Poll: "Heartbroken" Microsoft Employee Explains How Family Sharing Would Have Worked

[Madman123456]

Here i was thinking people could have shared games with other people no matter where they lived, swap games with people or something but instead it's just a long demo?

Well, good riddance.

 

[zalithar]

Going on the assumption it was true; FUCK YOU! Used games are not the problem, and neither is consumer ownership. Complaining about the 'wound' of used games rings hallow when you just gouged out your left nut for the next $10 million you 'needed' to finish the game. The 'used game issue' is a self inflicted wound by the industry; had they left alone there would be no wound, but now they won't stop picking at the god damn scab.

On the assumption it's false; what ever Sony at least allows me to download all of my PSN purchases on to two different PS3s. Sure ten would have been better but two is still better than one; and 4 is still greater than 1. They may have tidied up but they still left the Kinect in a pile, haven't feed the indies, and quite clearly stuffed everything else into their closet. Not to mention the slight stench of bullshit. I might rent the room later but for now I'll stay in the 4 star hotel next door.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

I can't stop laughing.

...I truly felt it would have helped the industry grow and make both gamers and developers happy.

Hahaha. it's funny because it's true. wait a minute...

...access to these games regardless of where they are in the world.

AHAHAHAHAHA.

There was never any catch to that,

Of course there wasn't. (except few restrictions. but then, who cares about people who doesn't live in certain 12 countries.)

When your family member accesses any of your games, they're placed into a special demo mode. This demo mode in most cases would be the full game with a 15-45 minute timer and in some cases an hour.

Thank you MS. Finally we need someone to buy the game actually play demo, opposed to free downloadable demo.

There weren't many models of this system already in the wild other than Sony's horrendous game sharing implementation, but it was clear their approach (if one could call it that) was not the way to go. Developers complained about the lost sales and gamers complained about overbearing DRM that punished those who didn't share that implemented by publishers to quell gamers from taking advantage of a poorly thought out system.

I think this last section sums it up. This is hilarious, but we must redefine "horrendous" and "poorly thought out system".

we need different perspective. "horrendous" and "poorly thought out system" for who? Some money grabbing gaming industry, that's who. Good job at licking the boots of the rich people MS. We truly feel sorry that you can't enslave gamers anymore.

In the end, this is too stupid to take seriously.
So I think this is either MS impersonator or that entire Ms has their head stuck in their arse instead of my previous belief of few key decisionmakers have their head stuck in their arse.

Edit: I voted for the "This system is disappointing, but I can see how some would like it" because that "someone" is gaming industry. I have yet to hear convincing argument that they fear money and success.

 

[mike1921]

You want to stop used game sales? Offer your games through digital purchase......for less. Both initially...and drop the digital sales price every few months as well.

Poof...do that long enough and used game sales will dry up naturally.

Physical copy of a game sells for $60.....Digital for $50.....at launch.

2 months later the Digital copy drops another $10....to $40.

Why sell digital games for $10 less? Do you have a reason to think it takes $10 to make and stock a disk when you're doing it in bulk?

Yeah, gamestop etc won't be pleased by the situation..but the can still make money selling physical copies of games...at least till most people decide there is no reason to buy them anymore.

that's exactly why gamestop would just refuse to stock the game. If you're a triple A and gamestop refuses to stock your game because you made it $5-$10 cheaper on steam you're fucked

Yes, I do have a reason, because it costs money to make the game, the manual, package it, deliver it to stores...and then those stores take a cut of the profit as well.

Gamestop does not stock and sell all those games for free, they get a percentage of the sale frice for doing it.

As far as gamestop refusing to sell the games....then they would be gone in no time. Best buy etc sure would keep selling them...as they get the same profit for each sale as they do now (which is why it's cheaper to sell digital copies). I doubt gamestop would be happy, but it would be a slow process where less and less people bought physical copies and it'

Eventually it would have a huge impact on gamestop (although they would still be selling the consoles etc), but it would take awhile. There will still be people who need to buy physical copies...and over time..the cost to buy physical copies would probably have to go up as less and less people purchased them (with the increase going to the stores themselves t.

Doing it in bulk I highly doubt that's $10, maybe $5. Also: retailers always take a cut. Like seriously ,steam makes mad money. Stores taking a cut is just a constant.

Here's the thing though, that's mutually assured destruction for a triple A game. People are shitheads they're not going to another store. It's a major cost to the gaming companies to try to run a title bypassing gamesto, it could be done but shareholders are fucking idiots who make long term investments and yet care about how a gaming company loooks on a quarterly report.

Did you seriously repeat the implication that digital sales don't have a cut going to retailers? That is absolutely insane. Like have you never heard of Steam,GreenMan,Origin, UPlay? I'm pretty sure Steam takes a bigger cut on a $60 game than gamestop does on a new one (although they sell used where they get 100% cut so..)

 

[Poetic Nova]

They could have kept it for peeps who keep their Xbone's online. M$ aren't exactly the brighest ligthbulbs outta there.

 

[masticina]

IF this is true, IF ...

Then seriously we are talking about Demos. Yes those odd things you can download and play for well either 2-3 levels or with limitations. Or for 60 minutes or so.

That isn't "game sharing" that is demos.

So really no I expect that their family sharing meant more. Then again by now it doesn't matters anymore. The DRM is gone with it the whole shared library idea.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

Everyone doubting the veracity of this "leak": of course it's unconfirmed. It will probably never be confirmed.

It does, however, completely fill in the blanks that were confusing (or should have been confusing) anyone with a working brain. The family-share plan, as indicated, made zero financial sense for publishers. Everything else Xbone was bringing to the table was clearly aimed at pleasing publishers. Things weren't adding up. This leak fixes the math. That's why people believe it.

Personally, I'll favor the unconfirmed explanation that makes complete sense over the nebulous, shady, unspecified claims of a company that is clearly doing everything within its power to screw me out of my basic consumer rights.

That isn't "game sharing" that is demos.

So really no I expect that their family sharing meant more. Then again by now it doesn't matters anymore. The DRM is gone with it the whole shared library idea.

Lately Microsoft is claiming dominion over such ubiquitous, decades-old concepts as digital distribution and cloud computing. Why wouldn't they repackage the concept of a demo and act like they've invented some amazing new gaming wheel? In fact, that sounds *exactly* like their overarching PR strategy: sell people things they don't want or things they already have and hope the average, casual-level consumer is too uninformed to notice or care.

 

[Lightknight]

HAHAHA, What?! It wasn't sharing the full game?! Holy crap did we almost walk into a full-blown lie...

I assume this is false information. This can't be true and I'm going to have to believe it's false going forward. But man, if that was true...

 

[masticina]

Lately Microsoft is claiming dominion over such ubiquitous, decades-old concepts as digital distribution and cloud computing. Why wouldn't they repackage the concept of a demo and act like they've invented some amazing new gaming wheel? In fact, that sounds *exactly* like their overarching PR strategy: sell people things they don't want or things they already have and hope the average, casual-level consumer is too uninformed to notice or care.

Right now they are quite busy shooting themselves in the foot with their PR. I mean it, and yes to repackage demos as "family sharing" is a dick move.

I worry though Sony has been rather quiet.. what are they up to.

 

[Rickin10]

Everyone doubting the veracity of this "leak": of course it's unconfirmed. It will probably never be confirmed.

It does, however, completely fill in the blanks that were confusing (or should have been confusing) anyone with a working brain. The family-share plan, as indicated, made zero financial sense for publishers. Everything else Xbone was bringing to the table was clearly aimed at pleasing publishers. Things weren't adding up. This leak fixes the math. That's why people believe it.

Personally, I'll favor the unconfirmed explanation that makes complete sense over the nebulous, shady, unspecified claims of a company that is clearly doing everything within its power to screw me out of my basic consumer rights.

Exactly. If anyone really believes Microsoft were trying to please publishers by killing used games, then.... allowing people to form clubs of 11 people who could pass one purchase around at will....well, I want some of whatever you're smoking. This is Microsoft we're talking about here, right?

I've mentioned it before, but I think it's been lost, so I'll reiterate. There's a guy called CBoat on NeoGAF who's an extremely reliable source, and he's confirmed the pastebin thing is real. And frankly, I'd take his word any day over a company that have done nothing but show total arrogance, dodge questions and obfuscate like weasels. But if anyone wants to believe that benevolent Microsoft were going to usher in a new age of gamer-friendly utopia, go nuts.

 

[Flames66]

I only ever lurk here, this forced me to ask:

Do people require literally zero proof of legitimacy of ANYTHING? You referenced an anonymous article that references another anonymous article without links OR names.

You don't actually believe that article is legit...right?

I don't know or care. I have no interest in the Xbone other than as a how not to do it guide.

 

[OtherSideofSky]

So, this is really nothing terribly special. All it could ever have done is occasionally provide a demo for a game that doesn't already have one, and that's not an especially exciting prospect. It's ridiculous to even call a limited trial like this 'sharing,' when an equivalent experience is already being given away for free in a lot of cases.

I have absolutely no idea why anyone would think this made up for all the other crap they were trying to pull.

 

[Zipa]

Eh someone get the guy a tissue or something. I think he will find little sympathy here on the internet.

 

[Neonit]

"... There was never any catch to that... This demo mode in most cases would be the full game with a 15-45 minute timer and in some cases an hour"...

nope. no catch at all.
honestly? i usually have to work harder to find the "catch".... its nice to relax every once in a while.

seems to me, that this feature would solve a problem. a problem they created in the first place. guess thats why nobody calls them saviors....

its called sharing. we were used to be able to do that, with discs. it wasnt a demo, but full version.
stop making problems and then spending a lot of time and budget making solutions, that make even more problems!

get off ye effing horse, you make the problems, we as customers suffer, and then when we push a little bit back, you cry like a kid who was never spanked before.

sorry guys, thats the best analogy i can come up with. i was actually planning to sleep.

 

[verdant monkai]

This is kind of like a stormtrooper lamenting the loss of the death star.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS FAKE

CARRY ON AND KEEP CALM

Check Kotaku for the full rebuttal http://kotaku.com/rumor-about-xbox-one-family-sharings-downsides-has-fla-534484570

It doesn't say anything about being fake. did you actually read the article?

what it did say was essentially- "This so called leak doesn't make any sense. It also contradicts statement of MS."

However, MS did introduce DRM so I am kind of skeptical on the "sense" of MS.

 

[Eggsnham]

"Used games are an open wound?" No you shitstain, they are a convenience that people will go for, because the person who bought the original game has already paid you.

"But we lose money on used games and don't make as much money back!" Here's an idea: STOP SPENDING SO MUCH ON FUCKING DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU GO INTO THE RED JUST BY FUCKING RELEASING A TITLE.

So no, I don't have any sympathy for this whiner. Oh no, we won't be able to share games with our family! I guess I'll just have to go back to asking my brother if I can play on his PS3 again. ANARCHY.

To be fair, there is ample evidence to suggest that used games (and piracy) do, in fact, damage the industry. Especially for small/indie developers. We may not necessarily see it in the huge multi-billion dollar franchises and their huge multi-billion dollar publishers and developers, but it's there.

Also, would you prefer that devs simply regressed and use outdated technology to make all of their games? Sure, a pixel animated platformer can be charming and graphics aren't everything, but let's not pretend that graphics aren't important.

That said; this whole "family sharing" business WAS stupid. Nothing important has been lost.

 

[devotedsniper]

So basically Microsoft didn't come up with sharing games they reinvented the demo? Even though the demo concept was already fine?

I don't see the point to this feature now, I was under the impression it was unrestricted until I read this, 45mins is a decent size of a regular game demo...

 

[devotedsniper]

So basically Microsoft didn't come up with sharing games they reinvented the demo? Even though the demo concept was already fine?

I don't see the point to this feature now, I was under the impression it was unrestricted until I read this, 45mins is a decent size of a regular game demo...