Microsoft works to save face after Xbox backlash

When it comes to hyping next-generation hardware, the video game industry doesn't typically opt for simplicity. However, during a presentation at the GameStop Expo in Las Vegas to promote the upcoming Xbox One console, a no-frills, old-school approach is exactly what Microsoft employed when confronted with a convention room full of passionate gamers.

There were no flashy videos, sensational demonstrations or celebrity appearances. Instead, Xbox Live programming director Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb candidly took questions on stage from the crowd for 30 uninterrupted minutes, a refreshing reprieve considering the backlash Microsoft has continued to endure since unveiling the Xbox One in May.

"Look, at Xbox, we really care about the community," Hryb replied when asked point-blank how Microsoft would win back consumers at the presentation last week.
"We're very focused on what is right for gamers. Everybody at Xbox is a gamer. It's not like we just show up, do our work and go home. We want to make this the best game system that you are going to own for the next 10 years."

The presentation was apparently the first stop of an apology tour for Microsoft, which originally said the successor to the Xbox 360 would be required to go online every 24 hours and limit how users could access previously purchased games. A month later, citing feedback from consumers, Microsoft Corp. announced it decided not to implement such restrictions.

Microsoft's atypical about-face continued last month when the Redmond, Wash., company declared that an updated version of its Kinect sensor, which detects motion and voice, would no longer be required to operate the Xbox One. That turnabout came after the company, at events like the Electronic Entertainment Expo, defended how integral Kinect was to the Xbox One.

Hryb said he'll embark on a cross-country tour this month, making stops in US cities to similarly assuage concerns about the next-gen console, just like he did at last week's GameStop Expo. The 180-degree reversals and low-key repentance are unprecedented moves for a company like Microsoft, which once hired Cirque du Soleil to theatrically unmask the first Kinect.

Microsoft announced this week that the Xbox One will debut on November 22, a week after Sony Corp. unleashes its PlayStation 4 console on November 14. The PS4 will cost USD 399 and feature comparable computing power, high-definition graphics and online features to the Xbox One. Microsoft's console is pricier at USD 499, but the system comes bundled with a Kinect sensor.