9. Xbox 720 Is Always Online (Apparently)
One of the most persistent rumours for the Xbox 720 has been that the console will be permanently connected to the Internet, and may even prevent players from playing a game if their console is not persistently online. This is corroborated by a tweet from Micorosft's Adam Orth, who infamously told gamers to just #dealwithit, a rather obnoxious statement that saw him ridiculed all over the web. This has seen Microsoft as a company take considerable flack, as this always-online condition simply seems like a not-so-subtle way for them to keep tabs on players, restricting their freedom and essentially punishing those who actually buy the games in the first place. You need only look at prominent gaming message boards to see posts like "RIP Microsoft" and "Pre-ordering a PS4 now", making it clear how much of a PR bust this is for the next Microsoft console. Sony are surely going to look to capitalise on this perception, and I imagine that when Sony's next conference takes place - reportedly in May, ahead of E3 - they will push the notion of how much they want to promote player flexibility.