Why I'm Glad the Xbox One Has It's Features and Problems

The Xbox One was announced back in May, and not many people were impressed. In fact, Microsoft had to go as far as to add fake applause to their presentation. The Xbox One has so many restrictions and silly features that: I'm actually glad they're doing it all.

Now before you think to yourself "he's for the Xbox. Boo him", I'm not. I've yet to explain myself, so here goes.

There are A LOT of developers and publishers who have said, in the past, that online will be the future, digital will be the future (I specifically remember Remedy Entertainment looking forward to the digital age (I still love you Remedy, and I can see where you're coming from...) and low and behold, Microsoft have ACTUALLY listened to them... the developers/publishers, not us of course.

So why am I glad of this? Because somebody has to take the fall. If nobody actually goes out there and shows us just exactly how much of a bad idea this whole idea is, we may never know what our gaming future would be like. Maybe once developers/publishers and even consumers realise this was all just a big mistake, they'll start looking into the real ways to get their audience, and trust me, it won't be through restrictions, gimmicks and online capabilities.

Between November and January, we'll finally get to see just what this "online digital age" will bring. And honestly... I think it'll be hell. We'll have people having connection issues, we'll have people disconnect unexpectedly and then their game stops working (maybe they won't even know they've disconnected either), we'll even have people buying an Xbox One and they won't even know of all it's restrictions and how heavy it relies on the internet.

Unless you're with Sony, meaning gaming is going to be awesome for you.

I guess I better say goodbye to my years of hard work on my gamerscore.

[SilentNegotiator]

You gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet. Unless you like eating egg shells. And some people are begging to be fed egg shells.

When people see that it's so restrictive and they can't play it for this or that reason, Xbox One will undoubtedly get a terrible name, loads of lawsuits, plenty of returns of hardware, etc.

[Kran]

Exactly. Although I will feel sorry for all those who buy it, but then they bought it so they were willing to take the fall.

It'll just be interesting to see how it all pans out too.

[Donnieboi]

@SilentNegotiator: VERY well said

[Godmars290]

They can't be sued: its in the user agreement.

[SilentNegotiator]

They can be SUED, just not likely DEFEATED. ToS don't ALWAYS win in court if the judge decides that it legally is outrageous and out of line enough to still break the law.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Yeah, people think the internet outrage means nothing (funny, considering how the Xbox One requires an internet connection...)

But I will concede that many of the people who are raging about Xbox One are educated gamers who really dig into the details. However, once the "unwashed masses" buy Xbox One and start running into brick wall after brick wall (can't lend my games? Can't rent my games? WHAT!?!? I can't play my games because my internet is down?) the Xbox One's reputation is going to take another massive hit.

[HammadTheBeast]

See this is where you're wrong. It's not about "taking the fall".

Microsoft is feeding some mad bull**** to people about "the digital age". We've already had and are in the digital age with online games being bought, Steam and the rest.

What they've done, is twist this to bite the consumer.

You can do all the stuff the Xbox One does, without any of the bull****.

Welcome to the PS4 (and even Wii U to an extent).

[bobtheimpaler]

Not to forget that for the past year Sony have had same day digital releases, or at least quick to put digital versions with store updates.

Point is Steam and PSN are already doing a lot for digital downloads. MS placing these restrictions on both digital and physical copies is just ridiculous. Why put up with these hurdles on X1 when they don't exist on other platforms?

[Kran]

I already have a ps3 and wii u so i dont need welcoming ;D

[LoveOfTheGame]

Actually steam is download only. Xbox One is using the 24 hour check in mainly to verify that your disc based games are legit.

They are bringing the appeal of downloads, no disc required to play, while still allowing people to trade and play used games. Kinda the best of both worlds thing. 24 hour check in sucks but for that case it is understandable.

[BitbyDeath]

Didn't Sony already take that same fall with the PSP-Go?
Repeating it is just a dumb move.

[PopRocks359]

Not necessarily. While I guess you can draw comparisons, Sony just made a platform that could play PSP games exclusively as downloads. It's not nearly as ridiculous as what Microsoft is pulling. Downloadable games; you know what you're buying and generally what you can do with it.

What Microsoft is doing is taking the current model and trying to restructure in it in such a way where gamers have absolutely no ownership of their content whatsoever. It's all restrictions based on THEIR word and that simply does not fly.

[BitbyDeath]

Yea, i agree.
It isn't a 1:1 in comparison but in terms of testing a digital future. Sony tried and most people just aren't ready for it.

[Kran]

I suppose, but the handheld market and console market are slightly 2 different things, so lets see how it plays out in the homes of many.

[iliimaster]

the sad part is the moms n dads and kids who are oblivious to all these requirements and restrictions they will find out the hard way... and it happens i got the new madden not ever thinking they would manage to take away franchise mode after decades of consistency so i spend 60+ on madden (its the only way i can take the raiders to the SB) and i realize what they did and was disgusted to find out what they had did... so i can see someone buying this thinking no way in hell would someone put all these requirements and restrictions

[stage88]

All I see are problems...

[rainslacker]

It's sad that this needs to be proven. Publishers can yell at the top of their lungs that digital is the future, but it discounts the fact that it's customers and the general masses that decide, for the most part, how they consume the products they purchase.

It really irks me that MS hasn't really brought the consumer in on the discussion, and instead is trying to shape this future in the interest of corporate benefits to the major players.

Their whole attitude seems to be to disregard the customer, and misdirect the negatives towards shiny new features which are unproven, and in some cases unasked for.

I do appreciate that they are at least trying to be a forerunner in the DD market, and are in a minimal way trying to look at DD from an ownership standpoint, but they haven't gone far enough IMO to really sell that future. Most of the negatives still exist, and their solutions(family sharing, authorized retailers) are only band-aids on the issues of ownership.

The fact that they even have retail discs still available only proves that DD isn't ready for prime time. Even MS knows that while DD may be the future, it certainly isn't the present for the console market.

[esemce]

There was a tough choice to make a few months ago now thanks to Microsoft the is no choice to be made. PC/PS4.

[Software_Lover]

................... You can still trade in and sell your RETAIL PURCHASED GAMES. Same as before. Same as now. The privacy issue is one thing, but they keep telling you you can trade your games in. You can sell them. You, of course, have to unlink it from your xbox/account. Maybe that extra step is the straw that broke the camels back?

I will agree that the always on kinect, which isn't in this blog?, and the 24 hr checkin suck. They just suck. No way to spin it. But you can trade in your games people. You can trade the physical discs, you can even trade in your digital purchases to some extent.

Now, the bad part about trading games with friends......

"For Xbox games Microsoft makes, in order for titles to be swapped among friends, participants will be required to be on a digital list created by users for at least 30 days. All titles can be swapped only once."

I can see the above as being a bad thing, but good also. I can see it being good as in you buy a game, you dont like it, you can give it to a friend and be done with it. They get the game for free. The bad is you buy a game, you dont like it, you give it to a friend, you can't get it back if you want it back. That friend could swap another game with you but its just too much.

That restriction there is a bad move. You should atleast be able to get your game back, but that's another argument with Microsoft in itself.

[HammadTheBeast]

Actually, game resales will be done according to publishers at "participating retailers". Trading will "come in the future". Overall, I see no need for all these unnecessary restrictions.

[kamakaz3md]

once again this is anews page not a opinions page...

[Kran]

Its a User Blog not a news blog.

[Picnic]

I know the vast majority like to see things from the consumer's point of view but it's a very narrow way of seeing things. Consumers would eat away at every bit of money if you gave them everything that they want. The clue's in their name - they CONSUME what you give.

When you buy a house you're not allowed to just uproot all the bricks and mortar and move it somewhere else whenever and wherever you want. You have to have ownership of the land built in as well. All Microsoft is doing is saying - someone's else's XboxOne - that ain't your land. You have to pay a fee to play it there. And they're perfectly within their rights to do that.