320°

A "Fanboy" Reaction to Microsoft's DRM Retraction

Casey White wrote: "The more I think about it the more upset I become that the old generation of gamers are hindering progress just because they don’t understand that a company has rights, just as they have rights as consumer.

Two major features, which were ones that I had personal interest in (one of which was the reason I put down my deposit for an Xbox One as soon as the conference ended), have now been removed from the future release of the console"

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shogungamer.com
Boody-Bandit3997d ago (Edited 3997d ago )

MS dropped DRM because it's not what MOST consumers wanted. It doesn't matter how anyone tries to spin MS dropping this policy. It would've ultimately hurt the industry if they were successful with it. It's obvious, by how fast they rescinded, they were getting trounced by it's implementation. Proving most consumers weren't going to put up with it.

I say congratulations to those that were sticking to your guns and voting with your wallets.

Grave3997d ago

I agree. It's like they thought they had the power to do what they wanted using the guise of "it's the future". Our future contains more consumer rights thanks to this reversal. Let'em get a foot in the door and the next thing you'll have is a credit card prompt to play the next level of the game you don't own.

SilentNegotiator3997d ago

"Bu- but 10 people to a single game would have saved the industry from the horrors of used games!"

nypifisel3997d ago

Haha yeah that honestly made no fking sense!

3997d ago Replies(1)
Ray1863997d ago

You don't get it do you. They didn't do gamers any favors or change because of some older gamer outrage. They changed because the pre-orders started coming in and realized that other people are going to have their jobs next year. Sure they have all the rights in the world to do whatever they want with their products.

I also have the right to spend my money any way that I see fit. MS learned a very valuable lesson today. The real question is will they be able to change consumer perceptions about their product.

TheNightNinja3997d ago

The pre-order numbers were referenced in the article. Thanks for reading!

This is just my personal opinion, it's fine if you don't disagree but this mentality of "your opinion is wrong" it a little ridiculous. An opinion can't be wrong, it's a personal statement.

Heisenburger3997d ago

Typically I would agree with the "opinions can't be wrong" statement(for obvious reasons).

Though at some point there has to be a line.

There were(are?) people that were(are?) pro-Hitler, pro-Nazi, ect.

Lol I am NOT in the slightest comparing anything here to concentration camps, nor am I attempting to make light of the subject.

Though my point is, at some point an opinion CAN be wrong(incorrect).

Salooh3997d ago (Edited 3997d ago )

( Stealing is right and that's my opinion )
In your logic i'm not wrong and it's my personal statement.

( I like apples more then orange )
That's called opinion and i can't argue with that

( Xbox live in X1 is better then PS+ on ps4 )
That's also some kind of opinion but in reality ps+ gives you more value then Live so your opinion is wrong.

Note : Didn't read the article but your comment here is wrong , no offense , just to make the difference between an opinion and what's wrong or right. So :

Opinion from facts = can't argue with it
Opinion while ignoring the facts = wrooong
Facts= facts

HammadTheBeast3997d ago

Exactly. People are giving them way too much credit for being snapped.

NextGen24Gamer3997d ago (Edited 3997d ago )

I agree with everything he said in the article/rant. I'm very upset with Microsoft changing their policies and caving in to the gamers not ready for the next gen. Dare I say it. The Xbox one is just the Xbox 360 now with better graphics.

Sad day for the advancement of gaming. Thanks Sony for keeping the gaming industry as is and now we have to wait another 7 years for the digital advancments that could have been here in November.

I just hope they give Xbox one owners an option when they register their console to go always online. 2/3 of Xbox one owners will most likely choose that option and we can family share....

rextraordinaire3997d ago

You know what? That family sharing thing would be pretty much possible even without the required 24h check-in. Microsoft just removed you a feature, but only because they wanted to. Not because the technology wouldn't allow it without being always online.

rainslacker3997d ago

The old adage, "You can't please everybody" comes to mind. If you were truly looking forward to those features, then I empathize with your situation.

However, what you wanted was obviously not what a majority wanted.

Your last sentence says it all. The customer should have the choice. If MS had approached this issue with choice at the center, the outcome would have been entirely different.

I do hope that MS can find a way to make things like you want a reality. It would go a long way in ushering in this vision that MS had in the long term. I even find some of those features a good step towards a digital future. But for the time being, the ways MS was trying to implement were just a bad value proposition on the part of the consumer.

3997d ago
Bigpappy3997d ago

You said: "However, what you wanted was obviously not what a majority wanted."

You know this based on pre-orders or N4G. The majority, I am afraid, kept silent as they usually do. Its the nosiest that got what they wanted. That's a shame too. Gullible masses can be very dangerous.

rainslacker3997d ago

No Bigpappy. If the majority want something, then they have their own "vocal minority" that would come to have their say.

There wasn't a lot of that in this issue. On this site alone, I can name maybe 5-6 people who would routinely speak up for the side of MS. Most of them came across as trolls, because they only spoke in absolutes. Didn't offer constructive debate, and weren't taken seriously because of it. Most of their arguments were, "It doesn't effect me". It wasn't until this game sharing thing was revealed that they actually had a reason to have seemingly legitimate support for these policies.

If you look at other issues not quite as polarizing on this site, the comments have plenty of vocal opposition because the opinions vary greatly. This time though, it was a lot of gamers coming together to voice their concerns or outright hate for these policies.

But keep telling yourself that you are part of the majority, just know that all evidence points to you being in a very unvocal minority.

NihonjinChick3997d ago

If you want to go digital, then go digital. Nothing is stopping you from buying all your games digitally. People shouldn't have to be forced to make that change, it should stay optional.

psyxon3997d ago

so microsoft should cave into the thousand people who are ready for the supposed "next gen" features in x1? ignoring the majority who simply don't want the crap they were imposing? yeah, okay.

SpideySpeakz3997d ago

MS already stated the Family Sharing plan won't even be available at launch, with or without DRM.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 3997d ago
rainslacker3997d ago

A company does have rights. But a company only survives at the whim of it's customers. Those customers spoke to what they want, and the company made their decisions accordingly.

It isn't the current gen gamer who's holding anything back. It's the current gen gamer simply saying what it is they want, and what they are willing to spend their money on.

If that doesn't line up with what the author wants from the console, then he can start his own campaign to see if MS will reverse their decision again. It's how the game works.

Software_Lover3997d ago

......... I had a long response, but at this point in time, it's not worth it lol. To each his own.

Game on people, game on.

HammadTheBeast3997d ago (Edited 3997d ago )

I swear this happens to every long comment you have lol.

Edit: Oh ok. Nevermind lol.

Software_Lover3997d ago

Just 2 that I can think of.

ltachiUchiha3997d ago

Hell to the yes mate, this is awesome news & is only healthy & good for the gaming industry. It feels like christmas for me. Game on mate.

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150°

10 Biggest Xbox Mistakes of All Time (So Far)

The Xbox brand has done a lot of good over the years, but their various blunders are pretty wild to look back on in their magnitude.

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culturedvultures.com
piroh5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Ironically number 9 can save them at this point (releasing games on multiple platforms)

ChasterMies4d ago

By “save them” you mean make more profit for Microsoft. Xbox will still be a dying hardware platform.

OtterX5d ago

You could add the naming scheme for the consoles, it just confuses customers. I know they wanted to avoid traditional numbering bc it would always be lower than their competitor, but this whole 360 then One then Series thing is confusing af. Imagine a Soccer Mom trying to figure this stuff out. I still mistakenly call the Series X the One from time to time on accident.

RNTody5d ago

Don't forget about the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox Series X! Good luck to Soccer moms around the world.

S2Killinit4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

They did that on purpose to confuse and direct attention away from the generational numbering.

MS doesn’t like reminding people that they joined the industry after others had already been involved in gaming.

For instance, they called the xbox “360” to combat PlayStation “3” because they wanted to seem like “more” than “3”, so instead of xbox 2, they opted for xbox 360. Also this had the additional benefit of selling consoles to uninformed parents who might purchase a “360” instead of a “3” by mistake, or because they thought 360 was more than 3. Kind of a disingenuous move.

They have been continuing with their confusing naming patterns for pretty much the same reasons. Frankly, it fits with who and what they are as a brand.

FinalFantasyFanatic4d ago

I can understand their reasoning, but whoever came up with that naming scheme should be fired, bad naming schemes have killed consoles (I'm pretty sure it was the major reason for the downfall of the WiiU). They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo and Sega have had for their consoles, far less confusing for the consumer.

rob-GP15h ago

@FinalFantasyFanatic "They should have had unqiue names like Nintendo..."

lol, you mean:

NES, SNES
GameBoy, GameBoy Advanced, GameBoy Colour, GameBoy SP
DS, DSi, DSXL
3DS, 3DS XL, New 3DS, New 3DS XL
Wii, Wii U
Switch, Switch OLED

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 15h ago
Cacabunga5d ago (Edited 5d ago )

Phil Spencer is the worst that has happened to Xbox.
They built a respectable brand up to Xbox one. Then this guy took over and things became a joke

Reaper22_4d ago

He still has his job. Something you can't say about Jim Ryan.

Cacabunga4d ago

Both bad execs. One is on job and one thankfully retired.

FinalFantasyFanatic4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I didn't like either person, both people damaged their respective brands and produced worse outcomes, but Phil did save the Xbox brand from being retired by Microsoft. Although in hindsight, he should have just let it die, rather than languish in limbo like it is now.

Rainbowcookie3d ago

Yeah but the one that was "bad" didn't even affect sales.

bunt-custardly4d ago

Phil Spencer was also on the team back when 360 was around, alongside Shane Kim, Peter Moore etc. I think the damage that did the most harm was the Don Mattrick "Always Online" console (ahead of its time basically). They handed Sony and Nintendo a free-pass when that was revealed. It went downhill from there. Then the corporate machine went into full swing to try and recover. They have to a degree as a games company for the masses, and less so for the core gamer. Outside USA, the Xbox brand does not sell as well as Japanese based consoles (citation needed).

Cacabunga4d ago

Want a decision maker. The always online and TV plans was a disaster yes, but they caught up by announcing 1st party games that gamers actually kept the hype going.. until this moron took over and introduced the PC day one release.. e all know where that ended..

S2Killinit4d ago

I dont think they were ever a respectable brand, not since the beginning, when their goal was never to be involved and share in the gaming space. I think the OG xbox was an exception because MS as a brand was still getting its foot in and so the people behind that were people of the gaming industry.

FinalFantasyFanatic4d ago

The 360 was the brand in its prime though, everything went downhill towards the end of that generation. Its staple games like Halo, Forza and Gears are what kept the console relevant and afloat for so long.

MaximusPrime_4d ago

Really good video.

I remember the days with RRoD was big news on here, N4G.

Microsoft had it turbulence number of years.

Looking at the success of Sea of Thieves despite being 6 years old, time to release Halo, Forza horizon 4 & 5 on PS5. It'll help their revenue

shinoff21834d ago (Edited 4d ago )

2 of the 4 games they did already sold really well. So it's definitely going down. Idk about halo or forza but I feel those studios they've bought in the last 5 years, their coming

ChasterMies4d ago

I found this video painful to watch. Can someone list them out?

Top 10 for me from are:
1. 2013 reveal presentation
2. Bundling Kinect 2 with Xbox One
3. RRoD or why rushing to market with hardware is always a bad idea.
4. Buying studios only to close them.
5. Ads on the Home Screen
6. Letting Halo die.
7. Letting Geard of War die.
8. Every console name
9. Charging for Xbox Live on Xbox 360 when Sony let PS3 players play online for free.
10. Cancelling release of OG Xbox games after the Xbox 360 launched.

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150°

Microsoft to Add Copilot AI to Video Games

Microsoft recently revealed its plans to incorporate Copilot directly into video games, with Minecraft being the first showcased example.

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xpgained.co.uk
Fishy Fingers9d ago (Edited 9d ago )

F*** AI

"Hey Copilot, what's a good meme to prove I dislike AI".... https://giphy.com/clips/sou...

Einhander19729d ago

Two trillion dollar company that just can't wait to put as many people possible out of work as fast as possible.

It feels like every single thing they do is making gaming worse and destroying the industry.

9d ago
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darthv728d ago

....you know it takes people to program the AI.... right? It isnt like it is sentient. We haven't reach skynet level of situation or anywhere close to the matrix just yet.

That's next Thursday.

Einhander19728d ago (Edited 8d ago )

It takes a people to program the AI then that AI is used for who knows how many games eliminating countless jobs which only grows as AI is used for more and more game creation functions.

What you're saying is so ridiculously short sighted and truly larking any kind of understanding and foresight.

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CaptainFaisal9d ago

Why all the hate? Im actually excited about this! Always wanted this kind of immersion, and an AI companion with me all the time helping me out knowing the status of my skills/inventory/progress and giving me tips on the best approach or how to craft something specific is game changing for the industry.

Hate all you want about AI, but this is just the start and I can see the potential already. You wont be complaining in the next 5-10 years about this, but rather complain if a game hasn’t implemented it.

MrDead8d ago

Yes we can't wait for the work of others to be used without the need to pay them so that MS can profit even more from the people they fire.

I_am_Batman8d ago (Edited 8d ago )

There is no chance I'd ever use something like this, especially if it's not part of the core game design, but a layer on top of it. It's way too much handholding. Many games already feel like busy work, because they don't let the player figure things out on their own. Having a real-time interactive guide defeats the purpose of playing the game in the first place in my opinion.

If this were to become the standard like you predict, we'll see more and more video games get away with bad design, because people will just be used to ask for help from the AI companion anyway.

Number1TailzFan8d ago

Well Nintendo don't need this with some of their games these days, with invincible characters, items, easy bosses etc.. they do the hand holding built in

helicoptergirl8d ago

Takes "hand holding" in games to a whole new level.

BlackDoomAx7d ago

Because human nature xD Almost every new technology had these kind of comments.

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70°

Activision team is opening a new game studio in Poland 'Elsewhere Entertainment' to build new AAA IP

Microsoft's Activision subsidiary announced today that it is opening a new game development studio to take advantage of the huge talent pool growing in Poland. It'll be the second Activision studio based in the region, joining Infinity Ward Krakow, although this studio is, in fact, not working on Call of Duty.

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windowscentral.com
Psychonaut8512d ago

They’re not working on Call of Duty? Give it time.