Always-On Official Statements:
"While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection."
"With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies."
Still no explanation as to what happens if you're in the middle of a game and don't meet the minimum online connection duration requirement. Does it just kick the player off? If so, does it automatically create a save point?
This sucks for troops deployed downrange with no Internet connection.
Game Licensing Official Statement:
Used Games
"Today, some gamers choose to sell their old disc-based games back for cash and credit. We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games."
So they're putting it on the publishers if any fees are charged for using a used/rented game. And who loses the most from uses games? Publishers. Hmmm, wonder what they'll do. Anyone still think it's a coincidence that EA stopped online passes on the current platforms? With Xbox One they won't need them, they'll just deny anyone from using used games.
Giving to Friends
"Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once."
"In our role as a game publisher, Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this. In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends. Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners."
So they're also putting it on the publisher to choose to completely deny the lending of games. And what if your friend is done playing the game, gives it back to you, then your friend asks to borrow it again because some new DLC has come out. Are they SOL? Or will then a fee be incurred?
Family Access
"Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time."
This actually isn't too bad, but does this mean that only one person (you or the family member) can access the game. So you can't play the game if someone else is already playing on another console and vice-versa. And does the "friend" fall under the same time requirement (30 days) before the family can play on the friend's console. And what happens when there servers (the Cloud) crash? (which will happen). Are they just going to apologize or somehow compensate the user not having access to their game. What if there authentication server crashes? (which will happen) Does that mean since your system can't ping (authenticate) once every 24 hours that you can play games on your console?
I never thought I'd say this, but the PS4 is looking better and better. Not to mention they just officially announced that two of their launch titles will be free-to-play - Planetside 2 and Warframe. These are two already very popular on the PC and there might even be cross-platform play.
No comments:
Post a Comment