In a major turnaround, Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick announced that the company will not require an Internet check every 24 hours for Xbox One. Gamers will also be able to trade, gift, sell, and rent games freely. Here are the relevant bullet points from the announcement:
An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games — After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.
Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today — There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.
During the week of E3 2013, Microsoft was getting slammed by enthusiast gamers and the videogame press for the Xbox One’s Internet connection checks, DRM policies, $499 price, and heavy Kinect use. Sony highlighted Microsoft’s issues during its press conference and a series of viral videos. While some believe that Microsoft had no choice but to pull a 180, others are surprised by the quick reversal. While Microsoft had a horrendous PR week during E3, it’s nice to see that it’s making changes that will make gamers happy.
With all of that in mind, it’s poll time! Are you down with Xbox One now that some of the DRM silliness has been swept under the rug? Or are you still uninterested because of the price and Kinect integration? Kindly vote in the poll below when you have a chance and share your thoughts on the Xbox 180 in the comments section (please!).
[poll id=”183″]
No.
I’m confused though. Why would you need an initial internet connection to set the machine up? Also what happened to all that fluff about the power of cloud computing and how it will make their games better because their 24 hour check in assures devs that ALL XBOX ONE machines will have access to the cloud? Hmm…sounds like it was only DRM and they were full of it.
I do find it funny that the Xbox page was slammed and could not open due to strain but you the customer should be assured about the infinite power of the cloud and 300k servers that will never fail you and never impede your access to a singleplayer game.
The fluff was just that… fluff. It’s a PR spin from the higher ups that get sung by all of their corporate employees to communicate a unified message.
I don’t know about other publishers, but I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that pressure from our end caused the change. Competition is a hell of a force to be reckoned with when it’s left to thrive. It even got to the point where military people were complaining that they wouldn’t be able to play XBone wherever it is they are stationed because internet connectivity isn’t something that is readily available on something like a nuclear sub.
Like I mentioned a while back; Microsoft risks alienating it’s customer base that can’t get or have a spotty internet connection.
http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/06/14/us-navy-serviceman-on-xbox-one-24hr-online-check-in-a-sin-committed-against-all-service-members-microsoft-has-single-handedly-alienated-the-entire-military/
Bad PR like this can really break your product… EA or no EA. Besides, you really think that Kocklick would be against this type of DRM? The only reason Activision may SEEM to hold back on this is because they fear “SimCityitis”
-M
Kotick has a yearly product and sells more of it than anyone else. I don’t think he’s concerned.
Based upon MS decisions other than XBox I don’t think their motives are based upon what you and I think. They are on record saying the data proves that outside of the core gamer who pays attention to E3, the consumer is uninformed and they are banking on that. I think their family licensing idea fell through due to Sony and this is being spun as them listening to consumers. It’s convenient and half ass.
MS didn’t listen to consumers at all. If so they would have changed this weeks ago. They say how low the Xbox ONE80 pre order numbers were an THEN they made this decision. I still wouldn’t be so fast to trust them now though, if they were able to do away with all of their restrictive DRM policies with a single patch what’s to say they won’t patch it back in down the road once they’ve enough consoles?
Yeah like removing other OS functionality.
Aww.. crap! Now it’s a tough decision again! I was already on the PS4 bandwagon and now they introduce the Xbox One-Eighty.
I was seriously thinking about what the PS4 and Gakkai could mean if they would put a virtual library of PS3 games on PSN. That would make it worth it to me as I could experience the best of Sony’s last gen and next gen with one console. It’s kind of annoying that I have not heard anything yet about this service, but then again, I’m not planning on getting a new console until at least next year (or later) so I have time to see how it all pans out.
I really want to play Dead Rising 3 as well as some other games, but I don’t think I’m going to drop $500 just to do so yet.
On one hand, I’m glad competition has forced Microsoft’s hand, but on the other, I’m torn between which console to buy again.
-M
This is required #Xboner reading: http://www.dorkly.com/article/52521/don-mattricks-first-draft-of-the-xbox-one-update-announcement
That’s awesome. It reminds me of fake Steve Jobs.
-M
There should BE a Fake Don Mattrick!
Once again another rant, this one satire, trying to compare shitty XBone E3 DRM to open platform Steam incorrectly.