Seconds ago Microsoft announced, that the Xbox One will be hitting shelves this November for $499.99. All purchasers will receive a special “day one” edition, which does not have full details. The price point sits in a range that I find to be dangerous yet affordable. It follows inflation, keeps them more expensive than Nintendo and probably has them breaking even on the hardware. The question is can the massess afford to march onward at $500.00 a pop? I guarantee Sony’s price point will be a minimum of $500.00 if they give us that info today, and the battle will begin shortly after.

Microsoft also announced that the system will integrate with Twitch.TV directly and allow you to broadcast and upload directly from the console. This partnership is key in differentiating the two units, and at this point Twitch seems to be the better service. Who knows maybe UStream will pull ahead with some crazy launches, but as a whole I prefer Twitch.

Reservations:

We are checking a source at Gamestop currently, that is seeing reservation items load into their system, presales may begin almost immediately. Follow @thomaswinkley, @bigshinyrobot on twitter to stay up to date on obtaining a console.