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This was an exciting week in the battle for next generation superiority. Microsoft came out of E3 with people angry at their DRM policies and Sony already winning the pre-order fight. Something needed to be done and on Wednesday Microsoft did it. In one day they did a complete 180 degree turn on their DRM stance, reversing policies they had previously said would be difficult to change.
Sources within Microsoft are telling 4Player these changes came about from the 'top levels' of Redmond HQ shortly after E3, and due entirely to public outcry which gained in volume shortly after the convention. Furthermore, nothing about the policies were a bluff of any sort. Microsoft intend to go forward -full throttle- with Always Online DRM no matter which stance Sony took. It was entirely public outcry, not Sony's decision to move away from DRM, that caused the reversal. As to the relationship between public reaction and Sony's move...that's always debatable.
In essence this matches statements Microsoft made on their update page detailing the changes,
“Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.”
But I, for one, also felt that Sony played a big part in the process by basically backing Microsoft into a corner. Now we're seeing that wasn't really as much of a factor as we thought it was.
My statement at the end of the original piece on Wednesday stands. These changes were brought about by you, the consumer who retains the audacious belief that when you purchase something...you own it. Crazy right? Again, be very proud at this moment.
That's not to say things still aren't going to change. The slide to all-digital will be slow but vigilant, and eventually any talk of disk-based DRM will only be found in the caches of dead web blogs. Then we'll be having other conversations.
Comments
10 years, 10 months ago
Honestly, I still believe MS changed policies because they saw the lower pre-order numbers for the Xbox One. After all, consumers speak with their wallets and they just weren't willing to hand over theirs to MS with those policies in place.
10 years, 10 months ago
I still am willing to see digital only consoles in the future but without the bs DRM and other restrictions MS had.
10 years, 10 months ago
Obviously MS is going to play it like "We listen to the consumers and we see how you've reacted and now we're going to change our policies" but I absolutely do not believe that it was not influenced by Sony. If the whole "we listen to consumers" thing is true, then wouldn't they have changed after the console was originally announced? Was there not enough of an outcry then? Yeah, they watered the policies down some by E3 but bottom line was there were restrictions still in place. It wasn't until after Sony announced "no DRM" and MS saw how poorly it was doing against PS4 in pre-orders, etc that it finally changed its tune. Sure, disappointing preorder numbers is just another form of more concrete public outcry but not until they realized they'd be beat did they finally pull the 180. I'm happy they changed their mind but I can't get on board with their whole claim that "we did it because we listen to you". It's more like "We're listening to you NOW because your outcries are in real dollars and pre-orders but we weren't listening to you before when it was just words between the console announcement and E3".
10 years, 10 months ago
I'm guessing the people who weren't going to be able to purchase an Xbox One on release day played a large part in that as well...
10 years, 10 months ago
The reversal was good news for gamers but I fear we are now in the spin stage of things where it's going to be a case of who do you believe?
For one thing I am among those who find it very hard to believe that Microsoft were not already thinking of dumping their rental/used and 'always on' before E3. Let's remember Microsoft's PR nightmare hardly began at E3 but it did reach peak intensity there.
The other point of contention is just what Sony were planning as there are sources that are quite clear that Sony too were undecided over the precise way they would handle used/rental and online but having seen Microsoft's blunders and the initial reaction to them their choice was made for them. It also helped that Sony simply did not have the infrastructure in place to enforce DRM and some kind of 'always on' feature. Whatever you think of Microsoft's initial decision they had done so with the understanding that their new infrastructure could handle it.
The publishers are also doing some spin of their own by claiming DRM and used had nothing to do with them and they put no pressure on the console makers. Easy to say now it's been dumped but I suspect the truth is somewhat different.
Whatever the reasons it's a good move and should ensure a bit more healthy competition between the two.
Now if someone wanted to start a campaign against bundling Kinect with xbox one when it quite clearly does not require it, yet whacks up the price by about $100, then please do so.
Might I suggest #BetterWithoutKinect. ;)
10 years, 10 months ago
If they need to say it than its not true.
The public have been "outcrying" for months now so why change at the last minute ?
Microsoft saw they were doing bad on pre-orders and assumed it was because of the DRM so they backpedaled
There is no shame in changing features for money but at least have the backbone to admit it.
10 years, 10 months ago
People don't seem to understand that Microsoft not caring about their audience is nothing new. The only changes that they brought to the Xbox 360 were for their own benefit, as they slowly gravitated their intended audience away from the group of gamers that brought them success in the first place, all while mid-generation. That's like buying a toaster, and then watching it evolve into a modern blender with the same, now-outdated toasting mechanics.
The Xbox 360 serves the same purpose for gamers that it did upon release in 2006. I can't even offer an example of one change that Microsoft implemented over the last three years that changed my gaming experience whatsoever.
And, surprise, surprise, the Xbox One appears to be of the exact same design. All of those stunning, fancy new features meant to dazzle the masses into spreading their wallets mean nothing when followed by the insulting phrase, "and it plays games."
Microsoft has already proven that, without any doubt, their interests are not suited to gaming, but to lining their own pockets.