I was, like the entire internet, was very pissed at Microsoft for their DRM in the console. I won't go into that, because, well, does it really need explaining?

Now that all of that's been lifted, it just seems like an upgraded, super expensive 360 with an eyeball, which is what I personally wanted. Perhaps barring the eyeball. I like my privacy.

Thing is, I can't help but feel that the damage is done, that Microsoft showing us that they have these ideas really shows how little they care about their community. I know they were never great, but the ridiculous breaches in privacy and freedom were inexcusable.

And, well, the ps4 doesn't have any of that. And they made an awesome show of mocking Microsoft for that.

But what really matters, what Microsoft wanted to do, or what they're doing now? I can safely say that I have lost the scraqes of trust I had for them, but the fact that they withdrew the negatives sways me a little...

What do you say?

Also, I believe that the PS4 has the better company behind it and the better console, but the XBOX, for me, has the better exclusives. And I've had an XBOX for five years, I'm used to it now. It would be easier not to make the switch.

I think the worst has passed, tbh. At the start, it was a one sided console war, but with MS' retraction of some of their less than stellar policies, I think they'll come back with a vengeance. Whether or not people will trust them now is the question.

The Pendulum is starting to swing the other way. The consumers have spoken.

Somewhat, but all I have learned from the console community is that your voice can really affect a company's actions. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but this time was that chance where the community has spoken and has been heard.

I am not a console person myself, so I don't mean to speak for them. Just saying what I have observed to my knowledge

I'm not ready for this cloud business. I don't have access to unlimited internet

I've been quite impressed with PS+, it has let me play tons of games I otherwise would not have. I'm even going to put off buying a PS4 for a while and just play off of the Instant Game Collection for PS3 until Sony's exclusives really start kicking in in 2014 (and the natural bug fixing all launch consoles go through).

PS4 does have a pretty poor exclusive set right compared to Xbox One, at the moment. Sony I believe claims to have 30 exclusive titles in the works though, and many of the big SCEA companies haven't announced anything. We haven't seen Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Quantic Dream, Guerilla's new IP, Media Molecule, etc. Once those come out, it won't even be a competition I suspect. Sony supported the PS3 far longer than MS did the Xbox. Look at this last year.... SCEA companies are releasing The Last of Us, Gran Turismo 6, Beyond: Two Souls, Puppeteer, and Rain. Does Xbox have even one first party game coming between now and Xbox One?

I love indie games, and it's coming to the point where I prefer the good ones over most $60 titles. PS4 has certainly been kicking some major ass in this department. I'm quite excited for Transistor, The Witness, Ray's the Dead, Outlast, Daylight, Octodad, Oddworld remake, etc. Better yet.... PS+ Instant Game Collection for PS4 is going to be focusing on mostly indies at first.

So no, MS flipping the switch still doesn't move the needle for me. I switched from 360 to PS3 about two years ago, and it has been a great ride. I'll keep my business with Sony.

No, I don't think the damage is done already. I'm sure that the Xbox One would be a popular console even if it was released as Microsoft originally intended it to be, especially since the Xbox already is popular choice among casual gamers who don't really care about things like these all too much. I see the fact that they actually gave in and changed it as a positive thing, so I'm thinking that it'd have more of a positive effect than anything.

I'm still going to buy the PS4 though, if I ever decide to get a next gen console.

I say it's the same old Microsoft I've known and "loved" for the past 30-odd years: see how much they can get away with, push it a bit too far, backpedal a bit, rinse and repeat. It's just their usual tactics.

Exactly correct. I know at-least a dozen people who will be buying a next-gen console and number of them that are members of any-kind of forum - one (me); none of them had any idea about all this nonsense that's been going on, they want something to be able to blow a few hours on playing Fifa or Call of Duty, chatting [censored] with their mates and having some fun.

It's good that there are competing products and that Microsoft got slapped round the chops. Problem is that they will inevitably try to pull the same stunt in 5/10 years time - however long this next set of consoles lasts for.

There is a part of me that hoped this would annihilate the Xbox brand if only to hoof Microsoft in the goulies and their drm approach. Thing is the pc market largely acquiesced where the console market didn't which is a little embarrassing. Hopefully the console markets customers continue to do so.

There'll be more than enough purchases though to sustain the X-bone. It all comes down to what they do with the terms and conditions in the future and how they intend to screw customers next time around.