With the recent reveal of the Xbox One, Microsoft has a lot to answer for to the gaming community regarding it’s odd choices for the console. The three key areas that Microsoft has explained are; Pre-owned games, constant internet connection and the Kinect.
Pre-Owned Games:
The impression we got from Microsoft was that pre-owned games were a thing of the past. Even to lend a game to a friend, that friend has to buy the license online once they had the game. Since then Microsoft has released this statement to try and explain the situation:
“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. Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games. Anyone can play your games on your console–regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you.” The company added that “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. Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners.”
Whilst this is a vast improvement on the message the gaming community received at the reveal event, it still gives us nowhere near the same freedom as Sony or Nintendo consoles give us.
Internet Connection:
Microsoft also gave us the impression that the Xbox One will need constant internet access in order to retain it’s functions. Since then, Microsoft have changed their statement to this:
“Xbox One is designed to run in a low-powered, connected state. This means your system, games and apps are always current and ready to play—no more waiting for updates. 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. Because every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection, developers can create massive, persistent worlds that evolve even when you’re not playing.”
This isn’t much better than was previously thought. It’s clear that the Xbox One, even in standby, will still be slurping up MB or even GB of data every day. Additionally, Microsoft has made the assumption that everyone buying the console will have internet access. What about the gamers that don’t? The gamers that just buy the console to have fun by themselves and don’t bother with online pay or internet as a whole? Bad move Microsoft.
Kinect:
Microsoft demonstrated at the release that the Kinect attachment for the console will be sold with the console and that it will always be on now. This gave fears that the Kinect attachment would always be recording since it would stay on whilst in standby waiting for the console command “Xbox on”. Microsoft had this to say:
“At Microsoft, we prioritize your privacy. We understand that your personal data and privacy are important. Xbox One and Kinect will provide tools to put you in control of your data. You are in control of what Kinect can see and hear. By design, you will determine how responsive and personalized your Xbox One is to you and your family during setup. The system will navigate you through key privacy options, like automatic or manual sign in, privacy settings, and clear notifications about how data is used. When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded.If you don’t want the Kinect sensor on while playing games or enjoying your entertainment, you can pause Kinect. To turn off your Xbox One, just say ‘Xbox Off.’ When the system is off, it’s only listening for the single voice command — ‘Xbox On,’ and you can even turn that feature off too. Some apps and games may require Kinect functionality to operate, so you’ll need to turn it back on for these experiences.You can play games or enjoy applications that use data, such as videos, photos, facial expressions, heart rate and more, but this data will not leave your Xbox One without your explicit permission.”
Whilst this may give comfort to some gamers, others will not be so sure. What does this have to say about the future of the Xbox One? What’s your opinion? Please leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to reply!