Jimquisition: Why An Always-On DRM Console Would Be Dumb Dumb Dumb

[GamemasterAnthony]

I actually do kind of see the mobile market outselling the consoles...kind of in the same way when MovieBob mentioned that PC gaming was now dead because the PC as we know it is dying. In this case, console gaming is dying because now the mobile devices are becoming like consoles. So...I suspect the whole DRM debacle will slowly go away because no one will want to buy a traditional console anymore because of this drek.

Huh...maybe we will get the retinal eyeball gaming MovieBob mentioned soon enough. Possibly evolving from a Google Glass app.

 

[Lever]

excellent episode, yet again Jim. I'm just glad I built a PC when I did XD

Also, I find it rather amusing that Adam Orth's twitter account has been protected (is that the right word?)/ made private.

 

[Falcon123]

And that's how the Ouya will outsell the next Xbox. Deal with it.

Except it won't. At all. The Ouya is already failing as is with the few consoles that have been released due to its horrendous menu system and constant pop-ups telling you to pay for something.

Yes, let's start criticizing the Ouya months before it's been released. Please ignore the fact that it's not even in an official Beta yet with its UI system and is already moving to fix it, and that those reviews are unfair at best as a result. Otherwise, we might be giving an ambitious up and coming console with the potential to do something great for indie developers its fair due. *eye roll*

The Ouya will probably never outsell the NeXtbox or whatever the hell they inevitably call it, but it's not designed to, and that's not for what the Ouya is aiming. It's a more niche market sold at a reasonable price for those who want it. We'll know months from now what the system is, and years from now what the system can be (remember, it's been announced for less than a year, and most games have a development cycle much longer than that).

That said, Jim is right on the money here. Always online is a horrible policy that simply cannot work in today's world. The infrastructure isn't there, the developers and publishers can't be trusted to make it work, and it detracts from what people actually want from a system: fun simple games that just work . So... yeah, don't be that dumb, Microsoft. Please.

 

[EXos]

I agree with Jim that the consoles are dying. (not just because I'm a PC gamer).

But their main advantage (pop a game in and go) is gone. And with always the always online prerequisites it's only going to accelerate it...

 

[Realitycrash]

Haven't even bought a console THIS generation. I doubt I will the next either. I'm sticking to my PC (without being smug and looking down on those that do not).

 

[Norrdicus]

Not one of Jim's best episodes, he's basically repeating the arguments that every other gamer has figured out, from the same angle no less.

What about mentioning how combining Always Online with mandatory Kinect would turn things into an Orwellian nightmare?

Or how about if Microsoft made the Xbox 720 Always Online while at the same time demand a subscription fee for next-gen Xbox LIVE? Subscription ran out? I hope you enjoy having your expensive game collection turn into coasters!

Always Online is a bad practice on its own, but if we look at the other practices Microsoft has used during this gen, it becomes all the more frightening

 

[karamazovnew]

Spot on, Jim.

One thing that is worth underlining is that while before we were dealing with multi-platform game developers such as EA, now we're talking about one CONSOLE. Can you imagine a game dev, that is already knee deep in shait, failing to survive while selling millions of copies, taking the time to make games for the new XBOX? Can you imagine any good AAA XBOX-only title? HA!!!! Devs will avoid the XBOX like a plague and run to the warm embrace of Steam, Sony and Nintendo. XBOX will crash faster than a Hindenburg made of bricks. If that's so clearly apparent to us, I doubt that Microsoft would be that stupid to actually do it. Maybe this is just a marketing trick to make us breathe a sigh of relief. On the other hand... looking at Windows 8 and its monumentally stupid Start Menu... who knows?

snip

In that case, NOBODY would buy it. Simple. As things stand right now, Microsoft simply expects the same "booooo... but I'll still buy it" attitude that EA got away with so far. But nobody would go THAT far.

 

[Arkham]

Would anyone out there actually but this console? I mean, like, what would it take to convince you to put up with always-online? I mean, Simcity and Diablo 3 still sold, didn't they? How much of a problem do you think this would cause?

I reluctantly tolerated D3's online requirement. Blizzard is at least consistent with maintenance downtime and server restarts. Microsoft would have to show a similar level of consistency before I would consider it. Even then I wouldn't buy it because my ISP is so unreliable and there are no alternatives in my area.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

*sigh* I will miss Halo... I really will. But it would seem that MS may chose to take a path which I cannot follow.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-08-next-xbox-reveal-due-21st-may-costs-usd500-or-usd300-with-a-subscription-reports-suggest

In this article, Paul Thurrot hints that 'always online' was in the notes he received about the system a while back, but he does nothing to confirm if it's true or not. It's staggering to hear, however, because I imagine that if 'always online' were merely a rumor, he would have dismissed it.

For me, there is not a SINGLE advantage to being always online. Outside of Xbox Live, which I only use for a few games, my 360 provides me with nothing that I cannot currently do on my computer, tablet, or laptop. And guess what; I can connect my PC to my television quite easily if I want to put Netflix up on the big screen. It's laughable that Microsoft still thinks that we want to get an Xbox for Hulu, ESPN, Twitter, Skype, or Last FM. Even for people outside of my living room arrangement, smart TVs are providing all of these services through the TV. I can see Smart TVs becoming the mainstream television, and then, what will the justification for 'always online' be?

The fact of the matter is that there is no justification for an always online console, save one - for Microsoft to exert control over their consumers.

Also, I'm glad you brought up GameStop. The company is like a lightening rod for hate on the internet, but I'd guess that more than 3/4 of the people that ***** about them online still shop there. I mean... they make tons of money and publishers are always doing marketing deals with them. Someone has to be shopping there.

 

[Jedi-Hunter4]

It's about time to start suing developers for imposing always-on DRM and failing to sustain the conditions for it. It's an obvious breach of contract

You can't sue them for that for the same reason you can't sue them if they decide to shut down the servers after a year, which has happened before. In the manual or what ever it will state that they reserve the right to shut it down at any point and that the service is available at their convenience etc etc

That's why I'm so astounded why people buy these always online games, or think in the long run buying a massive music catalogue on itunes or all their games off steam is a good idea. The only way you can guarante you will always be able to play that game is if the only think it relies on is a hard disk and a power connection going into what ever box you choose to play on.

I hope these are just rumors and bids for free publicity so every one will be UBER happy if their not true. Won't be buying a console that has to have an internet connection to work, it's a joke. Even if you have a very good internet connection it's going to cause issue if for instance you live with any body else or if you want to be doing anything else with the internt. Ie for work I have processes running on my computer that I leave working away and at times it takes up so much of the connection spotify lags out. What if I want to play my console? Already have the best net connection I can get, without paying insane money to get fiber optic installed.

 

[Undomesticated Equine]

Steam works OK and has been working OK since i installed it in 2007.

 

[Pebkio]

Guys, why are we complaining about always-online... DRM? I fully support always-online... DRM. You should all fully support always-online... DRM. We should be calling for always-online...DRM... on the PS4. This is all a joke Microsoft, we actually love your dumb dumb dumb idea. C'mon, you can do it, become the one true tool as destiny has foretold. I believe in you.

Because it will kill consoles which will crash the AAA gaming market and that shit needs to die.

We've weathered a crash before. It's happened guys, no need to fear the reaper. 2010's reasons are just as valid as 1980's reasons. After the inferno caused by massive cheap game knock-off advertisements, the gaming companies rose better than ever. But they're become bloated and rotting and need to be burned to ashes... again. Don't worry, it took them a few decades to get this bad and after they come back from disaster, it'll probably take them another few decades before we have to burn them to ash again. Y'know... "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty" kind of deal but with "good gaming" instead of "liberty".

Gaming won't die forever, there's still money to be made, but things would suck for about five years. Besides, the indy market will still exist, just not big market games. Can you really not put up with only indy games for 5 years? Can you do it for the band?

For the band?

FOR THE BAND?

 

[MonkeyPunch]

For some reason I love that first "ugh!" in the outro music of these videos.
It sort of puts the full stop after Jim's final line x]

 

[DTWolfwood]

Microsoft please do make your console require constant internet connection.

I'd love to see what happens.

 

[Maerx]

MS = MacroSuicide.

Let's hope this is just rumors.

 

[superline51]

If the console industry does go tits up, I'm not entirely sure what I will do, considering I DESPISE gaming with M&K.

 

[Mahoshonen]

Given the massive backlog of games I still need to play this generation, I doubt I'll be buying a new one when it comes out, Always Online or not.

If the console industry does go tits up, I'm not entirely sure what I will do, considering I DESPISE gaming with M&K.

You can get a console controller for your PC, you know

 

[Elyxard]

The only reason I can think of that they would go through with this is to sell more ad space. It's been creeping up more and more into all of their products, and they must have gambled that the loss of sales won't trump the amount they'll receive in ad revenue.

And that's the problem with most every (rumored) feature of the NextBox. Every one of them only serves themselves, the publishers, or the retailers; not the consumers. It's coming across as a very cold and calculated business device, and not a device to enjoy games on.

We can only hope that this is all wrong but.. I don't have much faith in MS to do the right thing. There are too many hands in the kitchen and no one to guide then into sync.