Microsoft Capitulates, Removes Online DRM From Xbox One

"An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.

Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360."

So, all's well that ends well, right? Fans pushed back and Microsoft listened. Well, perhaps not. When you consider that the chief reason for the backlash was the obvious nature of restrictiveness and money-grabbing in Microsoft's plans, I expect gamers to not be assuaged by those plans being walked back in the aftermath. The company has made it quite clear what they think of their customers and where their priorities lie. Many jilted people won't be fooled by this new conciliatory tone.

There is a lesson to be learned here about how a company should treat its customers. Customers meaning the gamers, not the game publishers Microsoft seemed so focused on. I don't believe they have wiped the chalkboard clean without stain with this announcement.

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The consumers won this time There needs to be far more public awareness in all kinds of businesses not only gaming, but this currently worked to pull the worst parts off the console. I am not a gamer although I did not support their actions before, as when this goes through once, soon every console will have the same restrictions. Client is the king after all and this time the word of the people won against the word of the corporations. After all, they depend on us, not the opposite

consumers won? no... the "omg we're going to nose dive into cement and ruin everything and give everything on a silver platter to sony and lose MILLIONS in revenue for the next 5 to 7 years and possibly for the next generation of consoles" won.

Money always wins.

Good News, guess i wont have to get a play station now.

Anyone who saw Sony at E3 knew immediately that Microsoft had to do this or else they would lose the entire market....

It was beyond stupid that after what Ubisoft and EA went through with their DRM then removing it all Microsoft or anyone else for that matter would try doing the same thing.

It's like none of these executives in any company takes a look at the world around them.

Good to know that they are listening the consumers, If they didn't did that I think that xbox one would be a fiasco.

Whatever the reason or motivation, it is official- news.xbox.com...

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

Interesting thing about this is DL and physical media are both available on release day. This puts the DRM nearly square in the laps of the developers.

If games aren't "required" to be made available in both distribution channels, any guess on which medium most of the games will be released on?

Originally posted by shaneslaughta
Good News, guess i wont have to get a play station now.

By every objective measure, Playstation 3 was better than Xbox 360, and Playstation 4 will be better than Xbox One.

But don't let objective measures get in the way of your fanboyism.


and more on topic....now every Xbox fan can rest easy knowing DRM isn't required....and they will still stay online 24/7.

Originally posted by FraternitasSaturni
consumers won? no... the "omg we're going to nose dive into cement and ruin everything and give everything on a silver platter to sony and lose MILLIONS in revenue for the next 5 to 7 years and possibly for the next generation of consoles" won.

Money always wins.

Good point. But, keep in mind that the original set up announced with the Xbox is what Microsoft and the game companies really want - otherwise they never would have went with it in the first place..

*Looks into crystal ball*

My prediction is they'll still try to do it, just in small increments over time. That way they hope most people won't notice or kick up too big a fuss. Its worked for the government after all...

the damage is done imho. sure after its been released for a while their sales will balance out. But out of the gate when the company needs the money most is when their sales will still be lower then they would of been. They took it out once, whats to stop them from readding it later down the road to a new "add-on" hardware. No, sorry xbox, you still lost me.

I haven't bought a console from a developer that wasn't Nintendo. I've had a PS2 and an XBOX, but they were second hand, as were all of the games. Totally not interested in giving any money to Microsoft or Sony, and even having to link up a new system for one day is far more than I ever would want.

Skip to the end of 1984.

He loved Big Brother.

delete post wrong thread

Well I'm glad they changed But... they have already softened the public to the idea and one day they will make the DRM stick.

X-Box, I don't need it. I play all the latest AAA games and have for at least the past 10 years. My Laptop and Pirate Bay are an awesome team.

the fact in uk there is an £80 difference in price, xbox have lost me.

times are hard and £80 is alot of money so r.i.p xbox and welcome back playstation to my life,see you soon

Originally posted by Ghost375

Originally posted by shaneslaughta
Good News, guess i wont have to get a play station now.

By every objective measure, Playstation 3 was better than Xbox 360, and Playstation 4 will be better than Xbox One.

But don't let objective measures get in the way of your fanboyism.


and more on topic....now every Xbox fan can rest easy knowing DRM isn't required....and they will still stay online 24/7.


This rite here is the very definition as fanboyism!

Microsoft listened to the feedback plain and simple, which was very negative towards them.
This is a good day for gamers regardless of which "side" your on. For me ill be getting both consoles maybe not day one but both very close too that for sure.

There is still plenty of life in my 360 and PS3!!

edit on 19-6-2013 by Ghost375 because: (no reason given)

reply to post by roaland

I disagree. They had bad press and changed course prior to launch. Whatever bad juju might have been there has been erased because they are now going to be seen as friendly and attentive to the public's desires.

It kind of makes me think this was the plan all along and the restrictions were aired first in order to gauge the public's reaction before finalizing things.

Now, what would pretty much cement its success and ensuring upgrades from the 360 would be a micro-sized 360 with little more than a tray for the game disc and video / network / controller pass-through as an add-on for the One, which would allow the One to be a proxy for playing 360 games since there is no backwards compatibility. With "cloud computing", I could see an XB360 -> 360+One migration option where a user's downloaded 360 content can be moved to the cloud, and downloaded to such a device as needed and played as I've mentioned.

Imagine saying "Xbox. Start 360" and be off playing 360 games, not in emulation but on dedicated hardware controlled by the One.

reply to post by abecedarian


No they're simply doing what the publishers want. If they cared about the fans they would have changed things prior to E3. They wouldn't have said that the 360 is their alternative for people without Internet. It's no coincidence that this change of heart came right after EA threw them under the bus. If Microsoft had managed to retain the support of the major publishers I guarantee they wouldn't have changed their plans for the XB1. Considering the fact that it still requires an Internet connection at setup I'm guessing that it will still be region locked. Considering that prevents some of the largest gaming countries from using the system it's still quite hard to say that Microsoft cares about gamers.

While this may have gained Microsoft some brownie points they're still playing massive catch up. It's not often that an audience starts chanting the name of a company at a gaming expo.

In other news:

Microsoft closes barn door; horse already left.

Sorry guys, restoring broken trust is not that simple.

Still doesn't solve a number of other issues with Xbox's marketing plans. I have every intention of returning to Playstation if I buy a new system.

What about the kinect that watches you do naked pushups in your livingroom even while it's off?