Apparently Microsoft can't win, despite changing their DRM rules

GameZone writes, "Today, for most gamers, felt like a win. It felt like finally, we were able to stick it to The Man. We actually MADE A DIFFERENCE! Microsoft, after many days of constant berating and disapproval of their new DRM structured Xbox One, has decided to listen to feedback, and completely get rid of DRM, allowing the Xbox One to function exactly like an Xbox 360."

[BadboyCivic]

I think the share plan would have been great. DRM had to go though

Can't please everyone I guess.

[HammadTheBeast]

Gamers didn't do much. Microsoft didn't do this for the "fans".

Plummeting pre-orders and a few jobs on the line made this happen, contrary to popular belief.

http://i.imgur.com/SsoTIE6....

[NewMonday]

"Apparently Microsoft can't win, despite changing their DRM rules"

you will see the sales explode starting from today.

a large number of fans will be satisfied with this.

for others their is still the problem of mandatory Kinect that collects personal data and the extra $100, so a percentage of gamers still have a rightful grievance.

MS can remove Kinect then they can ease the spying worry and cut $100.

[tuglu_pati]

@HammadTheBeast

And you know this because...?

[nosferatuzodd]

Hammand is right if they were successful you really think Microsoft would care about a few ppl screaming Microsoft is a bunch of jackets walking around its like they're program to be dicks just look how they deal with problem the only thing on their mind is find ways to squeeze has much out of gamers has they can .

[JokesOnYou]

It was already #1 on Amazon before this news, Game, Bestbuy etc had reports of strong sales, this is clearly a case of micro overeacting too quickly to bad press and negativity. ....negativity due to lack of a clear message and not knowing about game sharing.

[MariaHelFutura]

Fact: The Amazon poll (94.7%) gets taken down 2 weeks early and a few hours later the Xbox One magically jumped to #1 on Amazon.

Quite a coincidence.

[Army_of_Darkness]

Ms don't care for the fan base since the launch of kinect. Xbone's reveal also proved that they still didn't give a shit...

Ms panic mode-" Bumba-clot! Game stop and amazon pre-orders dropping drastically?!?! Crap! We can't have that! We're gonna lose massive profits!!! Kill the DRM!! Change policies asap!!! But make sure the PR team makes it look as though we're listening to the fans for once;-)"

Sure xbone is now #1 spot on Amazon, but is it sold out like the launch ps4? Nope. Is it competing on its own against multiple ps4 bundle packs in the top 10. Yup.

[JokesOnYou]

Call me crazy but Iam seriously thinking of starting a petition to opt in to the "game sharing plan". I mean obviously this is a software limiting thing not hardware so is it possible to accept drm restriction and lock your console ID/Gamertag/IP or whatever forever so you CAN have all the game sharing features enabled but that disc licence code becomes useless= cant ever sell it and your console wont work if you're offline more than 24hrs. I don't know if they can but I dont see why its not possible. Guess it wont hurt to ask.

[MariaHelFutura]

If people think used games was so bad for the industry, how would sharing w/ 10 people online not be bad for the industry? Keep in mind Sony already did this w digital PSN titles w/ the PS3, allow you to share w/ 5 other PS3. But, they changed it to 2 because people were abusing the feature and selling access to the PSN account online.

[NewMonday]

@RyuCloudStrife

"M$ did this to get your business, and a share of your personal private life with Kinect"

nobody does this for love or favor, not even Sony or Nintendo, this is business.

MS was presenting a bad deal for consumers, the deal is now re-presented after some changes but negotiations are still on-going as far as Kinect and price. hope we can stick together a bit more to push for another change.

[JokesOnYou]

Dont be surprised if they can offer both in theory all they have to do is let you "opt in" during the first sign in of your console.

Id gladly give up the ability to sell used games(I dont sell my games now) and take the mandatory 24hr check(I honestly cant remember the last time I didnt have internet or it was down for more than a few minutes) just so I can have access to my library anywhere, dont ever need disc again and most of all share with my nephews in Virginia. Hey micro is a two tier Terms of Service agreement possible???

I just posted this in a xbox forum, I encourage every xbox fan to ask this, get some feedback, its not too late.

[Doctoglethorpe]

@newmonday

Yeah, thats the biggie for me, was never drm, its the $100 mandatory spycam. If they got rid of that and were able to shave off the price in the process, I'd get an X180 later down the line, after a ps4 still though. But Idc how cheap it gets as long as kinect is mandatory I won't buy it. And the truth is they won't make Kinect optional, that would be like if bluray had been optional on ps3, its just not gonna happen, and thus I will never get an x180. Whatever, Halo is probably the only game I'd play on it anyways since PS4 will be my multiplatform.. platform.

[quenomamen]

There you with the TRUTH, MS dont give a flying F__K about the gamers who are the ones who built the X BOX brand from day one. They have people who's only job is to maximize the potential of their products, like a drug dealer trying getting the most out of a bag of pure coke.

So what happened ? They saw the numbers going against their favor from the day the X1 was announced, So they said Ok after E3 we will see the tide turn in our favor. Unfortunately it only started to get worse, and after the latest round of X1 sale predictions came in below a certain threshold they went to plan B which I have no doubt was on the back burner from the get go.

[oof46]

I'm pretty sure the gross difference in pre-order numbers sealed the deal for the about face.

[nveenio]

When a company is looking out for consumers, DRM is not even part of the debate, unless the question is, "How can we create DRM without hurting the consumer?"

Microsoft's quick reversal damages what little trust I had left in them. Now, I feel they can flip-flop whenever they want, and there's no guarantee they won't do it in the future...with the same box. Because we WILL connect to the internet sometimes. We WILL download firmware updates. We WILL be in position to be hammered by the iron fist of Microsoft.

I would have had more respect if they had stuck to their guns and put in the effort to make their vision work. Now, there's no vision. And where there's no vision, there's no direction. And where there's no direction, there's no clear profit forecast. Where there's no profit, there are no investors. No investors, change of direction. And that's how we get back to another One-Eighty.

This kind of capitalism and communism are kissing cousins. Period.

[Panthers]

Gamers did do this though. Those plummeting preorders were part of us speaking up about the XB1 issues. You have to hit them where it hurts.

[nveenio]

I actually had a friend tell me that they were going to buy an Xbox One until they saw all the news I was posting on Facebook about it. Then, he changed his mind, deciding to go with PS4. So speaking up certainly helps educate fellow gamers who aren't as "plugged in" to gamer news.

Now that the decision has been reversed, I'm not sure what he'll do, but at least he can be informed.

[WildArmed]

I agree, people can get mad at each other how much they want.

MS saw that this was hurting their business and did it.

Just like how Sony saw that lack of DRM is suddenly a selling point (esp. after MS reveal). It was a business decision.

Now the question is: Do you forgive, or play cautious w/ MS?

You can't blame people for still being skeptical about MS... when they kinda tried to push DRM at full throttle not a week ago.

[finbars75]

This is what I have been saying since the announcemnet yesterday.The preorders have been terrible,gamestop denied taking preorders from MS because of there used game policy.They only changed some of the policies to lure there fans they just shit on with this nonsense.Oh newmonday below sorry to break the news to you the preorders for the Xboxone havnt really moved up at all.If anything most gamers of all sorts made there mind up at E3 and after.Yesterdays announcement did nothing but show MS weakness,how greedy they are and how they cant be trusted.They will eventually will change back to there policies after the numbers look good for them you will see.I wouldnt be surprised to see all the fanboys defend MS now because there are like a herd of sheep who only follow one person in this case MS no matter what mistakes where made especially one that was going to ruin gaming for alot of people.They dont care about the damage that has been done because there eyes have been covered by some wall MS has built over the years.Only the real gamers can truely see what has been going on this whole time.

[Anarki]

I think Microsoft have already proven they're in it for themselves. Sony have listened to their customers and the developers and made PS4 what it is now, which is great! That's what sets Sony apart from Microsoft, the ability to listen. Too little too late Microsoft...

[General Shrooms]

I fail to see the distinction. Microsoft is a corporation, and the bottom line is money.

If Microsoft pleases the fans, they will get their money.

[YNWA96]

What do you people think Sony would do if they had no competition? They would corner you and screw you! Sure some of what MS were doing was not the best, but do not be stupid (too late) and think Sony are for the people. Sony seized the opportunity to jump all over MS when they announced details, just good public relations spin, thats all. They are money hungry corporation too.... Thats why they created BluRay, why they tried to mess you with UMD discs, mini discs, and everything else they tell us we need to upgrade to. They will try push something again...tell you that you need it...

[HammadTheBeast]

Gman

Arguably one of the best gaming Eras was PS2 era. Blu-ray was a necessity. DRM isn't.

[madpuppy]

If a criminal decides not to shoot you in the face because he is being filmed, that doesn't automatically make him your friend.

[wiz7191]

The fans spoke with their wallets so they listened , regardless of the fact the DRM is removed you should be happy.

[YNWA96]

Hammad, i do like bluray, loved all ps's and both xbox's. but both are about money.... Sony does always try to push new technology, force it, so does MS. I understand peoples frustrations with MS, but do not be blinded by Sony. They did get arrogant after PS2, almost cost them.... But they will go full DRM too, could now be first... You never know.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

The messiest Next gen transition ever in history.

[Blank]

Well said! I never seen any console reveal go through this much controversy. Usually console reveals are a happy moment with tons of anticipation.

[Biggest]

Has any gaming company started off explaining why what consumers feel is bad is actually good because the ONLY WAY for the console to function is with the "bad". . . And then throw away the major parts of "bad" as if they never actually mattered?

Xbox One is made from the ground up for the power of the cloud. The exclusive games are ONLY possible because of the power of the cloud. Oh yeah. . . Never mind. We lied, but at least you don't have obvious DRM? Doesn't that make you happy, consumers?

Messy is an understatement.

[wastedcells]

Was thinking that too. But I don't think DRM is really gone. I'm sure they will have something in there still. Maybe just the online portion of the game. But I think the only online thing is still there for sure. They will force updates and the system needs to be online to start working so you still need an online connection. I just dont trust Microsoft right now. They are scrambling.

[denawayne]

Games that take advantage of the cloud will require you to be online just like a multiplayer game. The 360 or PS3 doesn't require you to be online but you can't play COD or any other multiplayer game unless you're online.

[Divine]

ms fans are total tools. u guys have to do sooo many things with the xbox system. ps4 for is so simple and more powerful

[kewlkat007]

This is so messed up. We lost all progress in the digital download business. We just got taken back 3 decades to an outdated business model that treats digital downloads as second class citizens and prioritizes physical media. No sharing/reselling/gifting of your downloaded games or online library. Put the disc in the system every time you want to play a game even though the disc serves no purpose other than local DRM checks. All convenience and progress thrown out the window.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

@Kat don't back peddle unless you just like me saw some of the benefits behind the DRM console.

How come MS can't give us options to DRM, or not to DRM and still get the features? I have a stable connection so I would opt to DRM. If my net goes out how come I can't switch my settings to offline mode until it goes back up?

I have very, very mixed feelings right now.

[BitbyDeath]

DRM has nothing to do with sharing/reselling/gifting.

All that can still be done without mandatory online checks.

[kewlkat007]

@AngelicIceDiamond

Obviously, to implement everything DRM related that was before this announcement meant things had to be a certain way, with the 24-hour checks....etc

To have the security checks in place with digitally/hard seems like, there have to be some trade offs, just as it was with digital DRM only.

Now, we loose some DRM benefits, at the cost of going back to last gen methods with hard copies.

All I wanted to do is switch games on the fly with the DRM policies which were set because it allowed it. Yes, at the expense of the checks, i feel like we need to move forward with DRM if it is here to stay.

[JokesOnYou]

Wrong Bitbydeath, explain to me then how do you allow retail games to be downloaded then shared digitally among only 10 people/ profiles WITHOUT online verification=24hr checkin, Steam allows you to play offline cause you cant share like X1 would have.

Seriously please explain how?

[SpideySpeakz]

I don't understand what's your problem. The Family Share Plan is more limited than you think. There's no mulitplayer, and only one person at a time can play it. So it's not that great, and it's certainly not a dealbreaker if not implemented.
Sony and MS PRs have confirmed that every game in retail stores will also be available on the Online Stores. So you don't have to touch a physical disc in your life, ever. Please, educate yourself. Go watch the actual E3 interviews.

[JokesOnYou]

Wow again you dont know what you're talking about, even if you download it WITHOUT 24hr checkin you canNOT share games anymore. That was a huge bonus Id much rather buy a game, let my nephews 3000 miles away check it out that same day after Ive played for a couple hrs, then easily with a friend or two, no waiting for a borrowed disc back, lets say I happen to be invited to a mutual friends house for a Bar B Q, I meet a few people, we talk about some games, he/someone hasnt played, he turns on his X1, I login let whoever check it out. We share gamertags join my family plan, we share different games from time to time and I never have to drive to his house.

I dont understand how people cant see how conveient this is, nah they'd rather just get ripped off by gamestop. Now I have to be limited for their sake.

[BitbyDeath]

@Jokes, the best thing is that you now have unlimited for retail and if MS allowed it you could have up to 10 shares on digital content.

PS3 does it, they used to allow 5 shares but then reduced it to 2

[TheDivine]

The game sharing stuff was awesome but not at the expense of offline play and relying on servers to authenticate my sp games. Why can't ms just keep it as it is now but let the cool features be for XML members? Make a drop box for any digital game and let you run disk games into the box with a condition that whoever outside of you that plays it have a 24 hr check only for the shared titles? If someone fails the check the title returns to the original owner. Problem solved. Offline play, used games, but we still get progress with sharing and trading dd games. Best of both worlds. This way it's an option and peeps may see the benefit especially if they can choose which titles to share so if someone fails a check other titles are still playable. You can't jump that far without a transition period like this.

[solidjun5]

"This is so messed up. We lost all progress in the digital download business. We just got taken back 3 decades to an outdated business model that treats digital downloads as second class citizens and prioritizes physical media"

oh please. Speak for yourself.
I'm sure if this was the other foot where it was Sony, you wouldn't be crying about being stuck in the past.

[Starbucks_Fan]

"Xbox One is like that GF that cheated on you and wants to come back to you. lol. You'll be dumb enough to get back with xbox one."

[InFamous__]

Haha

[YNWA96]

Maybe your pixel was too small....

[Simon_Brezhnev]

Like somebody on gaf said "If somebody tries to rape you would you date them."

They didnt do this because of the feedback. Gamers been like this way before e3. It's mostly because of pre-orders and the worldwide bad press period.

[Lionsguard]

Well in their defense, they didn't exactly rape us yet. They announced they were going to rape us on a specific date and then changed their minds.

[wiz7191]

The fans spoke with their wallets, at the end of the day its a business.

[kewlkat007]

Xbox go to Halo
Please insert game disc to play
DOH!

Back to Xbox 360 2.0

[BitbyDeath]

At least now you will only have to insert the one disc.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

@Kat And in some ways that sucks.

[MissAubrey]

uh.. buy it on xbox live then if you don't want t insert a disc geez...

[kewlkat007]

@MissAubrey

Can you confirm that? I mean that's one of the features I really wanted if I have to just buy digital, I will. I don't sell my games or trade them.

[wishingW3L]

digital games still have DRM though, so if they removed it entirely it was because they wanted.

[badz149]

consumers have 1 less major thing to complain about. I was one of those very vocal against the DRM and now the Xbone is looking more attractive IMO!

can't believe some commenters here are actually upset about this and think DRM is the way to go! there's no DRM that's convenient to gamers and once you start accepting it, it will just get worst and by then, it will be too late if all publishers are already onboard!

no matter how you see it, this is a HUGE win for gamers!

[wiz7191]

Im mad that you even have disagrees right now, people are never happy.

[ABizzel1]

I think the majority of gamers are happy, because this means DRM will not likely make a return this generation.

Gamers are going to give them a hard time regardless though.

[BlindMango]

To me, they could still add the DRM policies if people choose to personally OPT INTO the family share program or the friend share program, it think it dumb that they removed it completely, as it can still be a full-fledged, optional feature for people who would want to use it.

[Hello_World]

Boo hoo, poor Microsoft cant catch a break. Might have something to do with people knowing if MS had no competition we would be screwed.

[KarrBOMB]

@HaloChampian

I didn't mean you could trade/resale steam games. I meant playing offline. You don't have to have a connection once the game is installed. M$ could easily have kept that feature.

I will admit that it's a cool feature, but I'd rather not have it and keep my used games buy/trade/borrow/lend abilities. Although M$ has taken that feature out, I can only assume that the 10 people listed were locked in once activated. So although it's a neat feature, you'd lose a really important option that I see as a far greater benefit. And once you locked in your 10 friends, what happens when you have an 11th friend that you wanted to include? Are they S.O.L, and what happens when tempers flare? You list someone that doesn't list you? Or you buy tons of games while others play off your purchases? You're going to get some pissed off people. If there was a simple way to add and remove people from the list of 10, than you could infinitely play any games by just randomly finding people online. IWith all the restrictions they had, I can't think they wouldn't have thought of this, so that list of 10 could cause a lot of anger in the Live community.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that the used game options are far better to have than the possibility of being included on someones list. Because personally I would make sure my friends with money put me on their list to reap the benefits, and so would everyone else. That would leave things very one sided.

[KarrBOMB]

I don't think they had much choice. Steam allows offline play and trading, so M$ just decided to take the 10 sharing partners away. But I could care less about that, I'd way rather have the ability to lend, trade and give away any of my games rather then designate only 10 people. That and it's something we've always been able to do, so why screw the M$ gamers over in the first place?

[Halochampian]

You can't trade games in steam. It's tied to your account. You can sell your account but you can't sell your contents of your account.

The family sharing definitely had its perks if you have close friends and family that are across the country. To simply allow them to play it without having to mail it to them was a great pro.

[3-4-5]

Regardless....They've still lost 10-15% of their fan base on principle alone.

The damage has been done. Haven't made my mind up yet as I'm not buying until 2014 but I'd be ok With the PS4 being my first Sony console.

I have no problem making the switch. I love the 360 controller though...If the new PS4 controller is better than DS3, then that was the only thing holding me back really.

I love xbox.....but they screwed themselves.

Blind hate towards them is ignorant, but they deserve all the backlash they get for being so arrogant.

How did the quote do" We have a system for those without internet...it's called xbox 360 " or something like that.

They are used to slapping people around without being hit back.

[SonyPS360]

Don't understand why the share plan can't be kept for digital downloads. I think removing it was just a way for Microsoft to save face.

[dedicatedtogamers]

Why should they be given a free pass? These DRM rules were restrictions that THEY designed and that THEY defended for the last month. I wonder if the same people who said "hurr hurr how could Sony win E3 just by NOT doing something?" are showing up en masse to say the same thing about Microsoft.

While I think it's fine if someone now wants to get an X180 due to the change of some of the policies, I also think it's perfectly logical to still not trust Microsoft.

[Mr_Nuts]

I think people fail to realise that the DRM was one of MANY problems.

It was the MAIN problem...yes, but one of many

Kinect is next, hey if we managed to change this, we have the vocal power to do anything. Except world peace, hippies have tried that for decades but no ones budging but still...I'd say we keep going and get them to make some cheaper consoles without Kinect.

Cheaper console without Kinect = Killing two birds with one stone (The price problem and mandatory Kinect)

[TheDivine]

Honestly although I don't much like kinect for games I'm happy it's standard so we can finally see devs use it for small integrations instead of all motion or all game pad. It's convenient for the homepage and browsing and can be used for some cool stuff. Better than a ps move and last gen kinect that never got fully utilized. Def makes for a complete package and I'd take the extra hundred in cost vs fragmenting the market forever.

[hulk_bash1987]

Here we go, no need for mandatory 24-hr check in and used games. Xbox One is back on the table for me, I just wish Kinect was optional.

[UNGR]

Why? No harm, no foul. Who lost in this? A couple fanboys had burs up their asses since the 20th? Cry me a river, the did exactly what the internet bitched about and still people complain. Remember folks, this is why gamers are laughed at. Nobody could have lost anything, saying we shouldn't trust them is stupid. This big of a change out of the blue is exactly why you should trust them, somebody who really wanted to screw you over would have stuck with the same design and never looked back. They at least had some visionary ideas, it just had draw backs.

[KarrBOMB]

^^^^ I so agree w/ dedicateds statement...

M$ has already proven that they don't care about the gamers, so I'm still not on board with everything. Why trust them and hope they don't later impose restrictions when the PS4 is everything gamers wanted from the start.

[SpideySpeakz]

Yep
https://securecdn.disqus.co...

[Relientk77]

That's so creepy lol

[tiffac008]

That's so wrong in so many ways lol

[Biohazard8860]

He looks like a pedo him and reggie would get along just fine lol

[Rukiara]

I like the shared family thing, but with getting rid of DRM I understand, but keeping it to maybe 2-3 other systems would have been nice.

[wishingW3L]

well now instead of having to download a 5-50GB game you just can simply borrow the disc. Is not like the 10 family member were going to be able to play the game at the same time, so what was the big deal? ;)

[Biggest]

And it's not as if DRM is necessary to allow sharing. PS3 did it just fine.

[IcicleTrepan]

heh such limited vision. What if your family/friend lives a thousand kilometres away?

[Rukiara]

Accidentally hit the agreee button, which I don't. LOL.

It seems under my impression you'd be sharing the games, so why not be able to play them at the same time? You can on the PS3 if you share a few of the games, I'm pretty sure thats the POINT of sharing with family. Not to mention I don't think about downloading those games, I'm specifically talking about the games on the marketplace.

Think of it the way I deal with PS3.

I have two PS3s, and two vitas, because I have my husband. We share games between our ps3s, the ones we buy on PSN, and we are able to play them both at the same time if we want. I think Xbox should implement something similar.

[cell989]

just like the PS3 does today

[Kazuo_Hirai]

The Xbox will never win! Muhuhahahaha!

[Sarobi]

Lmao

[Themba76]

is kaz still laughing at microsoft?

[Riderz1337]

Lol they changed it because of all the hate they were getting and all the love Sony was getting with the PS4.

I love the fact that they claim to "Love Xbox gamers". If you loved your consumers you would have never tried to fuck them in the first place. You guys panicked and made the decision to get rid of DRM/sometimes online policy's simply because of all the bad media attention you were getting.

With all that said, I'm still not buying an Xbox one. I don't even care if they changed their policy. I'm always connected to the internet so 24 hr check in doesn't bother me and I don't buy used games so DRM doesn't bother me. I just am not interested in their console.

[TheEvilWithin]

Yea remember just the other day they told consumers if you don't like the policy buy a 360. I guess in the end now that's what there getting. I just love how they think they can spit in the consumers face and then try to come over and wipe it off like that makes it ok now. Sorry DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE! X180 is now on life support. I don't see them pulling through from this.

[nosferatuzodd]

Indeed me too I have fios from Verizon almost 100 Mbps
Business Internet I pay like 160 a month for my internet and I don't sell back my games I keep em so drm and used games doesn't bother me in the least
But it's the principle of it if some one runs broke one weeken and plans on selling some games to get new ones then the option should be there that's all

[lawgone]

You're not buying either one, your parents are. You don't even have a job.

[Riderz1337]

Oh so you must know me better than I do. How do you know I don't have a job?

I have a job and I have already paid off for my own PS4 with MY money. You're such a moron.

[V0LT]

Or...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media...

[thechosenone]

After trying to pull the sh*t that they just did you expect all to be forgiven? Are the people over at gamezone drunk?

[MWong]

The only fan/customer feedback M$ listened to were the amount of pre-orders. I bet you $100 if their pre-orders weren't so lacking they would not have changed anything previously announced.

[Riderz1337]

Spot on. They are "listening" because of the lack of interest in their console.

I mean they claimed to be "listening" to fan feedback a couple of weeks prior to E3 -

http://n4g.com/news/1266720...

It took them this long to realize people don't like DRM/24 hour check ins? Listening to fan feedback my ass.

[Mikeyy]

Spot on! The Amazon pre-orders and the Poll they had shut down early is the only thing that made MS give a damn.

People where telling them Before the reveal they didnt wan't this, and half them refused to believe the rumors in the first place

[AceofStaves]

Exactly. MS changed the policy because of retail pressures. They saw the strength of PS4 pre-orders and shifted course in an attempt to gain greater consumer interest and confidence.

There's no point pushing a product consumers don't want. I'm sure that's why Sony took the position on used games/DRM @ E3. It has nothing to do with championing the consumer, and everything to do with potential profits and market share.

[PositiveEmotions]

More proof that ppl are still against xb1 and theres only few of us who arent fanboyism but us fans that look at facts are the true gamers.

You cant call yourself a true gamer if you dont see the facts and remember old stuff to help you back you your story.

[Riderz1337]

So because I prefer one console over another that means I'm immediately considered a fanboy? Do you even know what "personal preference" is? Some people can't afford all three consoles so they decide to buy the one that attracts them the most, that doesn't make them a fanboy.

[PositiveEmotions]

You can prefer whatever console you want but people that are like "oh yea we won, ps4 is no more" crap like that makes you look like a fanboy/fangirl (not you in general tho). That is what i mean by fanboyism/fangirlism

[loulou]

the problem is riderz, if your console preference was an xbox, you would be crucified on n4g

[TekoIie]

The thing is Rider your opinion was never going to change on MS which at the end of the day makes your opinion worthless.

If you can only afford one platform that's fine, but when you need to constantly justify your past purchases and loyalty to a brand simply because your unable to own "everything else". You become a fanboy....

You unfortunately fit right into that description.

[BillyCostigan]

A long road to redemption. I applaud them for changing their policies but I imagine there are people who are pissed at their brazenness for even attempting to implement them in the first place.

[NexGen]

This exactly. Why would I trust them with my money now when they might pull some anti consumer stunt in the future? The DRM might be removed, but that stain is not coming out any time soon.

I simply don't trust them to do what is in my own personal best interests as a consumer.

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

and i'm that guy!

[Vigor]

They changed not because of the fans, but to save face. The damage has been done so not much can be done by ms now. Also people forgot that the one had to 2 layers of drm, that internet check and kinect in order to function. So no M$ hasn't changed at all.

[TheEvilWithin]

Very true! You STILL need the Kinect. What for? If the DRM is gone why do we still NEED it???

[Ace Killa 08]

Because all other features depend on it. You clearly forgot the when they revealed the console. It was all based on the new kinect. You lose that peripheral its back to the drawing board for Ms. The game function will work but not the entire features mentioned.

[TheDivine]

I imagine vital features might be that all dev consoles had kinect so it's already integrated into games, the dashboard, media, exc. Better to have it standard than an option nobody uses because its not standard.

It's also funny to see people come out the woodwork to bash ms for removing features the drm allowed. I think they could still do it as a xbl sharing feature but the point is people hated the drm, fussed, now they listened and people get pissed they listened. Most people flat out despise ms and anything they do.

[DOOMZ]

Actually I know a lot of people who are very happy!

[jdktech2010]

Personally, if they made it where Kinect didn't have to be plugged in for the console to turn on, then I have nothing left to hate except the price.

Titanfall looks out of control and I might get a xbox one when it launches if PC doesn't have gamepad support. I'm getting PS4 at launch because it has more games that I want to play. I want Killzone: Shadowfall, Blacklight Retribution, Planetside 2 and then Infamous in the Spring.

The only thing I'm interested in for xbox one right now is Titanfall and Halo 5 whenever that drops (that Black Tusk thing looks interesting but not enough to go off of). Quantam Break could be cool but still don't know enough.

I'll probably end up being a two console owner this gen like I was last gen but it's gonna take a game like Halo 5 or Titanfall to get me there.

[Kevlar009]

It's still $100 more than the superior gaming machine, PS4

[LogicStomper]

Cool story, bro.

[InFamous__]

Don't be but hurt bro, cause its true.....

[ape007]

^^^^^^

says the guy named infamous

[LogicStomper]

"Don't be but hurt bro, cause its true..... "

Thanks, but I don't think we need Captain Obvious to tell us that.

By the way, you're on N4G if you didn't realise.

[Plagasx]

That's subjective.

Some people like TV a lot.

[Wolf873]

Winning is not an issue, both consoles would fare well in long run to keep them going- hopefully. Although I think this reversal by Microsoft came off as desperate (I believe they should've stood by to what they initially said, matter of principles and professional integrity), I think it would help keep the market competitive.

On side note though, despite me disapproving of Microsoft's original route, I was still interested in seeing where it would've led to in terms of future of gaming. It really is hard to please everyone.

[The_Truth_24_7]

Can't win them all.

[jairusmonillas]

PS3 had hardtime against 360 cause it was more expensive, Xbox One is more expensive than a more powerful PS4. Even by removing DRM Xbox One doesn't stand a chance. #dealwithit

[Software_Lover]

So many double standards, depending on the company of course.

One company does something good, they did it for money. One company does something bad, atleast they didn't do this. One company changes its policy in the so called right direction, they did it because of money. One company changes their best policy into something bad, they did it because they love gamers!!!!

Sometimes you just have to take the bad with the good, and the bad with the bad.

[LogicStomper]

" One company changes its policy in the so called right direction, they did it because of money."

Eg/ Mircrosoft and DRM.

"One company changes their best policy into something bad, they did it because they love gamers!!!! "

Eg/ Sony and pay-to-play.

To be honest, I don't even understand why you lose bubbles. One should not lose bubbles for logical, thought-out comments. Sure one does not conform to the majorities views, but this should not give reason to lose voice(aka bubbles).

It's understandable to get a billion disagrees for having objections to ones opinion, but to lose bubbles is a sign of oppression towards the minority.

This is however, all on the assumption that you do not attempt to start wars and offend for the sake of offending.

On-topic however, I agree. Double-standards. This goes both ways though, Xbox/Nintendo fan-boys would do the same if it were them in the hot-seat.

[IcicleTrepan]

companies only ever do things because of the money.

[Big-Bruizzer]

You obviously have everything figured out

[tarbis]

Are they that dense? The Family plan is crap. The other 10 in the so called "family" cannot play the game when one of them is using it. How long do you think each one of them is gonna wait for the other to finish just to play the game.
And how the heck are they gonna play Call of Doggy multiplayer together with that kind of policy?
Getting rid of those ridiculous restrictions and policies is the way to go.
Now, we will have a fair console war and see which one is the true king of next gen.

[Madd4400]

And how many people can share cod on a disc at the same time or play online at the same time it was the answer to letting a friend barrow your games with that drm thing

[lawgone]

It amazes me that someone disagreed with your 100% correct factual statement. Kids these days.

[Mikeyy]

I've gone through more bags of popcorn this last month then I have my entire life, watching this drama unfold.

After Microsoft tryhards spend weeks defending the "DRM OF THE FUTURE" they get burned hard by Microsoft.

The Power of the clouds knows no allies nor enemies, all get burned.

[svoulis]

Clearly the people who cared about the "10 people family plan" Didn't hear all the interviews with Larry. He stated that "The family plan would allow up to 10 people (not simultaneously) to play a single player PORTION of the game. Kind of as a try before you buy method. You can watch the interview with Angry Joe to clarify this. A lot of fanboys are immature young minded one sided people who really don't even do their research. While I don't see why they can't keep that part of the model in place, I guess they have their own reasons as the world isn't ready for an Always Online type of Eco-System (for consoles anyway). The Cloud is a joke, it really is. Sure a nice FEATURE but not one really needed right now. Use it to stream an Xbox 360 catalog of games instead of "advanced AI".

So in my eyes as a PC gamer, and someone who already paid for their PS4, BRAVO Microsoft, you finally swallowed your pried and did what is right. Maybe a year after PS4 launch I'll pick up an Xbox One. All you have to do now is include an Xbox One WITHOUT a Kinect, and bring the price down to $399.99. This would help tremendously

[IcicleTrepan]

All I've learned from this whole thing is the large amount of people that don't actually read anything official and just read internet comments and if the comment agrees with how they are originally biased, they take the comment as fact regardless of the truth.

[lawgone]

Yes, thankfully someone else sees it. You've restored my faith in humanity! :)

[palaeomerus]

I bet that the thumbs up for dropping the DRM and region lock and daily checkin, outweigh the thumbs down by 10:1 at least.

[Smootherkuzz]

Some will want Kinect to use full function of the console. Other don't want to use it or spend the extra cash thats ok.MS will sale the console with n without now that changes arebeing made theres still more to come.

[horndog]

The one unique feature that xbox had is gone. MS should have waited. People would have bought. How about now we make a stink about sony shoving ps+ down our throats? On line was free thid gen so why are they making ps owners pay??

[ArtificiallyYours]

A lot of the gaming community is very, very rough and inflexible.

That said, Microsofts original masterplan was an actual problem to foam rage over.

[Drainage]

damage has been done. MS needs to rebrand their whole console, new name, new design, new PR, new faces, new games

[ape007]

oh the insecurity.......

[DivineAssault]

All i can say is "best of luck to ya".. Im sure theres more ppl happy with the ditching of DRM than ppl upset about it.. M$ is being run by money hungry ppl who only care about numbers.. Though numbers are very important, they should try & make everyone happy instead of trying to force change & make restrictions on an effin gaming console! Make games for all gamers, not just games that bring in the highest numbers.. Make features than benefit both the company & customers, not whatever can juice us the most..

I just cant support them anymore.. I liked the original xbox & the 360 but the way i see them doing things now isnt something i want anything to do with.. The xbox one isnt a gaming console to me.. Its some kind of media device that also plays games & i have no use for it..

[C-Thunder]

Buying an Xbox after what they pulled is like giving a pedofile a job at a daycare because they promised not to be a pedo any more.

[lawgone]

Yes, it's exactly like that. /s

[C-Thunder]

I think the analogy stands, but it was perhaps on the extreme side.

[cabinotier]

Feedbacks like "price down" or "rip off kinect" are still there.
What does microsoft do ?

[lawgone]

I was going to buy both consoles just like I did last generation. I like video games and I like technology, so why not. But not anymore. There is no way in hell I will buy a PS4. Their community is filled with the most idiotic, vitriolic, obnoxious, spoiled whiners I have ever encountered. Their "arguments" lack any logic whatsoever and are purely hellbent on bringing down the XBox One. And why? To what end? Tell me exactly what that gets them? It certainly doesn't get them better games. (Less competition is rarely a good thing.) No, it's all about the feeling of having a little bit of power in their tiny pathetic little lives. "We brought down the American company...yay!" It's just sad, and so is Sony's pandering to that behavior. I will not reward that. Besides, it's not like the PS4 does anything the XBox One can't anyway. In fact, other than slightly better RAM, it's inferior in many ways. There's not even the Blu-ray/HD DVD issue to consider this time around. I'm really not sure why I was going to get it in the first place. Huh, looks like I just saved $400!

[Clarence]

Yeah right, and Xbox live community is perfect with all it's racial slurs, and whining little kids. You never had any intentions on buying a PS4.

Stop your lying. Your so bias against the PS it's not even funny. I just like anybody else on here I can pull up comments from Xbox fans that are just as idiotic as Playstation fans comments.

Playstation fans didn't lie to M$ fans about how great the DRM would be. Playstation fans didn't tell Xbox fans 24hr check in is mandatory, nor did Playstation fans say that you will only be able to trade or resale your games a certain places.

M$ said all this. M$ was hell bent on destroying what they built up. A lot of Xbox fans are disappointed with how M$ treated. Xbox fans also made a lot of comments against M$.

So please don't act like your precious Xbox community is perfect, because we all know its not.

[deadfrag]

Now i will be picking a Xboxone but still only after i have been totally sure that Microsoft is actually implementing;taking out all does anti consumer features (i still have to see with my own eyes!;and If i actually pick one will be after i pick a PS4 and most likely a few months after the actually release of the Xbone.Its very difficult to gain trust on Microsoft again after the way they have been abusing consumers rights and all the PR Bs they have say this pass weeks.

[JohnS1313]

Why would anyone think this one change would make a weak console worth buying? It's still $499. It still won't use GDDR5 RAM. It still won't be able to play Sony's much better exclusives. And on and on. And it will still help Big Brother spy on you.

[EaziG]

It's like they got so fed up and annoyed at all the negative press that they just flipped and said "fine! you don't want DRM? There it's gone, along with the used game policy, happy now? ... good, well you can forget about the family sharing feature too you moaners"

So in their anger they made the xbone look the same as the PS4 and removed the one feature that it had which was better? ... The hell are they doing?

[cyhm3112]

even people with half a brain won't buy this xbone.

[GraveLord]

Of course they can't. We won't forget so easily. It'll take way more than this to earn gamers trust back.

[zugdar]

Do people realize that the old policy only allowed a game to be shared to one person only not just one at a time? Correct me if I'm mistaken but I think that a detail many dont see.

[unicron7]

You don't lie to your customers. Period. They have lied nonstop the past 2 months about DRM, saying how it was absolutely necessary and just couldn't be changed. Now they do it. Good on them, but at the same time, I won't be purchasing a XB1 from them for a good while due to the shit they tried to pull. Maybe when it's $399. Don't LIE.

[ShowGun901]

I haven't trusted them since the RROD... Now that they see that their $%@# wont fly, NOW they want to listen... riiiiiiiight... OUR opinion is only worth the money we'll spend with them, they dont care if were happy or not...

Dont get me wrong, sony dosen't care about our feelings any more than the next corporation, but when given the option, SONY LISTENED TO WHAT GAMERS AND DEVELOPERS WANTED, and opted out of DRM, and raised their RAM from 4 to 8... smart moves on both accounts, and 2 reasons I'll buy a PS4

[Grave]

Sony's press conference is what made the difference.

[tommygunzII]

Now they are upset because the DRM was lifted. Who is responsible for this rash of inbreeding?

[Clarence]

They never listen to the fans. That's BS! All this came about because Xbox 1 is getting its a$$ handed ro them by PS4 pre orders.

Hell know they can't win. We know what M$ real intentions are. There will be a software update to turn off DRM. Who's to say that once M$ sells enough Xbox ones they don't just turn the DRM back on.

[Shad0wRunner]

"Xbox One is trying to revolutionize entertainment consumption. For people who don’t want these amazing additions, like Don said we have a console for that and it’s called Xbox 360."

Apparently, they still dont get it. You dont tell your client base and consumers that "If you dont like the XBox One, then buy a 360." A LOT of people took this as a SLAP in the face. These are YOUR PEOPLE, YOUR FANS, YOUR CONSUMERS. These are the people who make or break you and your product! Do you see Sony telling their consumers "Hey, if you dont like what the PS4 has to offer, then we have a console for you and it's called the PS3"??? NO, you dont! Because SONY isnt STUPID, like Microsoft is. Sure, Sony is continuing support for the PS3...but right NOW, they are promoting the PS4 - Not pushing people away from it!

Listen Microsoft:

We told you, we wasnt ready for an "Always Online" console. We told you we like our used games and our GameStops and rental stores. We told you we dont want a console with imposed DRM restrictions, AND YOU DID IT ANYWAY, thinking you could drag us into your dream for the future; kicking and screaming, weather we wanted it or not. YOU SHOULD'VE LISTENED TO US MONTHS AGO, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DECIDE WHATS BEST FOR US!

You have only yourselves to blame for this BS! You better hope you can salvage whats decent from the XBox One after this, and pray the developers can deliver AAA titles as if your industry's future depended on it...because at this point, thats ALL that's gonna save this machine.

[Cussing]

http://www.heyuguysgaming.c... This makes it sound like games sharing was a glorified demo sharing.

[BX81]

I personally would've liked to seen the always connected kinekt go first but it goes to show when you speak with your wallet things can change. For all the half assed COD boy cotts this one was done right.

[buynit]

Oh ms wtf happened? I had no damn idea you would of been able to share with up to ten friends untill the day before they changed it. the pr guy needs to be slapped and fired for such a horrible job at revealing all the info.

Imo with the sloppy reveal i dont think ms was ready, i think they thought they had an other yr before the ps4. How else can you fuck up so damn bad?

[Gaming4Ever]

When you screw up this bad, people being to criticize everything, don't blame them.

[rataranian]

MS...listen to me. I-AM-NOT-BUYING-YOUR-SYSTEM. I dont give a fuck about what you do. I dont give a fuck about tv, sports, tv, kinect, halo, cod, gaming with friends, and tv.
I want a game system that plays games that I'm into. Key phrase...that I'm into. That's all. I am not impressed by anything you have to show me. That's all. "End of conversation!"

[cell989]

The fact remains, damage has been done, these guys tried to fuck gamers and they tried hard, and had it not been for Sony having some big balls to stand against DRM and everyone actually taking action by no pre-ordering the xbone, Microsoft would have been celebrating big time right now, DOn Matrick would have gotten a raise as well. MS was never there to help the gamers, and Sony has been since PS4 was announced, Im sticking with Sony they deserve my support.

PS:Microsoft's true colors came to light, and now I know they cant be trusted

[mossman]

Speaking from a business perspective, Microsoft made the right move. It may not be obvious in the pre-admit orders, even after the announcement, but it will surely make them more competitive than if they had held onto their previous policy. I think the comments from industry analysts back this assertion up.

I'm not an XBox fan, but I have to give credit to Microsoft for making this decision, regardless of their motivation. Just a little over a week ago they got punched in the mouth and were in disarray. To correct such a mistake in a short time period, and to swallow their pride a bit, is admirable and a smart business move.

I guess I have a bit of Sony fanboy in me, as I find myself rooting for Sony to "win" the console war. But even I have to admit that strong competition from at least these two players is for the greater good. I don't think Sony's emphasis on working with indies and keeping such a strong first party network of studios happens without a Microsoft to push them and vice versa.

[Many-hat5]

Posting as someone who has 'jumped ship' to Sony, and pre-ordered my PS4,immediately this whole DRM fiasco started. I'd like MS to know that reversing their DRM now, isn't going to get me back. Basically, when a business starts dictating to it's customer base how they may use a purchased product, they break any trust relationship that may have existed. Not only are their recent actions contemptible, but seriously suspicious to my way of thinking. So, no, I don't think MS will recover many lost sales, certainly not mine.I think MS underestimated not only the intelligence of gamers, but also their maturity. The damage has been done, live with it !

[Gaming4Ever]

The trust is gone MS, sorry.

[talocaca]

So they fixed the one problem they created to begin with? How about OBLIGATORY Kinect, weaker hardware, weak first party, higher price and hardly the best track record on reliability.

You can like Xbone...but buying a first generation product from Microsoft? Good luck with that!!!... "things break" you know.

[bobdog626]

Sony did it last gen now its microsofts turn 2 mess up never 4 get that lol

[drsigma07]

Why not use XBOX LIVE as a way to offer the XBOX community a taste of both worlds. Usher in change. An additional option is rewarding the member sharing the game with an Achievement if anyone from the circle purchase the game. These achievements could be used to purchase arcade games/ downloadable content. Having a console that gives back to the gamers would justify $499. This is something I believe Microsoft could offer through LIVE while maintaining their new/old policies in place but tweaking their DRM policies. Tell us what you think.

https://twitter.com/SlyFox1...

[wiz7191]

I dont really care about the reason why it was removed, Im just glad that its removed. The people spoke and they listened so Im happy no more 24-hour check in and DRM.

[Diesel888]

In all honesty, it would have been better if they introduced a Hybrid model instead of just following what PS4 was doing. This way, consumers would have had a choice to see the different concepts. The was no reason where MS couldn't have introduced both. This could have been possible if they had two different Xbox live accounts such as silver and gold for example. With a Gold account where you can connect online always, you can share with friends/family and which ever console you go to. With the silver account, you can only play offline and disc based games just like the 360. This way the consumer could choose which policy they would have liked. Just throwing some brain storming ideas here. I would have liked a hybrid model so it would have been different from PS4.