Microsoft Drops Xbox One DRM Restrictions - UPDATED

[Kushan101]

Really, corporations can't see the forest for the trees sometimes. Give consumers a choice. Make the choice you WANT them to make seem the better of two GOOD choices, and you will get the outcome you desire.

This. So much this. This is exactly what I've been saying to my friends, yes online digital downloads can be good, Steam proves that. But the point they don't seem to be getting is that you still should give consumers a choice, or no choice but massively more convenient. If you make digital more attractive, easiest of all, by making it a damn site cheaper than the physical copy (why are games on XBLA more expensive than physical copies? does all the added production costs lower the price? why does EA charge £59.99* on Origin for games that are six months old? WHY!?).

However, I don't trust them to make it cheaper, they'll continue charging the same and just pocketing the difference.

Edit: I'd also like to point out that this "faster processing using the power of the cloud" is bullshit too. ANY game that uses online processing will need to be connected ALL THE TIME, and seriously, since when have internet connections become faster than a processor already inside the machine?

Edit. Again: *just thought I'd point out, for our cousins across the pond, the average new release PC game in the UK, on steam or on Amazon, is about £34.99. Origin charging sometimes up to £59.99 is unbelievably expensive.

 

[Lightknight]

So now that they removed the region lock from the Xbone, they're just going to ignore their region lock on Games for Windows live? Was there any mention of the region lock being removed from GFWL as well as I can't seem to find anything about it. It seems highly hypocritical to remove the region lock from their console and yet keep the bloody lock active for PC's.

At least

Hahahahahahahaha! And the nigh-invulnerable shield of stupidity that is Microsoft is finally shattered! While I don't trust MS any further than I could throw their collective staff, even if they backtrack later and slowly, sneakily implement their original dumb ideas, this sets an amazing precedent AND has gotten the gamer community much more involved in standing up for themselves. So some good comes out, horray.

Still not interested in an Xbox One, but at least I won't puke in their mere presence. As much. Still the Kinect to deal with. Get rid of that and I may develop a lack of disgust!

The ps4 preorders hitting at 2:1 against the Xbone is what did it.

But there's still so many other problems they need to tackle. This step only puts them back on par with what Sony was already doing in just a few areas. It doesn't make the system magically more powerful and not likely to be reliant on cloud computing in just a few years, it doesn't make the kinect any less required, and it certainly doesn't make the system cheaper despite being weaker.

 

[Mr. Q]

Somebody call up Hell and find out if the temperature down there went below freezing.

I'm inclined to go with the pack and say "Too little, too late" but I'm willing to be forgiving if the following changes were also implemented:

1) Offer an Xbox One without the Kinect and with a lower price tag.

2) Make it backwards compatible with 360 games and controllers (you'll earn some major brownie points with the FGC since you're bringing Killer Instinct back).

3) Apologize for your disrespectful actions that began with the first Xbox One press conference.

4) FIRE YOUR PR STAFF!

I know its asking for a lot. But if Microsoft wants to stay alive in this console generation, it needs to get its shit together and start fixing their problems like yesterday.

 

[Pigeon_Grenade]

So Who thinks there gonna Have Fine Print in there End User Agreement that Says they can turn those Features back on any time they want?

 

[Shadowcreed]

Somebody call up Hell and find out if the temperature down there went below freezing.

I'm inclined to go with the pack and say "Too little, too late" but I'm willing to be forgiving if the following changes were also implemented:

1) Offer an Xbox One without the Kinect and with a lower price tag.

2) Make it backwards compatible with 360 games and controllers (you'll earn some major brownie points with the FGC since you're bringing Killer Instinct back).

3) Apologize for your disrespectful actions that began with the first Xbox One press conference.

4) FIRE YOUR PR STAFF!

I know its asking for a lot. But if Microsoft wants to stay alive in this console generation, it needs to get its shit together and start fixing their problems like yesterday.

I would remain VERY cautious with the Killer Instinct thing.
http://kotaku.com/killer-instinct-on-xbox-one-is-free-for-your-first-cha-512655221

YEEY free-2-play title with 1 character. also Double Helix is the developer.
They made awesome titles such as Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, Battleship (2012, game from the movie) and other top-quality games.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they're going to 'kill' Killer Instinct.. Oh noes.

 

[Rossmallo]

...Huh.

Okay, Now I'm a bit more okay with getting this if at some point it releases a must-have title for it.

 

[Ren_Li]

After the insults, this isn't enough. I don't care what games are released on it- it's just. Not. Enough.
I've felt seriously insulted by the things MS has said, and how they've said them. From saying that I'm "backwards" because I'll still want to play current games (let alone older ones!) in a year's time, to acting like I don't matter because I fall into the "doesn't have 100% control over their internet" category, the things they've said- and they've said some pretty stupid and insulting shit- have alienated me in a way that would take something big to come back from.
And saying "hey, we're not going to stop you from being able to play games any more" isn't enough.

If they were to make it backwards compatible... I would consider it, but still probably not go for it. If they were to, say, remove the Kinect that I don't want (by making Kinect optional as both a tool and as a purchase) as well, I would probably seriously consider purchasing one once the price started dropping.
But this? This is not even coming close to "enough". Not for me. And I hope not for a lot of others. I would like to see MS have to really scramble and work to pull back any sort of good opinion- but unfortunately, now they've made this move, I think it'll be enough for enough people that MS won't bother trying to fix anything more down the line.

 

[Lightknight]

Somebody call up Hell and find out if the temperature down there went below freezing.

I'm inclined to go with the pack and say "Too little, too late" but I'm willing to be forgiving if the following changes were also implemented:

1) Offer an Xbox One without the Kinect and with a lower price tag.

2) Make it backwards compatible with 360 games and controllers (you'll earn some major brownie points with the FGC since you're bringing Killer Instinct back).

3) Apologize for your disrespectful actions that began with the first Xbox One press conference.

4) FIRE YOUR PR STAFF!

I know its asking for a lot. But if Microsoft wants to stay alive in this console generation, it needs to get its shit together and start fixing their problems like yesterday.

1) this may be unrealistic at this time with how they've designed the system to require the kinect be on at ALL times while the machine is on.

2) Impossible. Maybe the controllers, sure, but those are pure profit to companies (go ahead and look at how much the new first party controller prices have dropped after 6 years of the consoles existing, answer: none). As for the games being backwards compatible, they claim to have made a significant change in system architecture that would render it impossible. I'm not sure I believe them, but if they suddenly announced that they were making the systems backwards compatible we would all instantly know that they lied to us and were just trying to make us buy EVERYTHING twice. To give some credence to them, they're also x86 machines so perhaps there's truth in not being able to be backwards compatible. That being said, all future consoles will have 0 excuse as x86 is standard pc format. I wouldn't be too surprised if people learned to hack ps4/Xbone disks to be played on powerful consoles. This whole used games bit and the 24-hour check in may habe been to side-step that possibility.

3. That would require them understanding just how insanely rude they came off. They literally told us that consumers are too dumb to care about the details. That they expected this kind of backlash but that their "data" told them that consumers just throw their money around without much thought. The kind of stupidity required to tell reporters that this is your reasoning seems to indicate that they don't understand much of anything.

4. The PR department could absolutely be restructured. This is the biggest console PR nightmare yet. Somebody didn't do their due diligence. The market research team, if there is a seperate one, may be the ones to blame. If they handed PR and the executive horribly wrong data then their misteps could have been overly reliant on that data. This is the same problem publishers are running into with their forecasters convincing them that they can make COD money off an RPG if they just throw enough money at it.

 

[BaronVH]

I think that they admitted a mistake and corrected it. Listen, those of you in the "I still am not going to buy it since they planned on screwing us" think about this: They didn't. They did not do the idiotic things they said and backed off. Now, granted, I am sure they backed off for financial reasons and not from the goodness in their hearts, but that is big business. They also cannot later reverse the decision after you buy it. That is a guaranteed class action lawsuit. Further, I guarantee you that Sony made M$ think they were planning something similar and were ready for the attack ads when M$ made the boneheaded move. It worked. That is big business too. Basically, people should just buy whatever system they like the most and not be swayed by PR meant to inflame emotions. From both sides. I am not sure what system I will get. Maybe neither. Maybe both. Maybe only one. But I am certainly not going to be swayed by emotion for a boneheaded decision that was never implemented.

 

[Colt47]

Somebody call up Hell and find out if the temperature down there went below freezing.

I'm inclined to go with the pack and say "Too little, too late" but I'm willing to be forgiving if the following changes were also implemented:

1) Offer an Xbox One without the Kinect and with a lower price tag.

2) Make it backwards compatible with 360 games and controllers (you'll earn some major brownie points with the FGC since you're bringing Killer Instinct back).

3) Apologize for your disrespectful actions that began with the first Xbox One press conference.

4) FIRE YOUR PR STAFF!

I know its asking for a lot. But if Microsoft wants to stay alive in this console generation, it needs to get its shit together and start fixing their problems like yesterday.

I would remain VERY cautious with the Killer Instinct thing.
http://kotaku.com/killer-instinct-on-xbox-one-is-free-for-your-first-cha-512655221

YEEY free-2-play title with 1 character. also Double Helix is the developer.
They made awesome titles such as Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, Battleship (2012, game from the movie) and other top-quality games.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say they're going to 'kill' Killer Instinct.. Oh noes.

Ah, so that is why they sounded familiar. Sweet mercy, why did Microsoft commission a studio who's only major releases are crappy movie games that served to do little other than waste peoples money?

 

[faefrost]

I'm going to throw out a word of caution to whatever XBox fans remain out there. Just because of this big change, I'm suggesting that you might not want be one of the first to unbox this sucker on release day. Let somebody else figure out that it needs a 3 day download, and if you enter a code in the microwave for nachos it bricks itself. Because even the most jaded voice of practical experience is quietly screaming that this is going to be a rough launch now.

Please remember, up until Monday at least they were still pushing this as the greatest group of features ever that would change our lives. Then Wednesday they do a 180 and declare all of the DRM is gone, and you can share and sell disks. Well common sense says that there is no way that is true yet. By Wednesday an executive decision had been made to remove the DRM. It is highly unlikely that they have anything ready yet. The engineers are just starting to look at it today. And it probably hits a lot of subsystems. Remember games fully install on the HDD. Games may be looking for call home features or DRM call outs. The games were designed to the XBox One specs. It is doubtful that they simply had a magic switch ready to just turn it all off overnight. (Seriously did anything in any public statement leave you thinking that maybe this was an optional feature and they had a backup plan?). So this is not simply throwing a switch to turn off DRM. This is basically developing a new feature to eliminate and replace the prior one. Less than 6 months before the street date. With the consoles already starting production at the factories and the games starting to head towards gold versions. They might pull it off? But common sense and experience tells me that at best it will be a poorly tested and validated rough ride. And if I were you, I would elect to not be the first clown lined up for the rodeo.

 

[Darth Sea Bass]

I think they've totally gone over the top i think the biggest problem was that people didn't want the damn thing to brick if the internet is out for a few days. Fine check in periodically just don't turn my games console into a really expensive bluray player if it can't connect for more than a day

There acting like a spoilt child if they can't have their own way all the time they'll take their ball and go home.

 

[Lightknight]

I think that they admitted a mistake and corrected it. Listen, those of you in the "I still am not going to buy it since they planned on screwing us" think about this: They didn't. They did not do the idiotic things they said and backed off. Now, granted, I am sure they backed off for financial reasons and not from the goodness in their hearts, but that is big business. They also cannot later reverse the decision after you buy it. That is a guaranteed class action lawsuit. Further, I guarantee you that Sony made M$ think they were planning something similar and were ready for the attack ads when M$ made the boneheaded move. It worked. That is big business too. Basically, people should just buy whatever system they like the most and not be swayed by PR meant to inflame emotions. From both sides. I am not sure what system I will get. Maybe neither. Maybe both. Maybe only one. But I am certainly not going to be swayed by emotion for a boneheaded decision that was never implemented.

They undid ONE thing. That 24-hour check in won't matter when cloud processing forces always on.

All the other issues still stand. All of them. This was only one and the fact that they actively attacked consumers and called us dumb consumers who don't pay attention to details IS a problem. They can't just wave that away by caving. They need to actually admit that they were being wrong. Even EA backed away from them in this. EA for goodness sake.

You should absolutely take into account how a company treats you. If a waiter is particularly rude ot me, I have no idea if they aren't also taking a piss in my drink behind closed doors. I do not buy clothes, food, games, consoles, or anything else from companies that treat customers that way and neither should anyone else. Their own PR department is treating us that way so we have no idea what other shenanigans they have up their sleeves.

 

[Ren_Li]

As for the games being backwards compatible, they claim to have made a significant change in system architecture that would render it impossible.

I'd accept that- IF we were told exactly what and how. If it was explained to us.
We know why the PS4 won't be backwards compatible (at least, the information is out there, I don't know how well-known it is), so I want to know why the XBone won't be. It won't make me any more likely to buy one, though- the 360 plays original Xbox games (admittedly, the ones I've played have occasional visual issues, but there's absolutely nothing game breaking or even experience ruining) so unless they offer something... I'm not touching it. I'll stick with a 360 for the foreseeable future to continue enjoying the games I still enjoy, and in the future get a PC that can at least handle recent games- I've been wanting a decent machine for doing digital art on, while a machine designed specifically for one won't exactly be perfect for the other, I'll get something that can do both to a standard acceptable to me. Because, frankly, MS isn't making me feel the XBone will be "a standard acceptable to me" even with this move- and even if they did, I'm too insulted to touch them with a very long poky thing until it's more than just "acceptable".

 

[Adam Locking]

When they say "region free" are they referring to the console or the games? If it's the games, colour me intrigued.

Anyway, between this announcement and the fact Sony bricked several PS3's yesterday, I have to say Xbone has moved from 'never-ever' to 'possibly'. Remove the Kinect requirement, stop shafting indie games and maybe issue a REAL apology, and they will probably have won me over (I'm an Xbox gamer at heart). Till then I'm still very much on-the-fence.

 

[Fenra]

For me personally the damage is already done, the fact they were willing to do this in the first place and be so anti-consumer about it all shows what kind of company they are and as such lost my business (shame to as I was primarily a 360 gamer) and I'm not buying the whole "we listened to the customer" PR lines, its damage control for the business and shareholders not in the customers best interest

Add into that the extra 100 on the price tag, mandatory kinect and a ton of other features I will never use (TV/Sports stuff) and its just not for me.

The reason I was going with the PS4 is less on priciples but more on what they offer, a more powerful PS3 with no restrictions. If the Xbox One had just been a more powerful 360 then they would have had my business. Sony didn't try to reinvent the wheel, they just gave me what I'm looking for in a home console, a machine that plays games.

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

I guess the digital gaming is delayed for another 10 years then... Shame.
Welcome back 60$ games. It may even go higher, I heard the prices of the plastic are going up.

Except that digital versions will still be available the same day as physical copies for those who still want to waste their money (if you want to buy overpriced digital copies Games on Demand already gives you that option on XBL). Or you buy a pc and never have to sully yourself with a corporeal copy again, and actually get them for a decent discount.

That's my point. As the things work right now, dev/publishers cannot offer lower prices for digital games, because they would anger the retailers. Even Steam cannot afford to have lower prices on new games, gladly they're balancing it with amazing sales.
As long as we have the current status quo, the situation is not changing.

How would the previous system Microsoft proposed have changed that? They were still going to sell physical copies through retail channels as a delivery system - it wasn't all digital. There's a good reason for that too, even with an always-online console they've got to sell the thing - which requires retailers. Retailers make virtually no profit on console sales (which are incidentally bulky and take up a lot of floor space that could be filled with more high profit items), the reason they stock them is to build the market so that customers return and buy games from them (where they can make a profit). If MS tried to cut them out of selling games, they wouldn't sell their consoles for them.

Competition is what drives down prices, not the good will of publishers.

 

[Lightknight]

As for the games being backwards compatible, they claim to have made a significant change in system architecture that would render it impossible.

I'd accept that- IF we were told exactly what and how. If it was explained to us.
We know why the PS4 won't be backwards compatible (at least, the information is out there, I don't know how well-known it is), so I want to know why the XBone won't be. It won't make me any more likely to buy one, though- the 360 plays original Xbox games (admittedly, the ones I've played have occasional visual issues, but there's absolutely nothing game breaking or even experience ruining) so unless they offer something... I'm not touching it. I'll stick with a 360 for the foreseeable future to continue enjoying the games I still enjoy, and in the future get a PC that can at least handle recent games- I've been wanting a decent machine for doing digital art on, while a machine designed specifically for one won't exactly be perfect for the other, I'll get something that can do both to a standard acceptable to me. Because, frankly, MS isn't making me feel the XBone will be "a standard acceptable to me" even with this move- and even if they did, I'm too insulted to touch them with a very long poky thing until it's more than just "acceptable".

All we really know is that the 360 was not x86 and that the Xbone is. If it would require tweaking the code even a little then we'd be talking developer time for every game and potentially a mandatory update for each and every game.

The PS3->PS4 at least makes sense. The crazy proprietary hardware of the ps3 required devs to bend over backwards with asset category allocations. The migration to x86 was pretty darn necessary to make things easier for developers and so it significantly more forgiveable for that reason.

But I don't know that the 360 is that different from an x86 machine. The ps3 would take a top of the line machine to emulate if that were even possible but I've always thought of the Xboxes as fairly close to computer environments. Maybe there's something I don't know but I'm not certain they really have that much of an excuse.

 

[Dascylus]

I guess the digital gaming is delayed for another 10 years then... Shame.
Welcome back 60$ games. It may even go higher, I heard the prices of the plastic are going up.

Except that digital versions will still be available the same day as physical copies for those who still want to waste their money (if you want to buy overpriced digital copies Games on Demand already gives you that option on XBL). Or you buy a pc and never have to sully yourself with a corporeal copy again, and actually get them for a decent discount.

That's my point. As the things work right now, dev/publishers cannot offer lower prices for digital games, because they would anger the retailers. Even Steam cannot afford to have lower prices on new games, gladly they're balancing it with amazing sales.
As long as we have the current status quo, the situation is not changing.

How would the previous system Microsoft proposed have changed that? They were still going to sell physical copies through retail channels as a delivery system - it wasn't all digital. There's a good reason for that too, even with an always-online console they've got to sell the thing - which requires retailers. Retailers make virtually no profit on console sales (which are incidentally bulky and take up a lot of floor space that could be filled with more high profit items), the reason they stock them is to build the market so that customers return and buy games from them (where they can make a profit). If MS tried to cut them out of selling games, they wouldn't sell their consoles for them.

Competition is what drives down prices, not the good will of publishers.

They were gonna offer discounts on digital sales when you traded in games.
In the press release it was mentioned that that was one of the aspects that would be lost in catering to the panic.
Did you read the things the Xbox employee wrote about how part of the idea behind Xbox's system was partly similar to Steam?
They might still have been offering $60 games but can you imagine what trad-in discount they might have offered? Especially if they offered larger discounts when trade/buying the new version of an EA Sports game or that sort of idea.
But we can talk about what we might have missed till the cows come home. I'm sure they'll try and implement the better ideas piecemeal over time.