Developer on Xbox 720 always-online: "All I can say is be sure to pay your ISP bills"

GC: "Xbox 720 rumours are flying thick and fast, and it seems the always-online rumour is getting more credibility."

[Godmars290]

This is quickly turning into MS's, "You have to work more to buy a PS3" comment. They have to be trolling at this point. Either themselves or their fan base.

Then again, its not like gamer community has ever really stood by its online protests.

[sengoku]

this is going to cost M$ customers for sure..

[sithsylar]

Not sure if it will cost them. 3rd parties love the whole anti piracy bullshit move. What if microsoft gets more support from them because of this move which in turns gets people to buy the console because its where the games are.... All i want is for them not to be rewarded for this shit move if true.

[Skips]

^^^

And ignore the MASSIVE install base the PS4 is sure going to get (even helped more so from this VERY inconvenience to consumers)???

Unlikely...

[Dee_91]

Kaz's response
http://i.imgur.com/rixjoS6....
WIN!

after this backlash if MS dont change or alter this, they are done.I mean a delay to the release is well worth not having this .... "feature"

[Dee_91]

^^ thats not actually kaz btw

[nix]

it may not be Kaz but that was funny.

EDIT:

this is funny too... http://www.quickmeme.com/me...

[Bathyj]

Damn funny but

Edit
Dammit nix, I was saying that.

[NewMonday]

guess it's true then, only thing left is for Ballmer to dance around in a big stage yelling "always-online".

stupid and crazy, someone needs to tell MS core gamers are a tough crowd, just ask SEGA, Nintendo and Sony.

oh well, many will be saving 400-500$+ years of Live subscriptions.

[BitbyDeath]

Saw this on GAF brilliant.

[vet_medic]

Whoever is behind that fake Kaz twitter is one brilliant individual.

[ps3_pwns]

@sithslyar the ps4 will have all the games and then some with better quality and better everything. at this point the only actual related game thing ms has is halo which is the only thing. one game which is no longer good should not make you pick a system thats trying to make you a slave to the system especially when the alternative is far better in ever single way. let go of your crap achievements everyone will be gaming on the ps4.

why are people fighting the ps4 and still trying to protect ms? do you work for them because as a gamer at this point it doesnt make any logical sense. id like somone who wants the next xbox to tell me why so i can show you why everything you say will be on the ps4 and better except for halo thats not even being made by bungie anymore.

[Army_of_Darkness]

Apple drove Microsoft mad I tell ya.... who else is expecting an iBox 720??

[nosferatuzodd]

like i said i told you so just doesn't cut it anymore I TOLD YOU SO lol
what if everything we heard has rumors and hear say is true damn

[DatNJDom81]

I hope you xbox guys learn ur lesson. This is what you get for supporting their sleezy ways. No surprise here all.

[Pixel_Enemy]

EVERYONE remembers when PSN was down for an insane amount of time. Stuff like that happens. Internet service providers have service problems and so do the consoles with their services. Xbox Live went down for a week during christmas one year.

What everyone is seeming to forget is that while PSN and LIVE and your ISP are down, you could still play single player games on both consoles. MS is going to make it so you can't even do that next gen. It is pretty sad and unfortunate.

[badz149]

So I guess if the rumors are indeed true, they must be thinking like "why not go a bit further this time around?"

Just think about it. There are xbox gamers still defending their "pay-to-play online" policy with just "xgame chat is worth the $60 a year fee!" Sony has proven that online can be offered for free and the Vita can do xgame chat with ease over a FREE network!

So...I can see that this is something that MS would do, knowing that they are dominating the US market and what can't ads do to help sell their next console to those unknowing masses? After all, they spent millions upon millions on ads every year. Remember the $500m budget for Kinect's ads. And then remember the XBL commercial with the LBP song? They lied in the face with that ad and THAT is definitely how they will market their nextbox.

[JohnnyBadfinger]

Bullshit! What is with the PS community? How fucking dare any of you try and dictate which console anyone buys. I'm buying the next Xbox now solely out of spite of ps fanboys.

And as far as I'm concerned the next Xbox is still a good year and a half away. But I bet you there will be multiple levels to the Xbox live service. Gaming will most likely be the lowest level but will still be pay to play. I have never used my 360 for anything else other than games and watching tv and movies off the computer. This will not change wheb the next box comes out. Plus 90% of the apps and partnerships the Xbox live services have aren't supported in Australia. So the drm is pointless. Apart from foxtel cable tv, which if I did have is unmetered usage through my ISP.

[SOD_Delta]

Microsoft should call the 720 "Zune Box", because If this rumor is true I believe it will turn out disastrous.

[hesido]

The difference between the arrogant "You have to work more" comment and "Why would you live in a place without reliable internet anyway" comment is that, the former is simply arrogant and nothing else, but the second tells up how the platform is intended to work and affect the platform through-out its life cycle.

[Why o why]

"things break"

[Zechs34]

Adam Orth?!? Is that you?

[Saigon]

@hesido,

Do you hear yourself? Seriously the the comment about why would you live in an unreliable internet connection area is more arrogant. Mainly because some individuals can't help where they live. Its not there fault basic cable can't get to them. People own farms and such would have this issue because of that. This also affects individuals that live on hills where the only connection is satellite based. The comment about working more is not arrogant at all; why you might ask, because if it was a new phone, or new speakers, or TV, or such; most people would work a little extra to get what they want. Its harder to move than to work a little extra.

[hesido]

The disagreers did not get it: (I don't think anybody got it)

"You have to work more" is arrogant, and bad, but it does not affect anybody's experience of the console.

"You have to live somewhere else" is indeed MORE arrogant, and for places with problematic internet access, it signals that people will have hampered experiences throughout the life-cycle of the console, and it is WORSE.

[hesido]

I'm expecting too much from people to read between the line.

[Saigon]

seriously, it didn't sound like sarcasm...and if that was the case I take back what I said...

[T2]

The comments were obvious trolling if this guy was really a ms employee maybe he was disgruntled ... But going all elitist about where people live is beyond stupid ... Society needs farms, rural development, etc ...WE cant all live in the city ... What are we all gonna eat mcdonalds ? Lol

[AngelicIceDiamond]

No not really? I'm sure the internet bill will be the same. I dunno why or how it would go up. I use my internet heavily and no surge in the bill.

But the rumor is stupid nonetheless and its even stupider MS is defending this.

I think its time for MS to come clean, and enough BS'in.

EDIT: Ok wait a minute this technically coming from MS. I hope they are trolling or playing mind games, Because its getting dumb.

[DragonKnight]

It isn't about your bill going up, it's about you paying your bill so you have internet period. Meaning if you don't have internet, you can't use the Nextbox.

[JeffGUNZ]

@ DragonKnight, how do you know you can't play it off line? That makes no sense. I'm sure the system will be designed for internet connection, meaning better features, better smoothness, etc. We still haven't seen anything saying you can't play offline.

[Sideras]

@ JeffGUNZ, that's true but if that was the case why not just defend the "feature" by saying it won't require it instead of being a smart ass?

[Zha1tan]

Millions of morons will be lining the streets to buy this piece of crap anyway so online protests will be a vocal minority and gamers are to good at arguing amongst each other to come together and protest crap like this.

[Cupid_Viper_3]

"are to good at arguing amongst each other to come together and protest crap like this."

Hey man, gamers on the PS3 have, for 6+ years now, been telling the Xbox 360 gamers to stop paying for stuff that is free EVERYWHERE else.

So in my eyes, they've made their beds and now it's time to sleep in it. Or get a PS4.

They've defended every single thing Xbox 360 related. From RROD, to Disc Scratching, to Overpriced hard drives and Wifi Adapters, $500 millions for Kinect advertising, lack of exclusives, $50 million for GTA timed exclusives DLCs. I mean, the list goes on and on....

So what better ways could MS possibly thank them, than by doing this?

Kinect was the ultimate proof that MS needed to show them once and for all that they can sell "sh!t on a stick" to millions as long as they advertise it. Kinect's budget was $500 millions, Expect the Xbox 720's budget to be close to 4 times that at a cool 2 billion.

[Hercules189]

So the people who've got the money to afford both are morons. Be a gamer, not a hater, plus we need to invest more money in american products anyway. And the Ps2 was just as faulty as the 360 but that didnt stop people from buying it over the original xbox.

[T2]

@ cupidviper - you make some good points ... I bought my 360 used so I never thought about all the extras but the noise of it, no wifi and xbl bills still pissed me off ... That and they do not let you remove your own credit card online... Fn bs

[nosferatuzodd]

Zha1tan
Zodd the immortal like that well f#cking said man i add some bubbles for that one

[GribbleGrunger]

Microsoft MUST respond to this and quickly. Even if it turns out to be untrue, there will be millions of gamers out there that still think it IS true. With no reply from MS thus far, we can only assume there's some truth to it though ... I wonder if it's too late to change their policy? I'd imagine MS have managed to strike some pretty sweet exclusive deals with devs because of this (if it's true of course)

[Gazondaily]

MS conducted a survey recently and the results were a resounding NO about this always on malarkey. If MS do go ahead with it, then it really does speak volumes about Microsoft as a company.

But you're right; a response needs to be forthcoming very soon.

[MikeMyers]

Why would the same people who read these rumors not read the hard facts when it does come eventually? There will be plenty of time to get the truth out before people make their purchases.

[JANF]

@MikeMyers

Boy your are making too much sense. Oh, i forgot "sense" is not a word in the N4G dictionary.

:)

[GribbleGrunger]

@Mikemyers:

Because everyone will have heard this news now, even those that don't come on sites like this very often and those that have friends who will tell them. Once it's out there it's almost impossible to take it back. People will still believe it even if it's not true. Then you'll have people who will preorder a PS4 based on this between now and when it's finally admitted or retracted. Not ALL of those people will cancel that preorder.

This needs an official response from MS because if they don't it gets more and more likely it's true. And even if MS don't go this route, people will assume it's because of the stink this is creating ... which of course will lead them to believe that MS may reintroduce it at a later date.

[MikeMyers]

I understand what you're saying Gribble and there is probably some truth to that but likely on a very minor scale. Those who are already per-ordering the PS4 were likely to do it anyways regardless of these rumors.

Microsoft wont comment because they don't want to even announce its existence yet. Everything seems to be in secrecy. So if they say its not true then that admits there's a new Xbox. We all know its coming but Microsoft no doubt wants to make a big splash when they do announce it. Likely not until E3. This isn't helping matters, you're right, but it the end if its not true then it's likely not to matter.

This E3 will also have mainstream media and known TV coverage. So anyone who still believes these rumours if they end up not being true after that will have to live with whatever they pre-ordered without knowing the facts. We don't even know all the detas yet on the PS4, and more importantly the price.

It's amazing how frantic the forums get over anything.

[GribbleGrunger]

It's gone viral now though. I can't totally disagree with you on some of those points of course, but I do believe just a simple statement from MS could stymie any serious fallout from this. Here are some of the sites that have now covered this story:

Amaebi.net
3DJuegos
CNET
CNET AU
CNET UK
CVG
Destructoid
Develop-on
Digital Spy
Eurogamer
Eurogamer Portugal
Eurogamer Sweden
Game Informer
Game Revolution
Gameplanet
GameReactor Sweden
Gematsu
Huffington Post
IGNth It'
Inside-Games.jp
Jeux Video
Joystiq
JVN
Kotaku
Mashablere
Meristation
Metro UK
MTV UK
Official XBOX Magazine
Penny Arcade
Power Unlimited
Shack News
Technobuffalo
TechRadar
The Escapist
The Verge
TheSixthAxis
Vandal
vg247

[GraySnake]

@ Gribble

Not to mention memes are starting to be made from the situation.

[MikeMyers]

What MS could say is they have no interest in creating a game console that must require an online connection at all times without mentioning the next Xbox.

I'm starting to think they will have some sort of validation code or the game disc having a handshake so to speak with the hardware. We all know the Xbox 360 was pirated and we also seen the rise in online codes to try and curb used games sales now. The worst case scenario for me is that MS comes out and says it needs to be online at all times and will not be offering a free way of playing multiplayer. That would be an instant no buy from me.

But again I' not going to jump to conclusions and write if off until I know for sure. If people want to believe everything off the net that's fine.

[RyuCloudStrife]

Yes M$, bring the Xbox into extinction HURRY!!!

[Syntax-Error]

If any of this is true, say goodbye to my Gold Membership. PSN+ will get my money!!!

[otherZinc]

Again, M$ has announced nothing, period.

[brave27heart]

Thats kind of the problem.

A simple "We are not considering implementing always online for future hardware designs at this time" would minimise the damage.

Now its too late. The big issue is that if they are going down this route releasing that information on their terms in their own way could have lessened the impact. Instead we hear it from the mouth of an arrogant obnoxious toss pot and thats how people are taking it.

If MS make no comment before the end of the weekend its going to cost them millions in lost sales. They need to do some serious damage control right now.

[CoryHG]

@sithsylar

It's called the crash of the gaming industry.

[imdaboss1]

you dont need 2 jobs to afford the xbox720 you to move to another dam state for great internet access.

[Nilemonitors13]

All I know is that if this is true, and people still buy the new xbox, it'll prove that people will let anything or anyone stomp all over them, let us Ps fans enjoy our console, and let xbox people "enjoy theirs" there's only so much we can do to warn them to avoid M$ dirty business practises, in time they will realise their mistake, stubbornness cannot be cured. Let's only care for our future as gamers and support our company.

[a_bro]

Something tells me that the reason why Microsoft isn't talking about the 720 this early in the year is because of this crap. They know this is going to cause controversy

[Godmars290]

Which has now officially - whether they say so or not - exploded because of this.

[Ezz2013]

really ?!
then what the hell is happening right now ?!!

[majiebeast]

1 big PR nightmare for MS. Also they cant fire the guy cause it will only fuel more rumors.

I think he has learned not to tweet about his job in such a manner even if its against a friend.

The internet where your stupidity is recorded forever.

http://www.quickmeme.com/me...

[clintos59]

It always ran in my mind why microsoft never ended these rumours because they are always quick to debunk rumours & are always 1st to it when it comes to sales but these rumours have been floating around for quite some time now. Also the guy who got arrested for durango info is more proof alot of these rumours maybe true & is why microsoft is so quiet.

[Software_Lover]

They are not quick to debunk. They usually say we do not comment about rumors or speculation. That is usually their response.

[No FanS Land]

Sony is the one famous for this type of response.

Ms tries to spin most of the time, but it is still true that MS is NOT saying anything, shying away from something.

[clintos59]

Yet they havent even said anything which leads me to believe these rumours are true.

[Software_Lover]

Well there goes his future, since they found him out. It would be funny as hell if they are just feeding the trolls. But it would be sad if they weren't

[sithsylar]

Anyone got any popcorn because this is going to get good. Now people get ready for those who think always online is a GOOD idea because there is going to be. It happened all the time when diablo 3 bent us over and yeah. We all know how that ended up.... Regretting it and so on. Always online will stop me playing games i think.

[Thirty3Three]

ISP bills... bills....

Woah... just a shot in the dark. Yes, an assumption.

But what if they're hinting at making its 'service' (whether it be Live, or just to have the xbox,) a monthly-pay thing?

I mean, I can see them thinking:

"Wow! Our last generation was so successful with its Live Service! Maybe we can milk it a little more and get by with pushing live a little further and making it a monthly-paid plan"

EDIT
@Software_Lover

Oops. I was unaware. Guess I'm pretty ignorant. Thanks so much for the explaination, friend!! :)

[Software_Lover]

They already have those, for the people that do not want to pay for the year.

[Godmars290]

Isn't it now $15 a month under the $99 leasing deal? Buy it at that price, then be locked into XBL Gold for two years?

With all the apps currently on and coming to the 360, all the media plans that they have talked about when they've actually talked, I expect another price hike announcement this E3 if not a whole change in how they do XBL.

[Software_Lover]

Godmars

Yes, that pricing scheme is ridiculous.

[Aceman18]

what i wanna know is what person is stupid enough to pay $15 a month for LIVE when they can just pay the one shot $60 for the year?

sometimes i wonder do people think things through before they throw their money at something.

i would never pay for a monthly subscription on a console or service when i can just buy the damn thing outright.

besides i'm not paying to play online when i already pay my cable provider for use of my online.

[Godmars290]

You're buying an Xbox - fully featured I'm assuming - with a down-payment of $99 then then paying off the rest over two years through the higher priced XBL.

$15 a month over two years or 24 months is $360. With the $99 that's $459 total.

[RememberThe357]

Haha slick of him. But this does suck.

I think the real problem is that consumers really don't like things pushed on them. Thats what MS is getting right now; people who don't like requirements that seem unnecessary. The only reason they're doing this is so that they get some more interest from third parties (the only explanation for this is to fight piracy). But at it's face it's not a smart move. Like people are saying this is turning into a PR disaster and the more I hear about this the more it looks like an integral part of their platform and something they wouldn't just abandon. I was hoping pressure would cause them to cave. But now that their employees are defending this move so arrogantly, I'm not so hopeful. This is on the level of no rumble and getting an other job to buy a PS3. This is not good.

Some people wont have any issue with this and thats fine. But there are people who have a problem with this like myself. I'm a legit customer of theirs (not a fanboy taking shots at them). I intended to buy the new Xbox but not if they're going to require Kinect and an online connection just to play games. Thats too invasive. Thats a no-go.

[Man-E-Faces]

"This is on the level of no rumble and getting an other job to buy a PS3. This is not good."

How in the world is this on the same level as a vibrator in a controller that was likely left out from a lawsuit at that time or a little humor/arrogance we think the PS3 is good enough you would work a second job to buy 1? Their not even comparable. Microsoft's rumored plan is something(a payed service) that's needed to play games and the rumble is not needed to enjoy a game, there's some games I end up just turning it off.

[RememberThe357]

Chill out.

People got pissed off about the lack of rumble and how Sony tried to say rumble wasn't for the next gen. The sixaxis controller was horrible and we all know it. That entire time Sony was trying to sell us on things we didn't want. Most people wanted rumble (hence why we have the Dualshock 3) and most people wanted to be able to afford a PS3. Sony thought they were in a position of power and consumers brought them back down to Earth. There is everything right with acknowledging that fact. Hell, they've acknowledged it. The reason they're showing so much cool stuff with the PS4 is because they've learned from their mistakes with the PS3.

MS is showing that same arrogance Sony showed without even coming close to the level of success the PS2 had achieved. They're acting like they can force us to buy a product that does things we don't want it to do. Thats similar so thats why I mentioned it. I never thought someone would actually try to defend a lack of force feedback in 2013. But this is N4G, I should have known better.

[Man-E-Faces]

"The sixaxis controller was horrible and we all know it"

The DS3 is the sixaxis with a rumble pak installed aesthetically it's the same controller, so calling the sixaxis crap is calling the DS3 crap. I have both and besides the liitle extra weight the rumble pak brings to the controller there is no difference.

"That entire time Sony was trying to sell us on things we didn't want"

Well damn people trash talk Sony constantly for not trying new things(being inventive) and when they do there's people like you who say their shoving things down your throats you don't want, so which is it?

"Sony thought they were in a position of power and consumers brought them back down to Earth"

Ignorant consumers don't lump me in with them, I as well as others were very much aware of what we were paying for and why PS3's launch price was priced as it was, as a stand alone Blu-ray player itself was more than a PS3. It wasn't hard to see what the 360 gave you compared to what the PS3 gave you for their price points, and if I want to turn off the rumble here and there who the hell are you to tell me otherwise.

[insomnium2]

@357

It's true that Sony said rumble was last gen. What should they have done you think? Wait for the litigations to stop before finalizing the PS3 and loose the entire format war?

If you think missing rumble was bad I'm sure you just loved it when MS brought out Forza 3 with an install or a new sku for x360 that had HDMI. I bet those didn't anger anyone. The arcade buyers who were said that HDD is not mandatory were happy to buy a premium prices HDD unles they wanted to be left out. Same with tech-people who had to buy a new console for HDMI. Happy happy.

Always online console is dead on arrival or atleast it should be. Lets see some marketting magic MS like you did with Kinect. The gullible will eat it up if they see it on TV enough.

[cyhm3112]

MS will learn a lesson after this gen, they will fail this gen even worse than WiiU. I don't want to be a sheep or sucker.

[gamertk421]

Well then I hope you don't own any apple products

[Rusty515]

Hmm. Well remember when Sony said they would wait for Microsoft to reveal their console and two days later they revealed the announcement date for the PS4? They may be trolling us to keep us surprised like Sony did. Just a thought, i could be wrong though. Either Microsoft are playing mind games, or they're the biggest ignorant assholes I've ever seen.

[StrongMan]

@Software_lover

They quickly "debunked" the Halo 3 going to PC rumor soo........

On topic, this developer knows something. He has worked on the next Xbox and knows it's always online. I will be passing on it for sure now.

[Jek_Porkins]

Their is a HUGE difference between debunking a rumor of a game going to Steam, which is something they can fully talk about, and spilling beans on a console they haven't even officially announced.

Any developer who has worked with the next Xbox would have had to sign a gag order and wouldn't be allowed to say anything.

What he is saying, is if it's true, pay your bills. Of course PC players cant really say anything negative about this because it's something they already deal with.

[Hicken]

Not really. Halo IS Xbox. It's what has made their console, essentially. To me, that's as big a deal- if not bigger, and I'm leaning towards bigger- as this whole debacle is.

Knowing how important this console is- for the obvious reasons- why would they NOT try and debunk some of this? There is most certainly a hefty number of sales in the balance over these features.

Why would they not want to sway those people back to their side?

[JANF]

@Kek_Porkins

the sad part is that people are agreeing with him.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

I have a feeling this may be just some drummed up drama just to get more people to talk about the Xbox 720 seeing that Playstation 4 news is the current hotcake. The more people talk about it good or bad, the higher number of sales.........at least that's what most PR believes.

1 Million Complaints + PR Spin = Most talked about Console!

[No FanS Land]

I know someone who's always been sega/Xbox since the Genesis, he also had a PSone though.

But he's on the fence whether to buy the next xbox or the PS4, he likes indie games and sony is swinging the PS4 axe in full force as of lately, not missing a single chance.

As a result, he's interested in the PS4 more than ever.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

True, I'm not saying that it will work entirely, they are just generating unnecessary fuzz so the console will have attention regardless. They don't want forums and blogs only talk about what the Playstation 4 has already introduced yet they want to play with their cards close to the chest. Feeding rumors is the best way to do both.....

[00]

I'm not falling for these stupid rumors,just like those dumb sony ones. E3 will be pretty interesting.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Exactly, if I was Microsoft right now I would feed the trolls about "always online" until E3 then announce "We have listened to our precious consumers' complaints and decided we will not have an always online connection. We believe in creating a game console that is accessible to everyone!"

In the end, trust will be won because people would believe that steps were taken even though always online was never their strategy.....

[Knight_Crawler]

So true...MS can come out lookinf like heros on this if they did that.

The new Xbox slogan would be " For the Gamers"

[KwietStorm_BLM]

Lol what a dick comment. Oh yea legally I can't say such and such, so I'll just allude to it instead. Bai guys. (I hope my cover doesn't get blown. I'm on the internet, but I was pretty cryptic. I'm good.)

"After a little snooping...."

(Oh fawk..)

[Kratoscar2008]

Classic MS.

[sithsylar]

You know what my greatest fear will be if this is true. 3rd parties see it and go ohhh wonderful always online that means we can tell if they are pirating and so on lets jump on board. Lets also face it that everyone goes to where the games is... That would be my greatest fear if this is true and they get rewarded for this shit move.

[whoyouwit04]

and if this is true that's what going to happen. Do you sony fans really believe that 3rd parties will continue to support sony if they know that there games can't be pirated on 720, but you can pirate all you want on PS4.

[Cupid_Viper_3]

Are you always this uninformed or is this a "one off" thing?

Sony have managed to make the PS3 and the PS Vita 2 of the least pirated consoles in the History of Consoles. Yet you have feeling that the people will be able to "pirate all they want to on the PS4?"

Be serious, that was a sad attempt at trying to find anything remotely positive about this news.

Do you know that people still pirate games with DRM on the PC?

Here's a little eye opener for you

"However, 2D Boy's Carmel says that DRM is used not so much to thwart piracy -- since it's not very good at that -- as it is to combat the used game market.

"Publishers aren't stupid. They know that DRM doesn't work against piracy," he explains. "What they're trying to do is stop people from going to GameStop to buy $50 games for $35, none of which goes into the publishers' pockets. If DRM permits only a few installs, that minimizes the number of times a game can be resold."

http://www.gamasutra.com/vi...

[jXales]

Dude. the next xbox is running on a windows 8 based system. Custom to console but still at it's core windows.

Now windows isnt the most stable of OS' around on the market. And more importantly how long do you think it would take for hackers to circumvent online checks?

Look at what happened to sim city, had always online DRM but was still hacked and made to work offline within a week.

[Rusty515]

PS4 will still be getting LOADS of third-party support as well. So it should be pretty even if this is the case. I highly doubt a third-party developer will Only develop for the 720 just because it prevents pirating games. The reason why I'm saying this is cause it'll be so easy to port to the PS4, that they might as well do it anyway. Maybe that's why Sony are so focused on making the PS4 easy to port to. They probably saw this coming.

[PropheV]

Jesus Christ, deffo no buy.

[whoyouwit04]

I'm telling you I think Microsoft is up to something there is just to much weird shit going on with the rumors about the 720.

[hesido]

Somehow, the always online feature tells me that MS is going for set-top box service where you don't own the console but pay a monthly fee including the online. Being able to grab yourself an Xbox720 for 50dollars upfront with 20 dollars monthly fee including online may attract a HELLUVA people without math skills.

That may be why they want you to always be connected in case of piracy.

[sherimae2413]

is this some form of anti-piracy.... i hope it works for them _^

[ufo8mycat]

If the whole reason behind this is to support 3rd party developers and encourage them to ONLY release 3rd party games on their system, it isnt going to work for 1 simple reason.

There is NO WAY a 3rd party developer is going to ignore such a massive install base the PS4 will have.

And secondly, this will impact the 720s install base. By how much is uncertain, but the first point is a definite.

Not going to happen.

[LightofDarkness]

I have a better idea: don't buy the new Xbox. Simple, effective and ensures I have enough money to pay that all-important ISP bill.

[artdafoo]

Ooh man theres gonna be a lot of crying kids come the holidays when Nana buys them a brand new Nextbox only to find out they cant play any games cuz they live in spitwater texas and all they got is dial up.

[supremacy]

Well according to this rep, the first thing you got to do is ask yourself; why would you live there?lol i know its mess up, but its a funny disaster in the making.

Times are changing, but there are stll parts of the world which are still behind. They need to see and acknowledge this, because if they dont they wont survive the backlash.

Heck imagine someone talking to a sales cleark asking em questions regarding the upcoming next gen systems and then hearing what they have to say. Just a nightmare and a hard sell. On that note i wonder how long it ill be before their stocks are affected by this little fiasco.

[kingPoS]

I know what's always online... a cable tv box. Whether coaxial or ethernet or wireless, it's online in some way.

Marinate on that for a minute.

[supremacy]

But i dont need or want another cable box, what i am paying those guys at comcast is like gangrape. Sorry for the language.

[iamlegend9999]

lol, wtf?

[Zechs34]

Marinate on THIS for a second.

Even these so called mighty untouchable Cable companies, have the largest monopolies against its customers and are free to charge whatever they want to ANYONE.

Not to mention the fact that they are constantly having outages and quality issues. Never mind that half this country lives in a place where natural disasters can leave them without power or Internet or even homes without warning.

Always online has proven, in EVERYTHING, to be unreliable. Even these major phone companies with ll these always on smartphones have outages and service interruptions.

Wtf are we gonna do when Microsoft demands $400 for this so called set top Xbox and also wants to gouge us $60 or even $70 or who the hell knows if maybe even $100 for Xbox Live... Something that lets me do what my ISP and Cable company allow, along with 100 different boxes.

Point is, anyone defending this, wether true or not, is crazy. We are waiting for a Games console. Not the almighty DRM messiah.

[kingPoS]

I'm just stating what's obvious to me. Cable boxes are literally online. All those tv channels, that data has to come from somewhere.

All I'm hoping for is that MS "doesn't" turn the the nextbox into a full on glorified cable box. But hey!.. with HBO & Comcast already present on the 360, it's a bit hard to imagine them stopping at that.

[KwietStorm_BLM]

I don't understand why people keep using this shortsighted analogy as a defense. Obviously the cable box is on. What purpose would the TV serve if it couldn't get signal at all times (even though there are clearly disruptions at times anyway, but we'll just ignore that too, for *convenience*)? With a game system, why would I NEED an internet connection to play a single player game or the single player portion of a game? It is unnecessary and it is forced, yet people are so caught up in defense mode for these multibillion dollar corporations who don't give a damn what you think, that they just go with it as if their own right to choose means nothing. This isn't about Microsoft vs Sony or Xbox vs PlayStation. It's just a power move that too many people would seemingly gladly allow to happen.

[rainslacker]

How about a more up to date analogy.

Your cable box is always online. Back in the day, when the cable service went out, you couldn't watch cable TV at all. Bad thing that.

Nowadays, if your cable goes out, you can still watch your DVR. Not ideal, but at least reasonable.

Now, Imagine they took away the ability to watch DVR unless you were connected to their service. In your analogy, the cable service is the always on connection, and the DVR is your games. Basically, you would not be able to use the box at all for games or services if you have a service interruption. This would in effect render your rather expensive purchase a temporary paper-weight.

Marinate on that for an minute, and maybe you can see why people aren't too keen on the idea.

[Typical-Guy]

I think this is just a way of generating public attention without sacrificing for true specs of the console.
When they do unveil the console, people will see there's no such thing and they'll want it more than ever.
But if I'm wrong, then adois Xbox....

[Sarobi]

Bandwidth caps.
Bandwidth caps, everywhere.

[kamakaz3md]

you would have to be a fool to believe that M$ is only going to be able to play games if you have internet... you think there that stupid to bow down to sony and look like a joke. 360 has been the goto console fo years now due to its price point, and theres alot of people who dont even have internet, I doubt your going to need internet to launch a game, even if thats been the news as of late... there smarter then that! Other then that, im looking for ps4 to crush everything in 2013 - 2014

[juaburg]

IF this is true, and IF you need to be connected to the internet constantly, to play games. Then its going to be a problem for people in developing countries. I live in South Africa, and most of my friends game on a xbox, only one has xbox live. Our internet is not as fast, affordable or stable as those found in a 1st world country. Please dont alienate gamers...

[IK IR Y IP T]

See the blocking of used games really don't bother me at all, But if the console has to be always online i will not get it and its a shame i have 9 yrs into my xbl acct even got a special xbox from microsoft for it. I consider myself a hardcore gamer I have a ps3 fat wii custom built gaming rig and the xbox which i spend 80% of my gaming time on but if this shit is true looks like i will be saving money by just buying a ps4 and upgrade to a titan...

[chukamachine]

I get people want options. But most people won't admit this.

1)First out of the gate. Xbox360 was only bought it because PS3 was delayed by a year+, shoddy ports.

2)was in a lot of shops and you could play with it.

3)Had a good online and advertising was massive.

Friends bought one, so other friend did as well and with the whole cross chat thing.

NOW.

1) 720 Has no advantage of being out a year+, does not have the studios or diversity Sony has.

2) There will be no problem with cross chat, or ram limiting things. 8gb.

3) A lot of Kinect is coming, some may like it. Some won't.
----------------------------- ------------------------------

Wii u has a problem from last gen.

They changed too much.

The faithful would buy any ninty product. just like ms,sony.

But it's the ones who won't that these companies care about. Ninty fuked those off with the wii u, all 67million of them. Not a good choice.

Maybe the 720 will be the wii u all over again.

[PS4isKing_82]

RIP 720.

[Nunchez]

Well if this is true and it seems that it most likely will be, I'm done with the Xbox for sure. Always online is just unacceptable.

[g-nome]

No contest. ps4 it is.

[madjedi]

Well if true ms can kiss off australia and anyone else who doesn't have good internet, for the gen after next it wouldn't be as bad of idea as trying to push it now.

Having said that always online is a ridiculous requirement for any experience that does not need a internet connection, ie a single player game.

And to anyone saying whats the big deal, psn was hacked and sony took it's servers down for a month. If the military and huge banking corporations can get hacked so can ms.

Following a link in the article http://www.gamechup.com/xbo...

Damn talk about arrogance, the guy does realize he is referring to a global product not just a na one. Especially one that isn't always going to used in the middle of a modern highspeed infrastructure city.

Sounds like a dumbass american elitist, who forgets not everyone in the world has access to the same options he does when it comes to infrastructure.

This was a 3 or 4 yr down the line pick for me, but the more i hear(since ms hasn't bothered to refute the rumors, actually defended it) the more likely i will skip it entirely.

[deepio]

I don't have problem with "always on", I mean my Sky box is essentially always on (granted not via the internet) and downloads programmes when it's in standby mode and I would have assumed the new xbox would work in a similar fashion.

Having to be online to play any games, however, I wouldn't be okay with. I've payed for xbox live for years and my ISP is stable, but on the odd occaision where I've had a problem with my connection I was safe knowing I could still play an offline game. Taking this away would be insane.

As credible as these rumours are, they are still rumours so I will reserve judgement until we find out more. And I personally don't think MS needs to debunk any rumours right now. It's not like anyone can actually jump ship and go out and buy a PS4 anyway. Once they reveal the console, only then will gamers really make a choice.

[IQUITN4G]

MS don't seem to be doing themselves any favours if this is the plan. I probably figure into a tiny percentage that wouldn't buy an xbox if I had to be logged in simply to play a game-playing your games library way down the line for example may be a problem- but I say good luck to them. I wont be there for any of it though despite my adoration of the Halo franchise. Plenty will though and that's all that matters

Certainly wouldn't consider getting a PS4 because my interest is mostly in xbox franchises but some may have to

[Prcko]

so always online is true???
omg ps4 gonna sell like hotcakes,so happy!!

[Mr-SellJack]

"I felt a great disturbance in the force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."
lmao

[Adolph Fitler]

If this is the case, then it will greatly enhance Wii-U & PS4 sales, as there are just people who simply don't live in areas of the world, or there countries, that have affordable internet, if at all.

[Adolph Fitler]

What if you or your family have a holiday house with no internet, or you wanna take your console to a friends & they have no internet?
It's a dumb idea, & one that I won't believe MS would be stupid enough to employ, until the console is out & I see a screen saying, please connect your internet cable and/or make sure your modem is on before trying to start this game disk.

[ps3_pwns]

your not a gamer if you even think about buying an x720 at this point.

[DivineAssault]

my bad if im offending anyone but if MS does always online & blocking of used games, they will surely die nx gen.. They launched 1st & had decent exclusives this gen which helped them achieve what they did.. Nx gen they wont be so lucky.. PS3 has many more games & is a much better value which is why its always outselling it now.. NA is the only region who still hangs on..

[Jek_Porkins]

This would be really funny if Microsoft didn't have forced always online, I think people who freaked out would look kind of foolish.

I'd wait for confirmation before freaking out or doing anything drastic. Why get angry over rumors at this point? There is no reason, all Microsoft is getting is free publicity for something they haven't even announced yet.

[CC-Tron]

They never learn. The smell of roast crow will permeate N4G come MS reveal.

[GABRIEL1030]

Permanent Internet Connection + Blocking Second Hand games = Disaster

Microsoft is very smart and these rumors are false, They are preparing something big for E3. They created a false rumor to catch the attention of everybody and later They will take us by surprise, like Sony did it in feb 20th.

What are They planning to show?

Halo 5, Forza 5, COD MW4?

[OniXRuleZ]

Living in America!!!! I am From France, and in here for 60 euros we have Unlimited 100 MB Fibre internet, phone, Portable Phone! etc! JOYYYYYY FOR GAMERS! sorry for my Inglish!

[-Gespenst-]

Jesus what are MS doing? This has to be the stupidest decision in the history of videogames if it's true. I mean did they learn nothing from the Sim City debacle?

[aLiEnViSiToR]

hahahah they gonna fail hard if they do that xD

[headblackman]

are all PC games always online? no! but here is a thought. there has also been a rumor of the next Xbox running a version of windows 8 os. could this mean that it will have features within it that will allow the next xbox to play PC game discs? or could it be that because the next Xbox along with the p4 will be competing not only against one another, but also against the valve steam box which will be a PC which will play PC games and steam games. some of those games will require the always online feature to play the game. could Microsoft do this just for those games that will allow this? lets not forget that Microsoft always compete with its competitors at there strongest game. sonys strong point was games. Nintendo's strong point was there gimmicks. the valve steam box strong point will be the steam collection which will also include downloadable PC games. its not all indie games. Microsoft will complete with that with with no mercy. so don't be too alarmed about this feature until after the e3 where they tell you to be worried about it, or unless you start to see the PC world completely go the always online route with all of its games before the next gen hits. then we should worry.

[slampunk]

I don't see the big deal about always online. It might be an option but i'm fairly sure that it won't be compulsory.

Both systems will basically be always connected. All the new ps4 and 720 will revolve around being online. Gaikai, sharing features etc plus whatever MS comes out with will all require connectivity!!!

[Sketchy_Galore]

As an avid gamer I have very few actual friends and still I know two people who do not have a reliable home connection. One guy is a big time gamer lives in an area that still doesn't allow him a great Internet connection and the other is a fairly casual gamer who just doesn't have a home Internet connection. I do find the latter pretty weird myself and still don't understand why he doesn't think it's worth the money but I don't think it's weird enough to deny him access to his gaming console.

[HarryB]

A lot of people buy systems to pacify the time or their kids. If your a parent and you don't want your kids or you don't want to play games online you shouldn't have to. Now if xbox 720 comes out and parents or people who don't play online find out you need an internet connection to go online they will go back to the store and asks for refunds or exchanges.

Stores are going to have to explain to people you need internet connection for all xbox 720 games.

[Nodoze]

Microsoft ushers in the next gen by passing the initiative to Sony....before they even announce.

I think more than anything this shows the true, money grubbing nature of the beast that is MS.

Bye bye.

[sethro244]

Guess what one hack by anonymous or some bull shit like them and then no one can play xbox for the next few weeks lol. This will be funny when Microsoft Office gets stormed by consumers.

[sethro244]

And this really sucks for college kids who live in apartment buildings with unreliable service my Internet goes down sometimes or is super slow lol.

[GraveLord]

Microsoft shitting their pants and have no idea what they're doing. Windows 8 sales ares hit, Windows Phone sales are shit, Xbox 720 sales will be shit. Microsoft is on a downward spiral which they may never recover from.

[lovegames718]

Well from these comments I can tell who were the idiots that lubed themselves for further shafting after micro admitted they swindled thousands and millions of ppl out of hard earned money with a faulty 360 that was rushed and would die shortly after the one year warranty. The same ppl that say " oh micro extended the warranty" no idiots the lawsuits extended the warranties it forced micros hand and buy then thoudands , if not millions had to rebuy new machines because theirs died, The same lames that still supported micro after the fact and said all of this was OK by them.

Yeah if Sony did that we would all be on the same page right? And we would all be OK with it and make excuses right! Man stfu and get smarter about gaming, not dumber.

[PFFT]

Seems like this xbox fanboy will be jumping ship! This ship is sinking fast! PS4 day one for me!

[FAT MAN GO BOOM]

Sorry I like to keep my game systems and plug than in once in a while once they are out dated..

No when MS is done supporting the system or game, you will have nothing but a paper weight and a beer coaster...

[Jakens]

+ Bubbles

[Clarence]

This really is bull$!t for Xbox only fans! In my younger days I could not afford Internet. to be honest there wasn't a online community at the time. Gaming was about going over a friends house or going to the arcade.

So what would you do in cases were you can't afford Internet, and you just want to game!

M$ knows how much money they make from their online community. Their counting on Xbox fans to keep their subscriptions going.

Of course this may all be false, but I guess we have to wait and see.

[Tzuno]

As much as i love 360 this is what Ms deserves if this proves to be true. Xbox 720: Always on the Shelf.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

The damage control in these comments....I LOVE it...

[joeorc]

official microsoft response
"[Update] We received an official statement from Microsoft, via the company's PR firm Edelman, concerning the tweets sent by Microsoft Studios' creative director Adam Orth last evening.

The statement reads as follows:

"We are aware of the comments made by an employee on Twitter. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views are not reflective of those of the company. We have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."

http://www.gameinformer.com...

no announcement to say yay or nay about this matter but did say :

"We have not made any announcements about our product roadmap"

Microsoft's said Roadmap..they did not outright say its not true! but also did not confirm that it was indeed true. no comment could very well mean they may be debating about this over @ Microsoft.

[iizMonterZ_]

I feel that microsoft is fallling apart.

[Smootherkuzz]

Already always on,If you purchase some inde or arcade games you cannot play them if your internet connection fails (which should be wrong) even some games will not save your progress.There is a thing called taking things to for, if ain't broke don't fix it.

[Jakens]

I would love to use all single player features in my games including saving my games without the internet.

I fly to other countries without any reliable internet.

[HorrorGod]

What the hell is MS doing?! My brother uses his 360 more than his PS3. His friends are on 360, and most of his games are for his 360... But this announcement is even making him and his friends say that PS4 may be their "main" console next gen. And that is saying a lot, trust me.

Big mistake on Microsoft's part, in my opinion (and obviously a lot of others.)

[strickers]

I don't believe this. Not true . When MS announce it as nit true , everyone will be so happy and feel positive .
They'll forget about all the Kinect stuff ;-)

[kevnb]

ps4 is going to be doing it as well, the publishers want this. It might not be forced on ps4, but they wont turn away publisher support in favour of the customers. Sony is the same company who were putting root kits on cds, came up with cinavia, are behind secuRom, and danced around the subject when brought up.

[Mkai28]

Stop with the "always online " . Does every article on n4g have to be about this?

[kingPoS]

Sometimes it can't be helped. With All this next gen hype building, It's like being in the middle of a huge sand storm. Sooner or later your bound to get some dust in the eye.

May I suggest investing in air tight goggles, so you see clearly. lol

[Jakens]

This is huge and will continue to be huge. I do understand why some will say wait and see but really read more of the articles and comments put up here. It affect all of gaming and worldwide too. This affects all fans of games and all fans of internet. This affect the future of what I'll be playing (or paying for monthly) 16 years from now. This is huge.