Xbox One Requires Daily Internet Connection


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geez,some of you guys need to get a grip. we know you don't like xbox or Microsoft, stop posting stuff that's been debunked and not true,and for god sakes stop posting stuff from kotaku. these guys were pushing the 'always online' bs rumor so hard, they are trying to save face. look at every article. they write some crap,then have an update at the bottom with clarification from Microsoft saying the info is bogus.

On the big day of your massive prepared hardware launch, as the public relations figure delegated to do journalist interviews, that, quite frankly at a company of MS size would be a disciplinary offense. MS fired Adam Orth....

It's more like they didn't prepare to answer journalists questions in a way that didn't cause public upset prior to E3. In other words, the no comment or least damaging wording. No company enjoys presenting DRM in this day and age, always trying to candy wrap it - See Diablo 3 and Sim City.

Even your beloved Sony's head didn't know their policy about used games and had to ask PR before he answered it and even then he was ambiguous. It happens. Kotaku is hell bent on this **** for some reason and people like you who hate Xbox for some reason are enjoying every moment of it.

It may be true and it may not be. So far Microsoft has been dodging answering the question and all we can do is wait.

Everything in kotaku article is debunked right here: http://majornelson.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-and-used-games/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MajorNelson+%28Major+Nelson+%28Xbox%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Even your beloved Sony's head didn't know their policy about used games and had to ask PR before he answered it and even then he was ambiguous. It happens. Kotaku is hell bent on this **** for some reason and people like you who hate Xbox for some reason are enjoying every moment of it.

It may be true and it may not be. So far Microsoft has been dodging answering the question and all we can do is wait.

Everything in kotaku article is debunked right here: http://majornelson.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-and-used-games/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MajorNelson+%28Major+Nelson+%28Xbox%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

It quite clearly states only if you are on your profile. If there wasn't a restriction it would not have to say such a specific requirement.

You do not need to be signed into your profile this generation to play a game at your friends.

It quite clearly states only if you are on your profile. If there wasn't a restriction it would not have to say such a specific requirement.

You do not need to be signed into your profile this generation to play a game at your friends.

You actually do need to sign in for XBLA and GoD (probably similar on the PS3 side). If they have said something doesn't necessarily mean it is true.

You actually do need to sign in for XBLA and GoD (probably similar on the PS3 side). If they have said something doesn't necessarily mean it is true.

Nope, no games on the PS3 or PSN (includes fully retail digitally distributed games) or retail require you to be signed in. Even patched download if you aren't signed into PSN but have your ethernet cable plugged in - Why? Game patches are stored on a different server.

Nope, no games on the PS3 or PSN (includes fully retail digitally distributed games) or retail require you to be signed in. Even patched download if you aren't signed into PSN but have your ethernet cable plugged in - Why? Game patches are stored on a different server.

Clarification: I was referring to the "friends place scenario" not my own console. I don't need to log in for XBLA/GoD on my own system.

Clarification: I was referring to the "friends place scenario" not my own console. I don't need to log in for XBLA/GoD on my own system.

You don't need to on a friends PS3 either. One of the great things about hardware licensing is all you need to do on a friends PS3 is have your account ON the console (stored locally), NOT signed in, and they can actually play ALL your games from THEIR account, online or offline.

Hence why 'gamesharing' was/still is incredibly popular on the PS3.

You don't need to on a friends PS3 either. One of the great things about hardware licensing is all you need to do on a friends PS3 is have your account ON the console (stored locally), NOT signed in, and they can actually play ALL your games from THEIR account, online or offline.

Hence why 'gamesharing' was/still is incredibly popular on the PS3.

There is a term for that - it's called soft piracy. I know about that feature and still surprised how sony allowed it. (I am not complaining and would love to have something like that on Xbox side).

There is a term for that - it's called soft piracy. I know about that feature and still surprised how sony allowed it. (I am not complaining and would love to have something like that on Xbox side).

We (we being gamers) share game discs with everyone all the time though (as well as books/magazines/comics/clothes/etc). The digital market overlords have just sheeped us all into believing draconian DRM is okay if it's to do with digital content.

I'm sure there's some CEOs out there who would say playing your legally bought MP3 collection when a friend is round is "soft piracy"....

There is a term for that - it's called soft piracy. I know about that feature and still surprised how sony allowed it. (I am not complaining and would love to have something like that on Xbox side).

How the hell is it piracy to share games with your friends?!?!?!?!

We (we being gamers) share game discs with everyone all the time though (as well as books/magazines/comics/clothes/etc). The digital market overlords have just sheeped us all into believing draconian DRM is okay if it's to do with digital content.

I'm sure there's some CEOs out there who would say playing your legally bought MP3 collection when a friend is round is "soft piracy"....

There is a difference though. When you share a book with your friend, you don't suddenly have two books. I am not pro DRM but as someone who gets paid for software development, I can see the other side too.

How the hell is it piracy to share games with your friends?!?!?!?!

We are talking about sharing PSN games not game discs. Try to follow the conversation...

There is a difference though. When you share a book with your friend, you don't suddenly have two books. I am not pro DRM but as someone who gets paid for software development, I can see the other side too.

I can see a fair point there BUT, that person doesn't own the game, it is still tied to your account. You are the owner of it. Your account can only be licensed on 2 PS3s at a time, so if you delete your account off your friends PS3 he/she cannot play your games.

It's a very fairly balanced DRM system, that yes when it was at 5 activations it was getting abused, but at 2, you're either spreading your account over two PS3s you may own, or one at your friends/GF's/BF's.

It really is in no way unfair to the software developer, you've paid him/her for their work and only YOU own it.

Which is something Sony allows by letting you "activate" the game on a different PS3 entirely as well as your own???

Last time, if you are not going to bother reading what I post - I am not going to bother replying saying the same thing again.

Last time, if you are not going to bother reading what I post - I am not going to bother replying saying the same thing again.

Maybe if you comprehended the fact that Sony lets you use content on two different consoles at the same time you'd understand. No one is gaming or bypassing DRM, Sony ALLOWS it.

Maybe if you comprehended the fact that Sony lets you use content on two different consoles at the same time you'd understand. No one is gaming or bypassing DRM, Sony ALLOWS it.

Just because one company allows it does not mean that another company should. For instance, Microsoft may have implemented the restrictions at the behest of publishers and we may see them favour the X1 over the PS4 as a result. Personally I don't have a problem with it, as I buy my games nearly exclusively on Steam and there are similar restrictions in place.

How the hell is it piracy to share games with your friends?!?!?!?!

Because it goes against the licensing agreement and deprives the developer of income they would have otherwise received.

Because it goes against the licensing agreement and deprives the developer of income they would have otherwise received.

Do you think it's okay for your friend to sit in the same room as you and watch you complete a game from start to finish?

Do you think it's okay for your friend to sit in the same room as you and watch you complete a game from start to finish?

I didn't say it was wrong, just that it could be legitimately classed as piracy / copyright infringement. From the perspective of the consumer there is nothing wrong with it, as if they truly wanted to buy it they would have. My point is that it's understandable for Microsoft and Valve to restrict ownership of games in order to benefit themselves and developers. It is also understandable that people are critical of it, especially when it will prevent them from being able to do things they can do currently. But I believe that the developers of games should be rewarded - if renting or borrowing games doesn't reward the producer of the content then it's little different to simply pirating those games.

'One' is strange naming choice especialy its not the first gen iteration.

So, if Phil Harrison is correct, Xbox One name could be extended into Xbox-One-Day.

Xbox-you-can-only-play-games-on-One-console. :p

I didn't say it was wrong, just that it could be legitimately classed as piracy / copyright infringement. From the perspective of the consumer there is nothing wrong with it, as if they truly wanted to buy it they would have. My point is that it's understandable for Microsoft and Valve to restrict ownership of games in order to benefit themselves and developers. It is also understandable that people are critical of it, especially when it will prevent them from being able to do things they can do currently. But I believe that the developers of games should be rewarded - if renting or borrowing games doesn't reward the producer of the content then it's little different to simply pirating those games.

You avoided his question with a long winded explanation of (summarized) "I understand both sides of the fence".

I understand why you avoided his question because, like it or not, Audioboxer brought up a perfectly valid point: Why does your friend not have to buy the game that he watched from start to finish? When you purchase a game, you purchase the entertainment factor so don't try the argument "He didn't play it so he doesn't have to" (nice try though :) ).

See the funny thing about Software Developers (and I speak from experience, I can show my portfolio) is people argue that you are stealing money right out of their pockets. That is a big fat no for studios (indie developers can be a different story) where the game would have to be pirated well above 50% before the little guys would be affected.

It all comes down to money hungry publishers and DRM enforcers. It won't stop until they squeeze every -single- dollar out of the consumer and blockade any opportunity for another party to get out scott free.

To be honest my Xbox 360 is online 99% of the time it's on and I don't use Xbox Live, I don't talk to people through it and I don't buy anything except DLC. So again, like many other things.. this is not a major issue for me, personally.

You avoided his question with a long winded explanation of (summarized) "I understand both sides of the fence".

I thought my response precluded the need to answer it explicitly but, for the sake of clarity, I don't see any problem with somebody else watching you play a game - afterall, the person playing the game has the licence to do so and if anything it is entirely like to make that person want to buy the game. Gaming is an interactive medium, so the experience of simply watching a game is very different to actually playing it.

I understand why you avoided his question because, like it or not, Audioboxer brought up a perfectly valid point: Why does your friend not have to buy the game that he watched from start to finish? When you purchase a game, you purchase the entertainment factor so don't try the argument "He didn't play it so he doesn't have to" (nice try though :) ).

You're not purchasing the "entertainment factor", you're purchasing a licence from the copyright holder to play the game and that doesn't preclude other people from watching you. That they amount to the same thing is irrelevant.

See the funny thing about Software Developers (and I speak from experience, I can show my portfolio) is people argue that you are stealing money right out of their pockets. That is a big fat no for studios (indie developers can be a different story) where the game would have to be pirated well above 50% before the little guys would be affected.

It's not that I disagree with you but I don't really want to get into a discussion about piracy as that's a very different issue.

It all comes down to money hungry publishers and DRM enforcers. It won't stop until they squeeze every -single- dollar out of the consumer and blockade any opportunity for another party to get out scott free.

I don't think that's a fair characterisation. It's perfectly reasonable for publishers to want to restrict second-hand sales as they undermine primary sales and prevent money from going to the developers. But in order to restrict second-hand sales you have to add value to the experience, which is why the X1 won't require you to use the game disc and will allow you to download games on other consoles when you login to your account. Microsoft has also said it will allow customers to trade-in and resell games, so that will make it a much more flexible system than Steam.

Potentially the X1's trading system will make reselling games even more common than it is now if it can all be achieved over the internet, while at the same time compensating the developers. That to me is an ideal outcome.

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    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it by Steven Parker If you have been reading Neowin for any length of time, you may remember that I reviewed the Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro back in April. I found it to be an excellent budget sound card, even though it lacked support for formats such as DTS over the included SPDIF port. Anyway, Creative reached out to me again asking if I was interested in reviewing the Sound Blaster AE-X. It is a card mainly targeted at headphone wearers, which I'll get into a bit later. Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: Creative Labs provided a free sample without any review pre-approval. Here are the full specs of it: Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Dimensions: 179 x 126 x 18 mm Weight: 263g / 9.28 oz Platform: PCI-e DAC: ESS ES9039Q2M Connectivity Options Side: Rear: 1 x HD Audio Front Panel Connector, 1 x ⅛“ Headphone port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Left) port, 1 x RCA Line-out (Right) port, 1 x Coaxial SPDIF-out port, 1 x ⅛“ Mic in/Line-in port, 1 x TOSLINK SPDIF-in port Surround: No DNR / SNR: THD+N: 0.0001% Dynamic Range 130 dB Recording Resolution: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Direct Mode: Line Out (Stereo): PCM up to 32-bit  384 kHz Coaxial SPDIF Out: PCM up to 24-bit 192.0 kHz Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 384kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 Output Impedance: 1Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 8–600Ω, IEM: 0.5Vrms, Low: 1.5Vrms, Mid: 3Vrms, High: 6Vrms, Maximum output power: 350mW @ 32Ω (High), Maximum output voltage: 6Vrms (High) Front Panel Headphone Amp: PCM up to 32-bit / 192kHz (Stereo) Native DSD: DSD64, DSD128 Output Impedance: 10Ω, Supported Headphone Impedance: 32–300Ω, Maximum output power: 40mW @ 32Ω, Maximum output voltage: 1.9Vrms ASIO: ASIO 2.3 Total Harmonic Distortion: THD+N: 0.0006% Dynamic Range: 114 dB Scout Mode: Yes EMI shielding: No (but it passed all the FCC emission tests) Operating temperature: 0–45°C Input Power: 12V⎓0.5A Warranty: 1 Year (MSRP) Price: $179.99 / £169.99 The Sound Blaster AE-X was announced at the end of May, and it becomes clear that it is mainly for headphone wearers. I should also note that the card does not support DDL/DTS encoding technology, but it is said to support decoding through the coaxial SPDIF port. I was able to test this working with the classic Windows Sound properties, but I could not get a DTS (decode) signal through my Logitech Z906, it defaulted to 3D sound whenever I played DTS content through Plex or Emby. In addition, this card only supports two channels (stereo) over the speakers. The surround support is limited to the Headphone Amp, so before I get underway, what we have here is a card mostly intended for headphone use, especially with its SPDIF In (Toslink) port where you could connect another device like a console. So what about the highlights of this card? The AE-X is powered by the ESS SABRE DAC (ES9039Q2M), which is capable of a 130 dB dynamic range. In addition, it supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback for deeper detail and clarity. The headphone amplifier delivers up to 350 mW @ 32Ω, which admittedly far surpasses standard onboard audio, offering support for studio-grade headphones. DSD256 and ASIO 2.3 are also supported. What doesn't it have? No support for What-U-Hear, Super X-Fi, or the SmartComms Kit No EMI shielding, but it passed all the FCC emission tests (from the FAQ) I also want to make it clear that I am no audiophile. For me, it's purely subjective and it should just "work" out of the box. First impressions As I said in the introduction, I was a bit sad to see that the AE-X only supports stereo output, meaning it would not be on par with my ALC1220 over my speakers, as I mentioned it seems like this card is marketed toward headphone users. Since I am not an avid gamer that would rule me out as a potential customer, but I can still test its capabilities! The card arrived in a nice-looking box, as shown above. It's quite a bit larger than the Audify FX Pro that I reviewed back in April, and at first I thought the covering meant that it was EMI shielded, but it isn't as mentioned above in the highlights section. What's in the box: 1 x Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe card 1 x 3.5 mm CTIA TRRS to Dual TRS Headset Splitter Cable 1 x Quick Start Guide Aside from the Quick Start Guide, which someone at my age (I guess) needs a magnifying glass to read thanks to the tiny fonts, Creative Labs also has the manual online, which first requires you to prove that you're human in order to access it (so I can't direct link it). Anyway, the box is mostly made up of cardboard, and the only plastic in it is the anti-static bag for the card itself. Design Top Bottom The card itself looks pretty cool and actually wouldn't look out of place in an all-white build. There's only one connector, and for some reason it is awkwardly placed on the side (front-facing) that is for the front panel audio connector, which will let you use the headphones through the front PC audio jack. Since the front panel Headphone Amp has fewer capabilities than the rear headphone port, I decided not to use it. Rear of card PCI-e interface The rear of the card is completely open and is normally where you would find the front panel connector. The PCIe interface side is completely covered, which initially made me think it was EMI shielded. I/O panel Side (front-facing) with Front panel connector On the outer rear bracket side we have the TOSLINK SPDIF in, Coaxial SPDIF out, RCA line out (Right), RCA line out (Left), Headphone out, and Mic/Line in ports. On the front facing portion of the card itself is the F-panel connector. Usage Test System Our test system consists of the following: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER (BIOS F12) Corsair RM1000x (2024) Thermal Grizzly Kyronaut (33x33x0,2mm) 2x 32GB Kingston Fury Beast RGB DDR5 6000MT/s CL36-38-38-80 T-Force Z540 2TB (PCIe Gen5) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition (NVIDIA) Creative Sound Blaster AE-X Windows 11 25H2 Pro I installed the card into the Gigabyte X870E AORUS MASTER which includes the RealTek ALC1220 onboard audio. For our subjective listening tests, I used the Coaxial SPDIF port to my Logitech Z906 speakers. For headphone tests I used the OneOdio Studio Max 2 Wireless DJ Headphones that I reviewed last month. After installing the audio driver, I installed Creative Nexus, which is a relatively new app designed for the latest Sound Blaster cards. Then I discovered the AE-X needed both a driver update from 1.00.15.0001 to 1.01.09.000 and a firmware update from 1.00.06.0000 to 1.00.06.0002, then I was set to go. It should be noted that the card did not work without the driver (not Plug and Play). As you can see above, you can manage the firmware, driver, and inputs via Advanced Settings on the Device tab. By default Nexus enabled "Direct Mode". Upon clicking on Acoustic Engine, the Equalizer can be enabled and set to four different presets, which are: Gaming Music Movies Footsteps Enhancer There's also a dedicated Scout Mode for gamers. I mainly used Tidal and Spotify in the past week to listen to some of my Liked Songs (which now total over 700) in Shuffle mode; there were no pops or interference that I could hear. I also found a 5.1 Surround Music playlist on Tidal that sounded really great over Studio Max 2 headphones. When I reviewed the Audigy FX Pro, I went out and purchased a Logitech Z906 set second-hand for €100 specifically to use with the card, but in this instance all I could get on the AE-X was the 3D output of surround sound through Coaxial SPDIF and although it still sounded great, it isn't quite as good as DTS Interactive via my onboard Realtek ALC1220. Conclusion So what have I learned? The AE-X lacks multi-channel support for 5.1/7.1 setups and drops support for modern surround technologies like Dolby or DTS, functioning strictly as a stereo output device. So to really benefit, you will need Studio-grade headphones to "hear" the benefits of this card. With that being said, I can imagine it will appeal to gamers who are switching between console and PC. By utilizing the SPDIF in port, you could just plug your headphones into the AE-X (front or rear port) and then switch between PC and Console without having to move the headphones to a different port. As I said in the Sound Blaster Audigy review, the EQ in the Creative Nexus app offers safe presets, which allows a user to further tweak the lows, mids, and highs for a personal listening experience. Of course it all depends on the headphones you hook up to it. Speaking of headphones, I kind of wish I had higher-quality Studio-grade headphones to really test this card with; I'm not usually wearing headphones in my day to day duties. The only time I will wear them is if I want to listen to music very late at night and I don't want to disturb my neighbors, so my rating (verdict) is based on this fact. Someone with a PC/Console setup and wears headphone religiously to game, and consume media will benefit much more than I from the high-quality Headphone Amps that are included in the AE-X. Once again, I do feel like Creative could have gone the extra mile to support the S/PDIF port a bit more. Why include it if you're not supporting the main popular digital formats? It seems like the decision was more of a legacy-based one, offering uncompressed 2-channel PCM audio, for users with high-fidelity audio systems and external DACs. Maybe I will be lucky enough to review a card that truly includes all these features in the future. I am sure readers with far more knowledge on audio systems than me will correct me in the comments below. I'll just say I am happy to learn what I don't know! Where to buy The Sound Blaster AE-X is available to purchase now in preorder for $179.99 on the U.S. Creative website, or for £169.99 on the Creative UK website and will start shipping to customers from June 25.
    • $80 or 90%, anything else would be financial suicide one way or another.
    • Or... just use Bitwarden. Free, and has on-prem option as well. Works both on desktop and mobile, wherever you are. The age of local password files is over.
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