Games on the new Xbox won’t function without a permanent connection to the internet
Sources like Kotaku claim that the new upcoming Xbox console will always have to be online to play games. Even if they are single player games. Without an internet connection the device more or less is a doorstop as it won’t be possible to launch any games or apps. It is also said that internet interruptions up to 3 minutes won’t cause issues but longer drop outs will halt the machine. And despite Sony denying that the new PS4 won’t be able to play second hand games they did apply for a patent for technology doing that very thing. Companies do seem to be drifting away from giving a good customer service. Check out my thoughts on these matters which seems to become a reality for consumers world-wide.
“#Deal with it” – Adam Orth (a Microsoft employee) expressed his frustration with people complaining about the ‘always on’ business model Microsoft seems to be going for. In his tweets mr Orth comes across as a man with a very limited skewed view of the world, probably living in a very connected inner city (LA) high tech world and may be suffering a little from arrogance not realizing not everybody has access to reliable high speed internet and that there in fact is a world beyond LA city limits. People jumped on him and his comments and responses may have been an attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor, but it stirred up a wild discussion with people making comments, videos and what have you. People don’t seem to like it much.
Well after the laughter and the wave of dread Microsoft decided to issue an official statement:
“We are aware of the comments made by an employee on Twitter. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views are not reflective of those of the company. We have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.”
Microsoft merely states Mr Orth is not Microsoft’s official spokes-person and don’t deny the ‘always-on’ business model. So we can assume chances of such a business model actually becoming a reality is pretty big. Always online for the next Xbox console will be a monumental mistake as it will render your games useless the moment support is dropped. Instant landfill much like ET 2600 cartridges in a couple of years from now. So it is basically investing money in a device and a library of games that will only last as long as Microsoft wants it to. If you take gaming seriously and see it is a cultural manifestation of creativity than you should not treat the new Xbox platform as such a disposable form of entertainment. It’s like buying self destructing DVDs/BluRays. It would seem the game division people over at Microsoft only look at it in the short term with dollar signs in their eyes and up their arses.
The thing is I am from generation X and I’ve grown up with a notion of ownership that says I own things that I have bought and that I can do with them as I please. Now this whole new sense of ownership is being fed into our little consumer herd telling us we don’t own anything…. really. We just borrow things for large sums of money and we are very prohibited in what we actually do with the items. How on earth do you determine the value of something you really don’t get to own and may be taken away at any moment’s notice? Surely games on the new Xbox can’t be at the same level as the current gen games that you do get to keep and hopefully play sometime in the future even when PS3 and Xbox360 or WiiU support has ceased?
The always on Xbox will be nothing more than a highly specialized interactive TV-subscription service with a very low latency/high response time where you pay a monthly fee but also pay premium for the short term use of hardware and game discs. That will automatically turn into chemical waste the moment Microsoft pulls the plug. I’m not buying into that. No way. Enjoyed the ride with the original Xbox, had a blast with the 360, still do by the way but when Xbox360 support ceases I at least can play my games still – for a bit untill the unit RRODs. But by the looks of it this new Xbox I will happily pass up on.
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