So soon after a less than stellar reception at E3, Microsoft‘s stumbling launch campaign for the Xbox One has received another blow after a user poll conducted on Facebook by online retail giant Amazon showed an overwhelming bias toward the competing Sony PlayStation 4 platform.
The poll has now been withdrawn without explanation several days earlier than previously scheduled, but the figures were already hugely one-sided, with 38,984 in favour of the PS4 to a paltry 2,162 backing the XB1.
With no official explanation forthcoming from Amazon, their reasons for scotching the poll are unclear, but even the midway figures seem to be a strong indicator that consumer confidence in Microsoft’s product is at an all-time low.
Contributing factors to the poll figures could be consumer concerns about Microsoft’s draconian Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies and invasive operational requirements. The apparent requirement of ever-present internet connection and a compulsory Kinect camera have drawn a variety of criticisms, from the exclusion of potential customers with limited internet access to fears of a sinister Orwellian ‘Big Brother’ presence in the home.
How Microsoft will combat the wave of negativity toward the Xbox One remains to be seen, but the real result will be after the post-release holiday season sales figures, so there is still time for them to rally.
Header image courtesy of cinemablend.com.
Published: Jun 17, 2013 12:14 pm