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Citing multiple sources, GiantBomb says Microsoft has decided to remove a laundry list of Xbox One restrictions that customers considered negative:

* No more always online requirement
* The console no longer has to check in every 24 hours
* All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360
* Authentication is no longer necessary
* An Internet connection is only required when initially setting up the console
* All downloaded games will function the same when online or offline
* No additional restrictions on trading games or loaning discs
* Region locks have been dropped

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A Reddit user recently got in touch with Larry “Major Nelson” Hyrb, the community manager for Xbox, and obtained a wealth of information regarding the Xbox One. Despite the official Redditor’s E3 interview, which confirms a few of the details, there’s a ton of other stuff here to take into account. Take it all with a grain of salt as usual, but considering the user’s credibility (most likely a journalist, since he went to E3 and by judging by his profile here), it’s hard to discredit.

Regarding the current opinion of the Xbox One, don’t count on Microsoft changing their DRM strategy any time soon. In fact, they’ll be working to “educate” gamers about the benefits of their policies

It’s also revealed that the 24 hour check-in is a means to update your library, for when you lend games to friends. Which is funny because the with game trades limited, why would it need updating every 24 hours? No good answers there and no clear understanding as to why it inconveniences consumers.

And say goodbye to leaks, since Microsoft is also working on a system where games can only be activated on release, no matter when you buy them.


It also looks at the PS4 as “Xbox 360 version 2″ due to the lack of social and multi-tasking features. The company doesn’t even see Sony as a threat. Even better, it believes that the PS4′s graphics RAM will run hotter, besides not being as optimized as the Xbox One. Thus leading to both being evenly matched or, believe it or not, the Xbox One performing ahead.

The good news is that the company sees Don Mattrick as some one who is making them look worse, and is working to muffle him.

As for military personnel playing consoles: the defense given is that PS3/PS4 won’t be allowed on DoD networks. So the whole issue of military members switching to the PlayStation while on deployment is a non-issue. Scroll down in the comments on that thread, and you’ll find military personnel who agree – but state that they can still play offline. Also, how would that inspired a switch to the Xbox One, since it needs to be online?

Nelson also talked about changing the messaging and marketing campaigns to support those whose friends would be jumping to PSN. He said they understood that and were going to be working to actively change the messaging and marketing campaigns. Hilariously, they don’t feel that pre-orders will determine the console war until both consoles are released.

He also pointed out that unlike the free games you get on PSN, the two free games per month on XBL are yours forever. Whereas if you cancel your PS Plus subscription, you would lose those games.
As for whether the check-in period would be removed if the user had the physical disc, Nelson stated he’d get back to us on that. Thoughts?

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It's been one week since PS4/Xbox One preorders have gone up, so I checked out the Best Sellers top 25 list for video games on Amazon, Gamestop and Best Buy.

And, uh, whoa.


Amazon.com

Here's the top 25 as of 6/17/2013, with PS4 in bold and XB1 in red:

1. PS4 Standard Edition
2. Xbox One Day One Edition
3. The Last of Us (PS3)
4. PS4 Battlefield Launch Day Edition Bundle
5. PS4 Watch Dogs Launch Day Edition Bundle
6. PSN Card- $20
7. PS4 Launch Day Edition (guaranteed to ship at launch- unavailable since 6/12)
8. PS4 Killzone Launch Day Edition Bundle
9. Dualshock 4 PS4 Controller
10. Animal Crossing (3DS)

11. PSN Card- $50
12. Watch Dogs (PS4)
13. Xbox Live Gold (1 yr)
14. Xbox 1600 Points Card
15. Battlefield 4 (PS4)
16. The Maw (PC)
17. Xbox Live Gold (3 Mo)
18. Destiny (PS4)
19. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (360)
20. Minecraft (360)
21. Killzone Shadow Fall (PS4)
22. Playstation Camera (PS4)
23. The Curse of Nordic Cove (PC)
24. Xbox One Controller
25. Forza 5 (XB1)

PS4: 9 in top 25 (7 in the top 10), XB1: 3 in top 25 (1 in top 10). Note that the XB1 does not have any bundles available via Amazon. All PS4 game bundles are "launch day" bundles however.

Current top 25: http://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-v...pf_rd_i=468642


Gamestop.com

Here's the top 25 best sellers (note that Gamestop does not sell the XB1 or PS4 console without a bundle):

1. PS4 Call of Duty Ghosts Bundle
2. PS4 Battlefield 4 Bundle
3. PS4 Watch Dogs Bundle
4. PS4 Killzone Bundle
5. PS4 Assassins Creed IV Bundle
6. Dualshock 4 PS4 Controller
7. Xbox One Battlefield 4 Bundle
8. Call of Duty Ghosts (360)
9. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix (PS3)
10. PS4 Madden Bundle

11. Call of Duty Ghosts (PS3)
12. Call of Duty Ghosts (XB1)
13. Xbox One Ryse Bundle
14. Final Fantasy XIV (PS3)
15. Call of Duty Ghosts (PS4)
16. Xbox One Dead Rising 3 Bundle
17. Xbox One Controller
18. Disney Infinity Power Disc Pack
19. PS4 EA Sports Mega Bundle (FIFA, Madden, NBA)
20. Playstation Camera (PS4)
21. Xbox One Forza 5 Bundle
22. Batman Arkham Origins (360)
23. Watch Dogs (PS4)
24. Batman Arkham Origins (PS3)
25. Battlefield 4 (PS4)

PS4: 11 in top 25 (7 of which are in the top 10), XB1: 6 in top 25 (1 in the top 10).

Current top 25: http://www.gamestop.com/browse?nav=28-xu0,135


Bestbuy.com

It doesn't seem like Best Buy is a hot place to preorder items based on the top 25 being nearly empty of PS4/XB1 content. Looks like just the consoles made it:

1. The Last of Us (PS3)
2. Animal Crossing (3DS)
3. PS4 Console
4. PSN Card ($20)
5. Xbox 360 Controller
6. Turtle Beach Headset (360)
7. Nintendo 3DS XL
8. XBL 1600 Points Card
9. PS3 Bundle w/Uncharted 3
10. Xbox One Day One Edition Console

The next fifteen (as of this post) are not PS4/XB1 items. Current list: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olstempl...&fs=&gf=y&cp=2


So yeah, there's the preorder tally so far for the top three major videogame retailers here in NA. It doesn't necessarily provide hard data, but I don't think anyone could have predicted how one sided these charts seem to be so far. Should be interesting to see how they shift as we head to the launch.



edit: new additions-

Amazon UK

1. The Last of Us (PS3)
2. PS4 Console
3. Animal Crossing
4. Xbox One Day One Edition
5. Watch Dogs (PS4)
6. The Sims 3: Island Paradise (PC)
7. 3DS Adapter
8. Minecraft (360)
9. Xbox Live (1 yr)
10. Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS)

11. Dualshock 4 (PS4)
12. Killzone Shadow Fall (PS4)
13. Luigis Mansion (3DS)
14. Battlefield 4 (PS4)
15. Pikmin 3 (Wii U)
16. Call of Duty Ghosts (PS4)
17. Xbox One Standard Console
18. Tomb Raider (PS3)
19. Xbox Live 2100 Points
20. FIFA (PS4)
21. Total Rome II (PC)
22. Destiny (PS4)
23. GTA V (PS3)
24. GTA V (360)
25. Company of Heroes 2 (PC)

PS4: 8 in top 25, XB1: 2 in top 25.

Current list: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestselle...f=sv_vg_h__7#2

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With nearly 95% of the vote (approximately 94.7% in favor of the PS4) Amazon has decided to end the user poll between the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 early. Back on June 13th the marketplace giant ran a Facebook poll to see which one consumers were more interested in between Microsoft and Sony's consoles and it appears that gamers have spoken quite loudly with their Facebook voting.

For now, the final numbers read 38984 votes in favor of the PlayStation 4 with only 2162 votes in favor of the Xbox One. Does anyone know how many employees work at Microsoft?

Originally, the poll was supposed to run for a week and end on June 20th, giving gamers plenty of time to cast a vote and comment in favor of the console they were most looking forward to. Unfortunately, Amazon cut the poll short after there was a massive and clearly lopsided showing of favoritism for one product over the other. This could also be an easy indicator for companies to use as a gauge for the potential purchasing habits of gamers and casual consumers alike for this fall.

Thinking about this logically, there's no real reason as to why Amazon would have wanted to end the poll early given all the free publicity and traffic they were receiving from the unbiased and very public escapade. That is, unless things were cut short, potentially, under coercion from upper management?

In reality, the poll was definitely generating a lot of media buzz, especially from gaming outlets who covered the lopsided-as-a-poorly-done-boob-job poll, with an obvious reporting slant given in favor of Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4. It's not unlikely that the whole event could have incurred the intervention of reputation management agents, perhaps?

Personally, I really wanted to see what the voting habits were going to be like at the end of the official session between both consoles, but I guess we'll have to settle for what they ended up with.

Maybe the good folks at Forbes or Polygon can ping Amazon and find out what really happened? If I were a betting man I'd say a very nonsensical and boilerplate PR response is what we'll all end up with. Such is the fate of these kind of events during the propaganda-fueled warfare of corporate giants.

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