Microsoft Addresses Xbox One Concerns

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

Microsoft Addresses Xbox One Concerns

Major Nelson confirms that your Xbox One console will have to connect to the internet once every 24 hours.

Since the Xbox One was announced on May 21 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124210-The-Baby-Has-A-Name-Xbox-One], those who follow the gaming industry have had some questions about Microsoft's next console. What's the deal with being always online? How do used games work? Can I still share with my friends? Microsoft hasn't exactly been forthcoming with answers, but Major Nelson took to his blog tonight to clear the air. In three different responses, Xbox Live's Director of Programming addressed three pressing Xbox One issues: how games licensing works, being always online, and Kinect's potential invasion of privacy.

Some things were clarified when it comes to licensing games [http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/license], which, I guess, is how we refer to buying games now. First, some good news: "Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One." Assuming there are no catches, that's pretty generous. It would be great to share games with family members without having to physically visit them. There are, however, two catches to giving a game to a friend not on the family list: "you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once." The post is still incredibly vague on trading in games, with Major Nelson saying that "game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers." It's up to third-party publishers to make the call, but there's no word on what "participating retailers" means, or any other details that might clear up this issue completely.

Now for some bad news [http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/connected]:

"With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies."

The rumors are true: you must connect once a day in order to play your games. That you bought. What about gamers without that capability? They don't exist. "Every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection," Major Nelson writes, and because of this, "developers can create massive, persistent worlds that evolve even when you're not playing." Being always online and ready to go will probably have some benefits, but it's hard to say if that outweighs alienating anyone who doesn't want to--or can't--connect to the internet once a day, every day.

Finally, you can breathe easy knowing that the new Kinect will not be spying on you [http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/privacy], as long as you don't want it to. Privacy options control what your Kinect sees and hears, and if you don't want it on, just say "Xbox off." As for additional personal data, "you can play games or enjoy applications that use data, such as videos, photos, facial expressions, heart rate and more, but this data will not leave your Xbox One without your explicit permission."

This new information raises quite a few new questions, as well as confirming some of gamers' worst fears. With Microsoft's E3 press conference just a few days away, will the publisher address these issues further? Stay tuned.

Source: Major Nelson [http://majornelson.com/2013/06/06/details-on-xbox-one-connectivity-licensing-and-privacy-features/]

Permalink

 

[Nicolairigel]

Obviously "Address" does not mean "Assure"

This is like addressing a broken leg with a hammer.

Man, I am so glad I bought a PC, but I just really feel bad for console people at the moment. I can only laugh so much at the whole deal before it just gets depressing how badly those who can't afford good computers or just prefer otherwise are getting screwed here.

Hopefully the PS4 turns out better.

 

[DeaDRabbiT]

Well I suppose console manufacturers won't know what they can't get away with until they try getting away with it.

Playstation made a lot of mistakes this generation, but hit it's stride, and has been doing a pretty great job of making up for earlier stumbles. I sincerely do hope they see the backlash that Xbox One is causing and run full speed in the other direction.

Strengthening their online abilities, Playstation Plus (in it's current form or improved) and being a system about great games, and not kowtowing to the demographic that MS seems determined to Kowtow too, and I'll for sure buy one.

I've devoted pretty much this entire generation to MS, but that's obviously going to change next gen. It'll hopefully be a PS4, but I have no problem just investing in the PC platform wholesale.

Time will tell.

 

[Skullmaker90]

'Major Nelson writes, and because of this, "developers can create massive, persistent worlds that evolve even when you're not playing." ' Because PC MMORPG's haven't already done that. *Cough* Eve Online *Cough*

 

[Andy Shandy]

You know what, personally, I can live with this.

I know plenty of people won't be, and they definitely have good reasons for that, but my guess is that most of the problems that people will have with it won't affect me personally.

I know it might sound rather arrogant to say that, but I don't mean it to be, honestly.

Now all I personally need to know is what kind of games are coming out for it.

 

[luckshot]

okay at least now i know for sure and certain that i will not ever want this giant turd in my house

the used game thing was/is troubling enough, but needing to connect every 24 hours is not always possible or desired.
and as tornadoes occasionally visit my area losing internet for days longer than i loose power is a real possibility

 

[Atary77]

Sony has all the cards in their hand. They simply have to play the right one!

 

[Dr. Crawver]

Well, the once every 24 hours thing is true, so I'm out. I occasionally get power cuts and so on, so I can't be certain that I will always be online. Shame, but Microsoft look like their losing my custom.

 

[st0pnsw0p]

We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers.

Shouldn't this be the other way around? The way it's phrased here makes it sound like giving publishers the option to allow us to trade in games is some new, useful, innovative feature, which it's not. When it should say is that publishers have the option of NOT allowing us to trade in games. Microsoft obviously phrased it like this to make the news sound better than it really is.

As a whole, it's not as bad as some of the stuff that Microsoft told us at first, but even so, there's no way I'm supporting any console that has the innovative new feature of not letting me do whatever I want (so long as it's legal) with any game that I legally own.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

What could possibly be the advantage to having all this crazy red tape and rules just to loan your buddy a game? And saying "you can turn the system off" doesn't address any privacy concerns about the Xbox when it's on. I don't want this thing. Everything they say just drives me farther and father away. Make Dark Souls 2 an X1 exclusive and I'll cry myself to sleep but I'm still not dealing with this shit.

 

[zinho73]

You know what, personally, I can live with this.

I know plenty of people won't be, and they definitely have good reasons for that, but my guess is that most of the problems that people will have with it won't affect me personally.

I know it might sound rather arrogant to say that, but I don't mean it to be, honestly.

Now all I personally need to know is what kind of games are coming out for it.

It is not arrogant, it is just the kind of attitude MS is counting on. People that don't care if their right as consumers go backwards because they are not too much inconvenienced.

Or people that will subject to inconvenience if the games are good.

That's fair, I guess, but somewhat sad at the same time.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

In our role as a game publisher, Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this. In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends. Loaning or renting games won?t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners.

Why am I getting visions of Pilate washing his hands when I read this?

 

[Shaidz]

"Every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection," you mean to say "Every Xbox One owner WILL HAVE TO HAVE a broadband connection,". What ever happened to the good old days when you brought something, it was yours, forever, to use when you want, how you want. GAMES /= SERVICE "

 

[sid]

everything that could've gone wrong has gone wrong

now I know why they took so long to come out with the bad bits

 

[Baldr]

okay at least now i know for sure and certain that i will not ever want this giant turd in my house

the used game thing was/is troubling enough, but needing to connect every 24 hours is not always possible or desired.
and as tornadoes occasionally visit my area losing internet for days longer than i loose power is a real possibility

It has a built in cellular feature that connects to a cell phone signal and updates if the internet is not connecting. *Edit* Nevermind, that what I get for reading the announcement off another news site.

 

[Ariyura]

"Every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection," you mean to say "Every Xbox One owner WILL HAVE TO HAVE a broadband connection,". What ever happened to the good old days when you brought something, it was yours, forever, to use when you want, how you want. GAMES /= SERVICE "

Don't you know you don't own anything anymore. You just keep renting your life away.

OT: This is really going to affect our service men who don't have constant online connections but rely on consoles as a huge stress relief during down time.

 

[Irridium]

And just like that, I'm not buying the Xbone.

I was burned once with this Spore-like DRM with, well, Spore. No way in hell am I paying $300-$500 or whatever the price of this console will be for the same thing, but fucking worse.