After finding out that didn't like Xbox One's original vision of always-online DRM, Microsoft went back to the design table questioning some of the console's fundamental design decisions including its Blu-ray disc drive.
"After the announcement and E3, there was some feedback about what people wanted to change," said Microsoft Studios general manager Phil Spencer. "There was a real discussion about whether we should have an optical disc drive in Xbox One or if we could get away with a purely disc-less console, but when you start looking at bandwidth and game size, it does create issues."
But in the end, game sizes and bandwidth limitations sealed the deal for Microsoft. "We decided - which I think was the right decision - to go with the Blu-ray drive and give the people an easy way to install a lot of content," explained Spencer. "From some of those original thoughts, you saw a lot of us really focusing on the digital ecosystem you see on other devices - thinking of and building around that."