The lights are on
Microsoft just released an ambiguous statement about the future of used games sales on the Xbox One. Indirect unofficial Microsoft sources are now saying that while the system will require regular checks for online connectivity, there won't be a fee for used games.
Unidentified sources have told Polygon that while it is true that the system will require online connectivity of some kind, most details are still up in the air. Special circumstances may be enacted for players who do not have Internet access, like active-duty soldiers serving in war zones.
As far as used games go, Polygon said, "The Xbox One will automatically authenticate a game using an encryption code built into a game's disc, when it is installed on the machine. That authentication on the console's hard drive tied to the game is then verified regularly through an internet connection. When a person sells the game or it is installed and played on another system, the game is deauthenticated on the original machine until the disc is brought back and used to re-authenticate the installation."
We continue to not have any concrete details about how online and used games will work on the Xbox One, but we should know more by E3. For more on the Xbox One, head to our hub to read up on all of our coverage.
[Source: Polygon]
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Well this may make me buy an Xbox One if the price is right and the online connectivity isn't too harsh....
Are these things really neccesary? Just let us play the game. We paid money for the game. We should be able to play it without any hassle. We never has this problem with the 360 (or any other console, for that matter). Why start now?
Well, that's better news on the used game front. Slightly better news at least. The online connectivity though, I dislike that.
Sounds more reasonable.
What happens when the servers are shut down when the gen is up? What about all the internet-less players?
why does everything keep looking worse for the xbox one? :(
JESUS! Microsoft is probably going to be EAs, "Greedy Fiancé".
How does that simplify things?
*** would somebody at MS please grow a f***ing spine, man up and say, once and for all and in no uncertain terms, what the hell they are planning with the connection requirements and used games.
They've been dodging these issues ever since they had their "official announcement" and it's not building confidence in the consumers to see them errrm'ing and aaaah'ing about important issues which they should have already planned/decided upon.
why is this needed at all. it seems a pointless thing to do unless there is more to it. Something about all this seems real fishy to me. I don't buy it.
so what features do the gamers get when the game is authenticated?
What the heck?
Huh, turns out the "Digital Watermarking" thing was legit!!! Look at it this way, nothing yes I mean NOTHING has changed!!! We've always been able to install our games on to our hard-disks and we've always had to have the CDs in to play them.... The only difference in now they can actively track how you loan your games out. I don't see them getting involved in the buying and selling process. Since I believe they'd have everything written neatly into our user agreements.... However, "Digital Watermarking" would allow them some unique opportunities on almost instant and live tracking of consumer movements. Such as the loaning, renting, borrowing, selling and purchasing of all the "XBOX ONE" titles to be used a anonymous statistical data based on each region of disk activation. Which could be as small as a single zip code. Does this bother me??? No.... We're pretty much going to be on even footing with the "XBOX 360"s current take on Optic and Digital media, but I guarantee you people will be looking closely at their user agreements wandering what all the extra fuss is about.
To that end, I just don't see them tying up a blue-ray drive with a game when they can fully install it and switch between over a half a dozen different types of media at will without going through their disc collection. Which I'd assume just like the current Digital games available for the 360 means we can play each with the click of a controller of the wave of a hand at will. So at this point, the current 360 is almost on even footing except that it doesn't have the bio-metrics that the "XBOX ONE" is going to become famous for and it can't install games off CDs. All in all, I'm actually quite impressed at the idea that we'll be converting to Digital Media as a whole even if we do make an Optic purchase. I've been waiting for the push to digital media for quite some time and I'm glad to see things headed that way!!! ^_^