Microsoft 
seems to be making a habit out of shooting itself in the foot.
With gamers still smarting over the company’s $499 pricing announcement for the Xbox One, the head of the Xbox division has ruffled more feathers in addressing concerns about the system’s demand for a internet connection.
Microsoft 
spent over an hour and a half showcasing the Xbox One and the many games that will launch with the new console—but only one moment made the entire crowd gasp.
Phil Spencer, general manager of Microsoft Game Studios, announced Monday that Microsoft’s next generation console would be available in November—at a price of $499. And almost immediately, the air went out of the room.
Game. 
Set. Match?
Sony did something very un-Sony like at its E3 press conference this year: it went into ferocious attack mode, identifying every one of the Xbox One’s perceived weaknesses and exploiting them.
And in the process, it earned some new fans. Lots of them.
For 
many companies, the next-generation consoles being shown off at E3 beginning June 11 can’t come fast enough.
While the back half of 2013 is expected to boast breakout hits, the first part of the year hasn’t been encouraging for the videogame industry. Retail sales are down 14%, falling nearly $500 million year over year through April.
Will 
Santa come before Christmas this year? Game makers certainly hope so.
As publishers and console makers in the video game industry gather in Los Angeles for E3, their annual trade show, sector players are looking for a lift ahead of the holidays.
Ever 
since Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the world’s been abuzz over conflicting information about whether you’d have to keep the console connected to the Internet, exactly how intrusive the new, improved Kinect would be, and the fate of used games.
With E3 2013 looming, Microsoft has finally given clearer answers to those questions — though they’re not going to make everyone happy.
The 
fate of used games on the Xbox One continues to get murkier.
While Microsoft has confirmed its new console will support used games, the methods behind that process have been somewhat confusing thanks to mixed messages from Microsoft executives. But a new report sheds some light on why there hasn’t been a clear answer yet.
The 
Internet might be a haven for cat lovers, but when it comes to gamers, dogs rule.
Activision has a viral hit on its hands with Call of Duty: Ghosts, but not for the reasons it likely expected. The German Shepherd seen wearing a motion-capture suit in the game’s first official trailers and screenshots has become something of an internet sensation.
There 
were a lot of fancy features showcased in Tuesday’s unveiling of the Xbox One, but there were plenty of unanswered questions as well.
That was to be expected, of course. With E3 looming and months left before the system releases, Microsoft had to keep some of its powder dry. But the company also dodged some pressing questions and gave conflicting answers on others — and that’s infuriating some gamers.
The instant backlash against the Xbox One, in fact, has been rather astonishing. To help understand it, here’s a list of some of the things we don’t know that we probably should, as well as areas where Microsoft just made things more confusing by constantly flip-flopping.
Since 
the rumormongers starting whispering about Microsoft’s next-generation console over a year ago, one of the most controversial topics has been the fate of used games.
Some reports said the system would make it impossible to play them. Analysts scoffed at this, saying Microsoft wasn’t stupid enough to alienate a substantial portion of its audience with such a sweeping move — not to mention anger its biggest retail partner, GameStop, who sees significant revenue from used game sales.
Chris Morris: Journalist 