Microsoft Drops Xbox One DRM Restrictions - UPDATED

[Lokoloshe]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[Entitled]

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.

Why is it so hard to accept that most gamers simply don't play Halo?

 

[WanderingFool]

So, two ideas run through my mind:

1) They actually planed this in advance, to pull off some kind of "Coca-Cola Classic" strategy.

2) They actually were going to go with what they were originally planning, but seeing Sony's strategy (of pissing on them) and saw that they were pissing off far to many possible customers (like the US Navy) and decided to actually smarten up.

Im leaning towards 2, obviously...

 

[thisbymaster]

That scream you heard was the credibility of every last person that defended Microsoft this whole time disappearing.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Anyone else imagine Don what's his name typing all that with gritted teeth and a gun to his head?

Now if they only dropped the Kinect requirement.

 

[Weaver]

This has been one of the most insane few weeks in gaming history that I can remember.

 

[Entitled]

They actually planed this in advance, to pull off some kind of "Coca-Cola Classic" strategy.

Yeah, and when they were praising the Cloud, and declaring that online is the future and offline is the past, they were secretly knowing that they will turn all that shit off anyways and sell a type of outdated console that they are just bashing...

 

[wulfy42]

Still no reason for me to buy an Xbox, but at least this leaves it open for them to create a reason later on for me to buy one. If they do some good things with the kinect....well, I'll keep an open mind...and they may sell one to me someday.

This is, over all, a win for gamers though. I have to say as a very very long term gamer (all the way back to the first games) who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years on games, consoles etc.....I am tired of being treated like a criminal and having to deal with DRM etc just so people who are not going to spend money on games anyway...have a slightly harder time getting them for free.

I do think switching to digital over all is a good idea, reducing the cost to manufacture and ship games, and giving that savings to consumers (us). Lower the price of games while making them more accessable and less people will pirate it (not to mention if you buy a digital copy it's not going to be sold to gamestop for $5...then resold to someone for $30 preventing a full sale for the original producers).

I am....becoming spoiled by steam etc. I almost don't want to bother with physical copies of games anymore, and both systems (the ps4 and Xbox one) can handle using a mostly if not total digital game catalog for players. It should be an option....and a cheaper option at that....but there is no reason not to make digital copies available...and cheaper...for everyone at this point.

 

[Entitled]

That scream you heard was the credibility of every last person that defended Microsoft this whole time disappearing.

Don't worry about them, they will just complain about how all the rage was unnecessary to begin with since Microsoft is evidently listening after all and gives what we want, or whatever.