Microsoft Drops Xbox One DRM Restrictions - UPDATED

[Reyold]

Color me surprised. I didn't think they'd actually do this. Assuming it's true, and that this is not some kind of PR stunt, as others have suggested.

Doesn't change the fact that I'm not getting an Xbox One (or likely to get any next-gen console, for that matter), but it's still nice to hear some kind of good news.

 

[Frankster]

If it was that easy to ditch all those features, makes one wonder why they were necessary in the first place.

Anyways lets see how this develops...

 

[geizr]

Looks like there is a lightbulb still working somewhere in the bowels of Microsoft. Say it with me: A company hears and understands only two sounds, the creak of your wallet opening and the slap of your wallet closing. All other sounds are noise to be ignored. With so many wallets slapping shut before the damn thing even made it to market, it would seem someone in a position of power (Balmer probably chewed Don's ass up so badly, the dude had to staple his legs back onto his spine just to crawl out the office) finally heard and understood what it all meant.

How was that education session for you, Don? Did you learn anything?

ADDENDUM: Yeah, have to agree with some others. Microsoft's dishonesty in this whole affair still turns me away from getting and Xbox One, despite their reversal. In fact, the sudden reversal after they were so adamant makes me even more distrusting of them. They should have just been straight and not try to dick people from the beginning.

 

[lord canti]

To bad Microsoft horrible PR has left a bad taste in a lot of gamers mouth.Next time Microsoft don't tell your consumers to deal with it and don't talk down to them like you have been. Then maybe this you'd make more people actually reconsider buying this.

 

[F'Angus]

They've finally seen sense...I'll still probably get the PS4, but only because I'm a bigger Sony fan. But I'm glad that the next Xbox will actually be playable now.

 

[GAunderrated]

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.

Pretty much agree with those statements. I hope many people still wait to see if MS keeps their word and doesn't pull another BS 180 once people jump on board.

If you think they are giving up this easily you are wrong. This issue is going to comeback so I hope people don't jump at the first sign of somewhat good PR.

 

[Dead Seerius]

Despite the fact that the PS4 still appeals more to me (no Kinect, cheaper), I can definitely say that this is great news for the gaming industry as a whole.

Assuming it's all true, I am proud to see the gaming public use its unrivaled ability of having its complaints heard for justice. Good news indeed.

 

[LostintheWick]

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.

I'm glad this whole XB1 thing is teaching folks about what is so shitty about capitalism. It only VALUES one thing. And... btw, Sony is = MS when it comes to what motivates them.
So are you mad at Sony too? They only want money.

 

[Snowyscar]

I join my voice in those for renaming the Xbone into Xbox 180 - a complete turnaround.

 

[kenu12345]

This has probably already been said but nope sorry microsoft still not getting my buy. You already proved that you WANT to do this. Which means you dont really give a shit about me but hey drop the asinine restrictions for indie and perhaps ill play a demo on your console at gamestop in a couple years.

 

[Amaury_games]

Was this their plan all along? Come with a shitty idea saying that it's the only way and then, after a lot of angry answers, say they managed to give what we wanted and pretend they are good and listen to their consumers?
I'm happy if the Xbone really changed this much (though I worry about what might be the catch), but this crossed my mind, and I'd really like someone to tell me how stupid this idea really is and I'm not seeing why. Because if it's not, then they're even worse than I has thought, and that scares me a little.

 

[Busard]

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.

I'm glad this whole XB1 thing is teaching folks about what is so shitty about capitalism. It only VALUES one thing. And... btw, Sony is = MS when it comes to what motivates them.
So are you mad at Sony too? They only want money.

I'm not mad at companies wanting money for their business. I'm mad at one company being some kind of arrogant tool and outright lying about "THE POWER OF THE CLOUD" and how it can't be switched, just to switch it the very fucking next day.

And i'm mad at people who will eat this up and think they "won" anything and subsequently PRAISE these idiots for beating them less hard than they previously did.

And I don't see how noting this brings it to Sony at this moment.

 

[GoaThief]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Blachman201_v1legacy]

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]

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]

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.

 

[cikame]

Damn, i was looking forward to having my hands tied.