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Microsoft Creative Director 'Doesn't Get' Always-On DRM Concerns
New submitter SoVi3t points out comments from Microsoft Studios Creative Director Adam Orth about the debate over always-online DRM, brought to the fore recently by the disastrous launch of SimCity and rumors that the next-gen Xbox console will require it.
"Don't want a gaming console that requires a persistent internet connection? 'Deal with it,' says Microsoft Studio's creative director. In what he later termed a 'fun lunch break,' Orth took to Twitter to express his shock at people who take umbrage with the idea of an always-on console. When quizzed by other Twitter users about people with no internet connection, he suggested that they should get one, as it is 'awesome.' He then likened people who worry about intermittent internet connectivity being an issue as the same as someone not buying a vacuum cleaner because the electricity sometimes goes out. While Orth later apologized, saying it had being a bit of banter with friends, it did raise awareness that there are more than a few people who are very unhappy with the possibility of an always-on future version of the Xbox. Orth has also now switched his Twitter account settings to private."
Sooner or later every server is shut down. When the DRM server goes down, I'll be unable to use the console and the games for which I paid a expensive price? No thanks.
Religion: The greatest weapon of mass destruction of all time
... or (maybe more up his creek) take a nice trip island-hopping in the Caribbean in a sailboat without satellite connection.
... Oh, DRM!
Either place may lack a proper, always-on Internet connection, but why should that stop the people from enjoying a game on their console?
You left out "Or have been turned off to get you to upgrade or just because the no longer want to support that product."
Pretty sure Sony was quoted shortly after the announcement that (paraphrasing) "We know there are people out there that don't want to be social or online all the time. We're listening, and the console does not require an internet connection to function. It only requires the connection if you want to go online, which we really hope you will."
their customers had no choice
Well, we obviously see that windows 8 is an exceptional success. Especially the RT version on Surface. Not as successful as Vista, though, but still. And all the uber-popular WindowsPhones that take the world by storm. Not to mention the hottest thing since the generic mp3 player: zune.
As we have already seen via kickstarter and HIB this market exists and will pay. It however will not be able to fund AAA games
Oh, but I think it will be able to do that
Torment is very, very close to hitting $4M (and that's just the pre-paid budget, they'll probably sell more games when done). Once kickstarter-based games are the only way to get something new and non-DRM-ed, I am sure we will see $10M+ kickstarter projects.