Microsoft Drops Xbox One DRM Restrictions - UPDATED

[dystopiaINC]

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...

yeah I'm miffed by that too. the biggest, coolest, most interesting feature this whole console generation is gone. THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS. god damn it this in not a victory this is a loss. god fucking dammit I hate the internet sometimes. it's shit like this that makes me ashamed to be called gamer it really does.

I knew it too, as soon as my friend told me why they changed I told him to mark my words and the cool sharing feature would be pulled. why? it's to easy to abuse with out the DRM. A feature like that can't exist with out some sort of system of checks to make sure it isn't abused. I thought that would be clear and understood. so much for my hope in the community. Fuck.

 

[Greymanelor]

Still getting a PS4, but that's for me simply liking playstation better in general. However, good on Microsoft for finally listening, and Don not saying something simply was him speaking out of his ass.

I wouldn't really congratulate them for this. They didn't listen when people were speaking out. They tried to defend their awful policies or spin them into something positive. Change only happened because people were actually backing up their protest for once by not pre-ordering the the thing in the numbers they expected. Wallets forced them into this, not words.

Guess it's a good thing for Xbox fans, but I have no intention of buying one with someone elses money. If they could switch it off this easy, they can switch it back on just as easily. Their mistake, in marketing terms, was trying to force too much at once. I don't doubt they'll still try to implement all their DRM malarkey, just slower and in smaller bites. There is no word about them reversing the decision to force you to waive your right to bring a lawsuit against them and they still want to put a Kinect in your living room.

 

[piinyouri]

So how will the shared game library work now?
Will it still even be there?

 

[Something Amyss]

So how will the shared game library work now?
Will it still even be there?

This is what they're saying about the change:

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

Not exactly crystal here.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Some things I still want
1. drop the kinect and they can drop $100 off the price
2. An apology from Don Mattrick (or his resignation) for his blatant insults about backwords compatibility and everyone being online, pretty sure Adam Oorth (the deal with it guy) got fired for less dickishness.

Do those 2 things and I might consider buying an xbox 180.

 

[Maerx]

Good for you Microsoft, but first impressions count for much (to me the Xbone still crap) and I'm sorry, I'm still not getting your VCR unless it get a price cut and drops the kinect.

 

[BurningWyvern90]

Well, good on ya for finally listening, I suppose. I'm still not getting it (or any new console) any time soon though, if ever. I think you've pretty well shot yourselves in the foot at this point, Microsoft...and I don't entirely trust your reversal. So we'll see.

 

[Triality]

I'm willing to forgive, but I will never forget.

 

[Aabglov]

I'll breathe easier when I hear the words; "We're not going to force internet connection to play games." This seemed slightly more towards the "We'll think about it" side.

 

[kypsilon]

So what? They've reversed their decision for now, but what about later when they've suckered people into buying their "cloud based games" at possibly discounted prices instead of disc based media? They'll just turn around and implement all the shit everyone was hating on from before.

And it still has the "Big Brother is watching you" issues.

Don't want.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Microsoft and especially the Publishers in your bed who undoubtedly pushed for the DRM, listen well.

Do not fuck with your market base lightly.
Some of us aren't the mindless raving game addicts you think we are.
Some of us can think. Some of us can talk and even convince.

So the next time you feel like yanking our chain for some sort of "effortless profit scheme" again remember this one simple fact: You need us more than we need you.

 

[search_rip]

WOW power to the people indeed now with that DRM shit gone I think I will be willing to be a "test dummy" for the "day one" console... of course Xbox can change back it's policies anytime in the near future tho :S

 

[mitchell271]

What happened to that whole, "Infinite power of the cloud" thing that they were going on about? Hey, Microsoft, you said that it required internet so that devs could use cloud processing to make the game even better! Wasn't that supposed to be one of your big selling points?

I jest of course, it's still going to be an overly expensive cable box that I won't be able to use because I'm not in the states.

Still not going to get one. Any one remember that god awful announcement press conference?

 

[Joseph Wallace]

I had really hoped that xbox one would release with all the restrictions it had cause I really wanted it to lose so big that it would bankrupt the console part of Microsoft. I can still pray that they fail from the vastly huge price differences and hopes that they try to do something dumb like go all digital sales to try and compensate for having to retract their trading and used policies, cause you know if they went all digital they wouldn't cut the prices on the games like other digital distributors do. Ah even as I have been a long time xbox 360 owner I do have visions of xbox one being heaped into giant holes in the Earth like the E.T. for Atari.

 

[ckam]

I'm still very weary about this. I mean Microsoft was ignoring most of the bitching until now... I'll just have to wait and see.

 

[ShakerSilver]

If it was so easy to turn these "features" off, then how easy do you reckon it will be to turn them back on at their pleasure? Nuh-uh, no sell, Microsoft.

You told us these features were necessary and that we needed them, but since you're so willing to remove them, they're obviously not so important and you just lied to us. And how the heck do you even expect to justify being $100 more expensive than the PS4 when you've removed almost all of your "features" and have worse specs than the PS4?

Obviously M$ doesn't care about gamers as much as Sony or Nintendo do, which is probably why the Xbox was a complete failure and the 360 barely managed to sell until later this gen.

 

[PhantomEcho]

What's that, you say?

Corporations lie to get you to buy their things, and this might just be another line of duplicitous coding in an already bullshit script of 'fuck the consumer, pillage the market for every cent its worth, and burn down all the Gamestops and rental joints'? Well golly! I'd have never guessed.



Meanwhile, the damage is already done here.

I've always preferred the Xbox over the Playstation. Not because the Playstation generations didn't have games I wanted, but because I liked the feel of the system. I liked the Xbox. I liked the Xbox 360. I was prepared to put my money down and buy an Xbox -Whatever- the moment it was announced they were working on it.

If you -handed- me one, now, sure... I'd probably play it and love my games on it and be glad to have it. But there's no way in hell I'll pay MONEY for a suped-up VCR that wants to be a Blu-ray but runs like an 8-Track. I'm glad to see you doing the right thing, even if it's only because everyone and their grandmother could see that what you were doing was nothing short of corporate suicide, but I'm one of those supposedly-rare individuals who doesn't just buy into a slogan and mindlessly do what I'm told.

From today until the day you get rid of the anti-consumerist half-wits in your ranks, Microsoft, my business will be done elsewhere. I suspect I'm not alone.

 

[RicoADF]

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...

So that small niche ability is worth having a console that in 10-15yrs time will cease to function when the servers are shut down? Or when your net dies? As nice as the feature was, the price was too high and since Microsoft would be going by sales its clear that the majority of gamers (myself included) voted against it.

 

[Snowbell]

This is a good enough turnabout to be a Phoenix Wright case

 

[RicoADF]

Here's a phrase Pierce Brosnan taught me in the film Dante's Peak, and I'll never forget it.

"Put a frog into boiling water, and it'll jump right out. Put a frog into cold water, and slowly heat it, and it will boil to death."

"So, is that your recipe for frog soup?"

"It's my recipe for disaster."

That was going through my head the whole time, I love that movie, and the quote. Something I will always remember too.