Xbox One DRM Removal: Is It A Game Changer?

Earlier today, Microsoft announced that they were revising many of their planned restrictions for Xbox One. 24-hour authentication through Microsoft's servers? Gone. Region-locking? Gone. Restrictions on game trading? Gone. It was a stunning 180 from the company, but will it help them in the console war?

[BadboyCivic]

Its a life saver, not a game changer

[GameCents]

Game changer for me. For instance I now plan on buying an XOne and Forza 5 at launch.

I was gonna buy a PS4 at launch instead but this has swayed me. SONY have Gamescon to win me back.

[BadboyCivic]

You sound confused

[stuna1]

@BadboyCivic

Very! If removing two restrictions out of a boatload of others is enough to sway you from getting a PS4, it's hard to believe you were really set on getting a PS4 to begin with.

On topic: This is something Microsoft should have done from the offset! Therefore no game would have to be changed.

[dale_denton]

just stick with the xbone, sony doesn't want you back. you sound bipolar just like microsoft.

[GameCents]

Stuna, are you serious? Microsoft's E3 impressed me more in terms of games.
The only reason I wasn't convinced to buy it was the DRM and used games issues. In fact I made it clear that no matter games came, that was my deal breaker.

Sony on the other hand had a lackluster game showing. That there is just the simple honest truth. Their policies however were enough to win my vote.

This reversal on MS' part now evens the playing field in terms of policies and games are now the deciding factor again.

I cannot afford to buy both at launch even though I intend to buy both eventually. All I'm saying is as it stands, the Xbox One has my launch vote.

Sony have Gamescon to convince me otherwise. No confusion. No bipolar. Just voting with my head and heart and both want games.

[No_Limit]

Not a game changer but makes xbox 360 fans happy and less incentive to switch over to the PS4.

Hey it did wonder already as the Xbox One and the games and accessories gained momentum on the Amazon mover and shaker list within the past 24 hours.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mo...

UK Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/...

[Clarence]

Your name should be makes no sense. I doubt you ever had any attentions on buy a PS4. Sony has already proved they are about gamers. Just look at what their doing with PS3.

New franchises on the PS3. M$ last big game was a spin off gears. Gamecom will come a go. Sony will show games. You still won't buy a PS4.
http://www.webpronews.com/m...

M$ skipped gamecom last year shows what they think about games.
Get one thing straight, M$ changed their policies because Sony is outselling them in pre-orders.

[GameCents]

Clarence, I have a ps3 and x360. Before that I had a PS2 and before that a PSX.
Please don't assume to know me or my buying habits. I bought a ps3 only after huge price drops and a huge commitment to games on SONY's part.

I bought a 360 first because I wanted to go where the games were at and I have yet to regret my purchase.
Sony may have displayed a strong gaming focus for the PS3 of late, but the PS4 is not the PS3 and I buy consoles to play games now and not some time in the future.

Bottom line: Xbox One E3 showed me games and alot of them. I want games. Xbox One comes first.

[darkslayer208]

gamers should not forget that xbox one will still require internet for cloud computing that will enhance the visuals and physics simulation without that(offline) the game will look dull ..and
~it is also 50% weaker than Ps4
~Games won't work without activating patches which will too require internet. ..after activating the game one can play offline as long as he wants..
~media service is only available to gold users in PS4 its free
~no instant game collection.
~compulsory kinect.
~console is region lock i.e, if I buy a console from US I wont be able to use the console in UK...

[creatchee]

You do realize that the One being 50% weaker is not the same as the PS4 being 50% more powerful, right?

Example 1 (X is 50% weaker than Y)
X is 50% of Y. Y = 2. Therefore, X = 1.

Example 2 (Y is 50% more powerful than X)
Y is 150% of X. X = 1. Therefore, Y = 1.5.

I only bring this up because according to raw numbers (which do not mean everything), the PS4 is 50% more powerful than the One.

[darkslayer208]

wrong algebra man ....its a simple math the strong thrive and the weak perish this that simple i think you will understand... unless you are xbox fanboy or Microsoft is paying you to say so..

[creatchee]

@darkslayer208

No, I am a gamer. And whatever deflections you try to use won't change the fact that your statement is incorrect.

[famoussasjohn]

True. The new policies were game changers (not in a good way), at least with the old policies I own my games again and have the freedom of doing whatever I want with the games. I don't mind having the disc in the tray at all times anyways.

[DEEBO]

badboy you are right. sony will out sale MS but they still can sell alot more systems now.world wide is were sony wins just look at the 360/ps3 sales. year jump and MS still ends up in third place.

[cyguration]

Without Japan and a lot of emerging countries in Asia MS don't stand much of a chance.

The DRM policy change will only help them somewhat but I suspect the Wii U and PS4 will battle for first place anywhere outside of the UK and the US

[Tuxmask55]

No, but it'll keep MS' Xbox division from going under.

[Haules]

I honestly don't give 2 cents that M$ cancelled some restrictions. The fact that they were willing to do it in the first place shows they don't give a **** about us consumers. They only changed out of desperation. And i bet after people buy MS's console they will bring back the restrictions... PS4-PC for me...

[Tuxmask55]

You read my mind, Haules. I'm actually expecting such a thing to happen in Xbox One's second year.

[Zodiac]

Yes, it is. All the games shown at E3 for Xbox One and now the removal of these restrictions have made it much more appealing.

I like Halo a lot more than Killzone
Dead Rising 3 is exclusive
Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 15 are not PS exclusive
I already have a Wii U

Somebody help me! I was going to buy both Ps4 and Xbox one eventually, but i don't know which to buy first now after this change by microsoft.

Help me!!

[Foxgod]

Uh, if all the games you care about are on the XB1, and some are not on the Ps4, then it seems logical to get an XB1.

Its about the games isnt it?

[The Meerkat]

I feel the same.

Dead Rising 3 and Halo are games I wan't to play.

If next gen is going to be longer than this gen is there any point in not getting both consoles?

[Clarence]

By what you like. I don't like halo never did. I think titanfall is cod in the future and I hate cod.

For me it's PS4 all the way. I don't trust M$. The fans told M$ they didn't like the DRM policies but M$ still went with them.

They didn't change anything until they realized how bad they were getting beat in pre order sales. Who's to say they won't send another update to turn DRM back on.

[MissAubrey]

lets just say I have my launch PS4 pre-ordered and of course That wont change. I had 0% interest in XBone but Now after this policy change I have to say I'm 60% interested. They say you can turn off Kinect But does that mean I can unplug it and let it collect dust in my closet until I'm ready to play Dance Central 4? If so, my interest would peak to 88% plus A $100price cut I'd be @ 95%.

[TechnicianTed]

Well it is for me, the biggest criticism I had for the Xbox One was the draconian DRM restrictions, now they've removed it I might pick one up in the future, when I can get one cheaper.

[Whitey2k]

i cant c how people can still buy xbone one condering its price and less powerful then the ps4 and yea they have DR3 and forza but ps4 has alot more to offer and most of the games are multiplat anyways

[Maywell]

It will helps, but not much, really really not much. Since PS4 still has the lower price and people already get hype about that. Don't forget too many people already pre-order it and too many words already spoken. E3 already gone. Gamescom and TGS is known for pro-PS4. Microsoft has done really wrong for this generation, at least for now, the beginning.

[Sayai jin]

Gaming journalism is more opinionated articles (blogs) than actual reporting. While it is nice to here others opinion...so many articles fiction than fact.

[Melankolis]

Halo, Halo, Halo...
CoD, CoD, CoD...
Gears, Gears, Gears...

I'm tired of Xbox lately. I'm going with Sony for next-gen simply because :
1. Full Games support until the end of the console
2. Lower price
3. Better hardware quality (I waited for Jasper version for finally getting Xbox360 in 2009)

[Sayai jin]

There are many other good titles on the 360 than what you mentioned here and CoD is a big game on both consoles.

The PS3 has had a nice slew of games and they keep them coming. MS slowed down on core games and went with more multi plats...but they still have over 100 games to launch through the systems life cycle (Titan Fall, Dead Rising, etc). The lower price is good, but only if a $100 matter to you. I want to play games on both systems so...
Better hardware....yes the 360 had the dreaded RROD that plagued the system, on the other hand the PS2 was plagued with the disc read error that plagued it. They learned and lunched the PS3 and it had very little issues...very good hardware. Hopefully MS learned from their mistake. SO are you referring to last gen or the next gen consoles?

[Melankolis]

I'm talking about Sony's reputation in making better hardware quality.

To tell you the truth.
I bought X360 in 2009 because of JRPG exclusives line-up, but i didn't buy until Jasper came out.
And i bought PS3 months later in 2010, because of Yakuza 3 and i knew i don't need to worry about RROD.
And you're right about CoD is on PS3 too, in my brain, Xbox360=fps, meanwhile PS3 exclusives offers variety of games.

[Sayai jin]

Good points.

[meatysausage]

Personally, im still all for Sony. But im happy that microsft won't lead us into a future of restrictions. There are a few things that still keep me worried about Xbox. I made the change to ps3 in 2011 after several hardware faults of the 360, Microsoft suck at making hardware. After hearing that the Xbox one was only created in 3 yearscompared to sonys 5 year development to the ps4, it made me thinkk of what could go wrong again. Sony are hardware geniuses, have countless game studios and are really reliable I have found. Those who think that Sony have less games will get a shock soon. I might look into an Xbox in the future but definarelt dont trust launch consoles

[The_KELRaTH]

I'm still looking at PS4 or PC.

If MS can turn all their DRM off they can just as quickly turn it all on again but then I'll be stuck with an expensive black door stop.