Unpopular Opinions said:
Never mind that Steam does the exact same thing.
They require you to check in once a year. Xbox required you to check in once a day.
You don't actually own any of the games you buy. Xbox game discs could be used twice and then the next person had to pay for it.
Steam reserves all rights to delete any of them, without notice, and ever give you a refund. Xbox, to my knowledge, wouldn't do this. This is just a Steam thing.
I can get why people don't like the XOne. "graphics" bs, doesn't have games I want to play, etc. (Games are the most important factor when deciding to buy a console)
But don't act like it was the first time this has happened. Steam has been doing this to people for years.
Just to be clear...
Steam reserves all rights to delete your "property" without warning, or refund.
This means that you do NOT own any of the games you bought. If someone can take a game away from you without your consent:
You do not own that game.
I haven't had a single issue with my XOne. The only real gripe I have is that I have to update it more often than not.
1. Microsoft wanted to take away the one advantage console games had over PC games - No CD keys, no installation, no restrictions of purchase or sale.
I do own every single console game I've ever purchased - Because no company has gotten away with implementing a system that could take them from me. I can put any disc (Or cartridge, where applicable) into my Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Vita, PSP or Sega Master System and play it right now.
2. Once a day is a lot more often than one a year and Steam can be made to work offline - Permanently (Although the feature is notoriously buggy as I understand).
Also, that thing about removing your games at any one time? Pretty sure that's standard in all EULAs. I suggest you read through the Xbox EULA to confirm that it's absent before making that claim.
2.5. What limitations apply to my access and use of Microsoft and third-party content? We may disable access to Microsoft and third-party content associated with your account for any reason. We may also remove or disable games, applications, content, or Services on your Authorized Device in order to protect the Services, application providers, network operators or any other affected or potentially affected parties. Some content and applications available on the Services may be unavailable from time to time or may only be offered for a limited time due to contractual or other limitations, such as the region of your Account. As such, you may not be able to re-download content or applications or re-stream certain content that you have purchased; for example, if you change your account to another region you may need to re-purchase content or applications that were available to you and paid for in your previous region. Except to the extent required by applicable law, we have no obligation to provide a re-download or replacement of any content or application previously purchased. If we receive information from the content owners indicating the dates their content will be unavailable, we will try to share this information with you.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Legal/LiveTOU
3. Steam has less shitty prices and operates on a platform with competing markets. On Xbox, you got Xbox live or nothing. On PC you have:
Steam
Good Old Games
Origins
Uplay
Humble Bundle
And countless other retailers, selling codes or game downloads - Competition. And where or when Steam fails, there are ways to get around losing your game library on a non-closed system.
My point is - Microsoft took something as redundant as a console (In this day and age) and tried to remove the few good points left to them.
Which is buy a game, own the game, put it in and play.
Oh, what's that? Installation? Account tied license on retail discs? Daily DRM user verification? **** off Microsoft.
Furthermore, what do you think would have happened had they implemented those systems, after they shut them down? You get a brick is what, unable to do anything whatsoever. At least you can use a PC for other things and for other markets.
You can bark all you want about Steam being the same but they operate on a system that's non-monopolized and unrestricted in functionality and they sell their products for less than Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo because there's actually competing markets.
Additionally, if you hadn't noticed - Steam is getting a lot of critique for how they manage themselves too, in regards to their refund policies, poor customer support and ill advised attempts at monetizing content.
Do you think I idolize Valve just because I resent Microsoft?
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/false_dichotomy
I tolerate Valve, because they are less crap, cheaper and I can get around them (potentially) screwing me over in many ways.
The bullshit that we buy a license needs to stop, because the only reason why it's been downgraded to one is to deceive us and get away with implementing systems that take away the products that we have paid for (So they can sell us more and force us to go along with it).
But there is an option for non-DRM digital purchases on PC - Good Old Games. If Steam fails, I'm certain that they will pick up the slack.
There are legitimate reasons to criticize Microsoft, specifically, for what they tried to do and how that would have changed the entire market for the worse.