Xbox One Launch Woes Were Preventable, Next Console Likely Digital Download Only

MojoKid writes: Microsoft's Xbox One launch didn't go off exactly as planned in late 2013. Before the console's release, the company was dogged over DRM restrictions with the console and concerns over its high price tag compared to its counterpart, the Sony PlayStation 4. Microsoft would attribute the higher price tag to the included Kinect camera — a peripheral that many gamers didn't particularly care for. Former Xbox Chief Robbie Bach offered his two cents recently on the Xbox One — a console that launched years after he announced he retired from the company in 2010. Bach noted, regarding the Xbox One's rocky launch, "...gosh, I think some of that was predictable and preventable." As for the future of physical game media, Bach doesn't think that the future will be so bright when it comes to DRM and always-connected requirements in the next generation of gaming consoles. He said that the next Xbox would "probably not" have physical media to speak of, with consoles adopting digital-only distribution.

Comments

No discs = no buy

[Anonymous Coward]

Then M$ can go choke on a bucket of dicks. Shove the cloud/DRM bullshit up your ass.

Re:No discs = no buy

[TWX]

I honestly don't care what the medium actually is, I want media. I don't want a company to be able to take away titles that I've bought because they screwed up somehow. Same reason why I have not yet subscribed to a paid movie service, I want to be able to watch the movies that I have access to forever, not simply for the time that a particular service temporarily has rights. I want to have access to a permanent library, not something temporary and based on shifting license agreements and shifting tastes coupled with limited storage.

The real example was, ironically enough, 1984 that was yanked from networked ebook readers of a certain variety when there was a dispute. Sorry, I'm not going to have that happen to my movies, my books, my games.

Fine with me.

[Sable Drakon]

So long as they offer an experience comparable to Steam, including weekly sales and the deeper discounts around Summer/Winter. I've got no issues with always-on, since I'm always connected anyway. Just give users a sane amount of offline time and it's all good.

Re:Fine with me.

[Mitreya]

So long as they offer an experience comparable to Steam, including weekly sales and the deeper discounts around Summer/Winter.

Oh, it would be the same experience, but without the discounts. Especially for exclusive franchises. I think they just want to control sale process and prevent used-game resale.

Also, I have never used Steam -- do they have a contingency for when they go out of business?

I've got no issues with always-on, since I'm always connected anyway.

Wait until you move into a building with "free/included" internet that blocks a bunch of ports to keep that free internet usage down. I cannot connect to any game servers from home.

Woes == Customer Dissent

[Kunedog]

To them the "woes" were the customer revolt that forced them to backpedal on always-on connectivity, the invasive 24/7 HD spy camera and microphone, and disabling of second-hand games. And they think "preventing" that is merely a matter of tightening the lockdown.

Re:Offline mode on reinstall?

[drinkypoo]

You don't do backups? If you back up your Steam folder, and your "My Games" folder, just restore it to wherever you want and point your Steam install to those directories.

Bullshit. Some games don't have DRM, but all the AAA ones do, and they aren't playable until they are blessed by Steam, which can't happen until Steam is blessed by Valve's servers, which can't happen until the installer says that it's been fully updated. You absolutely can not restore DRM-protected steam backups and play them without being online.

Not a troll, Valve shill

[drinkypoo]

I have personally tried to restore Steam backups, so I know the drill. You cannot play the backups without being online. And last time I checked, the Steam installer would refuse to install if it was old, and the download for the new one still won't resume. You either get the file all at once, or not at all.

It's really pathetic that someone is actually shilling for Valve here on Slashdot by modding down my factual comments. It's sad if they pay for it, and it's even sadder if they don't.