Kotaku: Next Xbox will require online connection to start games

[Motoko.]

I hope this is not one of those moments where consumers would be angry at this but when the console launches they'll cave in and buy it anyway

[Luc2k]

I hope this is not one of those moments where consumers would be angry at this but when the console launches they'll cave in and buy it anyway

Of course they will, people are stupid like that. We used to have game expansions, now we have DLC.

[HighwayGlider]

I still have my PS2. And guess what, I can bring it along with me without worrying about connection issues. Still having fun with it.

[RiverCampher]

Yes, it might be annoying if it required an always-on connection or an activation per play in some circumstances but it's rarely going to affect most people. I just think it's a shame game companies don't offer extra content that's beyond multiplayer and patches. More DLC's and micro transaction and expect advertising to be more prevalent.

I just hope there is still room for the niceties like content creation, etc. There will be certainly new kinnect intigrated services like video link in-game which should be interesting.

[MindTrickz]

The very SAME article also states:

So like I said on the front page, Kotaku doesn't know anything for certain.

How about Microsoft Creative Director defending "always-on" on twitter and being a dick to everyone? He in-adherently confirms its. Why else would he choose to defend it to such an extent.

[HawkMan]

No he doesn't, and because he thinks the whole argument is stupid. The rumor is that you need Internet to star the game even, not always on which he talks about.

[MindTrickz]

No he doesn't, and because he thinks the whole argument is stupid. The rumor is that you need Internet to star the game even, not always on which he talks about.

What? The entire exchange started on the basis of the always-on for the next gen xbox. This was his position on it. And you are incorrect. The always-on and online to start games are both present in the rumour.

"If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."

[Torolol]

It's gunna be the whole Sim City PR trouble again... I can feel it now!

yeah, i can already envision Microsoft preparing the spammers, and briefing Microsoft Patrol Squad with praise materials, and strategy to bash anyone who opposes it.

[George P Global Moderator]

What? The entire exchange started on the basis of the always-on for the next gen xbox. This was his position on it. And you are incorrect. The always-on and online to start games are both present in the rumour.

It's part of the rumor but "always on" isn't the same as "always connected". They're two different things said together but aren't the same. My tablet is always on, even when I turn the screen off. My smartphone, my tv when it's in standby mode and so on. He's right in saying lot's of things are "always on". He never touched on the "always connected" part, instead he was talking about power state.

[Luc2k]

It's part of the rumor but "always on" isn't the same as "always connected". They're two different things said together but aren't the same. My tablet is always on, even when I turn the screen off. My smartphone, my tv when it's in standby mode and so on. He's right in saying lot's of things are "always on". He never touched on the "always connected" part, instead he was talking about power state.

So going with this flawed thinking, does that mean that once you plug the xbox in you can NEVER turn it off? If by any chance power fails, does that mean you have a useless piece of plastic FOREVER? Nobody can be this thick, surely..

[Torolol]

well, EPA will have thing to say about the new XBOX then.

[dead.cell]

It's part of the rumor but "always on" isn't the same as "always connected". They're two different things said together but aren't the same. My tablet is always on, even when I turn the screen off. My smartphone, my tv when it's in standby mode and so on. He's right in saying lot's of things are "always on". He never touched on the "always connected" part, instead he was talking about power state.

If there's going to be THIS much confusion over the stupid terminology, you'd think the creative director wouldn't be a total dick about it. Regardless of what he means and whatever the outcome may be for "always on" or "always connected", there's no doubt in my mind that he's only digging himself and Microsoft a hole. This is exactly why I was saying someone at Microsoft needs to address this formally, before the confusion becomes popular belief and people start turning their backs on them as customers.

Considering Microsoft has had issues in the past with "Vista Capable" and "Vista Ready" or whatever, you think they would avoid mixing this crap up...

[HawkMan]

What? The entire exchange started on the basis of the always-on for the next gen xbox. This was his position on it. And you are incorrect. The always-on and online to start games are both present in the rumour.

Read the article in the OP again. the rumor is that online is required to start the game, but after that you can disconnect internet and play just fine. this is how the durango dev kits reportedly works. and is most likely a dev kit security measure.

[@Leo]

To all the morons here that see it as "no biggie", especially the retards with the Xbox Live avatards and signaturds, pop your heads out of your ass for a second and think a little bigger than your simpleton "I have a stable connection and I'm rich so no worries" approach and think what happens in 20 years when you want to replay your favorite game but MS has shut down the servers because there are already 3 generations of console ahead. Are you seriously that thick in the head? :rolleyes:

Oh wait, why would you want to do that anyway? I see the error of my logic. Who would want to replay the "classics" such Gears of War clone 128731289379 or Halo or Call a Doody 1239871203896712089376120938671293867? :rolleyes:

**** you. **** you and **** your entire "gaming" generation. You are a shame for humanity.

[Chicane-UK Veteran]

These were the comments by the Microsoft Creative Director:

http://imgur.com/fulDo2f

http://i.imgur.com/keFHbXC.png

Seriously - unbelievable.

Personally I think this is a terrible decision and I can't believe Microsoft were stupid enough to go down this route. Actually... no.... I can.

[MindTrickz]

Update: Pennywise also discovered a pretty distinct developer leaving a highly implicit post on the matter:

"Given that legally I cannot confirm or deny if this information is true, nor can I comment on rumor or speculation, all I can say is be sure to pay your ISP bills ."

This is the developer:

http://www.xboxlivescore.com/profile/Mr-Lake

http://www.mobygames.com/developer/s...operId,126367/

This guy.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmohilchock

Working here :

http://www.theworkshop.us.com/about.php

[HawkMan]

To all the morons here that see it as "no biggie", especially the retards with the Xbox Live avatards and signaturds, pop your heads out of your ass for a second and think a little bigger than your simpleton "I have a stable connection and I'm rich so no worries" approach and think what happens in 20 years when you want to replay your favorite game but MS has shut down the servers because there are already 3 generations of console ahead. Are you seriously that thick in the head? :rolleyes:

Oh wait, why would you want to do that anyway? I see the error of my logic. Who would want to replay the "classics" such Gears of War clone 128731289379 or Halo or Call a Doody 1239871203896712089376120938671293867? :rolleyes:

**** you. **** you and **** your entire "gaming" generation. You are a shame for humanity.

and are you unable to give argument like a grown up.

Firstly this is a rumor that's spawned from security measures on the pre release durango DEV KITS. secondly if this is true it's because MS will treat these games as steam games, and if this is the way they go, it will run off the Live service and servers which will remain the same in future generations. and after the console lifecycle they could push a update to the console that disables online check to play the games,

These were the comments by the Microsoft Creative Director:

http://imgur.com/fulDo2f

http://i.imgur.com/keFHbXC.png

Seriously - unbelievable.

Personally I think this is a terrible decision and I can't believe Microsoft were stupid enough to go down this route. Actually... no.... I can.

is that the twitter exchange that has NOTHING to do with this durango dev kit based rumor about needing to be online to start games on the durango prototype dev kit. :facepalm:

[TheLegendOfMart]

Read the article in the OP again. the rumor is that online is required to start the game, but after that you can disconnect internet and play just fine. this is how the durango dev kits reportedly works. and is most likely a dev kit security measure.

No the rumour is that you need to be online to start the game AND continue to play it, if you lose connection after 3 minutes the game will be suspended and a network troubleshooter will start, that doesn't sound like devkit functionality to me, why would a devkit pause a game and start network troubleshooter.

If this is true its going to be hilarious on nextbox launch day, people not able to play their ?300+ console with Sim City style outages.

[MindTrickz]

and are you unable to give argument like a grown up.

Firstly this is a rumor that's spawned from security measures on the pre release durango DEV KITS. secondly if this is true it's because MS will treat these games as steam games, and if this is the way they go, it will run off the Live service and servers which will remain the same in future generations. and after the console lifecycle they could push a update to the console that disables online check to play the games,

Now you're just pulling **** out of your ass. There is no possible way you can know this. You are now merely resorting to making excuses for Microsoft.

So far 3 developers have confirmed it, another is a bit ambiguous for obvious reasons and the Microsoft director is being a dick about the whole issue. The signs are there.

ANYWAY; The problem is not only "If my Internet connection is down" or "If the ISP is down" but rather like with the case of EA; what if the servers are getting hammered or down. Will I have to wait 30 minutes in line to play?

We now have 3 things that can go wrong. My connection, the ISP and Microsoft's servers. If ANY one of these goes down I can not play my single player game.

[HawkMan]

because dev kits have far higher security than anything else, especially pre-launch, and by requiring it to always be online, MS can always make sure the right people have them and they're not being modified.

Sounds exactly like dev kit functionality to me. but then again, I've also numerous times explained why and how this could also be a fucntion on the final and why this could actually be an advantage..

[Mr. Gibs]

How about Microsoft Creative Director defending "always-on" on twitter and being a dick to everyone? He in-adherently confirms its. Why else would he choose to defend it to such an extent.

Who cares about what he defends? He may have his own ideals, doesn't mean the Xbox will be based on what he likes.

As for being a dick maybe he's just tired of the constant rumors. What he says petty and pathetic, I agree, but let's face it tech news nowadays seems to be all about getting as many rumors as possible and making articles for hits. Hell the Kotaku article title makes it seem as if its certain even though they say well we have an un-named source that says it does require it, but we also have an un-named source that says it doesn't.

Look at the iPhone. A couple of months before the next iPhone is released there's like 6 billion rumors that suddenly spawn out of nowhere and every single one of them gets posted on every single tech site. And then the next iPhone is announced and 99.99% of those rumors were bull****.

No the rumour is that you need to be online to start the game AND continue to play it, if you lose connection after 3 minutes the game will be suspended and a network troubleshooter will start, that doesn't sound like devkit functionality to me, why would a devkit pause a game and start network troubleshooter.

And that very same article that came up with that goes onto to say well we have sources that say you don't. Still the Kotaku title says "OH GOD IT WILL HAVE ALWAYS ON."

[HawkMan]

Now you're just pulling **** out of your ass. There is no possible way you can know this. You are now merely resorting to making excuses for Microsoft.

So far 3 developers have confirmed it, another is a bit ambiguous for obvious reasons and the Microsoft director is being a dick about the whole issue. The signs are there.

Actually, if you combine all the rumors about this supposed online required, and every games needs to be installed and no disc required. What you get is that every game is essentially a Digital Download. and the disc is merely a pre-packaged download, possibly with an embedded license key.

[TheLegendOfMart]

So how did superDaE have one then, he was posting screenshots of the software on the machine, everything I've read and heard about nextbox points to this kind of functionality. A developer doesn't need to have an always on connection and they certainly don't need something as consumer friendly as a network troubleshooter.

If all the rumours are true the nextbox is just a trainwreck waiting to happen, its an anti-consumer machine purely made to pander to content creators.

[HawkMan]

ANYWAY; The problem is not only "If my Internet connection is down" or "If the ISP is down" but rather like with the case of EA; what if the servers are getting hammered or down. Will I have to wait 30 minutes in line to play?

We now have 3 things that can go wrong. My connection, the ISP and Microsoft's servers. If ANY one of these goes down I can not play my single player game.

There's a problem with that assumption. MS already has a lot pof experience with this on their live server, and while they have had issues with many users in the past on big game launches, those two incidents(mostly one of them) caused them to have massive hardware upgrades to keep the servers far ahead of what's needed. and more importantly. EA had servers for one single game. with unexpected load. MS will w\know how many Xbox Next are sold, and how many xboxes they need to be able to handle, and since if this rumor is true, every game needs to do a check, they will need to be able to handle all of them anyway, so this won't be a problem

[francescob]

Phew... it could have been worse, it could have required an offline connection to play instead!