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Microsoft Re-Brands PlaysForSure

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the always-a-pleasure-doing-business dept.

mikesd81 writes "Information Week writes about a licensing change intended to 'beat Apple at their own game'. They're going to use a combination of branding and DRM, and replace the "PlaysForSure" logo with a "Certified for Windows Vista" tag.'The certification is used to guarantee compatibility with Microsoft's copyright-protection software and is the same logo used for the company's Zune player. The problem, however, is that music and video bought from the online Zune Marketplace won't play in their native format on other devices, including those that will carry the new logo.'"

10 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. How about XP? Confusing? by guruevi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So now we're going to have Certified for Windows Vista on things that have nothing to do with Vista? Will it work on XP? That's going to be really confusing for their consumers (Microsoft doesn't have customers) especially since that logo will be found on software and hardware.

    I also don't know what music and music players have to do with Vista other than the DRM. They should rename it: "Plays only on Vista, bitches" and then say like... bitches.

    Apparently the front page is now also infected with DRM since I can't post anything and it keeps logging me out.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  2. PlaysForSure + Certified for Windows Vista? by wellingtonsteve · · Score: 5, Insightful

    = PlaysForVista

    a subtle hint for the future? ie that you will need Vista to play anything new?

    1. Re:PlaysForSure + Certified for Windows Vista? by RareButSeriousSideEf · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Actually, the branding is -- for the first time -- becoming quite clear to me. Microsoft's DRM logos on a device means "protected content must be purchased separately for this device; you cannot transfer previously purchased content to it."

      There. I'm not even an Apple fanboy, but that's an easy target for a "Hi, I'm a Zune," "...and I'm an iPod" commercial. Or better yet, "I'm a generic MP3 player, and content you purchased for me will play on damn near anything."

      --
      Pi Ran Out
  3. What ? by terrymr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How is Microsoft doing something utterly incomprehensible supposed to "beat apple at their own game ?"

  4. Beating Apple at their own game? by dangitman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Riiiiight

    Becuase Apple's game was to promote the iPod as being exclusively for one platform, and having multiple incompatible DRM formats. Funny, I though Apple did the opposite, and (unusually for Apple) made the iPod cross-platform, and implemented fairly simple DRM that is consistent across all its products.

    --
    ... and then they built the supercollider.
  5. Re:I think you mean by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Make you buy a bunch of DRM-infested music

    Hold on there.. They're not making you buy anything.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  6. Whazza works on XP? by amigabill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I use XP. I'm not interested in Vista. Certified for Vista doesn't make me fell like I can use this stuff... I'll also assume it won't work on my ipod. What about my Sansa with Rockbox? Still dunno. I feel safer _avoiding_ "Certified for Windows Vista" items.

  7. Re:Makes no sense by RAMMS+EIN · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ``This move makes no sense. PlaysForSure devices/stores are not compatible with Zune devices/stores, but they'll both carry the same logo? This defeats the entire point of the PlaysForSure branding in the first place: that any device and any store with the branding will work together.''

    BEEP. You fail it!

    Compatibility was never the idea of PlaysForSure. First of all, PlaysForSure is DRM. DRM is all about making sure things _don't_ play for sure. Secondly, Microsoft introduced the Zune with a PFS-incompatible scheme, without so much as blinking.

    I don't know what exactly the strategy is, but it smells like sucking as much money as they can out of as many idiots who will fall for it. First, they bought into PlaysForSure. Then, Microsoft introduced the Zune...which would have made Zune DRM the tech to get, had it taken off. Now, those who bought into PlaysForSure is screwed because it isn't what Microsoft's _own_ player uses. And those who bought into Zune are screwed, because nobody uses the damn thing.

    And Microsoft, who brought them to this hell, is sitting on piles of money.

    And it became night. And it became day. Just another day in monopoly land.

    --
    Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
  8. Re:Maybe better? by ozbird · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Perhaps they think that labelling it "Certified for Windows Vista" would help them sell more copies of Vista; if so, they're sadly mistaken. "PlaysForSure" may be tainted as a brand, but then so is "Vista". They've put lipstick on the pig, but people still won't kiss it - especially brown lipstick.

  9. Re:Plays for not at all? by reidconti · · Score: 3, Insightful

    For Apple's DRM'd music, on an iPod, iPhone, or registered computer (Mac/Windows) running iTunes.

    How is this worse than Microsoft's play?

    What's confusing about Microsoft has done here is called PlaysForSure "Vista Compatible" while ignoring the fact that it also works on XP and whatever else. They also call Zune music "Vista Compatible" but the two formats are not compatible with each other.

    Or with music players that most of the world owns.