Following earlier rumours, Microsoft have confirmed tonight that they’re reversing their policies on the Xbox One’s DRM – the battle just got interesting.
Although the Xbox site buckled under the pressure of lots of simultaneous hits (worrying for a company that previously pushed always online so hard) the following info has been published:
“Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One,” says the blog on the Xbox Wire, written by Don Mattrick, “my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.”
“You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.”
“So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:”
“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.”
- Info: you don’t need an internet connection to play offline. You will need to connect once to set up the console. That’s it.
“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.”
- Info: you can trade, rent and sell Xbox One games with no fuss.
“In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console — there will be no regional restrictions.”
- Info: no region lock, downloadable games can be played offline.
“These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.”
“We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.”
“Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year.”
And that’s that – the Xbox One is suddenly a much more appealing console.
Thoughts?
MadYetHatless
They still aren’t anywhere close to out of the woods yet. There are countless repairs to be made before they are even back on level ground, and it will be a long time before they can regain the reputation they lost over this. However, they say a journey begins with a single step, and at least someone over there had the wisdom to listen to the criticisms. Although I wouldn’t buy that console in 100 years, I still hold some hope that down the line they will be able to turn it into what it should have been from the start, a decent gaming platform.
Gaztee
Whilst I’m happy they listened to the criticism, from what I’ve seen here in the uk, the pre-orders were still going pretty well. I’m sure many will forgive MS for the whole debacle & lay down some dosh for an x1.
Cybotika
Shame really as they have a habit of pulling such stunts and try to make out they care
matthangzhou
Spot on:
http://m.quickmeme.com/meme/3uwz1t/
Cybotika
Nice one I do believe that all they have done is shifted it of the console to the server/cloud side of things
phantom5813
No MS…just NO!!! You can’t come out as the bully of the playground demand our money for a sub-par restrictive console and just expect us to swallow what you are doing and saying and then, when you realised that we had our big boy pants on, you wanna pull a “syke” and try be friends again??!! IT WON’T WORK!!!
you are still not trusted, you still look like you don’t know your console and you still look like you don’t know what you are talking about and if you or any other company try to take u paying consumers for fools again we will sink your battleship faster than the titanic!!! BE WARNED!!!
double-o-dave
It’s a shame Microsoft weren’t around during WW2 as Hitler could of taken a note from their book & instead of choosing suicide, he could of just apologised before leaving his bunker & walk out a free man. All is forgiven my friend! Lol
three_leg_jake
Godwin’s Law in action.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
double-o-dave
Microsoft should hire this guy.
Dar-Kaus
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the MS boardroom when they decided to do this, I wonder how many casualties from all this fiasco will bring? Those idiots at the top of their ivory tower should be pushed of it and told just #dealwithit boys!
citizeninsane45
Got far too greedy and treated the paying customers like chumps. Glad this has been changed but I have lost a lot of respect and will be sticking with the PS4 when it comes out.
hazelam
great news.
i’d like to hail this a great day for gamers, showing what power they truly posses when they’re united.
if you’ve seen my comment on the other article about this, you’ll see i have my doubt about the real reason, but hey, let’s look to the positive for now.
i am kinda dubious about the day one patch though.
with months still to go before launch, can they not install the new version of the os or firmware or whatever on the machines before they ship them?
will the new os only be ready after they start shipping?
or is that a way to force you online at least once?
and the always listening kinect is still there, and the price is still higher.
but anyway, positives.
the X1 is now back on the table as a buying option.
not day one of course, but then that wasn’t an option even before the drm thing, i can’t see me getting a PS4 day one either.
unless i win the lottery before launch. ^_^
but now i will probably get an X1 at some point.
there are definitely some games i want to play on the X1, i’ve been saying that since E3, i just thought i wouldn’t be able to.
and my brother will be happy, he likes to rent usually, though he has bought a few games, mostly the CODs and Skyrim.
freezebug2
That oughta work, the customer demands and conditions have been met so it should put things back on track. If there’s a strike in the workplace for improved terms and conditions and the management decide to compromise to meet most of the workers demands people don’t tell the management to stick the job up their arses….just as XBoxOne protesters should now subscribe to the console as their fight is won and demands have been met albeit management ‘tit from elbow’ knowledge has been low.
Sure, the PR and management throughout the whole debacle has been a farce of astronomical proportion but the customer has triumphed and should be happy as winners of this battle, otherwise think of all the protesting and demonstration (t’interweb or other) as a total waste of time and effort.
Now, about that Kinect thingy push push>>>>>luck :P
CrawFail
Made this comment in the rumour news article:
Great moment for the gaming community. Voices were heard and they actually listened. They must have been under some serious pressure from the top to change things up, trawling the net found absolutely nothing positive about their new console at all.
BUT; damage has been done. I’ve maintained that if the shoe were on the other foot I’d make the shift over and still would if Sony make a cluster of their next hardware release. ..but given the absolutely disgusting way Microsoft have treated their customers, the gaming community, industry and media and the contempt they’ve show I’ll NEVER buy an XBox One. Ever.
Microsoft, be a part of as many areas of the entertainment industry as you want to be but DON’T try and own it. There isn’t place for you and you bullish behaviour and today proved you don’t have the clout you thought you did. Sit down and shut up for once. It’s not your industry, it’s ours and it was ours a long time before you got here.