Microsoft has reportedly dropped all of the Xbox One’s much talked about DRM, used games and Internet connection policies.
Your meme is no longer valid.
Reported earlier this morning by Giant Bomb and later confirmed by the publisher, Microsoft has made the huge decision to reverse their announced policies for the Xbox One; the system will no longer require an online check-in every 24 hours, will be able to play games offline and will allow used games to be played on the system with no restrictions.
A post on the official Xbox News Site went up earlier today, but the site seems to be having issues, so the following statement from Don Mattrick, President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft was posted on Major Nelson’s official blog, “Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.
For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and buy games. We believe in the benefits of a connected, digital future.
Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.
You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.
So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:
Today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:
· An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.
The decision comes at a cost though, as Mark Whitten, VP of Xbox Live tells Kotaku, “There’s a few things we won’t be able to deliver as a result of this change. One of the things we were very exicted about was ‘wherever we go my games are always with me.’ Now, of course, your physical games won’t show up that way. The content you bought digitally will. But you’ll have to bring your discs with you to have your games with you. Similarly, the sharing library [is something] we won’t be able to deliver at launch.” The Xbox One’s announced ability to let you share your content with up to ten members of your family has also reportedly been cut.
The decision is no doubt made in response to the incredible amount of public backlash over the system and the now former policies. So, does this make you more likely buy an Xbox One?
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