Microsoft Addresses Xbox One Concerns

[Something Amyss]

Just keep in mind that pcs and consoles both have their perks/weaknesses.

I've been using Steam for years, but my PC has never been a dedicated gaming rig. The irony is I upgrade people's computers for profit, but haven't really been bothered with mine. Well, until recently. That was independent of the XBone announcement, though.

Anyway, I know they both have pros and cons, but for me the pros of consoles have pretty much gone away. I liked the simplicity of use (pop in a disc), the controller over K+M, and stuff like that. But Microsoft's taken most of that away, and you can use a controller natively on a lot of games now (and there's X-Padder and similar if you want it for others). I'd say most of the games in my Steam library have full controller support.

And controller aside, new consoles require installs and updates and take away that simplicity of the console over the PC.

Hmm, I guess that could really be a nice feature. The only remaining fear on that is that once this kills the preowned market we'd begin to that number fall. There's also that "it can only be given once" thing... We'll see, I guess. But it looks pretty strongly like I'll be in the PS4 camp while waiting to see.

I don't entirely trust them, but it'll be interesting to see what happens. Still not worth the hourly check-in in my opinion. Especially since Microsoft took like 4-5 years to iron out license issues on repaired consoles this gen. I just don't trust them to give me back my primary console (where you get the once a day deal) if I need to service it.

Again, at least with Steam I only have to check in once in a blue moon. I ran the service in offline mode for three days this week before I even noticed.

 

[Xarathox]

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.

What? How can it be "hard to say"? Alienating the majority of console gamers is a death sentence for the XFlop. Microsoft has quite literally handed the reigns back to Sony in a single move.

I also love the e-mail MS sent me about how their new console was "made by gamers, for gamers". Uh huh...All the gamers I know won't touch that thing with a ten foot pole.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Just so we're all clear: "Always-Online DRM", "Cloud Processing" and "Service-centric gaming" are all the same thing.
It appears that Microsoft's PR and Marketing dept have at least latched onto the fact that "Always-Online" carries a negative connotation (as it should), so they're upselling it by using a different name.

The only difference is the degree of necessity based on the type of game.
MMOs can't function very well at all on a peer-to-peer system; they require a central server bank.

But most games just aren't MMOs. Doesn't mean shit to them; they'll rip control and security away from the gamers because it's their playground now; they just let you play in it while they feel like it.

To use a more practical example:
-If your game disc was defective, you took it back and had it replaced since it was all but required by law.
-If a "service" fails, there is nothing you can do but wait and hope it fixes itself. There is no law that requires game services to function in the United States. In fact, they can pull the plug and walk away with your money if they so desired with no legal consequence.

And that is the philosophical change in their approach: No more Honey, because Honey is expensive. Now they use the vinegar.

Can anyone tell me why the machine would need to call home once every twenty-four hours? For the life of me, I can't figure out why that is a requirement.

It's a psychological control scheme popularized by Steam.
By tying games to an account instead of just physical media, they impose the threat of loss onto the user.
It's deceptively anti-competitive, and designed to keep users loyal post-purchase.

The only significant difference between Steam and the Xbone is that Steam doesn't cost 300-500 USD and isn't the only digital distributor on PC.

Sony has a HUGE opportunity to capitalize on this by offering the better deal, but I have a suspicion that they're in negotiations with the AAA Publishers over this. (I would bet anything this sudden DRM-dump on the Xbone was created and included on their request)

EDIT: I feel like I should emphasize this, because it appears to me that people aren't considering it. Keep in mind that Sony is undoubtedly feeling the same pressure as Microsoft was by the AAA Publishers.

And I can claim it's the AAA Publishers because we already know that three of them are willing to push Always-Online DRM: Ubisoft, Activision-Blizzard, and EA. Those are three of the biggest firms in the mainstream market if not THE three biggest firms.

They may threaten to walk on Sony if they feel more secure on M$'s Xbone.
Similar reasoning why they treated PC gaming as second-rate market during the previous console generation; Consoles offered more market control and security.

One might posit that they wouldn't dare walk away from such large market exposure, but I'm sure the threat of them walking has been proposed and probably already issued to Sony behind closed doors. Simple fact is: Sony's PS4 will not last without those games.

It would explain why both M$ and Sony have been curiously tight-lipped about the gaming aspect of their new consoles. Neither of them knew whether to piss off the publishers or the consumers who keep them in business. This is especially trying for Sony because their gaming division has been the only division in their company consistently in the black for the past 4 years.

Now, I admit this is speculation on my part, but it fits in with the trends I've been seeing from the largest publishers. At the very least, keep the relationship between Sony, M$ and the AAA Publishers in your mind.

I am curious what will happen if/when Anonymous decides to take Microsoft down a peg or two and knocks out its on-line servers like it did with Sony. Can you imagine what a three month denial of service would do to the Xbox (and its sales) if it happened during the first week of the release for the machines?

I suspect it'd be more disastrous the day after the launch of a major bootstrap title like Call of Duty.
Kill the stupid kids' mainstream gaming for a month; see how long the Xbone's reputation lasts.

My rationale being: Most systems have a shitty launch lineup anyway; hit what counts.

 

[loa]

So if I decide not to plug that thing online, I purchase a glorified blu-ray player.
Can't use the glorious TV features because I don't live in america.
Truly, a connected experience powered by the cloud.

Console gaming won't die if this thing fails, it'll die if they have a modicum of success with these kinds of tactics and they then become the status quo.

 

[elilupe]

Honestly, why are people saying that they can live with this? You shouldn't have to to "live with" or "deal with" something you don't approve of in a LUXURY item. If the free-market system truly works what you should do is NOT give money to the company that demands YOU serve THEM and instead give your money to the company that understands that they have no business asking for your money unless they are going to provide you with the product you want.

This is one of the best ways I've seen it put so far. Everyone saying these problems won't affect them because they have a good connection and don't buy used games or whatever, you have to look at the bigger picture.

 

[Drake666]

Are there statistics on this? Is "everyone" on broadband now? I live in the UK, and there are still places where you can't get a mobile phone signal, let alone ADSL. I'm assuming that the continental US has enormous areas where broadband is not an option.

Yeah, I don't follow neither.... I'm living in Canada... Even if I'm lucky enough to live in one of the 20 city with "ok" internet conntections (different isp, "stable" conntection, broadband, etc.), a good and stable broadband connection is not the norm :|

 

[Samantha Burt]

If I had friends I would be staging some sort of awareness campaign outside various stores in my area. Oh well.

I can't help but feel this is the corporate mentality at work. No-one actually thinks it's a good idea to screw over this many people but no-one wants to be the "weak member of the pack", so nothing gets said. Hopefully it will fix itself.

 

[wolf_isthebest]

I'm european. Guess what console I'm not buying. The "one" with all the american services and the "one" that makes you pay for online and the "one" that makes you check-in every 24 hours. Xbox go home!

 

[Adam Locking]

Hmmm... so last night when I couldn't sign into Xbox live, this experience is going to be a million times WORSE with your next console? No thanks

 

[Fenra]

huh, once every 24 hours or one hour if not on your console... how... bizzare, and more confirmation for me personally that I'm not going for one, I mean in the 4 years I've owned my 360 I've hooked it up to the internet twice, once for rockband DLC and once to try a demo, don't have a gold subscription so there was nothing in it for me

Honestly they might have well have just stuck with always online as that would actually be simpler! and lets be honest is essentially what they are asking. I mean unless you play your xbox in really random times then you'd need to hook it up to the internet every time you get home from work to play it if you do once a day, so is, in a roundabout way, always online

 

[Genocidicles]

I have to wonder if a majority of people are freaking out over something that won't really affect them. I'd bet that a majority of people crying about "always online" (once/24hrs) on the XBox One play games while connected to the internet daily. I don't really see the "always on" bit affecting most people that are freaking out about it except for in fringe cases where something goes out. People freak out if they don't have internet in general, let alone on a console. Sure, it'll happen, but they've made it clear that if you don't have internet, you're not their target market, and you probably shouldn't be buying an Xbox One anyway if you can't even get internet.

The required internet connection will affect everyone, regardless of how good their internet is. Servers go down for maintenance, and they get brought down by hackers so that's times you'll be unable to connect regardless of your amazing internet.

Aside from that, what do you think will happen in 10 years or so when they turn the servers off (and they will. They turned off the original xbox's servers back in 2010) to focus on the xbox two?

The console will be little more than a paperweight and all your games will be worthless because they don't care about backwards compatibility anymore. I can still whip out any of my old consoles and play the classics (some of which are almost 20 years old). That wont be the same with the xbone.

I still fail to see how the Kinect is such a big flip-out topic for people. It's handy tech, if nothing else. Even if you don't use it for gaming, it's super helpful in navigation with voice commands. I use voice commands for my current xbox daily, just because it's easier. I'm not always just sitting there with controller in-hand. I'm glad I have a Kinect if only for the navigation bonuses it provides.

I dunno, maybe having a corporate surveillance camera always watching you isn't everyone's cup of tea?

 

[awdrifter]

Hackers will figure out a way to reset the 24 hour counter, so in the end, only the legitimate users are inconvenienced.

 

[Ukomba]

Remember those attacks on the Playstation Network and how annoying it was when it went down? Ya, it'll be great when an attack like that bricks your XBone for days.

 

[F'Angus]

So when someone cut out internet line, making it unusable for a week offline gaming on the Xbox kept us sane.

But won't be able to do that now.

 

[kypsilon]

Still not buying an Xbone. Just because they say that I can tell it not to share whatever the kinect sensor is picking up or doing whatever doesn't mean that someone can't hack into the damned thing and steal it right off the deck.

 

[triggrhappy94]

This is way worse than I thought.
For me, when he decided to start calling "buying" "licensing" was the final straw.
It's nice to know any library I build up isn't technically mine.

You know what's a good console? The 360.
I hear it's set for a pretty big price drop coming this winter.

 

[Midniqht]

I have to wonder if a majority of people are freaking out over something that won't really affect them. I'd bet that a majority of people crying about "always online" (once/24hrs) on the XBox One play games while connected to the internet daily. I don't really see the "always on" bit affecting most people that are freaking out about it except for in fringe cases where something goes out. People freak out if they don't have internet in general, let alone on a console. Sure, it'll happen, but they've made it clear that if you don't have internet, you're not their target market, and you probably shouldn't be buying an Xbox One anyway if you can't even get internet.

The required internet connection will affect everyone, regardless of how good their internet is. Servers go down for maintenance, and they get brought down by hackers so that's times you'll be unable to connect regardless of your amazing internet.

Aside from that, what do you think will happen in 10 years or so when they turn the servers off (and they will. They turned off the original xbox's servers back in 2010) to focus on the xbox two?

The console will be little more than a paperweight and all your games will be worthless because they don't care about backwards compatibility anymore. I can still whip out any of my old consoles and play the classics (some of which are almost 20 years old). That wont be the same with the xbone.

I still fail to see how the Kinect is such a big flip-out topic for people. It's handy tech, if nothing else. Even if you don't use it for gaming, it's super helpful in navigation with voice commands. I use voice commands for my current xbox daily, just because it's easier. I'm not always just sitting there with controller in-hand. I'm glad I have a Kinect if only for the navigation bonuses it provides.

I dunno, maybe having a corporate surveillance camera always watching you isn't everyone's cup of tea?

I'll address your last point first... that's already been debunked. It's not a "corporate surveillance camera" any more than the original Kinect. If you truly think the Kinect is playing HAL and watching you/recording you, you might be little paranoid. http://winsupersite.com/xbox/xbox-one-privacy-concerns-debunked

As for your first point, fair enough. True, what if I want to play my games 20 years from now? Probably not likely but it's definitely a plausible scenario. They seem to be going more the route of digital distribution. I'll spin the question around... what if Steam isn't available in 20 years? You lose access to your games? I see the same problem happening outside of just the Xbox One. This problem isn't specific to Microsoft - it's digital distribution in general.

Finally, if servers go down for maintenance or even in the case of hacking, that's a definite fringe case. Even if you lost connection temporarily, the chance of it being down for more than 24 hours and you waiting up for it to come back on is staggeringly low. Sure, I've lost my connection every now and then... never said I had "amazing internet." But I can probably count the number of times I've been out of internet for more than 24 hours at once on 1 hand... with 3 fingers... in my experience since first having broadband (one of the 3 being due to a major storm that knocked out power as well, so that doesn't even count).

 

[AgentTwentyOne]

Even with broadband internet, connection can still be a problem. I spent two days trying to get my 360 to connect to my router. Damn router just refused to connect to the 360. I started to take it personally because it would connect to literally every other device in the house, but not the 360. I even took apart my router to see if something was fried with it. After sweet talking and convincing the 360 to apologize for whatever it said, the router finally connected. (aka I have no idea why it started working again) If that had happened while having the Xbox One, I would have been unable to play any of my games for that time.

 

[meatshield]

well since i dont always have online. there is months when i want to make a major purchuse i cancel things i dont need. and well internet is one of them. i have a smart phone so its not like i need internet at home for anything besides my xbox as it is.
I am also a heavy used games buyer so I guess mircosoft is showing me the door ahead of time at least. Well gonna miss halo

Cause just because i dont have internet for over 24 hours it will make all the game i bought and own usless, really come on now. Mircosoft is acting like the own everything I bought no matter who made it. no thanks

 

[Doug]

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.

Hopefully... but I dunno - the Sony people aren't rushing out to say "Hahahaha, XBox One, everyone come to our place, we haven't got this nonsense on ours". It could just be a lack of RP, but I doubt it.

I have been an increasingly PC only gamer for awhile now, and this nonsense makes me glad for it.