Always on VS Internet Required?

[Metalix]

Is there realy a difference?
to me it just seem having the console not work unless it can connect to the internet is just a cost effective version of an "always online" requirement.
plus you can claim it isnt "always on" which has become a huge taboo phrase for consoles.

 

[Hazy992]

I agree, they're both just different sides of the same shitty coin. It alienates consumers who don't have an Internet connection and if Microsoft (or whoever's) servers go down then either way your console is a brick for that period.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Snip

If my internet goes off for extended periods (as it has been known to do) I can still play every game I have installed on my PC. However, not being able to install games I own on disc without internet is absolute bullshit and one of the main things I hate about Steam.

Also, who's been complaining about not being able to game with no power? Hasn't that been the standard for any none-handheld since gaming began?

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

Here's the problem in what you said: Steam is a service, the Xbone is a system. If you have no connection on a PC, sure, you can hardly use anything online in Steam (it does have an offline mode), but you still have access to everything else on your PC (even, gasp, other non-Steam games!). If you have no connection, the Xbone becomes completely useless. Same thing, right?

 

[Maximum Bert]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

And hence why I dislike Steam but lets not forget steam was like this from the start Xbox was not, occasional mandatory is not as bad as always on but dont forget Xbox One gives devs the option to make it always online and Microsoft are hoping they use it so that sounds like what they are going for eventually.

Basically they are taking away a lot of the advantages of consoles over PC it just seems bizarre I expect bullshit DRM on PC thats why I dont like playing on it GOG excluded I just dont like where PC gaming is going service wise and now Microsoft want consoles to follow suit its just another hurdle between you and your games and one that dosent need to exist especially as consoles are closed systems anyway unlike the PC.

While I say what microsoft are enforcing is not as bad as always online its a step in the wrong direction (i.e towards it) and its a step against consumers.

I wonder if the Xbox One will enjoy a huge thriving pirate market thanks to this though.

 

[Metalix]

I've had steam for years and iv never had any connection problems with it.
even when my internet has cut out or i've just turned the modem off to let it cool down.

and why for the love of god do people keep bringing up "what if your power goes out".
If my power goes out my PC turns off due to a lack of y'know power.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

and why for the love of god do people keep bringing up "what if your power goes out".
If my power goes out my PC turns off due to a lack of y'know power.

Because they compare electricity, something that comes standard with every home, and internet connection, something that costs extra to have installed. Stupid, but hey, they have no problems getting either, so they assume the whole world is like that.

 

[MysticSlayer]

Also, who's been complaining about not being able to game with no power? Hasn't that been the standard for any none-handheld since gaming began?

Sorry, don't know what I was thinking at that time. I think I was talking about your power going off during a downtime in your Internet connection, which, even if you have a generator that gets your power back on, or if it comes back on before the Internet is functional again, you lose access to your entire Steam library. It's an extreme situation, yes, but not unheard of (which seems to be fair grounds for discussion right now). I think the third point brought this out a little better.

Here's the problem in what you said: Steam is a service, the Xbone is a system. If you have no connection on a PC, sure, you can hardly use anything online in Steam (it does have an offline mode), but you still have access to everything else on your PC (even, gasp, other non-Steam games!). If you have no connection, the Xbone becomes completely useless. Same thing, right?

The offline only works if you connect to the Internet before going offline, which is similar to what the Xbox One is doing, albeit a little worse considering the connection has to be made every 24 hours. And while using the other offline features, such as non-Steam games, sounds good, we're talking about gaming and, let's face it, unless you've built up a decent library of older games, chances are you're going to lose all access to PC games except maybe a handful of them when your Internet goes down, or if you find yourself without any Internet for a long time. This is especially true for people switching over to PC games, since their chances of having that non-Steam library is much less than those who have been with PC gaming for a while. Simply put, PC gaming in the near future will only have slight advantages over the Xbox One in terms of mandatory online connections, especially for those just entering the PC market (some being chased that way by the Xbox One). Well, unless developers make the games always online.

And hence why I dislike Steam but lets not forget steam was like this from the start Xbox was not, occasional mandatory is not as bad as always on but dont forget Xbox One gives devs the option to make it always online and Microsoft are hoping they use it so that sounds like what they are going for eventually.

I will admit that the threat of games going always online is one of the many things that are keeping me away from the Xbox One, but I was trying to talk about the issues we have before the developers go that extra step. Besides, something tells me we will have something similar to what PC audiences currently have to deal with: Some games require an online connection, but others don't. Play the games that don't, and avoid the ones that do.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

That is wrong, in my experience. I've lost my internet for days at a time before and my Steam games worked offline just fine.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

That is wrong, in my experience. I've lost my internet for days at a time before and my Steam games worked offline just fine.

My experience is similar, I sometimes use steam in offline mode for more than a few weeks at a time and I've never been denied access to games I have installed

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

The offline only works if you connect to the Internet before going offline, which is similar to what the Xbox One is doing.

You only need to do it once (which is still stupid). I've gone many weeks without internet and been able to play my whole Steam library still, even after shutting down my PC. The Xbox One is a *lot* worse in this respect.

Still, I agree with your overall point, and I will criticize the fuck out of Steam, too

 

[Auron]

There's a big difference. One requires a login and then you do whatever you want the other requires you to be constantly connected and the internet cannot drop nor the servers can have problems or you're fucked. Computer Gamers have been using Steam for a while now with no real problems in that regard. I don't get the problem at all, I can get stable enough internet in a backwater Brazilian city, I don't think most people would have a problem connecting once per day. Then again there's the reasoning that you're getting one of PC gaming's disadvantages without any of the advantages I suppose.

Now the really funny thing no one is talking about is that piracy will happen despite their DRM scheme, probably even faster now that it's just a fancy PC.

 

[MysticSlayer]

That is wrong, in my experience. I've lost my internet for days at a time before and my Steam games worked offline just fine.

Well, based on my experience, once you turn off your computer you have to re-connect to Steam, which, for me, occurs at least once ever 24 hours.

Now, I'm not trying to say that Steam is as bad as what Microsoft plans on doing, but given that the first two posts put what the Xbox One is doing on the same level of always online, I don't see how Steam is any different than Xbox One in comparison, given that both require an occasional online connection. Then again, as I've already stated, my experience with their online connections won't be different at all.

You only need to do it once (which is still stupid). I've gone many weeks without internet and been able to play my whole Steam library still, even after shutting down my PC. The Xbox One is a *lot* worse in this respect.

Hm, maybe it's just my computer that refuses to let me access my Steam library without connecting online first.

 

[krazykidd]

Always Online=People are hopping mad and the game doesn't work for the first 1-2 weeks.
Occasional Mandatory Connection=Steam (a.k.a. the most wonderful thing in gaming)
Occasional Mandatory Connection (When not applied to Steam)=People hopping mad

Honestly, the system as Microsoft has revealed to us is hardly worth getting worked up over. Not ideal, but not completely ridiculous either. After all, many of the same complaints can be used against Steam:
Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.
Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.
Extended server down time? Well, in the 1 in 1million chance we keep them down for that long, better hope nothing like a power outage or energy conserving practices get to you.

There are plenty of things to be angry about with Microsoft's next console. However, this is hardly one of them, unless, of course, you feel like leveling these same attacks at Steam.

The difference is . Steam isn't a console . Steam is a client that you don't NEED to use . The proper comparaison would be , if you're internet buggs out , you can't use your computer . The XB1 reauires you to have an internet connection ( at least occassionally ) , if you're internet isn't working then what?

I'm not going to pay 400$ for a console that may or may not work depending on certain conditions that are completly out of my control .

 

[Da Orky Man]

Don't have an Internet connection? Sorry, Steam games don't work for you, even if you buy them on disk.

Offline mode works just fine here.

Lose power? Sorry, unless you have a laptop, which no serious PC gamer uses, you can't access Steam games.

So, you have a power cut, and the thing stopping you from playing games on your True PC Gamer[sup]TM[/sup] is that your connection doesn't work? I would suspect that the fact that your desktop currently has no power supply would be a larger factor.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Hm, maybe it's just my computer that refuses to let me access my Steam library without connecting online first.

That's one of the issues with PCs; no two people's experiences will ever be the same. I get a lot of people telling me you don't need to fully update single player games to play them on Steam, but my retail copy of Shogun 2 and it's 12GB update don't seem to believe them...

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Steam is a client that you don't NEED to use

If you want to play modern games on PC, you do :[ Too much of the market is Steam-exclusive. Buying games on disc won't save you.