In the News: Microsoft Removes 24-Hour DRM and Used Game Restrictions from Xbox One

By Zach Goodier

Microsoft recently decided to change their policies on 24-Hour DRM and used game restrictions, the statement they made was,

“We love getting feedback from gamers. My ideal scenario is always that I’m working to build a product they love."  We still believe in how games and entertainment are transformed by being connected and powered by the cloud, and frankly you’re going to see us really innovate against that experience. But as part of making the changes to allow you to use physical discs the way that you do today, what’s going to happen is your online games and your physical games will work like they do today. That does mean that features like Family Sharing won’t be there. Another example that we think is awesome is that when you move to any Xbox One, the ability to see all of your games in your Games Library. While you’ll clearly only see the ones that you downloaded online, you’d have to bring your physical discs for the other ones.”  

Source: IGN

Maybe I won't miss out of Forza 5 after all...

I, personally, am excited to see these changes.  I was not a fan of what I heard during the conferences at the reveal and E3.  While I know some people feel like this is a step backwards, I like the traditional setup for consoles.  I use Steam on my PC, but consoles allow me the opportunity to trade discs with the guys to let me try other games without potentially wasting some of my limited funds on them.  I can see where Microsoft may have been trying to lead us, but all their explanations were too vague, and there was too much potential for disaster in the minds of many gamers.  Not only that, but many of the features simply didn't appeal to me; I don't like Kinect, my cable box already does fine for TV, and I'd rather trust my own hard drive than a server in some building.  Beyond that, I simply didn't see how the potential benefits of Microsoft's features would outweigh the harm it could do to us as consumers.  

Still not a fan of Kinect, but if I'm not connected to the internet then hopefully the NSA won't be able to watch my pets for terrorist activity xD

Is there some paranoia? Probably.  However, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, "Do we really want to give up control over what we do with the things we pay for?"  I understand that Microsoft is out to make money, all companies need to make money to stay in business; however, it all comes down to how they try to make money.  Sony is planning to start charging for online services, and I'm OK with that.  Microsoft wanted to start telling me I couldn't trade games without losing them forever (to control the used game market), and that I needed to connect to the internet once a day or my console would brick.  I wasn't OK with that, and there were many who agreed with me.  

Those points aside, now that Microsoft has decided to change these features I may look back into investing in the system somewhere down the line.  I like that Microsoft finally listened to the public on this, but the trust has been broken for me, and it will not be fixed so easily.  Microsoft can still implement these features at a later date, and while allowing people to use the system the same way they used the 360 is a relief, the potential for disaster still looms overhead.  

My advice is to just stay alert for any updates, and think carefully about what investments you make.  There are a lot of people who will be going back to the Xbox One.  Hell, I might be one of them.  However, this incident has reminded me that while we as gamers have a lot of freedom through our games, there is always the potential for losing that freedom as well.

In the News: Xbox One

Hey guys, Zach here.  Well, yesterday saw the reveal of the next generation console from Microsoft: the Xbox One.  And while I have yet to hear a lot of specifics on the event, since I was working and couldn't actually sit down and watch the event, I have tried getting back up to speed since then, and the news couldn't be more bleak.  This covers the basic "news," what follows here will be some facts and speculation, mixed with the opinions of a potential Sony convert.

New doesn't always mean better...

First off, let's start with something silly: the name.  I know that the Xbox 360 made people go, "wow, how did I miss Xbox 2 through 359," and while it did supply a good joke or two, we rolled with it.  However, I haven't thought up any good jokes yet, and I just get a little confused since the first Xbox is a decade old at this point.  I just wonder who they hired to name the thing, I'm not seeing any good marketing angle at work here.

I've seen too many creeper movies about corporations spying on people with products and such, and why should I need one of these to play Elder Scrolls?

Now, another detail I have read is that the console will require both internet and Kinect to function.  This, after being unable to update this very site for a week due to bad internet, is frightening.  While the internet requirement hasn't been confirmed, it has been the subject of conflicting responses from the Microsoft staff when asked.  The Kinect is upsetting because I have never been interested in Kinect.  After I bought my Wii, I played it for about a week, then I lost all interest in the motion gaming.  If I want to be active, I'll go outside and do something, I don't need a Wii to stay active.  The motion-gaming gimmick really needs to stop.  While the Wii may look impressive on paper, everyone I know who bought one let it rot after a month or so.    This also seems like another way of draining our wallets to put cameras in our living rooms so Microsoft can spy on us... o.O

However, the single biggest issue I had wasn't in the details that they announced, it was with they seemed to completely overlook: THE F%$#ING GAMES!!!!!!!!! The games are what the Xbox name has been built on, and while they claim to be holding out for E3, why hold this event in the first place?  All I have seen and heard is that this was trying to sell us an entertainment system, something to watch live TV and sports games, while using all the clever features and such that they were working on.  I'll gladly go back to playing 32-bit games if that means that I'll get to actually enjoy myself.  I don't care about showmanship. I don't want something that looks clever, just make it actually clever.  Make it load games faster, give it a solid state hard drive or something, just show me that this console has the hardware and features that actually support and enhance my gaming experience, not televised sporting events.  It almost seems like Microsoft has been bought and paid for by EA, because everything this console does has catered to what EA tries to sell. The few bits relating to gamers just show some fancy graphics that are done in CGI trailers, not in-game engines.

None of this relates to games... at all.  I mean, I get all this on my cable box already.

(Here's the "too long, gimmie short" version)

In short, I'm disappointed.  I hope the E3 conference will have better news, but from what I've seen I won't get my hopes up too high.  While I love my Xbox 360, it feels more like Microsoft has been bought by EA, who have consistently disappointed me with ruining game franchises (Mass Effect 3's story, SWTOR, Dragon Age 2).  Now it looks like the disease has spread to an entire console, with Xbox One looking more like a VCR that is supposed to play TV and allow me to post on Facebook that "i jus shot my bff rob in cod, best nyght everrrrrrr lol #yolo #supernerd."  .....You have no idea how sick I made myself typing that, by the way.  The point is that I don't think we need to see all of these pointless features, I want to see how this console will appeal to those of us that are just in it for the games, because I already have a TV to watch TV on, and a computer to do Facebook and what-not, and I don't like Madden or sports all that much, so why should I care about this?  Hopefully, I'm just overeacting, and soon we'll have all the details about what gaming angle is, but then this announcement was a waste of time to showcase a gaming system.  Oh well, we'll just see what happens...

In the News: Rumors about the new Microsoft console

Hey guys, it's Sean here, and I’m sure you have already heard, but just wanted to pass this along to you just in case you haven’t. It is been said that Microsoft’s next console to battle the PS4 will be an “always on” console. This means to play a game or start an app you must be logged onto the internet. This won’t be a major issue for those of you that live in cities or towns with good internet connection, but if you are like me, and live where internet is not always readily available, you will be out of luck. And Microsoft’s Creative Director Adam Orth said on his twitter account this “Sorry, I don’t get the drama about an “always on” console. Every device is “always on” that’s the world we live in #dealwithit.” With an attitude from the creative director like that I am not sure I would want to buy anything from Microsoft again. That is just me, but when a company expects you to spend close to $600 on a system, I don’t want to be told to deal with it if I cannot play due to my internet lacking. Now this in no means has been confirmed by Microsoft and is only a rumor floating around the web but if this is true what do you guys think? Will you stay with the Xbox or jump consoles and join the other side and play with a Sony made console?

(Note from Zach Goodier) I suppose you could jump to the latest Nintendo console too... but unless you have a hankering for Mario or Zelda I really don't see why you would.