Microsoft Drops Xbox One DRM Restrictions - UPDATED

GoaThief

Reinventing the Spiel
Feb 2, 2012
1,229
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I'd be more tempted if Kinect privacy issues were addressed too but it's still too late, my PS4 has already been pre ordered. Maybe in a year or so if a bundle arrives without Kinect.
 

Naeras

New member
Mar 1, 2011
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Good news. Really good news, in fact. The XBOne is no longer directly consumer-unfriendly. I don't really care whether this was a result of sale charts, bad PR(and even worse attempts on fixing those PR-issues) or consumers vocally telling MS to fuck off. MS reversed several of the shittiest parts of the console, and we're all better off for that.

Of course, as some people have pointed out, while the fact that the decisions were reversed was great news, the fact that MS even had the gall to try to implement this bullshit means that MS isn't really worthy of applause here.
 

Humanity1

New member
Apr 14, 2009
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Am I the only one who's annoyed by this trade-off? Personally, two of the feature's I was most looking forward to were the ability to share games online with friends and family and the ability to play installed games without the disk, which have been removed along with always online requirement. I mean, the disk thing is just a matter of preference, but I live on the opposite side of the country to my family and quite a few of my gaming friends so just handing them the disk isn't really an option. This was going to mean I'd still be able to share games with my sisters and let my friends try out a game I've been raving about.

Now, instead of there being three fairly different consoles for three fairly different purposes (with Sony and Nintendo reprising their roles from the previous generation and MS having a more online-integrated approach) we're now back exactly where we were for the last two generation but just a little bit prettier; Nintendo is playing off in it's own little corner doing it's fun Nintendo stuff and PS and XB are both playing essentially the same kind of games with naught but a few exclusives separating them and trying to cater to the same audience.

If I wanted what the XBone is now providing, I'd have been planning to buy the PS4 as they're doing it cheaper and just as well (even if I dislike their controller). Now I'm just kinda left with a sour taste in my mouth at my ability to choose the kind of console I wanted taken away from me...
 

thethird0611

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Feb 19, 2011
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unstabLized said:
Busard said:
Soxafloppin said:
I'm a Sony/Nintendo fan through and through but this is great news.

A victory for the consumer!
Let's make it clear
The consumer won NOTHING here, or maybe it looks like it did, on the surface.

But Microsoft didn't listen to the consumer. It listened to it's sales chart. The ones that were indicating their consoles were being outsold almost 5 to 1 in their own country of prevalence.

If the odds weren't so contrasted, trust me, they would've done NOTHING even if we complained twice as much. If they were alone facing nintendo, they would've made the requirements even probably worse.

It's a good thing but for me, it's just mostly shows how slimy m$ is. How pathetic their attempts of saying "BUT CLOUD GAMING IS MANDATORY", how they were so arrogant about it, how it couldn't be changed.

And people will praise them for this too, holy shit
This. ALL of this. And I hate the fact that people will turn RIGHT around and call them "sensible" and that they "listened to the customer". Bullshit. They didn't listen to crap except their own wallets screaming.
You two seem to not know anything about what just happened.... They LISTENED to the customers. They LISTENED that the customers werent going to BUY their console because of DRM.

Customers: "We arent buy this consle because of DRM!"
Microsoft: "Sir, we are losing sales because the customers arent buying the console because of DRM."

Do you think Sony really cares about you? They are doing the same thing, they are making their console to HELP THEIR WALLETS.

OT: Im actually thinking of buying an X1 now. Just gotta get the funds.
 
Mar 9, 2012
250
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Awww, they took away the delicious schadenfreude... What I am supposed to point and laugh at now?

Regardless, I am still never going to buy an Xbone. They can claim that Kinect won't spy on me until they are blue in the face. That thing still sounds like a Orwellian nightmare!
 

dragongit

New member
Feb 22, 2011
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Yea, like a lot of people I'm still getting the PS4. Granted I probably would have gotten the PS4 regardless if this was announced sooner, or even if the PS4 was slightly more expensive. I just happen to be fortunate that it's 100 bucks cheaper and will hopefully still have my favorite franchises like Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and hopefully the return of Jak and Daxter.
 

Laughing Man

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Oct 10, 2008
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Okay so the XBone has gone from being a turd to being a slightly polished turd but let's not congratulate MS here people, let's not think that we have won and that MS are suddenly the all caring consumer loving company that does what things because its 'fans' asked them too.

What we have learned here folk is that

a). Everything about the constant online requirement was a bold face out and out lie. That the cloud assisted gaming was total crap similar to the nonsense EA pulled with Simcity.
b). That the suddenly caring sharing we listen to our fans MS up until a few hours ago had their guys saying incredibly arrogant and frankly stupid comments regarding the need for always online features, do we need to speak about 'the 360 is for our offline fans' and the whole fiasco with the 'just deal with it' twitter comments.
c). The fact that the Xbone 180 can have it's DRM, it's online functionality that throughout E3 MS execs were touting as integral to it's operation and something that was a MUST for the console, can in fact so easily be turned off should be worrying. Any future XBone 180 customers better read that EULA carefully because I am willing to bet that their will be something in there that allows MS to turn the system back on as they see fit

At best everything to do with the XBone 180 has been nothing but a constant run from one publicity disaster to another for MS at worst what we have seen is MS treat its current and any potential user base as nothing but idiots, to be fed a line of bullshit to justify something that should have never been there to start with yet a lone been attached to a constant stream of bullshit disaster marketing trying to justify it's existence.
 

Lokoloshe

New member
Nov 8, 2010
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This whole things just reminds me of this


OT: I really think this is positive because consumer reaction to something has impacted a product before it even launched. On the other hand i guess this will just make internet rage even more justifiable going forward as it seems to be getting results. All and all I find it all very amusing.

Still getting a PS4.
 

Charli

New member
Nov 23, 2008
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No one I know still wants a Kinect. Nothing is selling that 100 dollar timewaster. Nothing.

So...yeah, that's still an issue, I appreciate going a bit backward on some of the big brother esque ridiculousness but there's still problems afoot.
 

Arnoxthe1

Elite Member
Dec 25, 2010
3,391
2
43
ITT: People thinking they're not going to buy the One but I'm sure that once it's released, they'll be clambering over themselves to get one. Especially when Halo 5 begins to show its tight little *** over the horizon.

Besides, if you guys really have a problem with privacy, then put a bloody box over the Kinect FFS.
 

Severian

New member
Jun 13, 2013
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As much as I didn't like the Xbox One and it's DRM crap I'm kind of disgusted that MS would backpedal like that after touting all the amazing features this would bring to the future of gaming. Shows a distinct lack of vision, leadership and overall plan for their system. What about the cloud computing and game sharing features they so loudly advertised? The sharing feature is now gone as well as a bunch of the preorders that they did have because of it. Now they are just trying to win back sales lol. Kind of sad really. Still a PS4 for me folks! $100 bucks is a huge difference!
 

Busard

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Nov 17, 2009
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thethird0611 said:
unstabLized said:
Busard said:
Soxafloppin said:
I'm a Sony/Nintendo fan through and through but this is great news.

A victory for the consumer!
Let's make it clear
The consumer won NOTHING here, or maybe it looks like it did, on the surface.

But Microsoft didn't listen to the consumer. It listened to it's sales chart. The ones that were indicating their consoles were being outsold almost 5 to 1 in their own country of prevalence.

If the odds weren't so contrasted, trust me, they would've done NOTHING even if we complained twice as much. If they were alone facing nintendo, they would've made the requirements even probably worse.

It's a good thing but for me, it's just mostly shows how slimy m$ is. How pathetic their attempts of saying "BUT CLOUD GAMING IS MANDATORY", how they were so arrogant about it, how it couldn't be changed.

And people will praise them for this too, holy shit
This. ALL of this. And I hate the fact that people will turn RIGHT around and call them "sensible" and that they "listened to the customer". Bullshit. They didn't listen to crap except their own wallets screaming.
You two seem to not know anything about what just happened.... They LISTENED to the customers. They LISTENED that the customers werent going to BUY their console because of DRM.

Customers: "We arent buy this consle because of DRM!"
Microsoft: "Sir, we are losing sales because the customers arent buying the console because of DRM."

Do you think Sony really cares about you? They are doing the same thing, they are making their console to HELP THEIR WALLETS.

OT: Im actually thinking of buying an X1 now. Just gotta get the funds.
There is a distinct difference between actually listening to the consumer like a sensitive person and being pressured by sales chart to change something, regardless of what the consumer actually wants.

Again, they're not FOR you. If the charts weren't as bad, they would've been doing it. They already came out as not caring about whatever consumer rights you might have. They still do now, if you read their statement on the xbox website. It's not an apology or "we're sorry, we're not going to do this anymore, because we realise it was WRONG". It's more "Well you idiots don't want to join the future and since we don't want to end up totally in the gutter, we'll change a few things so you backwards idiots can enjoy it too now".

They did change what was necessary to be changed for that matter. It's good for the consumer, yes. But they're also still outright telling that their original solution is the best, which is the initial problem. Meaning they'll charge again eventually with these same bullshitty methods.

In a way, yeah you won, but for the wrong reasons. It wasn't a moral victory of any sorts. Plus now they actually took out some features like the family sharing since it can't be applied anymore. It's basically a more expensive, less powerful ps4 with mandatory kinect.

Again, this isn't about sony vs microsoft. This is just microsoft here, I don't give a shit about what sony is doing right now. This is mostly about how people will react to this news and don't jump in the bullshit too quickly thinking they've won a great battle or anything.
 

Pav Diyaguarachchi

New member
May 26, 2013
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Microsoft likes to look too ahead and into the future.
Think they looked too ahead with the constant connectivity, especially since many don't even have good internet...at least in Aussie.


For Micosoft's sake hope this is all true otherwise they'd be out of the console competition.
 

DelinquentTurtle

New member
Mar 3, 2012
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Now I just wish I could see Major Nelson give another interview regarding this recent change of heart. I've honestly not seen such a magnificiently smug corporate douche in a long while as he was in that Angry Joe interview. With all talk of the future and of course that amazing family plan.
 

thethird0611

New member
Feb 19, 2011
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Busard said:
thethird0611 said:
unstabLized said:
Busard said:
Soxafloppin said:
I'm a Sony/Nintendo fan through and through but this is great news.

A victory for the consumer!
Let's make it clear
The consumer won NOTHING here, or maybe it looks like it did, on the surface.

But Microsoft didn't listen to the consumer. It listened to it's sales chart. The ones that were indicating their consoles were being outsold almost 5 to 1 in their own country of prevalence.

If the odds weren't so contrasted, trust me, they would've done NOTHING even if we complained twice as much. If they were alone facing nintendo, they would've made the requirements even probably worse.

It's a good thing but for me, it's just mostly shows how slimy m$ is. How pathetic their attempts of saying "BUT CLOUD GAMING IS MANDATORY", how they were so arrogant about it, how it couldn't be changed.

And people will praise them for this too, holy shit
This. ALL of this. And I hate the fact that people will turn RIGHT around and call them "sensible" and that they "listened to the customer". Bullshit. They didn't listen to crap except their own wallets screaming.
You two seem to not know anything about what just happened.... They LISTENED to the customers. They LISTENED that the customers werent going to BUY their console because of DRM.

Customers: "We arent buy this consle because of DRM!"
Microsoft: "Sir, we are losing sales because the customers arent buying the console because of DRM."

Do you think Sony really cares about you? They are doing the same thing, they are making their console to HELP THEIR WALLETS.

OT: Im actually thinking of buying an X1 now. Just gotta get the funds.
There is a distinct difference between actually listening to the consumer like a sensitive person and being pressured by sales chart to change something, regardless of what the consumer actually wants.

Again, they're not FOR you. If the charts weren't as bad, they would've been doing it. They already came out as not caring about whatever consumer rights you might have. They still do now, if you read their statement on the xbox website. It's not an apology or "we're sorry, we're not going to do this anymore, because we realise it was WRONG". It's more "Well you idiots don't want to join the future and since we don't want to end up totally in the gutter, we'll change a few things so you backwards idiots can enjoy it too now".

They did change what was necessary to be changed for that matter. It's good for the consumer, yes. But they're also still outright telling that their original solution is the best, which is the initial problem. Meaning they'll charge again eventually with these same bullshitty methods.

In a way, yeah you won, but for the wrong reasons. It wasn't a moral victory of any sorts. Plus now they actually took out some features like the family sharing since it can't be applied anymore. It's basically a more expensive, less powerful ps4 with mandatory kinect.

Again, this isn't about sony vs microsoft. This is just microsoft here, I don't give a shit about what sony is doing right now. This is mostly about how people will react to this news and don't jump in the bullshit too quickly thinking they've won a great battle or anything.
The thing is, remember when the Escapist changed its layout? Everyone and their mother wanted it to go back to the old layout, wanted a switch that could go between the two, etc. Did it happen? No. Now why is that?

Most EVERY company doesnt care about the 'emotions' of their customers. Thats why we have 'boycots', negative reviews, etc.

You are acting like every company in gaming actually cares about feedback because the consumer doesnt like it, not because their sales chart was threatened.

I can probably tell you to, their whole 'Its for the future thing', they knew was just to cover up their DRM. Most of them dont believe it, and they arent going to suddenly change back because of THIS.

No, we won for the right reasons. We need to fucking celebrate in the street that the consumers won a HUGE battle over DRM not only on the X1, but in consoles to come.
 

Oskuro

New member
Nov 18, 2009
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All this tells me is that these features were neither essential nor difficult to remove.

Again, features that are forced unto consumers for no good reason beyond the manufacturer's benefit.

I'm not happy. They will keep trying this. They are now trying to save face so the Xbone sells somewhat, and, mark my words, once the system is adopted they'll gradually reintroduce the limitations.

Heck, that's their strategy with Windows 8 and the Windows Store! As has been in the past with all their products.


It'll be interesting to see, at the end of this next generation, how many of the things being decried now as unfair have eventually been introduced and assimilated as normal.

Sad times ahead.
 

plainlake

New member
Jan 20, 2010
110
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I guess bitching an moaning on the internet does have an effect from time to time. What is strange is that they did not see this shitstorm coming.
 

alj

Master of Unlocking
Nov 20, 2009
335
0
0
What i find amusing is all the bullshit that they where spoon-feeding us. So what now everything you said was just smoke and mirrors to hide the truth ?

Whist this can only be good for the consumer the amount of "just deal with it" statements they came out with still makes me angry.

Just remember kids

Never forgive and never forget.

Also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKgPY1adc0A

EDIT

Also did i hear that they are also bringing back the start menu in windows 8.1 ? All about the 180s nowadays aint we MS
 

Scars Unseen

^ ^ v v < > < > B A
May 7, 2009
3,028
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Well good for them. Now the only things putting them at a disadvantage are the Kinect and its price tag. Props to them for finding a way to get rid of that Xbone nickname. Xbox 180 indeed.