Microsoft 
won a lot of praise this summer by quickly addressing gamer criticisms of the Xbox One after its June unveiling at the E3 game convention. Unfortunately, as the launch date approaches, it’s clear that the wide scope of the changes announced created a time crunch, leaving little time for the team to polish the console’s features.
The result is a system that often feels half-baked. While it’s easy to see where Microsoft wants the Xbox One to be, it’s not quite there yet.
The 
months leading up to a console launch are filled with talk of system specs and features. But the minute those consoles hit shelves, the focus shifts squarely to the games.
No matter how fancy its internal components and capabilities may be, the success or failure of a console ultimately comes down to its software. Historically speaking, launch lineups aren’t great – it takes a while for game makers to get the hang of new hardware – but some have been better than others. Much better, as it were.
The key ingredient in any launch lineup isn’t quantity, but quality. One system-selling game is worth more than 20 forgettable ports. As you debate whether the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 has the better initial lineup of games, take a look back at the five best and five worst day one lineups of past home consoles.
Let 
the games begin.
The unveiling of Sony’s PlayStation 4 on Nov. 15 and Microsoft’s Xbox One on Nov. 22 doesn’t just mark a new console cycle but is a new start of sorts for the companies: The former is trying to right the ship after years of losses, while the latter is moving to expand its empire beyond the PC desktop.
There 
are two stories to follow this holiday season in the gaming world: Hardware and software.
With the high-profile launch of two new gaming systems and a slew of new games still to come, the video-game industry is hoping Santa brings it a turnaround this year. U.S. consumer spending on video games at brick-and-mortar retail stores has fallen nearly 30 percent in the past three years. In 2010, the industry took in $18.6 billion on sales of hardware, software and accessories, according to the NPD Group. In 2012, that number had slipped to $13.26 billion.
Technically, 
the Xbox One isn’t supposed to go on sale for a week and a half, but a small handful of consumers managed to get their hands on one early.
Microsoft confirmed the online reports over this weekend, saying a shipping error by “a retail partner” resulted in a pleasant surprise for some fans who had pre-ordered the console. Most likely that partner was Target.
The PlayStation 4 won’t be the only console launching with a critical patch this year. The Xbox One is going to be similarly hobbled.
Actually, hobbled might be too kind a term. Without the update, you’ve essentially bought yourself a $500 brick.
Less 
than a year ago, much of the world hadn’t heard of Julie Larson-Green.
Today, plenty of people are talking about her.
As the search for a new CEO at Microsoft continues, most eyes are focused outside the company. But those who are looking internally have Larson-Green on their radar. The person some insiders view as Steve Ballmer’s “heir apparent” has spent 20 years building a strong and respected presence within the company. Not bad for someone who was told “no thanks” the first time she applied at the company.
The 
launch of next-generation consoles generally means one thing: A retail feeding frenzy. And this year, with both the PlayStation 4 (Nov. 15) and the Xbox One (Nov. 22) hitting the market a week apart, it should be especially ferocious.
The best way to ensure you get one was to pre-order, but that ship, for the most part, has sailed. Microsoft says pre-orders for the Xbox One sold out quicker than either of its predecessors, and the PS4 has been red hot since E3. Antsy gamers snatched up pre-order allotments for both systems from sites like Amazon and GameStop.
There’s still hope nabbing a launch day system if you haven’t reserved yours, though it won’t be easy.
Gordon 
Bell, 79, doesn’t expect to die anytime soon. But when the time inevitably comes, his grandchildren—and, when they’re born, his great-grandchildren and their children—will have an insight into his life that few descendants ever get.
For nearly 15 years, Bell, researcher emeritus at the Microsoft Research Silicon Valley Laboratory, has been painstakingly digitizing and categorizing his life, storing personal and professional moments as part of a “lifelogging” project done in conjunction with a Microsoft research program called MyLifeBits.
The 
video game industry hasn’t done a lot to endear itself to investors in the past few years. Competition from the mobile space, player fatigue with the lack of innovation and aging console systems have resulted in slumping annual software sales since 2009.
But it has shown signs of life in the past two months. Game software sales were up 52 percent last month from a year earlier, after rising 23 percent in August, according to The NPD Group.
Analysts say that momentum could continue into the holiday season and beyond.
Chris Morris: Journalist 