The next Xbox: Always online, no second-hand games, 50GB Blu-ray discs and new Kinect

[Ickorus]

Seems unlikely, but I clearly picked a good time to become a PC gamer.

...because we have used games and no always online DRM?

We have a lot going for us at the moment, I'm very excited for the future of PC gaming:

Cheaper to get in - With the long console cycle it's cheaper than ever to get a gaming PC that will run most current games.
The rise of GOOD Free-to-Play - Just take a look at Planetside 2, Blacklight: Retribution and the upcoming Neverwinter MMO.
Indie development heaven - Kickstarter and the openness of the platform make the PC a brilliant place for indie devs and we've seen many brilliant indie games in the last few years.
Sales! - Most digital distributors hold massive sales meaning many cheap games.
Console Developers taking their time with PC ports - Shoddy ports are slowly becoming a thing of the past, no longer are we an afterthought!

There are likely plenty of other factors too but I can't think of them at the moment.

EDIT: Just realised I posted this in a thread about consoles, please don't use my post as fuel for a flamewar, I'm just excited about the state of PC gaming at the moment.

 

[Subscriptism]

Microsoft have said they're only considering no pre-owned games if PS4 does it as well. I think the always online is just a rumour.
The mere fact that they're considering it makes me very, very cautious about purchasing the next gen of consoles. I may just stick with my pc until the tech runs too far ahead.

 

[Yopaz]

4 pages of flaming, arguing and worship/hatred towards Steam. All because someone reported rumours as facts.

Am I surprised about this progression? No, not really.

On topic though, if this turns out to be true Microsoft will be shutting out a lot of their target demographics including me. Then again I'm not sure about this console anyway. It has to offer something I can't get on PC, Wii U and possibly PS4 for me to get it anyway.

 

[deviltry]

So.. xBox scooped down to steam's level.

It seems that gaming industry is going down the drain. I know I and most of my friends won't be embracing this model. Game development prices will go up (it's already like making a movie with motion caption, tons of voice overs, etc). So less sales (atleast I hope people will vote with their wallets) and higher dev costs.

Meh.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

I'm torn really. I play 360 and PC, PC slightly more at present because Planetside 2. If Microsoft truly does go down the slippery slope even further I'm going to consider just upgrading my PC. That sucks because most of my friends have xbox and it would be a shame not to talk to them anymore.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

My supposition is that the infrastructure for the always on DRM will be put in place; however, they would not dare flip that switch unless they know the PS4 goes that route as well. Both parties are, with publisher pressure no doubt, interested in the idea of doing things to eliminate the used market and reduce the perceived impact of piracy. But given how anti-consumer the proposed measures are, should one of them commit while the other refrains, they essentially cede the market.

I for example, neither pirate games nor do I commonly buy used games. But if given a choice between a box that treats me like a thief (complete with exciting networking issues) and one that is not so aggressive in it's accusations about my character, I'll opt for the latter.

 

[Cabisco]

Personally I'm going to go ahead and assume this is a rumour but I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft (or any company) looked into it as an option in an increasingly online age but they likely dismissed it eventually.

For me what Microsoft has to do is get more damned exclusives, I'm starting to look at Playstation Exclusives with increasing envy compared to my little old Xbox. If Xbox 4 continues this no new IP trend count me out.

 

[jaysoon11]

Microsoft have said they're only considering no pre-owned games if PS4 does it as well. I think the always online is just a rumour.
The mere fact that they're considering it makes me very, very cautious about purchasing the next gen of consoles. I may just stick with my pc until the tech runs too far ahead.

The No Pre-owned games are worse on PC than Consoles, but as the prices are cheaper (with Steam Sale significantly cheaper) it seems people don't mind. So if (Big if, I can not see Microsoft doing this) they do block pre-owned games personally I would be okay with it if they made the games cheaper.

 

[Subscriptism]

Microsoft have said they're only considering no pre-owned games if PS4 does it as well. I think the always online is just a rumour.
The mere fact that they're considering it makes me very, very cautious about purchasing the next gen of consoles. I may just stick with my pc until the tech runs too far ahead.

The No Pre-owned games are worse on PC than Consoles, but as the prices are cheaper (with Steam Sale significantly cheaper) it seems people don't mind. So if (Big if, I can not see Microsoft doing this) they do block pre-owned games personally I would be okay with it if they made the games cheaper.

I suppose but I personally am not a big purchaser of pre-owned so while this doesn't effect me I would avoid the console out of protest for the right to own what you bought. While I don't like way steam does this I am willing to overlook it because...well...it's Valve. Gaben could piss on my grandma and I'd still love Valve.

 

[Altorin]

Well, I have to ask, how is this any different than Steam? Activation codes that tie a physical game to your account and always online will probably work like Steam (ie, there will be an offline mode and it might work better than Steams).

Don't get me wrong, I don't support this nonsense but isn't it silly to say "Steam is the solution".

Steam doesn't restrict me to a machine.

And I don't have to pay for Steam.

Steam doesn't need to be online.

That's three differences right there.

1) Neither does the 360. As far as I know you can play your games from any 360 (and I assume that won't change) as long as you are online. Christ, I can't believe I am being forced to defend Live but when the facts are wrong they are wrong.

2) Well, you don't have to pay for Live marketplace either.

3) Steam does need to be online, you can't use Steam if you don't have internet. It has an offline mode but no one seems to know how it works and what it's limitations are. No matter what though, eventually you will need to "check in" with Steam. The point is, you need an internet connection for Steam.

1) I could go into details about how the 360 already utilizes console locked DLC but it boils down to this - if you buy the DLC and have the DLC on the console's hard drive, then you can play it. If you buy the DLC, any other people who have profiles created on that 360 can use that DLC, but if you transfer that DLC to a different console, profiles from that console cannot use it. So if you have multiple 360s in your house, you have to be careful which consoles you purchase DLC and games through, otherwise you could be locking your family out of those games. I know this because I've done it. Also, there are several other ways the 360's DRM has screwed me and my friends over.. i gave my old 360 to a friend of mine so he could play mass effect. Without realizing it, he had been playing with the DLC. When he got stuck at a certain part near the end of the game, he brought the hard drive to my place to get me to help him through it. The game wouldn't load because the DLC didn't recognize my console, and because it wasn't DLC that he had purchased, it was just left over from my old console, when he took it home, the game still wouldn't play it because through the process I had redownloaded the DLC onto my current console in order to hopefully break through the DRM wall - what I had incidentally done was the exact opposite, and erected a DRM wall that blocked him entirely out of the game.

yeah, it's a mouth full, but this DRM business needs to stop

ITS MADNESS!

 

[Callate]

Just to note- as of the most recent issue, Edge is treating the "[hardcopy games] will have no function beyond the initial user" "feature" of the next Microsoft console not as rumor, but as confirmed fact.

Until recently, we were treating most information about the incoming generation of gaming hardware from Sony and Microsoft as rumour, but now we've received concrete confirmation of several features, which provides valuable insight into how the consoles will match up. The information comes from a source with experience of developing for both new platforms, and clarifies somewhat how the two companies will distinguish their offerings this time around.

So, yeah... I'd gently suggest that this generation, people tell Microsoft to get bent.