A dichotomy between humor and PR nightmare has reared itself at Insomniac’s studio. Apparently, Xbox One dev kits are being shutoff with “Xbox off” commands over the PA system. Sr. Engine Programmer at Insomniac Games, Andreas Fredriksson, Tweeted about the friendly joke.
Shouting "Xbox off" over the studio PA is already getting old.
— Andreas Fredriksson (@deplinenoise) October 10, 2013
He offered some clarity to the effectiveness of yelling “Xbox off” in a response.
@ashemedai Sort of. Depends on noise & loudness it seems.
— Andreas Fredriksson (@deplinenoise) October 10, 2013
What is clearly amusing for the Insomniac staff may become a nightmare for Microsoft when the Xbox One is in the hands of consumers. One can imagine the frustration in a college dorm with freshman running down the halls yelling “Xbox off.” Or patrons at industry events, such as E3 and Gamescon, turning the console off mid-presentation. Whether Microsoft is able to curtail this issue before it surfaces remains to be seen.