Always Online: A Death Sentence or No Big Deal?

GR's DeShun Zollicoffer writes:

When it comes to the always-online debate gamers are split in two groups. One group thinks it’s commercial suicide, and the other thinks it’s just were the industry is headed. “We’re already always online – this is the future. Deal with it!” Okay, let’s see who’s right. Is an always-online console a death sentence or no big deal?

[josh50187]

ignorance

[Belking]

Deal with it!

[jcnba28]

You do realize that the PS4 will require always online for streaming games through Gaikai?

@brish "PS4 looks likes it has an offline way to use it" What? I said streaming...

[dcbronco]

Om my god, someone disagreed with that.

[brish]

@jcnba28

You do realize that if you don't stream games through Gaikai you don't need to be always online?

PS4 looks likes it has an offline way to use it but the next xbox doesn't. See the difference?

@WeAreLegion

I tried Gaikai a few months ago and when I lost my connection the game stopped working.

[WeAreLegion]

Actually, Gaikai caches your game to the HDD, in case of an internet outage. ^_^

It did when it was on PC. I'm sure they'll do the same on the PS4.

[Supermax]

No big deal.ps3 peeps will get ps4 and Xbox people will get the new one,nothin new here move on.

[ifritAlkhemyst]

Frankly, since the average gamer these days is pretty stupid I don't think it will hurt too much. The informed will protest and probably shun MS, the ignorant will make the next Xbox as successful as the last despite the number of RROD's they may have suffered.

Sim City, midst all the controversy when it still wasn't even playable, was making bank throughout the entire time because people were still freaking buying it.

[MikeMyers]

It's because people panic and over-react. A lot of games have server issues at first because they sometimes don't know how it's going to be received by the public. You can do internal testing but if millions of people are all trying to play at once it could severely handicap the servers. Do you hear about SimCity anymore having issues? Are people playing it and enjoying it now?

I understand the frustration. I also understand that once we head down this road there is less freedom. We can argue about arcade games we buy on Xbox Live or Playstation Network. Or the games we buy on Steam. They are all tied to your account which means they are more restrictive than buying a physical copy. Some PC games are DRM free so you can install them on new hardware anytime. Some have limits. Some Playstation games are locked like a few from Capcom. Other agmes like Warhawk had a 24 hour connection process which meant you can only play it on one PS3 and have to wait 24 hours to sign in on another system but it can only be played on one machine at one time. Sony and Electronic Arts also support online codes, that's another form of restriction. The Xbox 360 only allows certain hard drives, that's another form of restriction. Same with memory cards on Playstation Vita.

We can go on and on about how times have changed and keep changing. Some games on the PS4, just like the PS3, can only be bought on the store. Same with the Xbox 360 and the Wii U.

As we build up our gamertags that will be our sign-in process. That is where our content will eventually be stored, in the cloud. Right now I have lots of Steam games but only a few installed on my computer. I can install them anytime I want but it's all locked to my account. So we are already living in an online world. If Microsoft wants to go down this road of being even more restrictive they better be prepared to never have Xbox Live go down.

I still don't see them coming out with a system that won't function unless there is a connection. Nothing runs perfectly 24/7. You can still do things on your tablet, smartphone and so on if there is no connection. It's not as good mind you but you can still do basic functions. That's why some store books or games on their tablets. Not everyone wants to use bandwidth and some companies are stringent on data.

As for answering the question of the topic, why could this be good for gamers? The answer really is that's what some of the features require. Online multiplayer, streaming, buying items, social interaction, sharing. There are things people do now that they enjoy and spend a lot of time doing on their consoles while being connected. Sure you don't need any of that playing single player games but look at how social gaming is becoming in consoles. Look at how many games now have some form of online. Watch Dogs is apparently going to require it. So of course there are added benefits to being connected. I think some people just have issues being forced to be connected.

[ifritAlkhemyst]

I think another thing that absolutely must be addressed is what happens when the Xbox after this next one releases. At some point, does the console just become a useless brick? How long will MS support it on their servers?

[MikeMyers]

Good question. This is the problem with consoles, the backwards support isn't very good and doesn't look to be getting any better. At least not on the PS4, we haven't heard any confirmation for the next Xbox yet. The Wii U supports Wii games. This is where a service like Steam shines. I can build a brand new computer tomorrow and all of my games can be transferred over. If any of my current games struggle or I have to set the settings down for a good frame rate I can build a better PC or change some parts and my games will perform and look better. What happens on the console end? Either they look and play the same, they are not supported, or you hope they re-release it and charge you again.

[Vettur]

I don't really like the idea of it, but it's something we'll have to deal with. well, of course you guys can stop playing games because of this, but worse things could have happend.

[HyperBear]

Xbox 720 tagline:

Deal With It. Jump In.

[VR-4nic]

Myself being a pretty avid gamer I have all 3 consoles from this gen but if M$ nexgen console is "Always On" then I'm definitely NOT getting it! There were and still are plenty of times where Charters 30MBPS internet goes down and this is their best offering of high speed cable internet. If I can't play a single player game or watch a movie because my internet is down then I'm not getting a Xbox its that simple and I sure there are plenty of gamer's who feel the same why!

[Typical-Guy]

This is getting ridiculous. I'm sure most people agree that it's not a good idea, now change the subject. It has gotten more attention than it deserves.

[fermcr]

IF... you need to be online (or always online) to play a simple single player game, then most likely the next Xbox is not for me.

... OR...

IF the next Xbox doesn't allow second hand games, then most likely the next Xbox is not for me.

[GamerzElite]

Always online! not for me, sorry M$.

[dcbronco]

No DeShun. Don't fall into the mimic for hits trap. You're better than this.

[ziggurcat]

if always online is actually going to happen (because at this point it's still just a rumour), then it really depends on how it's implemented.

if it's always on in order to facilitate things like system/game updates, and it doesn't affect your ability to play games then there's not real problem with having it always on.

if it's required to play all games, including single player games, then i think that's a problem since it would literally render your device useless if you happen to have problems with your ISP or if the network goes down. just imagine what would happen if XBL gets hit like what happened on PSN.

[Tyre]

Always Online? No purchase. serious.

[silvacrest]

depends 100% on implementation but really, it might not matter since no one wants this anyway

i predict the die hard xbox fans will buy the nextbox regardless but everyone else will have a wait and see approach

and of course, there will be the casuals/ignorant who will buy this totally unaware

[Warj]

Aside from my poor internet (which will hopefully be fixed this June), my primary issue of always on-line isn't down times in the birthing pains of the service or games. It's the future.

My concern is what happens 5-10 years down the road when servers for games get shut down or the next gen console comes onto the scene? What plans are there to make it so the games I spend hundreds of dollars on will still be able to be played?

I can still plug in and play my Genesis or N64. If the service no longer exists, am I still going to have access to my games and console? Or am I going to have an expensive paperweight and have to pay to transfer or re-buy my games onto the new system?

I think that is the biggest question in my mind. Old games, if treated with care, can still be played 20 years later. If there is no plan for continuance, then we're going to be throwing out perfectly usable consoles just because a server doesn't exist anymore.

[madjedi]

If no physical copies or digital copies were owned and we streamed everything like netflix, then always online would be a necessary evil.

We are not always online, we are always connected until something happens. No one cares about it this gen because you still have a offline mode if one of the connections stops working.

I though ms confirmed the always online rumor was false, apparently i am mistaken.

"You do realize that the PS4 will require always online for streaming games through Gaikai?" Wow you need to be online to use a online service, shocking i know.

Sony already stated you are not required to be online to play sp games, you just miss out on many useful features/services if you aren't connected. Your getting disagrees because it is a stupid comparison.

To people with spotty or limited internet it is a immediate death sentence, to everyone else with decent or great internet it is a individual choice.

If ms is making a cable box first and games console second, i could see them implementing always online.

[DivineAssault]

Insta-perma-death

[Bryan574]

Always on with a mandatory camera pointed at me.. no thanks im not "jumping in"