The lights are on
[Update] Microsoft has released a new statement, which apologizes for the comments made on Twitter yesterday.
This new statement was released by official Xbox blogger Major Nelson. Here is the statement in full:
"We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."
[Update] We received an official statement from Microsoft, via the company's PR firm Edelman, concerning the tweets sent by Microsoft Studios' creative director Adam Orth last evening.
The statement reads as follows:
"We are aware of the comments made by an employee on Twitter. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views are not reflective of those of the company. We have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter."
[Update] The Microsoft employee whose tweets ignited more speculation about an always-online console future has made his Twitter account private. Meanwhile, the BioWare employee who engaged in that initial Twitter exchange is defending his friend's comments.
"The initial comments are what they are and he has to answer that, but the 'why would I live there' stuff was him trolling me," wrote Manveer Heir, senior gameplay designer at BioWare, in tweets to Destructoid's Jim Sterling. "We're good friends and he was busting balls, forgetting it was online and public. Doesn't forgive the original sentiment at all."
As Sterling pointed out in his story about the tweets and the back and forth, the bits about cities weren't what made Microsoft creative director Adam Orth's posts seem so tone deaf.
[Update] A user on the NeoGAF messageboard has found tweets from the creative director of Microsoft Studios that seem to reinforce the rumors of an always-on Internet gaming console.
This news comes via the gaming site StickSkills, which spotted the posts on NeoGAF. In the posts, Microsoft Studios' creative director Adam Orth posts a series of tweets that seems to defend the idea of an always-on connected console – and also seems to make fun of those gamers who have a problem with it. The tweets are below and speak for themselves.
[Original Story]
A new report corroborates earlier rumors which state that the next Xbox console will require an "always-on" Internet connection – and will require you to be online in order to load games.
Kotaku ran a report today that cited multiple anonymous sources who stated that gamers would have to have their console connected and logged into Microsoft's network in order to use games and apps.
One source cited in the article said, "Unless something has changed recently, Durango consumer units must have an active internet connection to be used. If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started. If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time – currently three minutes, if I remember correctly – the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."
The rumors that the next Xbox will be online-only have been persistent, so it's likely that this is Microsoft's plan – or at least was the plan at some point during the development.
For more, read the original story on Kotaku.
eh, looks like no NextBox for me.
I haven't heard a SINGLE positive rumor about the new xbox, if really any of these doomsday rumors turn out to be true *** microsoft, *** the xbox, I'll go with ps4 or just stick to pc
I hope this is just rumor and nothing more. There's no way in hell I'd buy any unit that requires me to be online to use it. Sometimes I don't have internet because I have to pay other bills, or because of storms, whatever. Internet should have nothing to do with my gaming. I don't game to socialize, and I don't play multi-player games. There's just no good reason for me to own something that requires me to be online, to do something completely unrelated.
So how does Microsoft plan on making money
it doesn't seem like an idea like that would go over well with gamers......
Glad I've been making the migration to Steam; I'm only buying console games for their exclusives. I've run into so much trouble and time loss due to requisite always-on internet connections; this will probably be a deal breaker for me if this is the case with the next Xbox.
If true, no Xbox for this lil' fella.
Microsoft has to be one of the least user friendly companies on Earth. God, I can't stand those guys.
Yep the new Xbox will fail... Good thing i had my new PC arrived :P
If all these rumors are true I will be buying a ps4. Honestly though how can they do this? It just seems like Microsoft would be shooting themselves in the foot. But there is a lot of time, and plenty/all details about the new xbox will be announced in these next few months. I am hoping for the best.
in case people havent seen: kotaku.com/microsoft-creative-director-doesnt-get-the-drama-aro-470793216
Lol this doesn't seem like a "feature" first of all so marketing this will be ridiculous. All Hail the PS4!
Looks like I'll have to pick up both so I can still game when my connection is down.
dear god this would be terrible, please don't do this to us microsoft