Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft Studios, has revealed that the Xbox One was seriously considered as a digital-only machine. Apparently, the company held many internal conversations about whether they would be able to launch a disc-less console successfully. These conversations were held through mid-2013, which is likely attributed to their impressive showing at last year’s E3.
Spencer spoke directly with OXM about the manufacturer’s crucial decision to avoid dropping the disc drive:
“Obviously, after the announcement and E3, there was some feedback about what people wanted to change. There was a real discussion about whether we should have an optical disc drive in Xbox One or if we could get away with a purely disc-less console, but when you start looking at bandwidth and game size, it does create issues. So we decided…to go with the Blu-ray drive and give the people an easy way to install a lot of content. From some of those original thoughts, you saw a lot of us really focusing on the digital ecosystem you see on other devices – thinking of and building around that.”
The decision to step away from digital only seems to have been the right one. With the console selling over one million units in its first 24 hours, there is no denying that consumers are enjoying what Microsoft has delivered.
How would you have felt about a digital only Xbox One? Did Microsoft Studios make the right decision by incorporating a Blu-Ray drive? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
