Please note, this is an opinion piece by me about my feelings toward Microsoft and Xbox. Thank you. And please note: I keep my systems and games in a clean environment, running through expensive surge suppressor systems and my games are dust & scratch free in their original cases when not in use.
I bought an original Xbox from EB games at the beginning of 2002. I picked up Halo, Dead or Alive 3, Project Gotham Racing and Oddworld Munch's Oddysee as well as an extended warranty which I had never done before, but since my "purchase" was based on a trade-in for my N64 and 24 pristine in box complete games, I had the extra dough and no other games interested me at that time. Within one week, Oddworld started making the system throw "dirty disc error" messages. I exchanged the game for another sealed copy which did the same but less frequently. Within a month, music I had ripped to my custom soundtracks would randomly skip while playing Project Gotham Racing. I exchanged the system under the extended warranty for a brand-new one within four months of my original purchase. BTW...the system was brand new when I purchased it as well. Microsoft further decided that only 3 years and 9 months (give or take) after I bought this brand-new system near launch, they were discontinuing it in favor of the Xbox 360. Grr....
I waited until October 2006 to buy an Xbox 360. I was pretty pissed that Sony was making the PS3 cost $600 or $500 for the "gimped" model and I liked the original Xbox, so I figured what the heck. I picked up the Xbox One 20-gig model, the HD-DVD add-on and a couple of games. Not long after, occasional grumblings about system failures began to snowball into outrage as the phenomenon known as the RRoD began to become widespread. I kept my system in a completely open space and even put plastic spacers under it that raised it about 1/3" without touching anything other than the feet of the system. You know, for extra ventilation. Well, HD-DVD went down the tubes which was no real fault on Microsoft's part. But then in the middle of playing one of my personal favorite games ever-Bioshock, my system started glitching and freezing up. Nice. Shorty thereafter, the dreaded RRoD reared it's ugly head. Well poo, what's an invested gamer to do? I got another system! Microsoft in short order began talking about this fantastic new system that would completely change the way we play our games! Project Natal!!! This ended up being Kinect and in short order, Microsoft ceased making games (with one or two exceptions) for the core gaming crowd and focused on schlock for this slow tracking POS that never really seemed to work as it should. This was also the beginning of the lovely DLC era where you no longer were buying a complete game. This was also the beginning of digital-only titles. As well, most online functions were hidden behind a paywall. Wanna watch Netflix? Gotta have Xbox Live Gold for that one. Microsoft also decided to grace us with the "metro" interface update where your game was no longer the main thing on the screen. Your game in the drive was relegated to a top left little corner box and adds were blasting you in the face. Adds...even though I am paying a premium for Xbox Live Gold?
Fast forward to 2014 and Microsoft introduces us to Xbox One. It has mandatory Kinect now! No options! Mandatory online! Don't like it? Don Mattrick says "We have a system for you! It's called Xbox 360!" TV, TV, TV! The backlash was insane. Microsoft backpedaled on every bad decision, even eventually removing the Kinect and Don Mattrick "took" another position at Zynga.
But for me, the damage had been done. Not only had Microsoft screwed gamers with the length of time the original Xbox was available, I had problems with the system from day one. Xbox 360 showed Microsoft didn't care one lick about gamers by focusing and forcing Kinect down everyone's throats. The system was a rushed, buggy mess that overheated and crapped out. Adds! Adds! Adds in your FACE!!! Then the sheer hubris of their Xbone announcement and their complete attitude where they basically thought they ruled the world and if you didn't like it, you could go F yourself.
So that was it for me. I refuse to support a company that has sheer contempt for their customers. Phil Spencer seems like an ok guy, but at this point, my PS4, Wii U and Vita are giving me more than enough games as well as my backlog for the PS3. I am not entertaining any thoughts on buying an Xbox One. I'm a huge Halo guy, but Halo 4 disappointed me, the Master Chief Collection launch was a complete disaster and watching videos of "Dude! Bro!" high-fiving Spartans in Halo 5 makes me cringe.