No, they really haven't. They have said they "support used games if that's what the developer wants" and "you can play offline, if that's what the developer wants". They have not mentioned anything about activations other than dodging questions about it.
Microsoft Xbox Reveal Event - May 21, 2013
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Yes, i have already posted about my issues with steam, which i also find annoying. And as i mentioned back then i am focusing on disc based PC games and or other services.
However, unlike Consoles if Steam shuts down i will have no problem finding my games and i will have no moral problem doing so and i doubt any legal issues as well.
Steam also supports an offline mode, that works at least what i have tried.
Steam sometimes does sales that makes console games look like luxury priced items.
Steam has so far not been evil, unlike Sony and Microsoft.
I don't sell my games, i keep them, and i buy very few used games, typically games that are out of "print".
If Sony allows people to fully install games and play without a disc inserted (and it sounds like that is the case), it is inevitable that there will be a DRM scheme. People who think otherwise are kidding themselves.
So really this is a vague moral issue that is placated by marginal differences in price and your gut feelings about whether a company is "evil"?
At this point MS should just say something like "With regards to used games, we've announced the same general policies as our direct competitors" and force them (sony) to clarify their position as well. They've done a poor job deferring this conversation until they are more prepared, but at the same time are taking all of the backlash about next-gen used game policies. (Polices that will probably be the same across both consoles.)
You mean like SSAA? Say with an internal rendering resolution of 1080p and project onto 720p output
I see it like this: both consoles are weak, in the sense that again we won't see many 1080p games, BF4 is already rumored to be 720p60Hz. So I just hope that devs choose whatever they think makes the best experience. It is just that I like good IQ as it is the thing that distracts me most...so I hope for 1080p and(!) good AA.
This is what I don't get. Both gpus have FAR more juice than what is needed for 1080P gaming. Why do I say, well, I use a 5750 and have yet find a game that won't work fine at 1980x1200. That card probably has something like half or less of the performance of the XBone card. It is rated at 1 TF but is significantly less efficient and has a low quantity of low bandwidth, high latency memory, and has to deal with drivers and other challenges from being in a PC.
The only reason for not being 1080P would be what I consider very poor trade offs in marginal IQ improvements versus resolution.
You have basically 2 choices assuming you don't want a single purchase to provide many copies.
Tie the game to the disk, or some sort of online activation. The only other option would be some sort of RW strip that disabled a disk on install, but that ties the game to the machine which is even worse than tieing it to an online account.
I'm sure MS and Sony discussed the pros and cons of all of them.
Minimally online purchases on either platform will be tied to an online account, and I'd expect both to do day and date for all games. The question is do I need to find the disk to play a game I bought in a store even though the game is entirely on the HDD?
RancidLunchmeat
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Why would you need to do that in the next gen systems when you don't have to do that now? I don't know how the games are currently tied (to my gamertag or my machine, I imagine my machine), I've purchased a few (2? 3?) full games through Live but I've never tried to play them on another machine or with another Gamertag.
I hope the EU carry through with their plans to make being able to resell a DRM licence mandatory. Just the mere fact that they talk about it will force DRM holders to do some R&D on how that could affect them and if the EU pulls through, all platforms will start supporting it. I think it could work really well especially if they require it from a certain value upwards (e.g. not required for 1,99 apps, but required for 10 or up, as well as, say, a song library worth upwards of 1,99). Perhaps allow the original licence holders to receive up to 20% of the resale value to cover licence transfer costs and to encourage them to support it properly.
@Cranky: those are games designed for severely outdated hardware (current gem consoles). Next gen console titles will be more demanding and choose different trade-offs.
@Cranky: those are games designed for severely outdated hardware (current gem consoles). Next gen console titles will be more demanding and choose different trade-offs.
He has provided support for his position on the subject in other threads.
@-tkf- I remembered the above discussion when I saw this from Phil Harrison in the Venturebeat interview.
Phil Harrison said:
Thing is with 720p vs 1080p, the way most people tell is from the HUD and associated text. If that's rendered in 1080p and the 3D scene is rendered in 720p, would most people really notice? The HUD is the only think that is pixel accurate anyway, so it's very easy to tell when it's fuzzy.
I actually like MS's vision for XBO going forward. It's a forward thinking plan with lots of room for growth...things evolve...which means "gaming consoles"...will be doing much more as people slowly leave the "old way of thinking" behind...
I think deep down (no not the Capcom game) all the people who've had their panties in a knot fear that MS's plan of an All In One box WILL actually be MORE successful than a traditional game centric console. They fear it will be similar to how smartphone and tablet gaming have killed the "dedicated handheld". Of course these fears are not justified given MS full commitment to gaming.
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What I don't get is that a game console already has all of the power to do this stuff. The era of the pure gaming console died with the PS2. And Sony wanting to push Blu-ray for non-gaming purposes to fight against HD-DVD is part of what let it to cost $499/599 in the first place as well as delay the launch in Europe by almost 4 months (Blu-ray diode shortage).
It should be clear from the Wii that the "casual" gaming market, if properly tapped, has far greater spending potential than hardcore gamers. And no, these boxes are not just for hardcore gamers, that's being selfish.
RancidLunchmeat
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There's also the fact that a dedicated gaming machine, unless cheaply built and overpriced, like the Wii and WiiU are profit pits. You simply can't make money with a powerful, dedicated gaming machine.
People lament the focus on entertainment and other aspects than gaming "diluting" the console world, when the reality is that the addition of those features is probably what will save the console world.
Without those features and the ability to make money from things other than game licenses, companies cannot afford to sell consoles powerful enough to make gamers happy. If you want dedicated gaming devices, go buy Nintendo systems that are profitable from Day One because they use out-dated hardware and still sell them to you at a profit.
People lament the focus on entertainment and other aspects than gaming "diluting" the console world, when the reality is that the addition of those features is probably what will save the console world.
Without those features and the ability to make money from things other than game licenses, companies cannot afford to sell consoles powerful enough to make gamers happy. If you want dedicated gaming devices, go buy Nintendo systems that are profitable from Day One because they use out-dated hardware and still sell them to you at a profit.
From what I have tested if you buy a full game or arcade game it will be fully playable to anyone on the system it was bought on. If you decide to play it on a different 360 you will need to download it and have the xbox live account that made the purchase sign in then any other account can play it as long as the main account is logged onto live.
You can also switch the DRM to any console every 5 months I think so if you bought a new 360 and want all content moved over you can do it.
I dont know what you are talking about. We already got consoles that are no longer just "gaming" devices. We stream videos, we play movies, we watch youtube, we access facebook, we access the a web browser, we play music, we view photos, yada yada. Things that are becoming standard in almost every electronic device with a screen. And we like them.
The slogan "it only does everything" works and I had no problem with it. I actually liked it for both my 360 and PS3.
The biggest gripe (at least mine) its not that the XBone tries to be more than a games console. Its how it' is trying to do it and where it focuses on
+1...
I'm talking about a device that does those extra things WELL, not a device that half asses them just to be able to fill in the checkboxes.
So far and going forward it looks like MS will have the upper hand...also they have not "defocused" gaming...lol.
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Bagel seed
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PS4 half assing their media features confirmed? Wait for E3 for hand swipe to alt-tab before you bury them
RancidLunchmeat
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That all sounds fair and reasonable to me.
Is there anybody that objects to this type of DRM?
back to the DRM used situation for a moment... on Tuesday night I believe it was, when fur was flying, an MS exec said something that although they are not ready to announce, there will be a system in place ON the Xone to trade in digital games for credit as well...
Ill have to dig up the article but he could have been referring to just tying/untying disc media to your account through MS's new used DRM system. But I interpreted it as digital trading as well which, if true, would be extremely consumer friendly IMO. Especially so if DD games are same price as disc and where Steam has advantage with lower pricing but no aftermarket value.
an MS exec said something that although they are not ready to announce, there will be a system in place ON the Xone to trade in digital games for credit as well... Ill have to dig up the article but he could have been referring to just tying/untying disc media to your account through MS's new used DRM system. But I interpreted it as digital trading as well which, if true, would be extremely consumer friendly IMO. Especially so if DD games are same price as disc and where Steam has advantage with lower pricing but no aftermarket value.
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