The fact that Microsoft's Xbox One is set to retail for $100 more than Sony's PlayStation 4 has generated a heap of criticisms for the console. With about a month left for the console’s final release, it seems like Microsoft is looking to justify the reason the Xbox One is costlier than the PlayStation 4.
Speaking to Gamespot at PAX Prime, Senior Director Albert Penello stated: “It’s up to us to prove that it’s worth $100 more. I think it is. I think we do more. I think our games are better. I think as people start to experience Kinect and see what it can do using voice, I think that's better.”
“I think the ability to have an all-in-one system where you can plug in the TV, that’s better. I think we’ll have a better online service. I just believe that we’re going to have a better system. $100, when you’re talking $400 vs. $500 [shrugs shoulders]. I don’t believe it’s going to be the deal-killer.”
Discussing issues surrounding user privacy on the Xbox One, Penello stated:
“The answer to this one for us was very simple and everybody misinterpreted it. Unplug it. Like, originally, we had said people who understand the technology behind this would quickly get to 'If I have this 1080p HD camera that's always on, how is all that data going to get off my machine?' So first off, it's somewhat implausible, technologically that you would be able to have high-definition video feeds being served out of your house without you knowing about it.”
“But let's just pause on that for a second because not everybody's technically savvy. We sort of felt like 'of course people are going to understand that's not going to happen.' Some people don't understand. It's just a thing that people feel. So that's why we said, you know what, just let people unplug it. If you really just don't believe or are uncomfortable or whatever, we let you unplug it and then it's off,” he added.
He also stated that if security was the issue then the same could be achieved with the help of mobile phones and laptops connected to the Internet. “I know we're not doing it. I'm not worried about it in my house because I know what's happening. But you know, we let people unplug it if they're really super-sensitive about it.”
Microsoft’s upcoming Xbox One console is currently set to hit a total of 13 markets worldwide on its release day – Friday, Nov. 22, 2013.
