With the rise of the PS4, a console gaining traction with more early access to features, dlc's and special items than its competition, rumors pop up here and there that Microsoft will be done with consoles. Fortunately for Halo fans, Microsoft is planning on a new console, and the Xbox One will not be the end of the line.
"Microsoft has recently made a bid to consolidate PC gaming and console gaming; the Xbox One, for example, now runs Windows 10, allowing Xbox users and PC gamers to play together and to stream Xbox One games to PCs."
This doesn't mean the end of console gaming as we know it, although being a hardcore PC gamer myself, I certainly appreciate the fact that there is cross-console compatibility now. This is actually a brilliant move by Microsoft to bring more players to the various games being released now compatible with Windows 10. Instead of having no reason to buy this or that game, PC gamers like me may consider getting games otherwise passed over. For instance, Call of Duty: Blackops 3 would not normally be a game I'd consider getting for the PC, but if I can play against opponents utilizing a controller, I'm much more confident in my ability to "pwn" with better precision via a mouse.
And Microsoft has certainly given strong indicators that they are moving more in that direction. In a recent interview with The Verge, head of gaming Phil Spencer said "We also know there are millions and millions of gamers who access Microsoft [in other ways,] whether it's Windows, their phone, Skype - it could be many different things every day. As head of gaming inside of Microsoft, I think about how we make sure that all of those customers feel as supported and engaged as the Xbox fans do who own a game console."
So it sounds very much like this isn't the end of the line for the Xbox consoles. It should be interesting to see what features the next iteration has, and whether or not there will be a resurgence of focus on PC gaming in conjunction with the new console.
Of course, we still don't know when the next console will be out, but here's hoping it's still several years out.
So what do you think about the direction Xbox is going? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
