Major Nelson’s Xbox One Q&A: E3 about the games

Xbox LIVE’s Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb held his scheduled Xbox One 30-minute Q&A session on Yahoo today. We’ve gathered all the questions and answers for easy reading below. There’s a bit of non-answers here and there, but if there’s one bit of reassurance, it’s that E3 will be about the games.

Q: Could you please provide some more clarity as to how users will be able to play used games on the Xbox One?
A: We are still months away from the launch of Xbox One & policy decisions are still being finalized.

Q: How long ago where you talking about Xbox One within the Xbox team?
A: We’ve been thinking about Xbox One for a few years now.

Q: Could you clarify the situation regarding multiple accounts on ONE console. My boyfriend and I both have our own accounts. Will we be made to pay twice for 1 game in order for us both to use our own accounts?

A: As I noted earlier we’re still working on some of the policies… but our goal is that it would work like it works today on Xbox 360.

Q: Why do you think gamers should buy Xbox One?
A: Today’s gamers want access to great games… the Xbox One will have great games powered by Xbox LIVE. We’ve worked hard to create the ultimate all-in-one console. BTW: We have a LOT more gaming news to share at E3 :)

Q: What’s behind the name “Xbox One,” and how did you convince the entire world that it was going to be called the Xbox 720?
A: Xbox One because it is the ultimate all-in-one entertainment system. As far 720 is concerned…that was a name the community came up with. We never considered that name.

Q: What do you believe separates the Xbox one from the PlayStation 4, gaming related?
A: Well, Xbox LIVE for one. We’re very proud of the service that we’ve built. 48 million people agree with us. That is just one of the things. Now, I have not had a chance to spend time with the console, so we’ll have to wait until their final product launches before I can really comment.

Q: There seems to be some confusion in the media on how frequently users must connect to the internet to use the Xbox One. Will this be as frequent as once a day as rumored [actually, a Microsoft exec said this] or will we be able to use the console for extended periods of time without an active connection?
A: No. It does not have to be always connected but it does require an internet connection.

Q: What are Microsoft doing to welcome smaller, independent developers to the Xbox One?
A: We’re working on a plan for Xbox One is a platform that allows all creators, including those who work on games and apps, regardless of team size, funding, biz model, etc. to be a part of the future of Xbox One.

Q: How expensive is this system gonna be?
A: We have not announced price yet… look for details on that later this year.

Q: Will there be headset bundled with every Xbox One?
A: We’ll have details on accessories at E3… it’s only 18 days away now.

Q: Which areas of the Xbox One will you be focusing on at your E3 presentation?
A: Games. Games. GAMES :)

Q: You wanted to share with us the controller. Can you maybe list some of the awesome things that you have updated in it? Also, what are the two buttons where “Start” and “Back” used to be? Lastly, how does the new battery pack work?
A: The new controller is awesome I have spent a lot of time with it. If you like the Xbox 360 controller, you’ll LOVE this controller. We have made over 40 improvements in the new design. Regarding the Start and Back buttons, they’ll perform similar functions but right now we don’t have final names for them yet. The controller takes 2 AA batteries. More details at E3.

Q: Will my achievements earned on Xbox 360 be visible on Xbox One?
A: Yes, your achievements and Gamerscore will carry over to Xbox One.

Q: Will there be any support for 3D or 4K?
A: Indeed. Xbox One supports BOTH 3-D and 4K.

Q: Can I opt to exclusively use the controller and NOT Kinect?
A: Decision up to game creators.

Q: What’s the word on backwards compatibility with 360 games?
A: Xbox One hardware is not compatible with Xbox 360 games. We designed Xbox One to play an entirely new generation of games. Games are architected to take full advantage of the state of the art processors and infinite power of the cloud.

Q: Does the new Kinect handle smaller rooms better than the Kinect 360?
A: It does. It has a much wider field of view which will allow it work in smaller spaces. A 1080p wider field of view even!

Q: Do you plan to make Xbox LIVE available worldwide, or it will remain available to a number of selected countries?
A: Good question… we are working hard at making Xbox LIVE available in as many regions as possible. Currently we are in 41 countries.

Q: What feedback have you received from devs about the console?
A: They are very excited for Xbox One and the power of Xbox LIVE that will power it…as well as the unique aspects of Kinect and SmartGlass they can tap into.

Q: Do you believe you’ve done enough to make the hardcore gamer happy while still appealing to a wider audience?
A: The hardcore gaming audience has given us some great feedback, and we watch that feedback carefully. I think they’ll be happy after E3.

Q: Any specific examples of how the new Xbox LIVE power will help games?
A: Indeed… the new architecture allows developers to do processing in the cloud in really really smart ways. That will results in much richer gaming experiences than ever before. Again, more at E3.