Microsoft planning complete reversal of DRM policy for Xbox One

[Haggis and tatties]

Gears of Wars Cliff Bleszinski throwing his toys out of his pram over MS u-turn on DRM.


http://www.computerandvideogames.co...and-not-the-internet-whining-says-bleszinski/

Gears of War designer and former Epic Games man Cliff Bleszinski has said it was Sony - and not "the internet whining" - that pushed Microsoft to withdraw its strict Xbox One used game DRM policies.
Microsoft today announced the complete withdrawal of the Xbox One's controversial used game restrictions and internet requirement for online license checks once every 24 hours - policies which Bleszinski bullishly defended on multiple occasions.

The platform holder said the changes came "as a result of feedback from the Xbox community," handing vocal internet communities a victory of sorts in their backlash against the corporation's original plans. But Bleszinski says it was Sony's largely DRM-free PS4 - and not the voice of the community - which forced Microsoft into the policy changes.
"Sony forced Microsoft's hand, not the internet whining," said Bleszinski via Twitter.

The designer also commented, "At the end of the day many hardcore dislike what was attempted. You can't do well in that space with many of your core unhappy. Especially when users have a choice. The nature of capitalism encourages competition and Sony played into that."

The original DRM proposals would have brought with them the infrastructure for Microsoft to channel some of the money made from used game sales back to publishers. But with that prospect now seemingly gone, Bleszinski believes publishers will only accelerate their efforts to maximize profits using DLC, micro transactions and "tacked on multiplayer".
"Brace yourselves. More tacked on multiplayer and DLC are coming," he said. "You're also about to see available microtransactions skyrocket.
"You're going to see digital versions of your favorite games with added 'features' and content to lure you to digital over disc based. 'Do whatever it takes to keep that disc in that tray' is the mantra of developers in a disc based world," Bleszinski went on.
"I want *developers* who worked their asses off to see money on every copy of their game that is sold instead of Gamestop. Fuck me, right?" he commented.

Oh dear.

 

[Kelthaz]

I don't consider myself a fanboy. I own systems from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. I love that we have three companies with different ideas for the video game industry competing with one another to prevent stagnation. I don't care who "wins" or "loses" as long as everyone is profitable enough to stay in the indsutry. It's a great time to be a gamer.

This does not apply to the Xbox One.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGwjp07oO8U[/yt]

 

[137th Gebirg]

Now all we got left is the mandatory Kinect and it's always on, and of course that higher price point.

Still not touching it though, i simply dont trust MS to at some time in the futute try to impliment this again once people have invested in the X1 and have it in their homes, and do they really think we are so stupid to believe this about turn was done for our benefit. lol

Agree 100%. I don't trust them any more and wouldn't touch the X1 with a 10-meter cattle prod. To be fair, the Kinnect always being on was my greatest issue personally. And even if they do say that these other things have been "fixed", I don't think I will believe them.

I will stick w/ my 360 for as long as titles are still being made for it. Maybe this will also give me the motivation to upgrade my 8-year old PC and go back to that flavor of gaming. Then again, if people start developing with the insipid abortion that is Windows 8 as the minimum OS requirement, I will be SOL there too, as I will NEVER upgrade away from Win7 at this point. Either way, I think console gaming will be dead for me in the next year or so, and probably for a lot of other people.

 

[Yoda]

http://www.dorkly.com/article/52521/don-mattricks-first-draft-of-the-xbox-one-update-announcement

 

[Aragorn]

The last console I bought was Mattel's Intellivision, so that won't change anything for me.

Play Grand Theft Auto yet?

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdHG5-K8E1E[/yt]

 

[Owain Taggart]

I think they need to fire their entire market research department, as didn't they say they had conducted extensive market research to determine what the consumer wanted, before the back tracking?

Seriously it wasn't rocket science that the entire once a day sign-in was a bad idea. If you need to sign in once to set-up the console, most people who don't have the internet would have a friend that does and they can borrow their internet to set-up

Yeah, I agree. What sounds good on paper doesn't always work great in practice. They probably thought they had the perfect setup in place where in reality it was very unpractical. The reality check was when Sony announced the PS4 and the critical backlash surrounding the XBone.

And I think CliffyB needs to learn about something called humility. You should never call "future potential customers" of your product "whiners". People have a right to express how they feel. It's a product that will be used for the next 5-8 years. They have a right to voice their concerns and objections with something that will be used so often. Calling people "whiners" only serves to show how much you care about your customers, and makes you sound immature. Whatever happened to the customer being always right? You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

And lastly, there's something called respect. It's a two-way street. You can't expect people to respect you if you yourself don't respect your customers.

 

[bigdaddy]

Good that they changed their minds but they have only done it due to $$$ and not out of any moral sense or just common sense. Also with PS4 being cheaper and the fact Sony never tried to fuck us, am sticking with the PS4 but I will get an XBox One probably hoilday 2014 when Halo 5 comes out.

You are too funny!

No shit a multi-billion dollar company wants your money, that's why they are making a new Xbox.

And Sony never tried to fuck with you? They knowing made PS2s with a defective part because they figured if it breaks you have to buy a new one. They were filed like 26 cents for it and won in the end.

All companies will fuck with you if it would make them a buck. These are companies, they are not your friend.

I'm amazed MS did it so quickly, but they had to stop the bleeding.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Poor Major Nelson. lol

 

[Jax]

You are too funny!

No shit a multi-billion dollar company wants your money, that's why they are making a new Xbox.

And Sony never tried to fuck with you? They knowing made PS2s with a defective part because they figured if it breaks you have to buy a new one. They were filed like 26 cents for it and won in the end.

All companies will fuck with you if it would make them a buck. These are companies, they are not your friend.

I'm amazed MS did it so quickly, but they had to stop the bleeding.

I know all major companies are blood sucking swines but Sony seems like the lesser asshole and therefore for not bending me over and trying to shaft me, they get my custom.

BTW my PS2 worked just fine full stop ty, never had to replace it.

 

[Kelthaz]

And Sony never tried to fuck with you? They knowing made PS2s with a defective part because they figured if it breaks you have to buy a new one. They were filed like 26 cents for it and won in the end.

They did what now?

 

[Magellan]

To be fair, the Kinnect always being on was my greatest issue personally. And even if they do say that these other things have been "fixed", I don't think I will believe them.

I agree Im not letting MS have that info about me, and not being able to disconnect it is still a deal breaker. Backing out of the DRM was a good idea(obviously their research told them so) but what does the XBone have that the PS4 doesnt? Now that the consumer has been primed to prefer Sony's machine what does MS have to lure them back? $100 more expensive, creepy camera and inferior specs?

Maybe people still love Halo and Gears that much but after a decade I thought we were getting kind of bored with those....

 

[Roshi]

What's the name again of that MS representative who caused a twitter backlash concerning the development of the new console a few months ago? (Not Dan Mattrick). He was a complete asshole but I can't remember his name.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Phil Harrison? Interesting thing is, he was in charge of the PS3 launch, and then later went to work for MS.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

What's the name again of that MS representative who caused a twitter backlash concerning the development of the new console a few months ago? (Not Dan Mattrick). He was a complete asshole but I can't remember his name.

Adam "Deal with it" Orth.

 

[throwback]

After reading of Microsoft's decision, I was tempted to switch my pre-order from PS4 to XBOX One. However, when I consider what kind of machine I am getting and what I need as a consumer, I decided to stay with my original decision. I want a console that plays games, not a console that does other things than plays games.

 

[-Brett-]

Gears of Wars Cliff Bleszinski throwing his toys out of his pram over MS u-turn on DRM.


http://www.computerandvideogames.co...and-not-the-internet-whining-says-bleszinski/

Gears of War designer and former Epic Games man Cliff Bleszinski has said it was Sony - and not "the internet whining" - that pushed Microsoft to withdraw its strict Xbox One used game DRM policies.
Microsoft today announced the complete withdrawal of the Xbox One's controversial used game restrictions and internet requirement for online license checks once every 24 hours - policies which Bleszinski bullishly defended on multiple occasions.

The platform holder said the changes came "as a result of feedback from the Xbox community," handing vocal internet communities a victory of sorts in their backlash against the corporation's original plans. But Bleszinski says it was Sony's largely DRM-free PS4 - and not the voice of the community - which forced Microsoft into the policy changes.
"Sony forced Microsoft's hand, not the internet whining," said Bleszinski via Twitter.

The designer also commented, "At the end of the day many hardcore dislike what was attempted. You can't do well in that space with many of your core unhappy. Especially when users have a choice. The nature of capitalism encourages competition and Sony played into that."

The original DRM proposals would have brought with them the infrastructure for Microsoft to channel some of the money made from used game sales back to publishers. But with that prospect now seemingly gone, Bleszinski believes publishers will only accelerate their efforts to maximize profits using DLC, micro transactions and "tacked on multiplayer".
"Brace yourselves. More tacked on multiplayer and DLC are coming," he said. "You're also about to see available microtransactions skyrocket.
"You're going to see digital versions of your favorite games with added 'features' and content to lure you to digital over disc based. 'Do whatever it takes to keep that disc in that tray' is the mantra of developers in a disc based world," Bleszinski went on.
"I want *developers* who worked their asses off to see money on every copy of their game that is sold instead of Gamestop. Fuck me, right?" he commented.

Oh dear.

Wow. I'm suddenly very glad that I didn't buy Judgment.

 

[RoJoHen]

I want a console that plays games, not a console that does other things than plays games.

Huh? Pretty sure they both play games AND do other things.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Think his point is the Xbox is being sold on being an Entertainment box first, games box second.

 

[Dream]

Dear god, all the complaining from the Xbox fanboys through this whole thing has been hilarious!

 

[TheGodBen]

The latest rumour about the Xbox One is pretty damning for MS if true (emphasis mine):

He then goes on to detail a Family Sharing feature of the Xbox One that has been scrapped due to the change in policies. The feature would have allowed Xbox One owners to share their game libraries with other family members, regardless of their location. However, the engineer reveals that Family Sharing would only let family members access a "demo mode" of the game for between 15 mins and 45 mins, and in some cases an hour. After that time, the shared game would cease and a user would be forwarded to a marketplace to purchase the full game. It's impossible to verify that these are the words of an Xbox engineer, but sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans have revealed to The Verge that the company was discussing the idea of limiting each Family Sharing session to one hour and that game progress would be saved so you could play through the hourly caps or purchase the full game to continue uninterrupted. The engineer notes that Microsoft was contemplating limiting the number of times Family Sharing could be accessed per game until it was purchased.

If true, the family sharing feature was a glorified demo. There's still details missing, but it seems that publishers were forcing MS to limit the number of times you could use the service, and with a maximum 1-hour limit of play I doubt this feature would have allowed players to play games to completion.

If this rumour is true, it would explain MS's decision to remove the DRM so soon after E3. The one thing MS had going for them was the family sharing service, Xbox fanboys were using it to defend the system, and if MS had revealed that all it was was a glorified demo then it would have seemed like a betrayal of their most loyal supporters. Since MS were coming under increasing pressure during E3 to give details on the family sharing system, they couldn't have hidden its true nature for much longer and instead decided to abandon the whole DRM scheme.

If MS really were trying to pass off this system as a replacement for sharing physical discs, that's really sleazy.