certain aspects of the Xbox One upon its unveiling, and one area that raised concerns was a claim that the device was “always on,” serving as a type of spy in your living room listening to your conversations and peeking at your activities. Microsoft made a couple attempts to clear
As Blizzard Entertainment lets it be known that their decade-long awaited title Diablo III has been optimized for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, a release date is dropped well within the ream of next-generation console detail. With September third on the books, the devil-bashing game is set to bring web-connected-only action to both consoles with
The Xbox One is under attack. Critics from all over the globe are saying that its “liquid black” finish and its boxy appearance make it a major design bore. Even the Kinect, they say, is too simple in its design to be worth putting in the average person’s entertainment center. All in all, it just doesn’t work.
But I totally disagree. Without a doubt, this is the best looking Xbox Microsoft has ever launched. And for some to believe that it’s not as good looking as the first Xbox 360 model the company launched is pure nonsense.
I can’t help but wonder if the complaints about the Xbox One’s design have more to do with Microsoft than the actual look of the product. Microsoft has found a way to make the Xbox One take on a streamlined, simple look, and it won’t look or out of place in an entertainment center.
Even better, the Xbox One follows what is essentially the design playbook: keep it simple, keep it streamlined, and make it shine. The Xbox One delivers on all fronts. And it would seem, based on that, that the device would be thought of as a beauty.
“If Apple designed the Xbox One, would we be hearing the same complaints about what a bore the device’s design is?”
If Apple designed the Xbox One, would we be hearing the same complaints about what a bore the device’s design is? I can’t help but think not. Apple is considered the world’s best product designer. And yet, every device it sells is simple, just like the Xbox One.
I understand the issues people have with Microsoft, Windows, Office, and the countless other products the company sells. I also see where people might take issue with Microsoft’s seemingly interminable grip on the software market and its billions in cash that it hoards in its coffers. But I just don’t understand why so many people find it so difficult to give the company some credit where it’s due.
In the gaming space, Microsoft has done the impossible: come in late to the market, establish a high-end online-gaming service, and take on Sony. For that alone, the company should be commended. But the very fact that it’s now looking at the possibility of beating out Nintendo and possibly trumping Sony in the next generation is something that many – including myself – thought couldn’t happen.
Microsoft is, believe it or not, a hardware and entertainment company. And surprisingly, it’s pretty darn good at it.
So, let’s stop the nonsense and give Microsoft some credit where it’s due. The Xbox One is not ugly, it’s not boring, and it’s certainly not something that people won’t buy because of its design. The Xbox One will look nice in any entertainment center and has a design that I’d say the vast majority of average consumers will find quite nice.
Hating on Microsoft for its many flaws is one thing. But taking shots at its product design because it has a Microsoft logo on it doesn’t make much sense.
The Xbox One’s design is just fine.
Why I Love Xbox One’s Design is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
