Xbox One's Phil Spencer: 'We're Committed To The Original Vision'

Guardian writes: "We talk to Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Game Studios, at Gamescom about Xbox One's rocky road to launch"

[sincitysir1]

It sure doesn't seem that way. I liked the original plan better. Too much of the same

[Abash]

It's apparent that this is the case. The focus on exclusive games right now is to get the early adopters that are hardcore gamers to buy the console, but after that they will focus on exclusive TV programs to sell to casuals when the console shifts t approaching a more open demographic of consumers.

[CerebralAssassin]

Agreed. Once they have a firm grip on the gaming part of the system, it only makes sense to polish the other aspects of the system.

[JunioRS101]

That's kind of what they did with 360 IMO, and I'm a 360 owner.

I play Halo and Gears, which is why I like Microsoft.

But if those franchises dry up I'll just stick to one console this gen, PS4.

[nukeitall]

As the years go by, the consoles will build up a size able library. For everyone that library will be to big to play, to even care about new games.

Right now, I haven't finished Halo 4, CoD Blops2, Dishonored, Tomb Raider, Bioshock Infinite, Last of Us, and so on (and I own all those games).

The list keeps going and going.

It is early in the cycle that you need a lot of games and no, I do not want indie games. The vast majority of them are not for me. if it was, would have jumped ship to ouya or one of the myriad of android or ios devices.

That is my preference though in games.

[Insomnia_84]

ARE YOU ALL GETTING THE MESSAGE HERE???

And this is why they won't sell the console without Kinect!! They will bring all those F'ed up policies again and the console will go back to how it was announced first with all the restrictions and DRM etc.

This is why I was still waiting for an sku without kinect to be sure they wouldn't do this.

THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP PHIL SPENCER! THE XBOX ONE IS NOW COMPLETELY OUT OF MY RADAR!

[LeCreuset]

@Nukeitall

I'll take my games as the console matures, rather than get a bunch of launch window titles and having the stream dry up later. Just look at The Last of Us.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Xbox One's Phil Spencer: "We're Committed To The Original Vision Now"

fixed

[andibandit]

I hate Phil Spencer, wish he'd left along with Don Mattrick

[MysticStrummer]

Original Vision... version 3.99

This exciting strategy game plunges the player into the high stakes world of big business, where other people's money can be used to fund R&D, advertising, manufacturing, quality control and other aspects of moving a product out the door.

Newer versions give the player the option to rapidly and radically change their company's product and policies in response to public outcry, while deploying a form of mind control to create rabid internet fanboys that will defend their company's every move no matter how anti-consumer it may be.

Know your market, don't cut (too many) corners, and stick to your... Original Vision tm

[malokevi]

Me too, and I'm going to say this as I have been all along... nothing has changed.

Sure, you can unplug your Kinect... that should appease the paranoid crowd.

Sure, you can unplug your ethernet cable.... Single player gamers and multiplatform developers will certainly be happy.

sure, Indies can self-publish... oh, and did I mention we get a headset?

But, at the end of the day, Kinect is integral, and an internet connection will probably be mandatory for all the major AAA 1st/3rd party exclusive games... so what has changed?

A few minor quirks. The console still exists in its former glory. Just no family plan... for now. And frankly, I think I can live with that.

[KonsoruMasuta]

Internet won't be required for most 3rd and 1st party games.

We have yet to see a single player game for next gen that requires a internet connection.

Developers and publishers weren't pushing MS to do that. A lot of them came out and said that.

[malokevi]

Forza... Drivatars and AI

Titanfalll... everything. Cloud processing, servers... its an online game.

Count on a majority of MS titles to function this way as the consoles life-cycle progresses.

[KonsoruMasuta]

But internet isn't required for Forza.

Titan Fall is a multiplaye-only game so of course you would need an internet connection.

Internet isn't mandatory for and SINGLE PLAYER games.

[malokevi]

Yep... no kidding...

But these are launch titles. As the cycle progresses, more and more Singleplayer games will be making use of online features. As of now, all the major upcoming titles have online directly incorporated into the single player experience.

Deny it all you want, that's where this generation is heading, and XB1 is ready.

[Godlovesgamers]

"Sure, you can unplug your Kinect... that should appease the paranoid crowd. "

http://www.warpzoned.com/20...

http://www.theguardian.com/...

http://www.theverge.com/201...

http://techcrunch.com/2013/...

LOL!! The "paranoid crowd" LOL!! Yeah, time to wake the hell up smarty-pants.

[malokevi]

@godlovesgamers

Thanks for proving my point. lol.

[DragonKnight]

@sincitysir1: Don't worry, this means they're going to be bringing back the DRM that some of Xbox One fans loved in the future. After the storm has passed, expect another 180 that will have been foretold in the EULA that every Xbox One user agreed to.

[Rainstorm81]

That would be a full 360...:P

[DrRobotnik]

It'll happen when some hacker will unlock the "every xbox1 will be a dev kit" capabilities and create copies of Halo 5. It's has happened before.

[nukeitall]

MS going back to the original vision would be great!

Then consumers will accept it, and be the one doing the 180!

Fact of the matter is, the digital vision MS has is far more flexible than the cumbersome system we have now.

As a digital consumer, you essentially have no rights for trade-in, resale, gifting or even barely sharing.

Consumers aren't ready yet, but Steams model is ancient!

In five years time, hopefully we will look back and think, I was idiot for slowing down digital game adoption. I love it now!

[stuna1]

Bravo DragonKnight you get it, why no one else does is beyond me! This is going to get ugly real quick once Microsoft builds up it's fanbase! Truely how many people can say they've read the TOS of any console? Not many, and if by chance there are those select few, how many of those understood what they were reading? Even less!

Tin Foiled hat what have you, they are pushing in this direction for a reason, and NO it's not the gamer, because if that was the case, why would they say that they were commited to their original vision? Especially after the gamers outcry!?

This should definately be taken as slap in the face of those who've supported Microsoft, but it also dispels the belief that Microsoft was doing all the 180's because of it's fanbase, this is proof positive of that fact! This is why people talk negatively about Microsoft, because they can't be trusted to keep their word.

[DragonKnight]

@nukeitall: You're trolling with that comment right? Come on, you can admit it. It's ok if you are, don't get me wrong, but you have to admit that you are. No one but trolls and Microsoft employees would believe what you just said.

[rainslacker]

@nuke

OK, for the time being I"ll give you the DD win just for the sake of argument. But what about the physical realm? Were they making that less cumbersome with their policies?

If MS decides to implement this stuff later, and don't do so in a consumer friendly way, the backlash will be more extreme than it was before. Now the people who actually paid money for the console will be royally pissed.

[DARK WITNESS]

wait, which original vision?

is it;

The vision before or after the 180 on drm?
The vision before or after the 180 on Indie dev policy?
The vision before or after the 180 on 24hr checkin?
The vision before or after the 180 on used games?
The vision before of after the 180 on always kinected?

which vision, I am confused

[Clarence]

He wants you to guess which vision he's talking about. It's more fun that way.

[Rainstorm81]

Go get comcast's Xfinity X1 then.....

http://media1.gameinformer....

[Darrius Cole]

I'm excited over the X1 to start with. Although I must admit that I am a little concerned by this statement (2nd pargraph in response to the 15th question)

"What we heard from gamers is that they enjoyed the physical DRM they had with the 360 ecosystem and they wanted to add that to Xbox One. So we added physical DRM to the digital DRM plan that we had."

There was no "physical DRM". It was ownership; pure and simple. The fact that he still views it under the prism of DRM is disturbing. It tells me that they still don't get it. We own what we pay for. And if we want to sell it then that's our business.

I want some confirmation that Microsoft won't try to pull this crap again.

I was going to wait on the Xbone anyway. I take this little tid-bit as confirmation that I have the right idea.

[Godlovesgamers]

"I liked the original plan better"

Really? The one where your rights and privacy are both violated so you can play video games? Wow, how trendy of you.

[Mounce]

inb4 Microsoft 180's the policies to return to the ORIGINAL and crippling DRM policy down the road in X1's lifetime. Slowly they're flip the switches back to the DRM-ways, one at a time while no ones' looking....

[n4rc]

Me too.. I liked the original plans as well.. Thankfully none of it is hardware based and could make a return in some form at any time

[DragonKnight]

All of it was hardware based, which is why everyone at MS said it couldn't just be turned off. They are making users download a day one patch that simply circumvents the hardware checks.

[n4rc]

What?

Its not hardware based as in no hardware had to be changed.. Its software

Hence a patch making all the changes.. A patch cant change hardware.

[GribbleGrunger]

Look up 'circumvents' and you'll understand what DragonKnight is saying.

[HammadTheBeast]

But a simple software patch could change things at any time.

[Darrius Cole]

A software patch can fix a lot of things. The designer of the operating system could completely lock-out whole pieces of the hardware if he wanted. I mean things like turn off USB ports; stop the system from reading the disc-drive, etc.

[Kayant]

@n4rc

A patch indeed can't change hardware physically but it has pretty much complete control over it that's why we have software in the first place. Hardware is paperweight without software to control it expect if it's designed without software interaction i.e a torch.

[THamm]

Hearing this I think I'll wait until next year for an X1. At least Titanfall is on my beloved 360.

[stage88]

The one which had all it's policies reversed?

[ElitaStorm]

how original...

btw DAT FACE

[wishingW3L]

what original vision? Because to this date no one seems to understand what they were aiming for with the XB1 beside the DRM.

[DragonKnight]

The DRM was the vision.

[OrangePowerz]

So we can expect a 180 after launch that will add all the policies again?

[Baka-akaB]

Well they are , as long as the original vision can bend under spotlights and people's scrutiny . Still a win for everyone , but very shifty , sneaky and untrustworthy

[JunioRS101]

"We're committed to having a job at Microsoft, so [insert adequate PR response here]."

[ABeastNamedTariq]

Is that....a good thing? 0_o

[RenegadeRocks]

So, the DRM is coming back once we have sold millions of Xbones to ppl !

Kudos MS

[JBSleek]

I would comment my personal opinions but that won't go over well for the N4G crowd.

[GryestOfBluSkies]

in that case, i guess the return of DRM is just a switch flip away once they've sold some consoles

[strigoi814]

Hmm i wonder what vision..if they are saying they are commited to their original vision are we gonna expect a 720 turn around again going back to DRM and always online and kinect connected??

[SCW1982]

This guy bugs the living Hell out of me with his smarmy smile and his fake excitement. One of those people that you just want to punch in the face when you see them.

[Godmars290]

Wait, what happened to the woman who's suppose to be running the Xbox division? Why didn't she do the presentation?

[TheOneEyedHound]

Wtf are you talking about MS?

[gaelic_laoch]

'We're Committed To The Original Vision"

Will DRM and compulsory Kinect be coming back once people get Xboned? More cryptic messaging from M$ BS HQ!

[Cmk0121]

nice interview

[BLAKHOODe]

Phil Spencer saying that makes me question Microsoft's intentions that much more.

Sure, they reversed their policies about used games, DRM and now with Kinect's requirement, but that statement has to make you wonder if they will force those policies back on gamers later down the road once the Xbox One gets in enough homes.

[MasterCornholio]

Then what were the 180s then?

I'm confused.

Motorola RAZR i

[JoySticksFTW]

I think guy is all sorts of used car salesman-y, but I LOVE his response when asked about Sony's well-received E3 performance.

"I guess I just have a fundamental belief that gamers buy games consoles to play games, and they don't buy them for press events."

Love it. And it's a big departure from the reveal.

I plan on getting a PS4 first for a number of reasons, but not at launch. While I love (and have always loved) Sony's game variety more, X1 has some great games for launch. Though I'm loving how the Order looks, I'll probably just wait a few months for inFamous to come.

Though Sony could still hook me a few months early if they announce Demon's Souls 2 at the Japan event :D

The only thing that makes me wait on X1 is the question of sustained support for the system. It seems Xbox console generations tend to be front heavy with exclusives, which really dwindles after a few years. I know I'll still get one eventually though, when the console and those exclusives have dropped in price.

[cyberninja]

Return of the drm confirmed!!!

[My_Outer_Heaven]

Original vision ay? What you mean bringing back unwanted DRM? That vision?

[vigilante_man]

What is clear from this interview is that physical DRM may not happen but the digital will be re-introduced. He mentioned you will have the choice to go full digital or stay with your physical games. And if you go full digital then you have to accept what that entails.

Guess its coming to a XB1 near you sooner than we thought..

[ArtificiallyYours]

This is a very haunting statement!

It's always the little sentences that can tell you how bad something can get....

[EXVirtual]

This basically confirms that the DRM will come back after launch. When they sell enough consoles man. Get ready for a party in the threads. I´ll give it 1.5-2 years.

[LeCreuset]

And once again the tidbit about family sharing is lost amidst the larger story.

The Guardian: You may disagree on how much of the Xbox One proposition has changed since Don Mattrick issued that statement and reversed some of the digital concepts …

Phil Spencer: Which concepts did he reverse?

TG: Well, the idea of daily online authentication, the control and restriction of pre-owned game sales …

PS: Okay, so those two specifically.

TG: Yes. And the idea of being able to share digital games …

PS: We didn't reverse that.

Notice when it comes to the sharing of digital games Spencer says they didn't reverse that. Now some of you may be thinking, "Well, technically you can still share, just not like the original plan." Okay. Well, let's also look at this overlooked portion of an interview Polygon did with Marc Whitten about Xbox Home Gold, which can be found in it's entirety here http://www.polygon.com/2013...

"After reversing its policy on allowing disc-less play with a 24-hour check-in requirement, Microsoft also removed a promising 'Family Sharing' option that would allow sharing a game library with family members, even when they're roaming off of the home console. Whitten later said that feature could return and we asked him about the motivation behind it.

"'I just want [...] to replicate the experience that a typical family has with physical content with digital content.'

"'As we move forward, I think we will continue to refine the best way to make it work but I'll say that it comes down to a pretty basic set of ideas,' Whitten said. 'I just want, as much as possible, to replicate the experience that a typical family has with physical content with digital content.'

"For Whitten, that means reproducing the expectations we have with physical media in a digital way. 'It's a really easy thing and people understand it,' he said.

"'Let me give you an example, if I go to the store and I buy Halo, I come home and I can play Halo whenever I want, I just put in the disc and it just works. My son can play that game because he has the disc; in fact, he can even go downstairs and play it on our second [console]. In fact, he could even go to his friend's house and if takes the disc he can play it.'

"The issue for Microsoft is 'replicating that simplicity' — 'We all understand the rules of that physical disc exchange,' Whitten said. 'At the same time, you need to do a good job of managing that there's only "one copy" of the game and this isn't some unbounded sharing club that isn't fair for the game creators.'

"'It would be cool if I could still see my family's content when I'm somewhere else and I can start playing that content, assuming no one else is playing it.'"

Here are the takeaways from all of that.

1) It is a fallacy for diehards to argue that the reversal of DRM caused the loss of the family sharing plan, as even MS admits there is no reason it can't be implemented.

2) The sharing plan was not going to be what MS led people to believe. Whitten's comments should make that apparent.

[LeCreuset]

MS was leading people on so they would buy the system. Those people would have eventually been disappointed, but by then it would have been too late. It's my belief that once MS did their 180 they saw an opportunity to scrap the family sharing plan they were trying to lure buyers in with, thereby avoiding the inevitable disappointment that would have come once the real limits of the plan were realized. By scapegoating complaining gamers and the reversal of their DRM policies, MS was able to avoid yet another PR blow in the form of misleading about the family sharing.

[GraveLord]

No, you're really not.

Does Microsoft really think people are stupid?

[2pacalypsenow]

'We're Committed To The Original Vision' But we changed it completely in the past 2 months anyways but were still committed , hey Europe PLZ buy the xb 1 well give you fifa 14 for free!! - Phil Spencer