E3 happened last week, and dozens of amazing games were shown for the forthcoming Xbox One and PlayStation 4. The technology and gaming press were far more interested in talking about which console would win the next generation than discussing new games. This was because Microsoft had decided to take a very different approach to game licensing and distribution with the Xbox One, while Sony stuck with the current model.
Last week Microsoft was providing more details about how game sharing would work with the Xbox One. They reiterated that the new console was about moving forward into a constantly connected future. That vision of always-on internet connected consoles brought with it some great new experiences, but it also required a change to business-as-usual. As usual, the internet, for as much as it likes to proclaim the opposite, really doesn’t like change. Most tech sites, and the members of their communities, railed against Microsoft for changing the way game sharing would work. No longer would you easily be able to buy and sell used game discs. That wasn’t entirely true, but forums and comments threads never let silly things like the truth get in the way of a good rant. In the end, the negative press was too much for Microsoft to handle. There was a serious risk that they might not actually sell as many Xbox One consoles as they had hoped. Microsoft crushed Sony this generation. They didn’t want the opposite to happen with the next generation just because they were having a hard time convincing people of the benefits of their proposed ideas.
So today Microsoft reversed course. On the official Xbox news site, Don Mattrick, President of the Interactive Entertainment Business, announced that they are going back to the old way of doing things. The Xbox One won’t need to connect every 24 hours to ensure that you’re playing a legally purchased copy of a game. You’ll also simply be able to lend your game disc to as many friends and you like. It also means that our current rental models will still work. On the surface this all sounds great, but there are downsides too.
If you can lend a game to anyone that means that Microsoft needs another way to check that you’re playing a legally purchased copy. Since they already said they wouldn’t check every 24 hours anymore they needed a different strategy. Instead, they’ll just require you to have the game disc in the console whenever you want to play it. That means you won’t be able to instantly switch from one game to another, because you’ll have to get up to swap discs. The vision of installing all your games one time, then putting the discs away for good is a beautiful idea that died before it was even born.
There is another feature that has been put to death by all of this, and it is possibly an even bigger one. It is definitely the more innovative feature to be sacrificed at the hands of the internet. Microsoft had announced last week that you would be able to share your game library with up to 10 “family members.” Details were a little murky about this feature, but it sounded like you might have been able to let your friends play your games without even needing to give them a disc. That sounded even easier, and more convenient, than physically sharing a disc. This 10-person sharing plan is almost definitely dead now that disc sharing is the strategy that will be implemented.
Microsoft is calling this a “best of both worlds” approach. To me it seems like Microsoft has just delayed the future that we all know is coming, to satisfy the demands of those who wish to stay chained to the current model. In an attempt to not sound overly negative about Microsoft’s reversal, I will say that there is obviously plenty of time for Microsoft to further modify their plans for the Xbox One. It only took them a week to make this radical change, and the console’s release is still five months away. I’m hoping Microsoft can find a way to still implement some of their innovative new ideas, but keep some form of used game sales and game rental services a reality.
Source: Xbox Wire
for me the used market wasn’t the biggest lose. it was rentals. Games cost way too much to shell out $60 before playing the game and a lot of demos don’t give you a true feeling on how the game works.
If I could rent a game online for the weekend, or have a subscription where I could download games and play as many as I wanted per month. I would be ok with getting rid of the used and disk rental features.
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