Poll: Will next-gen console games require online activation?

[isometry]

Most of the big PC releases these days require online activation, for example Skyrim on PC lists internet access for activation on the box as a requirement.

Thinking back, Microsoft was the first company to test whether consumers would tolerate required online activation: they did it with Windows XP. It was very controversial at the time, but they forced it on us anyway, and we've moved past accepting it for Operating Systems to accepting it for PC games too. (also, XP allows some obscure telephone or postal registration options; Skyrim doesn't).

Supposedly we need online activation for PC games to fight piracy. In practice it also effectively kills the used game market for PC games. Gamers argue about the pros and cons of used games, without realizing that online activation is right around the corner ready to settle the issue.

Now that we've had two generations of consoles with full online support, how long until until we see console games that require online activation? Do you think you can resist new consoles that require online activation, to succeed where we all failed to resist Windows XP ?

 

[Smeggs]

No, that makes no sense.

Many people who own a PS3/360 do not actually have internet. I seriously doubt we'll be moving into an all-digital gaming generation for quite some time yet. For instance I had a 360 for almost two years before I got Live. Not by choice, I wanted it, but my internet hookup was in the basement and my father refused to let me use the power drill to drill the hole for the chord.

If you downloaded a game for your computer, chances are you have the internet connection you downloaded it with.

 

[isometry]

If you downloaded a game for your computer, chances are you have the internet connection you downloaded it with.

Yeah, of course. In the case of Skyrim, and most other big titles, I'm talking about physical copies that have to be activated online. I'm not talking about digital distribution, just online activation for physical copies.

And your example of not being able to run a cord in the house could have been solved by wifi. Look at it this way, if activating games online was expected and routine, you would have gone through the trouble to connect your 360 in that case.

To take it another step further, the console makers could include a satellite connection that the system uses for online activation DRM. That's how some versions of the kindle work (built in satellite connection with no monthly fee, and it lets amazon lock it down with DRM).