Jimquisition: Xbox One No DRM Emergency Special!

[Evil Smurf]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Okay, Jim Sterling. Can we now take a look at how shitty the PS4 and the Xbox One (really the whole next gen of consoles) are now that they're on equal footing?

but they are not, the kinnect still spies on you, constantly. Also I want no adverts on Xbox live, or a way to block the ads and having a better price point. Better yet free multi player. If all of these things happen, they will be on equal footing.

But I'm going to upgrade my laptop with a SSD and give it more ram over the
course of this generation, that seems more sensible, not getting a console.Just to be clear, this was my response to another Xbone thread, so no low content warning for me thanks.

 

[Jimothy Sterling]

Awesome. Enjoy some sharing with friends now, along with retail specific pre-order bonuses, crappy dlc and digital games at the same price as the retail copies...
Welcome to the same next-gen.

You mean like major publishers still try to pull on PC all-digital platforms?

Don't pretend companies would magically turn over a new leaf with the Xbox One.

 

[Miyenne]

Jim's right, it's a step in the right direction, giving us a reason to be hopeful. But we shouldn't hold our breaths.

I'm still sticking with my PC and maybe getting a PS4 down the line.

Everything else aside, I think I'm developing a crush on Jim. He's so adorable!

Captcha: blinded by science ... Uh.

 

[Bosque]

XBOX 180?
Haha! Much better than XBONE.

 

[redknightalex]

Jim, that opening was absolutely fantastic. I don't always laugh at your videos -- you bring up too many thought-provoking points for me to really laugh -- but this had me going back a few times to watch the opening before I even got to your main points. We need more emergency Jimquisitions like this. Kudos for making this so damn fast.

I'm not sure how many gamers this will sway into Microsoft's camp because the PR, and the acidic hatred they seem to have for consumers, makes this whole thing appear like a stunt. I'm not sure I believe this is a win for gamers, for, as you said, they may change it in the future, but it appears like "we won." However, it feels a lot like ME3's extended ending: we "won" but got something slightly less worse than the original. Some will also say that MS's PR nightmare is over when, in fact, they just renewed the debate all by themselves.

For me, MS has said too many anti-consumer "deal with it" bullshit that I don't trust them one bit. I would never buy this system from them because I don't trust them. Take away the Kinect and I may reconsider, although highly doubtful. Which isn't to say I trust Sony; they only feel more trust-worthy at this particular moment.

This is big, big news and MS got itself to the top of the gaming charts again except is it worth it? They go back on their word and we are to trust them now?

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, then I'm a fucking moron.

 

[Joel Soh]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, then I'm a fucking moron.

I completely agree. I wonder how many people will jump onto the Xbox One now that they've removed the DRM (which could be put back in later). I don't trust them anymore, damage done. If they were for the consumer, those DRM policies wouldn't have been a thing in the first place.

Should make a poll.. Hmm....

 

[jFr[e]ak93]

What was the game with all the time freezing? I don't recognize it at all.

OT, I'm surprised and at the same time not surprised at this. For Microsoft to ignore this would have been suicide, but for them to hold to that much sudden change... it's suspicious to say the least...

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I'm really disappointed with the reversal of opinion. What made the Xbone interesting to me - the always online connectivity, family sharing and mandatory Kinect - has been somewhat put down. I was looking forward to what exactly 'cloud computing' can do, I was interested in more games adopting systems like Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. You know, integrating the single and multiplayer experience? Game developers can no longer guarantee that every user has access to the internet, which could have been an interesting point to develop from. Now, well, we'll never know.
And that's what hurts about this. What the Xbone was doing was unprecedented. Don't get me wrong, I know that doesn't mean good, inherently. It's just, and bear with me here, nobody has to buy the Xbox One. The PS4 was always an option, and a cheaper one at that. If you don't have an internet connection, you have the option of - no, not the xbox 360 - the PS4. It's there. It's a choice. A safe choice. It's not changing anything. The Xbone? Previously we didn't know if it would be a safe choice. We didn't know if it was what we wanted. It certainly wasn't a rich dark roast. And that's what we want, isn't it? We all want a rich dark roast. We all sing together that we know what we want and what we want is a rich dark roast.

The Xbone could have been a game changer. Microsoft has decided now to go where the money is, abandon it's backbone and chase after every ounce of hype and every last dollar. And now we will never know, at least not for another 8 years, if the Xbone's original system is in fact a great one.

For posterity, I wholly support being able to just, you know, give people discs.

EDIT: I just thought I'd point out something that really irks me about this whole Xbone situation, as I feel it represents the gaming industry and culture as a whole.
People complain, day in and day out, about the lack of change in games. The repetition of the exact same systems and stories from past generations of game. And yet, when Microsoft tried something new with a console, everyone cried 'What's wrong with the way things are? Can't everything just be the same? Everything is fine here, we don't need change!'.
Food for thought.

What of countries without stellar internet need for the Online Connectivity? Suppose you live by yourself? Suppose you don't have a dedicated gaming room? MS isn't killing off the cloud gaming capabilities, Devs can still do that if they want to. A lot of people like single player and hate Multi, why should they have to suffer?

The Xbone might have changed the game, but look at all the legitimate complaints people have against it. Change isn't always good or for the best. That being said, people like variety in games, not the consoles to play them on.

 

[Alex Koelmel]

Guys, they're doing this SPECIFICALLY so they can just put it ALL BACK IN once you've bought the system!

Firstly, they said all the DRM restrictions were built into the hardware, that it was "integral" to the way it worked. Four days later......not only does the X1 not NEED the DRM to function, but it was so easy to remove that it only took FOUR DAYS TO DO IT.

Second, circling back around, not only will M$ put this shit back on later, but the fact that they didn't "stand their ground" on this means Microsoft as a company now has the reputation (due to living examples) of flat out changing directions at the last minute. As good as it is the DRM is out, it only means MS can backpedal on the backpedaling any moment, and can do this re-reversal on ANYTHING (not just DRM policies).

Do not be fooled.

 

[Hazy]

Microsoft? More like Damage Control-Soft!

Am I right people?

 

[Charli]

Dayum you work fast Sterling. You need a couple of extra pennies for your trouble, that was some epic dressing you magical Houdini man.

But seriously damn, now I'm wondering what Angry Joe's video is going to be (If it is NOT 20 minutes of him laughing on camera I might just be a little disappointed.)

 

[DuelLadyS]

So, quick question- will your games still need to download from the disc to the hard drive? Because I hated that the moment I read it, and I hope it's something that's flipped too.

Basically, what this does for me is move the Xbox One from "Not gonna happen" to "number three" on the New System List. I'm still getting Wii U first, and I intend to get PS4 and focus on it this time around. My 360 only got the attention it did because everybody I new had one, and games were cheap and easy to find. I'd like to reward Sony for not being dicks in the next run.

So, that said- put out some games I care about, guys- you wanna get me to pay up sooner? That's what it takes, nice and simple.

 

[Cpu46]

Really? REALLY?! I JUST FINISHED MY LETTER TO MICROSOFT.



Well now at least I know that the Xbox One will be up for consideration when the grand list of exclusives starts growing. Still, looking forward to the deal sweetening that Microsoft will have to do to get all the disgruntled players back.

 

[TheSapphireKnight]

Well that's good news. However I will not be getting an Xbox One until a price drop. I am glad I won't have to say goodbye to Halo forever, perhaps just see you later.

Though at the same time I was kind of wishing the xbone would crash and burn so Halo could maybe get released from its console prison.

 

[conmag9]

WOAH WOAH WOAH WOAH! Hold the phone people! We are clearly forgetting the vastly more important question here, aren't we? The glaring one, that absolutely must be answered before anything else be brought up?

Jim (thank God for him) doesn't go around wearing a suit at all times?!

 

[5mj7R7yf4Dwr3gdZyyu9PeGNwYjlNrjzuh3iTXQG]

Now, for our next trick, can we get Microsoft to patch up Windows 8? Specifically:

~ Remove the Microsoft Certification requirement (at least allow alternative markets) for Metro apps.
~ Cease monitoring user activity and sending it back to Microsoft (yes, they really do this.)
~ Fix the interface so that the desktop and the Metro use the same conventions when possible.

Please?

Until then, Yo-ho, yo-ho it's Windows 7 for me.

238U

 

[ZephrC]

Honestly, and I know this isn't directly related to video games, but this is why I like Microsoft better than Apple. They're both evil to the core, but at least Microsoft is capable of recognizing when their evil is so bad it's seriously effecting their sales. Apple just glosses it over with some shiny design and an insufferable marketing campaign, which is why Microsoft consistently beats Apple even though everyone hates them.

I'm still leaning pretty heavily PS4 for this generation though.

 

[Kinitawowi]

Damn impressive turnaround time on this, Jim.

Let's be clear, this is still going to happen. Always online and no used and single activation codes are de rigeur in the PC market and they've had exactly the desired effect of killing that beast of many faces, the second hand industry.

The only problem is that Microsoft thought Sony were going to join them in doing it this time around. When Microsoft shot their load before E3, Sony just needed to say "nah" and they were free to point and laugh as Microsoft were totally caught with their pants down. Sony will do this too at some stage. And Microsoft will try again. Some lousy guesswork from Microsoft and some great poker faces from Sony mean that the can has successfully been kicked for another generation, but this is not the last we're seeing of this.

Still not planning on buying either, of course; I'll get a Wii U for Bayonetta 2, play FFXV on whatever my cousin buys and everything else will be on my new PC (as Uriel noted above though, I'd still like to see a proper fix for Windows 8). But for Microsoft to actually make this climbdown is still a huge thing that should be acknowledged.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

Still waiting on that whole kinect thing to go away, the hassels indies have in getting on XBL, and the plethora of other problems miring the Xbone to go away.

Still, it's nice the combination of Jimmy Fallon, the consumers, the competition, and no doubt EA caused the change in policy.