Microsoft "360s" on its DRM policies. No more 24 hour check in, Used games ahoy

[Eri]

Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.

You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games. After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.

Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today. There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year.

http://news.xbox.com/2013/06/update

It still costs 100$ more and this decisions should've been there to start with. It's a start at least.

 

[NightmareExpress]

It's like somebody tossed a brick at their skull and activated the "common sense" portion of their brain...
Anyway, this is a great thing to have happened (if true). A true victory for the consumer if ever there was one, spotting horrendous practices and stopping them (months) before they reach the home.

I guess we'll see what happens now and how long-lasting the reveal/E3 damage will prove to be in terms of sales.
Shame that the fans can't try to boast about the digital "sharing" anymore and the price is still hefty in comparison to competition.

 

[Terminate421]

I still find this gif relevant:

I hated the Xbox One beforehand, now that they've done a 180 on the policies, the only thing truly holding me away is the price.

5 months microsoft, do what you will with it.

 

[SadisticBrownie]

This is absolutely a good thing, well done MS for having the balls to change it.
Of course, it was a fucking stupid thing in the first place, but w/e.
Does this remind anyone else of the Mass Effect 3 ending mess?

 

[hazabaza1]

Yeah, I've seen what they want to do as soon as they get the chance, they can still fuck right off. Nothing interesting so far anyway so no biggie there.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

While I'm glad that they listened, I was looking forward to the Xbone bombing at sales, Now it might have a chance.
Just this whole thing was a slow motion train crash and after sitting through all, it's kinda a tease for the whole thing to just rewind before you get the pay off :/

This Industry man...

 

[LetalisK]

Edit: Never mind, it was a twist. I get it now.

OT: I'll admit, I still kind of want to watch it burn just to see what pretty colors it makes.

As I mentioned in the news story about this, I'm now going to refer to the Xbone as the Xbox 180.

 

[Dalek Caan]

Good, glad they did, it's nice to know they listen to their customers(and their sales). Course now the downside is that I have to read all the comments from people who wanted MS to do all this and then say "LOL, still not getting one".

 

[imagremlin]

A good thing no doubt. But as CloroxBB says, the $100 difference is still a problem.

The PS4 remains the first option, the removal of the eye from the box, critical to lower the price, was a master stroke. What is the point of putting a peripheral on the box? To make it part of the core experience. Is anyone clamouring for more motion control games? When was the last time you played a Kinect game and thought, this would be so much better with an improved sensor?

I still expect the PS4 to run away with this generation. In my view, XBox now has a chance against the WiiU

 

[The-Bas]

I'm not changing my pre-order because of this, but maybe later, i might buy an Xbox One.

Looking back at this generation, PS3 started out bad and made some terrible mistakes, but was ultimately saved by great games.
Perhaps it's Microsoft turn to do the same.

 

[9thRequiem]

Well, that kind of sucks. It's ruined the two reasons I had for getting it; now I might as well get a PS4 because of the price.

 

[MetalDooley]

If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today

Except that's not true Don.Games on Demand titles won't launch if you're not connected to Xbox Live and if you get disconnected while playing it kicks you back to the main menu if you haven't reconnected after 10 mins

Ot:Good news.Now the only real difference between XB1 and PS4 is the price and launch exclusives.Fingers crossed they'll drop the price now too

 

[MysticSlayer]

*faints*

You've got to be kidding me. Just when I thought it was completely out, Microsoft has to make decision making difficult again. Well, there's still the issue of price and lack of good games, but at least it's back to waiting to see which system has the best games. So far Sony's winning (if we only consider it and Microsoft), but now I guess I'm not fully sold on either console yet.

But hey, I'd prefer this situation to the one we were going to get.

 

[Barciad]

In many ways, something like this has been coming. The PR this past month has been horrendous, pre-orders are down, and the men up top are finally starting to cotton on. However, this all seems like damage limitation. Plus, there is still the unfortunate and unresolved issue of the Kinect to deal with.

 

[taciturnCandid]

They just ruined the whole reason why I wanted to buy it. Now I'm going to just not purchase a console from a company with no courage. Cowards.

I was excited to have a way to actually own digital content and be able to sell them. I was looking forward to being able to play the games I own with another person across the world with only a single copy.

The death of the sharing of your digital library is a death of a system for me.

I'm sorry but goodbye console gaming for me. I'll pour one out for you and then go back to my pc.

 

[Maximum Bert]

I am glad they have dropped it but lets not forget Microsoft reserve the right to change their policies whenever they feel like it also why does it need an internet connection when first activated still? so you can agree to let them change things later on?

This change is good and means I have not totally ruled them out anymore as I like to eventually get all consoles to be able to play any game I want but still there is Kinnect it is still 80 pounds more expensive for a less powerful console and Xbox Live is more expensive than PS+ I believe (I wont get either sod paying for online on top of broadband)

Also they look mighty stupid now all those reasons why the Xbox had to be online and it turns out they were talking shit. I will probably get one eventually for exclusives but I will most likely get the multiformat games on PS4 simply because they should look better due to PS4 being more powerful and because I dont trust Microsoft to dick everyone over again as soon as it suits them.

Basically its gone from them going haha the mugs will eat up whatever shit we serve them to fuck they arent eating it back down back down kinda pathetic really.

Oh and I will say it again remove Kinnect Microsoft nobody likes it, make it optional if at all although its probably wiser to scrap it altogether (most) people wont fall for the same gimmick twice.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

That's nice. It still got a lot of things about it I don't like though. I also still resent Microsoft for their arrogance, their evasiveness, the lies and for showing potential customers so little respect.

No, call it petty if you must, but Microsoft will not have me as a customer. Maybe near the end of the XBone's lifespan, when it is on the decline. Maybe.

When was the last time you played a Kinect game and thought, this would be so much better with an improved sensor?

All the time, except my thoughts were more along the lines of "this would be so better if it worked as advertised".

 

[LetalisK]

Ot:Good news.Now the only real difference between XB1 and PS4 is the price and launch exclusives.Fingers crossed they'll drop the price now too

I'm not sure it'd be worth the additional PR fallout from such a move. I don't think people would see it as trying to be competitive, but rather Microsoft previously trying to gouge people.

 

[theaudioprophet]

kudos for listening but I fear it's too little too late
the fact these policies were there in the first place is something I cant forgive