I think the reversals have only helped them. People asked for policies to be changed and they responded, and I think it's great how much they have changed before the system has even launched. I am happy that they chose popular consumer opinion over their own initial vision, they certainly didn't have to. Now you can play used games, have the system offline, and even play without the Kinect. People wanted these features, so adapting towards these can only be beneficial to their product.
I completely agree. Nelson seems like a guy who likes his job and cares about the Xbox fans. I am constantly annoyed at the fact that a website like Neogaf which is usually amazing for constructive criticism, makes it OK for people to constantly go in and trash the Xbox, even if it is off-topic and unrelated to the actual thread. This site was my go to site for video game news and discussion but it's just so anti-Microsoft that a lot of times I can't stand it.
Of course I am not saying all the Sony fans, Xbox fans, Nintendo fans, or all the posters on Neogaf are like this, but there is always derailing of threads when related to any Xbox news, even positive news. A lot of the times it turns into name calling, and mods have to close certain threads. The people that go in and trash threads, whatever percentage of posters they may be, stand out and make this site hard to enjoy at times.
To some if you love the Xbox 1 games coming out and are excited to get the system, you are "brainless", "a paid shill" or "stupid". I'm not loyal to any company, whether it be Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft. They are all out to get your money, that is their job. It's all about the products.
I think people should definitely voice their opinions on anything, whether it be a negative or positive opinion. However, derailing threads by making off topic remarks about something is just a waste of time and effort. Of course I am guilty of derailing by discussing this issue here in this thread, but I just felt like I couldn't have been the only one annoyed by what Gaf has turned into recently. I'm optimistic for Gaf changing back into that great non-fanboy gaming discussion website though, and will keep my hopes up.