Thirteen Days ago Microsoft made the following statements regarding the Xbox One:
“While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend”
“With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library.”
“Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection”
“Today, some gamers choose to sell their old disc-based games back for cash and credit. We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers.”
“Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners.”
“There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.”
In a nutshell, gamers are not allowed to game offline due to the fact that the console must check-in every 24 hours and games may not be traded to a friend or family member as it has been since the generation of home consoles started 36 years ago.
As you can see in this video, even President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft knew this wasn’t right. You can read it on his face.
Now, almost Two weeks later, Microsoft is now stating that:
“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.”
WOW what a change of events!
Part of me is happy Microsoft changed its rules regarding the Xbox One. It really is fantastic to see that when consumers voice their opinion so strongly, they ultimately win out. Congratulations gamers 🙂 However, another part of me thinks this is even worse than their original decision. If Microsoft was going to make a gutsy decision, they should have just stick with it. At least it would have shown that they stood behind their convictions and beliefs. With this most recent move of 100% changing what they originally stated, it looks as if they’re only doing it because Sony didn’t impose any of these restrictions on their console.
This also proves that they were only imposing these rules on gamers simply because they had the power to do so, therefore dispelling all of their “reasons” the console had to check in one every 24 hours and why the DRM rules were necessary. Why was that their decision to begin with? There is absolutely no way anyone in an executive meeting thought it was okay that gamers couldn’t game offline or share their games in a traditional way. That was a blasphemous decision and it seems that everyone knew it besides the people in those meetings.
At the end of the day I am extremely happy that Microsoft smartened up. Gamers, including myself are rejoicing everywhere, but let’s not immediately jump to preorder an Xbox One and forget what Microsoft tried to do to us. Let’s not forget that they tried to flex their muscle on the consumer, knowing that what they were doing was wrong. Fortunately for us, they were called out on it and changed their decision. Personally I am not going to purchase an Xbox One due based on principle. I want to thank Sony for taking the initial stance of not forcing DRM content and for not imposing an always connected rule. Sony didn’t forget who their true market is; the ones who have supported them through thick and thin, the gamers.
With that said, those of you who originally though the successor to the Xbox 360 would be called the Xbox 180…you were most certainly correct!
Sources: Microsoft, Game Informer, Furious Fan Boys, YouTube Image Source: Microsoft
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