Suggestion: Family Sharing enabled on Xbox One Games Downloads. Post-DRM

[Jose_49]

It's been an exciting week! E3, aftermaths, lots of games, and today, the DRM removal of the Xbox One.

For one, I think many people over the net are happy, others are lent down because this could remove the proposal of having cheaper games at early times. Others, like me, are quite sad to see that the family sharing feature will fade away.


Since I believe that complaining does not solve a thing, I suggest (which I could be very wrong) to allow games downloaded via Xbox Live to be shared with family members. Furthermore, the DRM will be the same used on the 360.

You can do it a la iTunes. For example, if I connect to the Internet, I decide which family members will be allowed to play the game at once. Since, I believe there were two people, I select the ones I see fit. if I select two family members, then my game is locked out, and I can't play it until I relinquish the authorization from other family members.


The thing is that a single player game could be replicated throughout all family members if they decide to set each other offline. Example: I have three family members: Alan, Wilson, William. I activate the family sharing, and lend Wilson the game. I can still play the game because I own the authorization. I disconnect my xbox from the Internet. I log in in another console and relinquish my own authorization and give it to Alan. Then, Wilson does the same: he disconnects his device from the Internet, and logs in in William's device. He sets the rights to use the game to William. Now, the 4 can play the same game at the same time.

Why? Because each xbox offline were previously authorized to play each game. They will be able to do so, as long as you don't connect back to the Internet.

To counter this method, I'd suggest a mandatory online check, each 24 hours, IF AND ONLY IF you enable Family Sharing. Both parties would be happy.

 

I've also made this post on Xbox Live Forums to see how people react to it! 

 

What do you think?!

 

http://forums.xbox.com/xbox_forums/general_discussion/f/3817/p/1429486/3568483.aspx#3568483

[Woelfel]

My suggestion....

 

Enabling Family Share a user must meet the following requirements:

 

• Authorized owner's xbox one system game must be downloaded digitally
• Authorized owner's xbox one system must be online within a 24 hr period (or always online)

Shared Game Library:

 

• Can only be accessed if user is online and within the authorized owner's list of 10 family members
• Shared games can't be played offline
• Shared games can only be accessed by 1 member of the family at a time

That simple.
 

[George P Global Moderator]

I think they're going to re-add the sharing plan again.  It's one thing people liked all DRM aside.  The best way to do it is with full digital downloads to start.  After that there should be a way/option to make your disc copy a full digital copy and thus not have a need for the disc to be in the try again and also to have it be shared.

 

The best thing this way is that those who want to use it more digitally can, and those who want to stick tied to a disc can but I think the option should be there.  And yeah, in order to do it you'll have to agree to a online security check of 24hrs or w/e. 

[Ultravires]

My suggestion....

 

Enabling Family Share a user must meet the following requirements:

 

• Authorized owner's xbox one system game must be downloaded digitally
• Authorized owner's xbox one system must be online within a 24 hr period (or always online)

Shared Game Library:

 

• Can only be accessed if user is online and within the authorized owner's list of 10 family members
• Shared games can't be played offline
• Shared games can only be accessed by 1 member of the family at a time

That simple.

 

The other way still had more benefits though, alot of people have bandwidth caps or slow internet speeds and as more people start going digital and using the internet to downloading bigger files, ISP are going to be introducing more restrictive caps, before there were no caps, now there all sorts of teir's and it is only goign to get worse. With the previous policy, i could buy the physical copy install it to my hd and play it without the disc, while pass the disc to my friend, so they could do the same and we wouldn't have to wait for the download or be worried about using up our bandwidth or going over the cap.

 

• Shared games can't be played offline             should at least be able to play for 1 hr offline incase net goes down!

 

[ctrl_alt_delete]

these suggestions are good yes, but they don't take into consideration of piracy. how do you stop piracy, piracy was the reason for the 24hr check.

[M_Lyons10]

Honestly, I really liked that feature.  I'm a bit confused as to why they didn't keep that as is, and just allow disc based authentication as a fallback if you didn't have internet...

 

I figured they would handle it like Privacy Controls, where you can allow or disallow the 24 hour check (And it's benefits), so if it were turned off, or the internet were not available for a 24 hour period, you could just use the disc as authentication...

 

And I completely understand the concerns about piracy, but by requiring if the internet isn't available that you have the disc, doesn't seem too unreasonable...

 

But in all honesty, Microsoft themselves seemed really confused by the whole model...  They really need to figure that  out before they push forward with something like this.

[freak180]

Kind of off-topic but xbox live is reported to be down right now.. :s

[Ultravires]

these suggestions are good yes, but they don't take into consideration of piracy. how do you stop piracy, piracy was the reason for the 24hr check.

 

I was for the drm policy, it was worth the trade off. The family sharing and cloud features seemed worth it, but they probably had some limits on it as well, perhaps things like, shared games cannot unlock achievements, gain gamer points, only purchased games can enter tournaments for prizes, etc, this would have given shared friends more incentives to buy the game to own.

[neufuse Veteran]

I just don't get why we can't have an opt-in opt-out for this sharing and other features that require the DRM there... if we want to do the online thing fine you opt-in... else you play off line.... kinda like xbox live is now.... you want it you do it else you just play by your little lone self

[AJerman]

My suggestion....

 

Enabling Family Share a user must meet the following requirements:

 

• Authorized owner's xbox one system game must be downloaded digitally
• Authorized owner's xbox one system must be online within a 24 hr period (or always online)

Shared Game Library:

 

• Can only be accessed if user is online and within the authorized owner's list of 10 family members
• Shared games can't be played offline
• Shared games can only be accessed by 1 member of the family at a time

That simple.

 

No need to be digitally downloaded, just connected at least once every 24 hours to verify license. No reason physical discs can't join the fun too as long as you check in with them.

[George P Global Moderator]

I just don't get why we can't have an opt-in opt-out for this sharing and other features that require the DRM there... if we want to do the online thing fine you opt-in... else you play off line.... kinda like xbox live is now.... you want it you do it else you just play by your little lone self

 

If they do like I expect and start to add some of these features back in bit by bit then we could very well end up with a opt-in situation.  It's just hard to say how long it will take, maybe the the end of 2014?  Maybe longer than that?  I still don't see them dropping any of their original plans, they're just on hold a bit, that's all.

[FiB3R]

I don't see why it should take that long to implement. I mean, you'd think the system was pretty much done already.

If they really want to turn the tables, and rewrite all those feature comparison charts, then they would be wise to have them both available at launch.

[Woelfel]

I don't see why it should take that long to implement. I mean, you'd think the system was pretty much done already.

If they really want to turn the tables, and rewrite all those feature comparison charts, then they would be wise to have them both available at launch.

 

 

Software development is not an easy switch. Much testing has to go into it. They may add more features not that far after launch...maybe next spring with Titanfall ;). I know right now, even having to re-implement the old stuff is a tough task. I feel sorry for their developers and testers and program managers (that's how teams work at MS) who thought they were going to have a nice break...jeez.