This is where Microsoft could screw it up

[compl3x]

It is ridiculous, and wasn't the whole purpose of the initial proposed online checks and DRM etc so they could lower the prices to have them on the level with Steam? We kissed goodbye to that.

 

 

We were never going to see cheaper prices because of that DRM. We've been promised lower digital prices forever and they never materialise.

[BajiRav]

I saw that Battlefield 4 was on sale at the Microsoft Store so I figured for half price I'd pick it up.  When I went to the site I saw that, sure enough, it was listed for $30.  I prefer digital-only games so I clicked on "Download from Xbox.com" only to see the price go up to $60 again.

 

I don't know if it's Microsoft or EA but it's ridiculous that a physical copy is half the price of a digital download.

 

http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Battlefield-4-for-Xbox-One/productID.294130400?ClickID=bnkqlnzzz1fkqzfqu6e6d6nqmnl6lvnygqqv

 

If they had their original "draconian" DRM, you could have bought the BF4 physical disk and enjoyed all the benefits of a digital download.

 

They went wrong when they tried to cater to the used games market. That required the 24hr check and screwed up everything*.

 

I still think they should have done following,

 

1. A pure steam like system where physical disk are only means of getting the games in your home

2. Lower the game prices to $30-40 because a) no used games market b) console is not sold at loss

3. No 24hr check and figure out used games, rentals post launch

 

 

*I personally don't get the outrage of the 24hr check but whatever. PS4/XB1 are still phoning home every so often for updates anyway.

[neoadorable]

Steam isn't a platform, it's a market application which runs on a platform (PC), anyone else can create another market application and run it on the PC platform. Consoles on the other hand are platforms which only allow one market application (Microsoft store on Xbox, PS store on Sony PlatStation).

Xbox Store is a house, PS store is a house, Steam is a room in an ever expanding house.

 

We can talk in circles all week, but i don't agree. There is no difference between Steam and Origin or GOG and XBL/PSN stores, save for the hardware they run on. Using the simile, they're all houses. Steam isn't a room, as it's not linked to any other rooms. It's a house. Plus if the PC is a house then surely the landlord is Microsoft once more...or Apple. Perhaps Linux is the only truly laid back landowner in this case, though they're not much for keeping things in order.

 

I think you just prefer PC platforms as you consider them more open, which is fine. To me it doesn't matter Xbox or Playstation or Android aren't that open - i like the stability and there's always a choice. The mindset that seems to deem using a PC and other platforms is somehow impossible because they are mutually exclusive remains quite perplexing to me.

[BajiRav]

We were never going to see cheaper prices because of that DRM. We've been promised lower digital prices forever and they never materialise.

Steam is just a DRM platform and it has sales. Xbox/PS have their own DRM platforms and they have their sales (but just not as good as steam).

[Ironman273]

How soon people forget.  I was there when Steam opened its doors (and have the badge to prove it  ;)) and I remember how Steam was going to be the death of games and never get anywhere.  Everyone wanted a physical copy and any idiot that bought a digital game would lose it in six months when Steam would have to close its doors and shut down its servers.  10+ years later and now everyone looks forward to the Steam sales and how much money they spend on it.  Wouldn't it make sense that a console would want to emulate that success?  But no, everyone had to have their own little DRM freakout when Microsoft announced a very similar model.  What I was hoping from my initial post was that Microsoft would learn a little quicker since Steam has already blazed the trail, but I don't know if it depends on Microsoft or the software publishers or maybe the introduction of DRM as it was initially proposed (which is similar to the Steam model).

[neo1911]

The whole DRM fiasco was a clever ploy to lure gullible customers towards XBox One online store.

Microsoft's reasoning: cheaper prices in the long run.

Most of Neowin's reasoning: monopoly can never bring down prices.

I am glad the whole DRM idea was dropped as people are better informed on internet and are aware of price fixing scandals. Now there is level playing field and we can buy game from whichever place that sells cheapest. Digital or disc copy.

Good times.

[Ironman273]

*sigh*  :/  :no:

[neoadorable]

How soon people forget.  I was there when Steam opened its doors (and have the badge to prove it  ;)) and I remember how Steam was going to be the death of games and never get anywhere.  Everyone wanted a physical copy and any idiot that bought a digital game would lose it in six months when Steam would have to close its doors and shut down its servers.  10+ years later and now everyone looks forward to the Steam sales and how much money they spend on it.  Wouldn't it make sense that a console would want to emulate that success?  But no, everyone had to have their own little DRM freakout when Microsoft announced a very similar model.  What I was hoping from my initial post was that Microsoft would learn a little quicker since Steam has already blazed the trail, but I don't know if it depends on Microsoft or the software publishers or maybe the introduction of DRM as it was initially proposed (which is similar to the Steam model).

 

Agree with everything you said, word for word. When HL2 launched everyone said Steam was the end of gaming as we knew it, and i was among the nay sayers. The game didn't even work out the door, the whole thing collapsed. And this was after Steam was in beta for like two years....but now Valve can do no wrong. No refunds, no trade ins, DRM up the wazoo, but it's OK, it's Steam. And smartphones and tablets are EXPECTED to have always on microphones and cameras...but how dare Microsoft try to do what Steam has made Gabe a billionnaire doing and how dare they have always on sensors on their console? :rolleyes:

 

Of course i also don't like the thought of DRM too much, but i also don't like paying taxes yet i realize that in order for progress to happen we need this. What we don't need is over-zealous application obviously. Call home every 24hrs? No, unreasonable. A week maybe. People move, people go on vacation, there's a hurricane, an earthquake...that was just not realistic. And IP locking needs to go if we want our economy to truly expand and become global. Definitely lock prices to locales, that's fair. But don't tell me i can't play X because i live in Y, when X is available in Y and you just want me to buy the physical copy or something due to an arrangement with local distis.

 

Also, i still don't get the whole monopoly thing. How in the hell is Microsoft controlling the Xbox Store a monopoly? It's THE XBOX STORE. Do we expect Sony to be able to sell there? What are we anarchists now? "Here's to you Nicola and Bart..."

 

EDIT: an example of egregious IP locking if anyone is interested is Sega games on Steam. Yes, our dear free love and totally open Steam...in Asia Pacific regions (where I work) Sega games aren't available on Steam, or the Humble Store for that matter. You think those two told Sega to go shove it, refuse to work with them for their restrictive habits? Hell no, when i'm back in the states the games show up on the Steam store again, but i can't pay for them with a non-US CC if i try, has to be a US payment method. So clearly the whole industry is infected with this old world mindset, mostly for practical reasons i admit - they need to make money after all.

 

But let's try to be fair towards everyone, and not just repeat the same old refrains.

[compl3x]

Steam is just a DRM platform and it has sales. Xbox/PS have their own DRM platforms and they have their sales (but just not as good as steam).

 

 

My point is DRM has nothing to do with pricing.