Kotaku: Next Xbox will require online connection to start games

[HawkMan]

http://www.nowgamer....econd_hand.html

hmmm seems like despite not living on every gaming website to find news to post(which is what you commented in another thread) , you seem to have awfully good time to search every obscure gaming site out there when it comes to negative rumors...

probably just coincidence that all the positive rumors just happen to miss your radar, I'm sure.

either way it's still just rumors, true or not we won't know for about a month.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

hmmm seems like despite not living on every gaming website to find news to post(which is what you commented in another thread) , you seem to have awfully good time to search every obscure gaming site out there when it comes to negative rumors...

probably just coincidence that all the positive rumors just happen to miss your radar, I'm sure.

either way it's still just rumors, true or not we won't know for about a month.

I visit NeoGAF for all my gaming news, no need to visit lots of individual sites.

Sessler's take

[dead.cell]

a great example of not being able to be online

a game day at a school or library or elsewhere (like a nukecon aftershock event). you can't connect consoles to school networks and such (99% of the time)

lmao, I totally read that as "like a nuke aftershock". I'm sure many of us won't be worried about trying to play a console when nukes are going off. :laugh:

Consoles are serious business.. lol I love these console wars.

Of course! I think the true bit of humor stems from how serious people can get about the need to end real wars, how fighting over land is useless... only to go online and fight over... plastic video game consoles. I don't even--

[giantpotato]

Funny how everyone is ignoring the confirmed fact that PS4 requires always-online for any backwards compatibility and all gaikai features, but cling to the unconfirmed rumors that the next XBOX will require a connection. Nobody even seems ****ed that none of their PSN purchases will transfer to PS4.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Funny how everyone is ignoring the confirmed fact that PS4 requires always-online for any backwards compatibility and all gaikai features, but cling to the unconfirmed rumors that the next XBOX will require a connection. Nobody even seems ****ed that none of their PSN purchases will transfer to PS4.

because Sony actually gave a legitimate reason for the online requirement, the older games for all intents and purposes are being streamed to the console

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

The streaming method is pretty horrible though, it'd be better to just keep your PS3 around.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

The streaming method is pretty horrible though, it'd be better to just keep your PS3 around.

i'm sure it can't be any worse than microsoft's poor attempt at backwards compatibility on the 360 (from what little i've experienced with 360 backwards compat it was glitchy and had lag spikes. this was with Halo 2 btw)

[ToneKnee]

i'm sure it can't be any worse than microsoft's poor attempt at backwards compatibility on the 360 (from what little i've experienced with 360 backwards compat it was glitchy and had lag spikes. this was with Halo 2 btw)

At least it had backwards compatibility. Microsoft never touted 'All your previous games will work on this console' like Sony did with the PS3 then remove the chip needed for backwards compatibility.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

At least it had backwards compatibility. Microsoft never touted 'All your previous games will work on this console' like Sony did with the PS3 then remove the chip needed for backwards compatibility.

this is true, one of many mistakes with the PS3 (still not completely sure if that mistake was removing the chip or including it in the first place :/)

[giantpotato]

i'm sure it can't be any worse than microsoft's poor attempt at backwards compatibility on the 360 (from what little i've experienced with 360 backwards compat it was glitchy and had lag spikes. this was with Halo 2 btw)

Clearly, the best way to prevent lag is to run the game on a server located miles away, and steam a video of it back to users :/

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Clearly, the best way to prevent lag is to run the game on a server located miles away, and steam a video of it back to users :/

I'll hold my judgment on it till I see it in action or can try it myself

[vcfan]

http://www.nowgamer....econd_hand.html

you just got trolled. that guy knew people will post his comments on gaming sites because of the topic at hand. I've never heard of this xing interfactive until I saw those comments.

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

i'm sure it can't be any worse than microsoft's poor attempt at backwards compatibility on the 360 (from what little i've experienced with 360 backwards compat it was glitchy and had lag spikes. this was with Halo 2 btw)

The backwards compatibility on the 360 still runs the game on the console, streaming services suck due to latency and bandwidth issues. While bandwidth may be easy to solve (And is what everybody focuses on for some reason), latency is very hard to solve and has a huge impact on the quality of a video stream (The "best" way currently would be to host the streaming servers inside the ISP network in every city, can you imagine the costs?).

Having the game run 1/10th of a second (or so) behind the player input is going to be very noticeable, never mind the reduced quality due to video encoding.

[dead.cell]

Funny how everyone is ignoring the confirmed fact that PS4 requires always-online for any backwards compatibility and all gaikai features, but cling to the unconfirmed rumors that the next XBOX will require a connection. Nobody even seems ****ed that none of their PSN purchases will transfer to PS4.

No one is ignoring it. After hearing about what kind of processors were being used for both the Durango and PS4, many stopped concerning themselves with backwards compatibility as the last thing we want is a higher cost associated with having some hardware built in just for emulation of older games; or worse, having less features or power within the device in attempt to bring a whole package at a $299 or $399 price tag.

That said, we can't accurately speculate at this time because there are rumors from Paul Thurrott saying there's a device (sold separately) to attach to allow for this backwards compatibility, and the newer leaks which suggest a chip built in. Only time will tell I think in determining what is and isn't true.

---

Personally, I'd rather the consoles be more powerful, if only to give the devices better longevity so that PC gamers don't have to feel like the consoles are holding them back due to strict limitations. I think this generation will bring both sides even closer together, thankfully. Looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. :)

[TheLegendOfMart]

The fact that offline gameplay, always online and one-time checks are supported, means that in the future, publishers will have much greater control over copyright protection for their games.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/4/26/4268782/next-xbox-drm-achievements-live

Now even reputable sites are reporting on rumours, there's no smoke without fire.

While its not as bad as always online mandatory you can bet that developers will require either one time check or always online to try and combat piracy.

[Mando]

I just don't get all the panic about this, think about it for a second, the computer your sitting at right now, does that not have/use "always on" in respect if your connected to a router right now.... the "always on" connection is there anyways!

I personally think its a storm in a teacup, all it could be is to show live updates from xbox live from the second you log in??? It has lots of benefits, keeping the console up to date, constantly keeping your installed titles up to date, realtime news, content via live pushed whenever your switched on....the list is endless.

Granted you would have limited functionality on the console perhaps if the net was down, but that could be said for playing multiplayer games on any platform, the computer your sitting at right now also!

[TheLegendOfMart]

Not everyone has internet or at least stable internet.

I have a VERY flakey connection which can disconnect 10 times in as many minutes for no reason whatsoever, wasn't so long ago my connection was down for a couple of days and engineers couldn't find any faults whatsoever.

Each time that happens I don't want my console kicking back to the OS and refusing to let me start a freaking single player game just because of some arbitrary online required check.

[HawkMan]

[/font][/color]

http://www.polygon.c...hievements-live

Now even reputable sites are reporting on rumours, there's no smoke without fire.

While its not as bad as always online mandatory you can bet that developers will require either one time check or always online to try and combat piracy.

supported doesn't mean required. suported pretty much means the same as the PS4. All the statements by Sony indicates the PS4 will "support" online checks

The next Xbox will allow publishers to decide if their games should require an internet connection to be played.

remember Sony never said the PS4 will NOT have online checks, they always where roundabout about it, saying you will be able to play games without online checks.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Yes I know they haven't said anything about services yet but this is an Xbox thread, atm I am PS4, if PS4 goes online required then I will get an Xbox, if they both are I probably won't get either.

[HawkMan]

Then at the moment due to the wishes of publishers it seems you're getting neither.

if you want to put together the facts

- Publishers want it, they have the power to force it.

- Sony specifically went around the issue practically stating it will support it

- MS is drowned in rumors saying it will have it, as well as rumors saying it won't.

Basically add it all up, what we get is that both next gen consoles will have non mandatory online systems that either requires online or allows offline play depending on the game. And most likely this is forced by the publishers. And since MS don't allow publishers to mix their own online systems with XBL to create a frankemonster online, They have both decided that it's better for them and the customer if they themselves create the online systems so they can create it to the best of the consumer.

Speaking of which I expect now that Sony has a fully working PSN system from the get go, they won't allow the mixing of other online systems with their own anymore and steam and epic will be out in the cold.

Both systems will probably aim to provide support for all the systems the developers and publishers need and want natively in their own system.

[psionicinversion]

well i read something think it was on this site that its upto the publishers whether they want always connected or not. MS's xbox supports it but it isnt enforced by MS. Publishers have they power so can imagine EA games will have it unless the new simcity's problems has put them off but i doubt it.

[BajiRav]

[/font][/color]

http://www.polygon.c...hievements-live

Now even reputable sites are reporting on rumours, there's no smoke without fire.

While its not as bad as always online mandatory you can bet that developers will require either one time check or always online to try and combat piracy.

I think this is true for pretty much any gaming console or PC. If a publisher requires it, you will need internet connection even on PS3 or Xbox 360. I am guessing nextbox probably just provides a system level support for it (not smart enough to know what that can be).

[TheLegendOfMart]

That's not a good thing, especially when companies like EA will enable it for Single Player.

[BajiRav]

That's not a good thing, especially when companies like EA will enable it for Single Player.

If you played Sim City on a Dell PC then you can't really blame Dell for EA's missteps with Sim City, can you? Same here. This provided this latest rumor is true. I think this rumor sounds more plausible than others but again, it is just a rumor.

PS4 has already confirmed "online required" for one of the major features, I guess let's wait and see what Microsoft has to say next month.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Online required for online services is hardly a downside, they already said in Playstation Meeting that you didn't need to be online to play single player.