Microsoft Exec on Always Online Consoles: "Deal With it"

[Atmos Duality]

It actually is appropriate. In making the tweet, Adam Orth held himself out as speaking for Microsoft.

Implicitly or explicitly?
Did he actually state he is speaking on behalf of the company, or is that just the audience's interpretation?

Edit: Though I suppose it doesn't matter. With PR, it is the audience's perception of your company, and not the reality of the situation, that matters most.
I am under no such illusions that this man's opinion would receive a consistent response from the company.

That is to say:
i) If his comments offended, company disavows for damage control.
ii) If his comments are praised, company includes itself more.

This seems perfectly obvious, but it also shows just how worthless such comments are. Which is why my first response way back in Gaming Discussion was:

This fool isn't worth further thought or comment.

 

[cjspyres]

HOw many games you buy? if the answer is more than 1 per month, pc gaming is cheaper. what you spekd on superior hardware, you will easily make up for in game prices.
And if the console specs are going to be the way they seem to be going, you wont need 800 dollars to match it for PC specs.

Um, that still doesn't change the fact that some people can't afford the investment of powerful PC like that. And if were talking about people not being able to afford something, then shouldn't it pretty much be obvious that they aren't buying multiple games a month? I mean, I own a PC, but I can't even afford to buy more than one game a month. Hell, I can barely afford that. I have to borrow games from friends.

 

[Frankster]

Its not governments responsibility to fix your internet.....

It is where I come from, going "....." at the end of your sentence doesn't change that fact im afraid.

Trust me when i say i WISH this was not the case.

 

[mb16]

Le snip

Meanwhile playing ElderScrolls 6: quest for the sausage fountain (aka a single player only game):
-INTERNET CONNECTION LOST. UNABLE TO CONTINUE PLAY, PLEASE WAIT-


Alternatively whilst playing with friends on 'system link'/the same console (aka: multiplier that doesn't need the internet)
-NO INTERNET CONNECTION. UNABLE TO PLAY-


Woe is me for living in rural England where the internet connection is a bit dodgy.


'Le fek, the internet is down; oh-well I can still play single player on my xbox... oh wait'

 

[Ambitiousmould]

That guide that I posted explains it better than I did in my post. The point I was trying to make is that people naturally assume that building a gaming PC costs a fortune, when really they are only hearing about the most expensive rigs.

It's an extremely valid point you made. The difference in cost means the difference between a machine that lasts 5+ years and a machine that just lasts a couple.

This is pretty much what I meant, I just guess its meaning got lost. I've always seen it as more practical to build the expensive tower as it last the longest. You have the ultra graphics for a pretty good time, and then you just ride it out through the next gen on the medium to high. Throw in a couple of updates if you might need, and it just seems cheaper. Like I said, it's just that initial upstart that's hard.

I have a not-so-small steam library, and this always on thing has pushed me to PC gaming, but where I had one £250-£300 360 for a good long while, my friend (who is a PC gamer) has had 2 £650 PCs, each lasting about 4 years, which doesn't look cheap at all to me. Also he is always talking about spending money to upgrade, and I don't like the idea of having to spend money to keep my PC able to efficiently play games.
I guess what I'm asking is, where do I start for a fairly cheap PC option that will last? Nothing too fancy, just so that it can run games on like medium graphics.

 

[TheSpyIsASpyWDZ]

Well, as someone who couldn't get any faster than dial-up 2 years ago, and whose current internet is a fraction as fast as broadband, I can say that you're hilariously wrong in your generalization of the entire country of the USA. Honestly, if the next XBOX quite literally needs an internet connection to run, then Microsoft are a bunch of brainless twats who didn't deserve my money for their console anyway. I really can't get any faster internet where I live in Beloit, WI. Not all of the United States has the population density of Seattle, and the people simply cannot get a reliable connection.

according to vikipedia your population is 36,966. You should have fiber optics in a town this large by now, i cna understand dialup in a 100 people villages, but such a town should ahve forgotten that long ago. i pity you for having crapy monopolizing consumer abusing ISPs.

Well, the northern end of Beloit has most of the population, I live in the outskirts where no cables dare- Oh you know what? I'll just be frank with you. The ISPs are assholes, and my house is only a mile off a MAIN ROAD. While where I live in the town houses are quite far apart, but not enough to warrant not having cable. But yeah, most of the population is in a different side of my town, basically you have a metropolitan northern area, and a dead as hell southern area. And don't get me started on the city of South Beloit, they make southern Beloit look like New York.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

DRM doesnt work, never has. Recently we saw Simcity and Diablo 3 completely fail when people tried to play them. Thing is if its an MMO, then fine. But if im playing a single player offline game then i dont want my game playing enjoyment being ruined due to an unstable internet connection or lack of server space. Plus then you have the chance that the game you bought will be unplayable once they shut down the server to save money. Why should my ability to play an offline game be decided by stupid DRM and server cancellations?

I enjoy gaming but its become a lessor part of my social time these last few years. Especially compared to when i owned an xbox, PS1 and PS2. I think if they made it always online DRM, i will not bother buying a nextbox.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Considering my 360 absolutely refuses to connect to the internet, and has done so for nearly three years now, I would not want to touch this new xbox with a ten foot pole. Plus, its less about the user's internet working, its more about Microsoft's servers. Servers go down for many reasons. They can be permanently shut down. Or something like what happened to PSN a while ago could happen. Imagine if all PS3s and PSPs could no longer be used when that happened.

 

[airrazor7]

Be fortunate that where ever you live can be technologically progressive but remember that your circumstances isn't the same as everyone else's. Consider this: there are people who still use wood burning stoves to heat their homes. The entirety of this country isn't as technologically progressive as you think.

...That is the tradeoff of living out of city, you cant expect to live outside of city and have city commodities, be available at full speed. games are a luxury item. if you can afford gaming you can afford internet.

So you slightly touch my point but then disagree with me at the same time. huh...

Yes, living outside of cities does mean lack of city "commodities"; I said as much in my previous post. That is part of the problem with a console having a mandatory connection. Some people have internet with poor connection speeds or they don't have it all. It isn't an issue of affordability, it is an issue of lack of options. A great number of people who buy consoles and games do not have constant access to the internet. Don't know who you're debating with on your "luxury item" angle. I never mentioned that nor is it the topic or the point I was making.

Microsoft is a company and as a company, they desire to move as much product as possible. That means, they desire that as many people as possible will buy their product. The always-online feature will decrease the amount of possible people who will buy this product. Attentive shoppers will hear of this and avoid it. Not-so-attentive shoppers will buy it, realize later they cannot use it and thousands will demand a refund. There will be a big fiasco surrounding that and I expect Microsoft's PR department to handle that in the professional manner they always do.

But hey, what's a console launch without issues and a fiasco. Seems par for the course nowadays.

 

[Tuddle]

Well I'm not buying the new x-box. #dealwithit

 

[Yureina]

Well that guy is a wanker.

What is with game/software companies and being wankers lately?

 

[FalloutJack]

So...all Sony has to do to win the next generation in consoles is NOT be always-on, then? Come on, Sony. You can do it. You'll make BILLIONS. You'll make billions over the money Microsoft loses. Make the next Playstation without this feature and focus on battling Nintendo. It will be totally worth it.

Additional: Orthy, you have no perspective. Deal with it!

 

[Kael Arawn]

I would write a detailed post about the new opinions being raised and the fundamental facts surrounding the modern paradigm of electronic entertainment (especially the fact that dedicated/old school games are no longer the core dynamic for a console anymore), but it seems most people will simply ignore it so they can complain about and attempt to justify their own personal stance in relation to the concept of "always on".

So much for a cohesive debate about the pros/cons of the concept.

Forums need a peer review system so those with actual qualification/experience relevant to the field of discussion can be heard and not simply ignored, but that would require some understanding of qualified vs non-qualified opinion and we all know that popularity outweighs sense when it come to the internet and the collective sponge that is the way that common mandate is formed.

Also this because I needed a excuse to post a penny arcade comic and its semi-relevant to the subject at hand.

 

[Kael Arawn]

Everyone needs to wake up, you all live in a CAPITALIST SOCIETY and your ultimate form of expressive freedom as a consumer is simply NOT TO BUY THE DAMN THING but dedicated gamers are all pulling their usual level of BS and going to an extreme over it in relation to their opinions instead of simply just deciding not to buy it.

Microsoft is a company who has every right to make a console that is always on and if it tanks well that was there gamble to take as a company and if it does exceedingly well and that pisses you off then tough, that?s the market voicing its opinion through sales.

So instead of acting like a bunch of WORLD WAR 2 GERMANS WITH A PENCHANT FOR LEATHER and demanding the ethnic cleansing of anyone who even remotely likes the idea try rationally being part of the debate via looking at its pros and cons and don?t buy it when its out if the idea still pisses you off.

Seriously what is wrong with people on these forums in relation to this subject, not only are most people simply denying the fact of the matter they are acting like ill-informed RAHL DAHL CHARACTERS.

Are you all so afraid of the NEXT on the principle that if its succeeds then it will simply be just one more accepted business practice connected to game?s that is counter to what you want from the industry as a whole and might become a new standard paradigm to the point that it must be eradicated from existence before its even happened?

Because if any of you answer ?yes? to the above question you living in fear of a possibility and i recommend you go start watching Fox News and believing the tripe they broadcast without question if you?re that controlled by possible pseudo conniptions of your favorite pastime/hobby.

Also F&*K pre-owned gaming in the ass with big pointy stick AND LONG LIVE THE NEW DIGITAL PARADIGM OF GAMES SOLD AT LAUNCH FOR LESS THEN A PRE-OWNED GAME!

 

[FalloutJack]

Really? Did you seriously just do that?

Uhhh...calling forumites nazis is bad. You might not want to do that. Like, ever.

 

[Kael Arawn]

Really? Did you seriously just do that?

Uhhh...calling forumites nazis is bad. You might not want to do that. Like, ever.

I just edited it so its less offensive and i already got a mark for making the same post in another tread so ive learned my lesson.

 

[Felgy76]

This post from /r/gaming sums it up perfectly for me.

Spoiler

 

[itsthesheppy]

I'm a little late jumping into this, but it's entirely possible the guy was joking. Making an always-on console would be market suicide.

 

[Starke]

If it's confirmed through the guy's linkedin profile

Which...he seems to have closed down...

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/adam-orth/44/354/b44

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Adam/Orth

Not lookin good for him even with a grain of salt taken

Yeah, the linkedin profile going dark is not a good sign, I'll grant you. And if he does actually get waxed from the company over this, it'll be more than a little unusual.

Also, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, the last couple days have been... unusual.

 

[Jesse Billingsley]

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai, what do you have to say about this?

Hello?

You ther-

Spoiler

OUCH! That's gonna burn!