This Is Why the Majority Don't Want Always Online DRM

GP Editor Marcus Estrada assesses the feasibility of the United States being able to support always online consoles.

[the_hammer]

Data Caps, this brings up an interesting quandary if the "always on" is required for the Nextbox. This topic has been approached before because of the increased popularity of such sights has Hulu, Netflix..etc....

While not a concern as of right now, it maybe in the future

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Always on would hardly impact a data cap...if at all. There is minimal data transfered if any at all when devices like a phone are in standbye. Your only real concern with a data cap would be if the always on was also always sending/recieving large amounts of data in standbye or the game / app being used needs/sends large amounts of data.

And if the latest rumors are true... this is a non-issue unless you plan to use a device like a DVR.

[RememberThe357]

I agree with your point but I think the new Xbox is built to be a game console/DVR type of internet TV box.

I'm actually really interesting in what they could do with Xbox Live as a entertainment service. But I'm much less excited about the new Xbox as a games console. A PS4 for games and a 720 for TV and Movies? Maybe.

[jmc8888]

Yes it will.

It will use up a lot more bandwidth then what is currently done because you are constantly transferring stuff back and forth to and from MS. Also the more advanced the game is, the more that is transferred.

That's why a decade ago all you needed for a good low ping FPS game was a 56k.

But you are forgetting the important part, people ALREADY pass their caps. Hell mine is 250 and I can easily pass that. Can do it in few days really. I think the most I've used in a month is around 800gb's, but that was when my speed was about 1/3rd of what it currently is.

Yes there are people out there that get cut off, happens every day. Again many don't even have 250gbs, many ARE in the 20-100 gb's a month range, and very easily go over it and are cut off or slow to a trickle.

THOSE people would then find a brick of a 720.

How hard is it to understand. It isn't just that the 720 will use up your bandwidth and add to the stress, it's that even without it people everyday get cut off because they hit their cap...now in addition to NO INTERNET for the rest of the month (or billing period), they'll also have NO CONSOLE.

All because they want an UNNECESSARY and NO BENEFIT TO THE CONSOLE OWNER requirement that they kindly connect their console to the internet at all times or said console is useless.

[bangshi]

jmc8888, unfortunately you are not quite correct.

I can see how you've come to your conclusion but it isn't actually reality.

So, for an 'always-online' DRM system, all it needs to do is send a keep-alive type request.

It just needs to let Microsoft's server know that it is still connected and it will likely do that by sending a console ID in encrypted form along with perhaps a timestamp.

Then your console would likely receive a tiny amount of encrypted info back, which the console will decrypt and confirm that it is valid info and then allow you to keep gaming having confirmed you are connected to the internet.

For that, including overheads, we're talking just a couple of kilobytes.

Always-online is entirely sustainable on a dial-up connection, because of the tiny amounts of data required.

Always-online has nothing to do with what is happening inside a game.

Not sure what you refer to either in that the more complex a game is the more it has to transfer.

Online gaming does not use as much as you might think.

A game can range from 30-80MB an hour.

Even at 100MB an hour you could game online with a 10GB monthly cap for well over 3 hours a night.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

@jmc8888 you pass your caps because you are ...using your internet. A device connected but in standbye mode is not eating away at your cap.

And you should also read the latest information on the next xbox rumor... it will play games offline and wont be required to be online to play them. Again ...all of this stuff is still rumor for sure...but I believe your fears can be laid to rest.

[hkgamer]

what's the point of always online DRM on a console? I understand Sony may want this option due to its online structure. However PS3 piracy is pretty much non-existant.

MS structure with live integrated into system pretty much is an always on kinda system. I mean having a 360 without live subscription is pretty much pointless and with live subscription then that pretty much stops piracy right?

I know hackers/pirates have created their own online service where you can play pirated games with others but I'm pretty sure this always online thing will get immediately hacked anyway.

[Aceman18]

actually i have a few friends who have hacked 360's and can play online.

[FlameHawk]

I honestly don't think Microsoft will do always online and if they did plan it, they will most likely change it. They MUST see that if they do that then the next Xbox will most likely fail.

[Good_Guy_Jamal]

New rumor suggest always online only applies to Xbox Mini. Durango will play games offline, apparently. Vgleaks so not sure.

[jmc8888]

Doesn't make sense.

A 'small xbox' doesn't need to be 'always online' in order to use an eshop to deliver the games. It just needs to be online WHEN they are downloading that game.

They also don't need to 'stream games' since hard drives are dirt cheap.

So if they GO that route, they are morons. Creating a 'faux' need for it to be 'always online', because it doesn't have 'hard drive space' where you can get 2 TB's for about 70 bucks if you look right, and 3 TB's for about 120.

[jmc8888]

...and it goes even beyond what the author says.

It also makes the console dependent on MS's servers.

Imagine SimCity, except on a console scale. You rush home after waiting in line for a week only to....not be able to use your console because MS's servers are hammered.

Oh but that's just a temporary glitch (forget that it is an unforgivable glitch).

But it's an ever present problem. When networks go offline for 'maintenance' which happens quite often, then guess what? Your console is useless. Sometimes it's a few hours. Other times a couple of days. Happens all the time really. But now instead of just not being able to play online, you won't be able to use your console at all.

If it's not 'maintenance', what about updates?

You know when firmware updates are released the network is slammed. Even if you have your new firmware updated because you were first, good luck being able to use your console.

What about natural disasters? Sure if anything happens in the areas of some of MS's servers, then your SOL.

What about hackers? You might say not an issue. Well it has already been an issue with the PSN, where users were offline for what, about 24 days? Imagine if you couldn't connect your console to their service for 24 days. Well with the PS3 you could still play your games, just not online.

...with a 720 if you can't connect your console, you can't play ANY of your games. So when (not if) the network is attacked (and this WILL make it a prime target), you might just be locked out of your console for about a month.

You might think...this is rare. But not really. Take bank websites for example. Go good bank website hacks, and you'll find out that literally every day some bank is fending off a massive attack with many of them causing downtime for their websites.

Just remember though, for all these things that can take away your gaming, just remember how 'needed' this restriction was...

..after all for the introduction for all this...you gained.

NOTHING

ZILCH

NADA

DIDDLY SQUAT

JACK SH**

Your console that you paid for. Your games that you paid for. They can't be played, because someone deemed you can't play them as a choice.

All needless. But some people think they are gaining something or helping something out by giving all this up.

[Tyre]

@Good guy jamal Holy Cp! VGleaks update sounds feasible, An Addon like HDDVD for 100% Hardware 360 BC!!! And no always online...only for the IPTV/'Mini Xbox/like your TV cable box. Focus is less on Kinect and Kinect2.0 is not mandatory. Sounds about right, i knew it! If this is true, the Next Xbox and it's BC addon are a day one purchase!!!

[Hicken]

I certainly hope it's not an addon like HDDVD. We saw how that turned out...

[Tyre]

@Hicken, What didn't you get? How HDDVD turned out is unrelated to the convenience of an optional add-on by choice, like the Xbox 360 Games Backwards Compatibilty add-on for the Next Xbox. I only mentioned the HDDVD add-on cause it was the only add-on with considerable hardware extented functionality for the Xbox 360 besides the usual accessories add-on(3rd party included). Maybe it would have been better if i had used the chatpad add-on as an example, in case someone replies in the manner you just did. sigh.