Microsoft Officially Reverses its Used-Game Policy

[Red Warrior]

From IGN: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/...5afa555e00001a

Microsoft has changed its policies regarding Xbox One’s internet requirements, used game restrictions and more.

Contrary to the details announced earlier this month, Microsoft has now confirmed news originally reported on Giant Bomb that Xbox One will not require an internet connection to play offline games or need to check in every 24 hours; instead, internet will only be required when initially setting up the console.

"After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again," Microsoft wrote. "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."

Like on Xbox 360, "playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray."

Xbox One will also no longer restrict used games, and will instead allow discs to be exchanged in the same way they are on Xbox 360. There will be no additional restrictions for trade-ins or lending games to friends. The system is also no longer be region locked and all downloaded games will function the same way whether your console is connected or not.

"Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback," Microsoft's Don Mattrick wrote. "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."

Wow. Never expected this at all. You have to give Microsoft credit for admitting that they were wrong.

[dendawg]

IMHO, if true, too little too late.

The damage has already been done.

[Griking]

IMHO, if true, too little too late.

The damage has already been done.

Meh, pre-sale numbers say otherwise.

I'm sure that there will still be handfuls of people who won't buy the console for some moral reason or another but the majority of console people will buy one as soon as there's a game on it that they want.

[Bojay1997]

Meh, pre-sale numbers say otherwise.

I'm sure that there will still be handfuls of people who won't buy the console for some moral reason or another but the majority of console people will buy one as soon as there's a game on it that they want.

I would suspect it will actually be a massive number of people considering neither the PS4 or Xbox One seem to have must have day one games and both are getting the same third party AAA titles in the launch period this year. There is also a $100 difference day one.

Where are you finding these "pre-sale" numbers? I can only speak from anecdotal experience at the local Gamestops and Best Buy, but as of yesterday, both Gamestop stores were only "sold out" of launch Xbox Ones because the launch quantity they were given was literally like 20% of what Sony has told stores they will receive. So just based on preorders, my two local Gamestops have over 40 PS4 preorders each and 6-8 Xbox One preorders each. The local Best Buy had 12 (and still has half of them available) on the Xbox One and 35 of the PS4, only about five of which are still available. I'm sure this isn't unique considering what various GS employees have been posting on Neogaf and Cheapassgamer.

[Bojay1997]

Just saw this on IGN: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/...5afa555e00001a

Take it for what it's worth. I suppose we'll find out more soon enough.

CNET is reporting it as well now. Totally unbelievable reversal. I suspect the preorder numbers really were as bad as I have been hearing to trigger a change this significant less than a week after E3.

[The 1 2 P]

I figured they would modify/change some things before launch based on the massive complaints but I didn't think they'd get rid of ALL of the restrictions. But the other important news for gamers is that the system is no longer region locked. So now I can import games from Japan with no issues. This is now a definite buy for me and alot of people who were trying to figure out all their confusing mixed messages. The PS4 still has the price advantage but if Microsoft went this far to stay competitive they may also lower the price by November. I think they should have never went higher than $450. Even if the PS4 had a $50 price advantage most people wouldn't care as long as there were no restrictions.

[Bojay1997]

I figured they would modify/change some things before launch based on the massive complaints but I didn't think they'd get rid of ALL of the restrictions. But the other important news for gamers is that the system is no longer region locked. So now I can import games from Japan with no issues. This is now a definite buy for me and alot of people who were trying to figure out all their confusing mixed messages. The PS4 still has the price advantage but if Microsoft went this far to stay competitive they may also lower the price by November. I think they should have never went higher than $450. Even if the PS4 had a $50 price advantage most people wouldn't care as long as there were no restrictions.

Yep, assuming this is true, I'm in for both the PS4 and the Xbox One. Very exciting news.

[kupomogli]

This makes the Xbox One more appealing as I'm assuming you're no longer required to authenticate any of the games.

I'm also assuming the 10 family member thing is still in effect, but no longer working for physical copies of games. Woud only work for digital games? Or did they remove that as well since they removed the restrictions?

The $100 price and the difference in power is still a difference the PS4 has over Xbox One, but otherwise, the two consoles are exactly the same. This is a good thing. If Microsoft didn't shake things up with the 360, Sony might not have tried as hard as they did with the PS3 and we might not have seen some of the exclusives we did.

[Collector_Gaming]

See this is what happens when the world fights back. Now if only we can get the government to buckle in and do the same thing on some of its policies hmph.

But this still doesn't make me want to or not want to buy the xbox or any next gen consoles for that matter. But glad the people who want to do console gaming vs pc gaming had a chance to let their voices be heard and kick major companies down a few pegs to make them go "hmmm maybe we should listen to them.. after all they are the ones who give us money"

But at the same time if I were you console gamers I wouldn't hold my breathe on this whole thing till it finally hits the public hands to see what it really is all about before we go "alright coast is clear microsoft didn't sell us out"

[Ed Oscuro]

From what I've seen this is a real "hallelujah" moment, if you reserve hallelujahs for "oh look, they decided not to totally sink their business and alienate gamers!" At the same time I'm quite happy they aren't going to sink the business and that they appear to have made things palatable again.

I don't see why people should have enduring bad feelings about this: As many have said before (and are going to say in the future) it looks like we're back to the status quo - eternal vigilance. You'll still have to watch manufacturers, publishers, and basically everybody, as you did before (EA's online passes, Atlus region-locking a game to lock in JP customers but which accidentally torpedoed EU sales, etc.) but I don't see that as something reprehensible.

Unfortunately I do think things look rather dire for Microsoft's system in comparison to the PS4 when it comes to cost, ability, and perhaps some other areas (what's replacing XNA?), but both systems will represent a pretty amazing improvement for most gamers in the near future.

If I've read Microsoft's statement right, they have done everything it's reasonable to expect. Digital stuff will be as locked-in per account as before, and while I don't like that, there's a consensus around that model and it has been cheaper for everybody. Hopefully moving to X86 will at least make digital distribution have more permanence than before, as well.

[buzz_n64]

Too late. Back track is too late. You had your chance after your press conference to change your plans at E3 but you didn't Microsoft. Go insert a Kinect up your anuses Microsoft.

[klausien]

This news is interesting, but it doesn't change the fact that the Kinect is required, and always watching and listening when the machine's on. You can "pause" it, but that is entirely meaningless. When you can buy it and play it without the camera plugged in I *may* change my mind, but probably not. I love my 360 but with this mess and Windows 8, they lost this paying customer. Microsoft and its smug executives can keep their Spybox.

[Ed Oscuro]

Why should it matter if they've changed? I totally take the stance that my loyalty is only there as long as theirs is, but since they haven't actually done anything to harm me, it's pretty much over as far as I'm concerned. We will always have to watch everybody - manufacturers, publishers, devs, self-publishers, everybody - so wanting somebody to be thinking of your best interests isn't really reasonable. They are always wanting to twist the knife in for money; this time it just turned out they couldn't wing it. And I don't think they should be punished for entertaining the thought, but not rewarded on the merit of change alone either.

Basically it's a wash in that regard.

In my list of "things the Xbox One still needs to prove" list I missed one, though - how are they going to do for Asian and Japanese developer support? Poland (i.e. the developers of The Witcher; you can't forget Poland)? I'm not really familiar with a lot of the developers (or titles) in the launch list but none of them seem to be non-American/non-European. It does seem reasonable to expect that with the delayed launch that there is going to be little happening there, and just because the system launches in 2014 doesn't guarantee developers in currently unsupported areas will start caring about it more.

also another at Major Nelson telling Angry Joe that he didn't know how hard it was to change things!

[Words iManifest]

Ugh...Finally I'll be able to play Killer Instinct, TitanFall and especially Crimson Dragon. I have a bad taste in my mouth but it'll be washed away relatively soon...Still keeping my PS4 pre order though. I don't really know how to express my feelings right now. Joy for all of the bs being removed but definitely still sour that all that drm even crossed their minds. 24 hour check in is gone but still burns.

[Greg2600]

Nice to know we won't have to worry about console DRM for another 8-10 years!

[kupomogli]

Why should it matter if they've changed? I totally take the stance that my loyalty is only there as long as theirs is, but since they haven't actually done anything to harm me, it's pretty much over as far as I'm concerned. We will always have to watch everybody - manufacturers, publishers, devs, self-publishers, everybody - so wanting somebody to be thinking of your best interests isn't really reasonable. They are always wanting to twist the knife in for money; this time it just turned out they couldn't wing it. And I don't think they should be punished for entertaining the thought, but not rewarded on the merit of change alone either.

Basically it's a wash in that regard.

In my list of "things the Xbox One still needs to prove" list I missed one, though - how are they going to do for Asian and Japanese developer support? Poland (i.e. the developers of The Witcher; you can't forget Poland)? I'm not really familiar with a lot of the developers (or titles) in the launch list but none of them seem to be non-American/non-European. It does seem reasonable to expect that with the delayed launch that there is going to be little happening there, and just because the system launches in 2014 doesn't guarantee developers in currently unsupported areas will start caring about it more.

also another at Major Nelson telling Angry Joe that he didn't know how hard it was to change things!

Removing the 24 hour online restriction also removed the restrictions of those places being unable to use the system. They announced the Xbox One would be region free like the PS4.

About the Major Nelson, Angry Joe thing, yeah. Especially now that they have changed it to remove all that stuff. Major Nelson looks pretty stupid for making the comment that he did. I know it was PR bs, but we're not stupid and anyone watching already knew it was just PR talk, so he could have atleast answered that one straight.

Like I said above, I'm glad Microsoft made this announcement, but it's going to be funny watching the Microsoft fanboys put a spin on their defense of the DRM being why Xbox One is better than PS4 and Wii U. I've seen a few of them say Microsoft listens to their fans. They listen to their fans yet two days they stated they would not change anything and Xbox One is staying as it is. Gamestop preorder numbers get around the web and Microsoft immediately makes an announcement. This isn't towards 1 2 P, as he stated he didn't like the DRM but was still going to get it next year because of Halo, but others I've seen around the web.

[heybtbm]

The Consumers have spoken! The free market in action! Take that Socialists!

Very good news. Thank you Sony.

[JakeM]

Im really really really happy they did a 180 on this, but Im still not buying it new.

[kainemaxwell]

Stay classy, Micro$oft.

[Oobgarm]

Good news:

Now I can get Forza 5 and Killer Instinct and not feel like I'm supporting an ass-backward DRM policy.

Bad news:

I'm gonna be spending over $1100 on games this holiday. Fuck me.