Skip to main content

Major Nelson on Xbox One shortcomings: ‘Things will get better’

microsoft xbox one review system
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Xbox One is a great machine with a lot of problems. Microsoft is aware that a lot of users aren’t happy with the backwards step taken as the new console’s operating system shifts in the direction of the Windows 8 ecosystem. The app-ifying of basic functions like Friends list and Achievements creates unnecessarily time-consuming obstacles to viewing basic information. We’ve assembled our own “top five” list of must-improve features, and Reddit has been busy doing the same thing. Check out XboxFeedback.com for an organized list of items pulled from the Reddit thread (via Eurogamer).

The good news is, Microsoft is tuned in. Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb has been relatively active in communicating with the Reddit community, assuring fans that people who matter know what’s up and steps are being taken to address the big issues. “I had a meeting today about much of this and I can say that things will get better,” Hryb wrote in a December 2 Reddit comment. “I can’t offer a timeline of a list of what will be addressed first, but we are aware of the issue and things will get better.”

The new OS on Xbox One is supposedly better able to handle a regular stream of updates. Traditionally, Microsoft’s approach on the Xbox 360 was to release yearly updates that revised or completely changed the dashboard, interface, and overall user experience. We’ll hopefully see a more regular schedule for updates on the Xbox One. Things like cross-game party chat and easily accessible Friends & Achievements lists are taken for granted at this point on the 360 side, and users aren’t likely to accept a year-long wait for that content to work right on the Xbox One.

Editors' Recommendations

Adam Rosenberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…
One of the best games of the year is finally coming to Xbox next month
Minthara in Baldur's Gate 3.

Larian Studios confirmed that the Xbox version of Baldur's Gate 3 will still be coming out this year by announcing its December release window.

"Xbox players, we hear you’re looking for more news on Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is on track for a December release," Larian Studios stated on X (formerly Twitter). There's no specific release date yet, but Larian's tweet reveals when we'll learn more. "We’ll see you at The Game Awards for the World Premiere of the exact release date," the developer teased. Geoff Keighley's video game award show takes place every December and is always full of announcements in addition to awards. The show is shaping up to be a big one for Baldur's Gate 3, as it's nominated in nine categories -- including Game of the Year and Best RPG -- and will have its December release date revealed there.

Read more
Microsoft is making AI game-writing tools for Xbox with Inworld AI
The art for Xbox and Inworld's AI partnership.

Microsoft announced a partnership with Inworld AI to assist in creating game dialogue and narrative tools for its Xbox studios.
The partnership is detailed in a blog post by Xbox's General Manager of Gaming AI, Haiyan Zhang. In the post, Zhang confirms that this technology is meant to work in random with Microsoft's own cloud and AI tech to create both "An AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers to explore more creative ideas, turning prompts into detailed scripts, dialogue trees, quests and more," and "an AI character runtime engine that can be integrated into the game client, enabling entirely new narratives with dynamically-generated stories, quests, and dialogue for players to experience." 
No specific Xbox-owned studios were named, nor were developers from them commenting as part of this announcement, so it's unknown how much those developers are truly interested in embracing this kind of AI technology. In general, AI is a very controversial topic in creative spaces as artists and writers are worried that it will replace their jobs while creating worse art. AI leadership at Xbox doesn't seem to think that will become an issue, with Zhang explaining that the main purpose of this partnership is to "make it easier for developers to realize their visions, try new things, push the boundaries of gaming today and experiment to improve gameplay, player connection and more."
The blog post also teases that Microsoft will be willing to share these tools with interested third-party studios. Ultimately, it will likely take several years before we truly know what the impact or utility of this partnership is for developers at Xbox Games Studios, ZeniMax Media, and Activision Blizzard.

Read more
One of the year’s best reviewed games is coming to Xbox Game Pass
Issac Clarke exploring ruins in Dead Space Remake.

Microsoft revealed the next batch of games coming to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service this October. While no Activision Blizzard games are coming to the service just yet following that acquisition, one of 2023's best-reviewed games is: this year's Dead Space remake.

Dead Space came out in January and is a stunning remake of a 2008 horror classic. The game follows an engineer named Issac Clarke as he searches for his girlfriend Nicole on a gigantic spaceship called the USG Ishimura. It's overrun by disgusting creatures called Necromorphs, though, leading to plenty of horrific situations as Issacs looks for answers on the ship. The original was an atmospheric and tense horror game, and developer EA Motive only enhanced all of that with this remake that updates the game's visuals and makes some other tweaks to bring the experience more in line with future games in its series and other modern horror games.
It's a great choice if you're looking for a new horror game to play this month, so we recommend checking it out when it hits Xbox Game Pass on October 26. It's not the only game coming to the service during the back half of this month, though. Here's the full list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass throughout the rest of October.

Read more