I like my 360 better than my PS3 for a few reasons I won't go into.
I cannot for the life of me understand this transition to TV entertainment that Microsoft feels is necessary to expand their market value. I want the latest and greatest hardware that is dedicated to gaming. Gaming is a much different animal than watching something on a screen and I feel Microsoft is heading in a direction that doesn't push boundaries but is only expanding on things that already exist. I'm just not happy with this approach.
It has nothing to do with Kinect, DRM, or the every 24 hour "updates". I just want to be transferred to a different world that I can control in the most realistically way possible and I feel Microsoft has fucked up in that aspect. I just heard that one of the Sony executives has praised the Oculus Rift to no end and even indicates with a big smile about future support. This is the kind of thing I'm into. Take us into the future, not the TV Guide.
I'm not sure what's "right" or "wrong" for a market, but my guess is the Wii opened up Microsoft's eyes.
The Wii console managed to get a large amount of penetration into the casual market. My grandma even had one. She only used it for bowling, but her friends made a bowling league, they all played together every Monday night. It was odd, but kinda cool.
There is money to be made in the gaming console world to be sure, but if they were able to capitalize on some of the market the cable companies have? If they can find that magical formula where the device is easily justifiable at $500, even if you don't ever play a game on it? Then they might be able to expand market share considerably. That's a lot of "ifs", and it's a huge gamble. The one thing Microsoft can't afford to do is lose their current customers because they're focusing too much on a theoretical market which may or may not actually exist.
I feel like one of the few who has "faith" in the concept. Microsoft has done some revolutionary things with the 360. Even something I thought was stupid at first (achievements) have infiltrated every aspect of the game world. I like the exclusive games list the Xbox has lined up, and I don't take umbrage with the 24 hour check in or the occasional game which can't be resold. Basically, I'll take the Xbox One out for a spin regardless of everything else, and give it a chance to let me down. The 360 has been fantastic. I've heard great things about Sony products in the past, and the PS2 was outstanding, but my enthusiasm for the brand has waned significantly in the past 10 years. I got burned on the PSP, and I don't feel I really got my money's worth out of the PS3. Both times I bought in big at their E3 conference, so I'm going to stay skeptical for now. Let's see what people are saying in a year.
I love the idea behind the Oculus Rift though. If Sony moves in that direction, I may need to pick up a PS4 after all.
