Despite the wars between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One continuing over issues of graphics and gaming exclusives, Microsoft seems to have been making some recent efforts to provide a more user-friendly gaming experience.
Such efforts come at a key time when Microsoft are keen to continue the impressive profits reaped by the latest Xbox. And with increased competition from many platforms from the obvious PS4 to the less-known competitors on mobile platforms from mobile pokies brands, Microsoft have sought to strengthen their appeal through some of these features.
Backwards compatibility
One of the most annoying things that confronts any gamer upon purchasing a new console, is often finding that their favourite games have now suddenly become redundant. Thankfully in 2015 Microsoft announced that they were making the Xbox One backwards compatible, which would enable next-gen console owners to play a wide selection of Xbox 360 games on their new device.
Although the selection was initially limited, Microsoft have been good to their word by promising fans backward compatible access to games such as Halo Wars, GTA: San Andreas and Bioshock Infinite.
Public support
For a long time, gamers have suffered from a frustrating lack of interaction with other like-minded gaming enthusiasts. But with the introduction of a new Xbox Live community calendar, Microsoft have endeavoured to create a more receptive online environment for fans to share their thoughts, plan events, and spread the word about some keenly-anticipated Xbox titles.
Such a move would mirror a rising trend in online gaming sites such as Lucky Nugget Casino that feature informative blogs and detailed information about their range of blackjack, roulette and poker games that even features simple methods for a mobile pokies player to click their way to some particularly lucrative payouts.
Beta previews
As well as the likes of Solus Project being the feature of a Xbox Game Preview later this month, Microsoft have also been making real efforts to get gamers involved in the development of many of their top titles.
Such has been the success of this initiative that the beta of The Division was recently extended by 24 hours to accommodate the huge amount of gamers who demanded access to a test sequence of this highly-anticipated RPG game.
And with a growing community of fans keen to get involved through social media innovations such as #BackwardsDay, it looks like Microsoft is learning some lessons from the world of mobile pokies sites and is getting steadily social in their gaming endeavours.