"Xbox One" has awesome games. Haters are missing out. (So is most of Europe now)

[Guest]

People trade video games with each other since the good old days of the NES, due to the fact that most of us can't afford to buy new video games every now and then, are they expecting us to be happy about this ? also why users should be connected to the internet 24 hours ?

[Carnivol]

I still don't see people's problem with the always online stuff (or the every once an hour "clock in" on non-primary systems ... considering how disconnect = no access at all to digital purchases in a similar scenario on the 360 ;D). Anyway, still think performance enhancements through the Cloud can be cool, and, seriously if I leave my landline zone (or it drops out), the mobile network kicks in ... and if I'm in an area with 4G (which I am) my mobile network's even faster than my current landline ... and it all costs, together, less than my ADSL connection that I had for nearly 10 years. And this "upgrade", which I've had for like 2 years now, seemed completely unrealistic and unlikely to me a few years before that ... so if I'm without Internet connectivity for a day, I think I've got far worse and more important problems going on than not being able to play Halo ;D

Anyway, bottom line is; online tech, coverage, and prices are changing rapidly (for the better), and there's no point to fighting or denying it

Anyway, let's look at their new licensing page;

Buy the way you want—disc or digital—on the same day: You’ll be able to buy disc-based games at traditional retailers or online through Xbox Live, on day of release. Discs will continue to be a great way to install your games quickly.

-I don't really like the mandatory installs myself, but seeing them take an active stance on getting games out "instantly" on the digital platform is neat. Nintendo and Sony have been good with it lately, Microsoft have been a bit slow and are still late on the "retail" releases on GoD.

Access your entire games library from any Xbox One—no discs required: After signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend’s house, you can play your games.

-This is actually kinda cool. Hopefully, playing on other consoles will involve smartloading/buffering of the title (like smart installs).
-From a publishing point of view, this is kinda "neat" too; you basically leave the game on someone's machine and they're one "purchase" click away from playing a game that's already downloaded. Kinda like XBLA trials today.

Share access to your games with everyone inside your home: Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games. Anyone can play your games on your console--regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you.

-This is basically how it already works on the 360, nothing new there. Content on your machine = Available to everyone playing on that machine.

Give your family access to your entire games library anytime, anywhere: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.

-This is pretty darned cool and unique. PSN used to have a system called "game sharing", which was basically just a glorified name for you being able to activate your title a limited amount of times on X amount of systems (kinda like old SecuROM online activation DRM and such). This is account based and has a pretty nice system for ironing out who's "entitled" to use your library and not.
-Big question is whether or not "always play" and such means several members can access the same content at the same time or if it'll be locked to the user who called dibs.

Trade-in and resell your disc-based games: 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. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.

-Imagine this will be a mess on the various local/smaller markeds, where the big publishers aren't representing themselves. Especially when it comes to odd local partnerships. Microsoft not having any fees on their end is nice. Will be curious to see how EA will approach this, considering how they've already axed their Online Pass system ... which this system more or less will mimic on a game wide scale (ideally with a demo/limited use functionality for non-activated titles, like XBLA)

Give your games to friends: Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. 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.

-Thoughts of Game Sharing pops again, but no clue what they imply here. Is this a transfer of your game license to a friend, or a "gift" system where 10 family members + 1 "friend" can have your game?

[MeganGrass]

I still don't see people's problem with the always online stuff (or the every once an hour "clock in" on non-primary systems ... considering how disconnect = no access at all to digital purchases in a similar scenario on the 360 ;D).

I can't speak for anyone else, but I've got a major fucking beef with this.

I am capped at 5gb/month, and cannot currently afford anything better. It may not seem like it, but these days, 5gb isn't much.

They're trying to create a monopoly in the video game industry, and mark my words, they will utterly fail.

That said, they better pay attention to the backlash, or just give up while they're still ahead; it's not too late to change their policy.

[Carnivol]

In general, though, your ownership of a title is much more "free/open" from the get go than anything currently is on everyone's favorite digital platform; Steam. (Which, despite rulings in the EU Court, has yet to do squat about how you can't move/sell/transfer your property.)

But, yeah, can see the bandwidth neck at 5gb being a bit of a pain, but even there ... excluding Cloud functionality (which surely will be optional for most/some games, given how the console can be played in offline state too), basic roaming is all that's needed ... I have a 15gb cap on each of my two SIM cards, but I only really use 3-4gb a month on the one in my laptop and up to 2gb on the one in my cellphone (depending on whether or not I end up streaming music via spotify rather than using a local library)

I'm not gonna defend DRM and all that jadda jadda, while I can understand why some pubs want/crave/need it (+some try to label games as "services" rather than consumable entertainment), but so far ... the Xbox One is currently a mixed case with the DRM, some points are improvements over already existing systems (improvements for the consumer, that is) and the other stuff that IS new, is still an improvement over the similar systems already in place at other distribution channels and competitors. Only truly new thing is the "always online" for your main console - and even there it's just a server "check in/logg in" once every 24th hour (at the minimum).

Some people are blowing things out of proportions, though. People bring up expenses of things and I'm wondering why they're even looking at next gen hardware, at a pre-launch state, when they're not in an economical state to even (safely) purchase the system itself in the first place (ignoring all the "other" expenses that may come on top).

That said, they better pay attention to the backlash, or just give up while they're still ahead; it's not too late to change their policy.

Yeah. To be honest, I think this might be why they've cancelled all the E3 interview sessions "for now." Back to the drawing table for a good few things, as a result of feedback.

[MeganGrass]

Some people are blowing things out of proportions, though. People bring up expenses of things and I'm wondering why they're even looking at next gen hardware, at a pre-launch state, when they're not in an economical state to even (safely) purchase the system itself in the first place (ignoring all the "other" expenses that may come on top).

It's quite okay - I'm poor - you can say it.

I wouldn't waste money on any launch console, even if I had it to spare. Been there, done that... and had to wait months (and years, in some cases) to justify my initial purchase.

^ That, and I'm not all about "bragging rights" when it comes to new systems. On several occasions, I have been known to laugh in the face of those who buy consoles at launch. It's especially funny to hear the cries and pleas of those same people when those systems crash, etc., as-if they were expecting fail-proof perfection.

[Carnivol]

^ That, and I'm not all about "bragging rights" when it comes to new systems. On several occasions, I have been known to laugh in the face of those who buy consoles at launch. It's especially funny to hear the cries and pleas of those same people when those systems crash, etc., as-if they were expecting fail-proof perfection.

Delicious launch failures and other launch burns <3<3<3

I'm actually positively surprised by the WiiU not having any massive breakdowns. Only a bunch of OS hiccups/crashes that've been "mostly" ironed out.

I just follow the games + I guess I kinda need to stay on top of things for work reasons these days ... suddenly my hobby became work

[Vito]

You are literally the first person I have seen to try and be positive of this shit, sorry but this is not good.

[Carnivol]

This might warrant me an asshole card; but ... it might just be a case of me simply not being affected by it in any way humanly possible, what-so-ever, and the few changes to the current DRM system and how it reflects on downloaded stuff is mostly a step up and beneficial to me. (Like, for instance, when Microsoft announced their 500 game milestone for XBLA ... I had to face the horribel truth that I've purchased over 50% of the entire XBLA catalog ...) + if I wanna play Xbox One w/Cloud and what-so-ever ... I'm in Microsoft's court and it's their ball, I guess ... Should I disagree, I could always just, you know, go elsewhere.

But it's true that people have a strange habit of bitching about stuff that doesn't really affect them, though. Delicious luxury problems; gotta find something to complain about, even if it's teh same as before or even better than before

[Enigmatism415]

When I went to Norway to visit family, I noticed that many people there especially adored XBOX... I guess it just makes more sense there than it does where I live?

[Carnivol]

When I went to Norway to visit family, I noticed that many people there especially adored XBOX... I guess it just makes more sense there than it does where I live?

Generally don't feel there's any Xbox bias in Norway. (To be honest, I feel there's a pretty even split between the parties, but both Microsoft and Nintendo offer much better customer support here, as PlayStation is handled by a third party that doesn't exactly have the greatest offerings on the support front). FIFA's generally a Sony thing here, I guess. + More "Dudebros" on the PS3 here too, curiously enough.

People have a quite healthy Nintendo relationship too (Zelda, especially)

[Rombie]

[Zombie_X]

Hrm, looking more worse by the minute. Microsoft, you have fucked up.

I don't know one person who wants an Xbone. All my friends (even XBL friends) are going with the PS4.

[alexdz]

The second map should be changed for "every gaming console ever". It's funny, cus CDProjekt is releasing The Witcher 3 on it and the X1 won't be avaiable on Poland, not to mention all Japanese games.

[Wrathborne]

Stay classy Microsquish.

[Zombie_X]

Man that is not helping at all with them. I do hope this system will bomb, but most likely it will not.