Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

[Icemage]

How Games Licensing Works on Xbox One

With our modern architecture, Xbox One games will load more quickly, will be always accessible from the cloud, and there is no physical limit to the size or scope of the content provided.

Here are our platform policies and capabilities for game licensing – all of which will be made available when Xbox One launches later this year:

Buy the way you want—disc or digital—on the same day: You’ll be able to buy disc-based games at traditional retailers or online through Xbox Live, on day of release. Discs will continue to be a great way to install your games quickly.

Access your entire games library from any Xbox One—no discs required: After signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend’s house, you can play your games.

Share access to your games with everyone inside your home: Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games. Anyone can play your games on your console--regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you.

Give your family access to your entire games library anytime, anywhere: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.

Trade-in and resell your disc-based games: Today, some gamers choose to sell their old disc-based games back for cash and credit. We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.

Give your games to friends: Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.

In our role as a game publisher, Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this. In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends. Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners.

As we move into this new generation of games and entertainment, from time to time, Microsoft may change its policies, terms, products and services to reflect modifications and improvements to our services, feedback from customers and our business partners or changes in our business priorities and business models or for other reasons. We may also cease to offer certain services or products for similar reasons.

In the months ahead, we will continue to listen to your feedback as we meet with our partners in the ecosystem to bring additional detail about our policies.

We are excited about this new generation of games and entertainment and look forward to sharing more news with our fans.

* You can gift a game to a friend who has been on your friends list for 30+ days, but once it has been gifted, it's gone for good and can't be "re-gifted" back to you. No loans.

* 10 family members can use a game license (I wonder how Microsoft is going to manage this...)

* Publishers can decide to opt into or out of allowing you to sell your game back to a licensed retailer. That means if EA doesn't want you to sell your used copy back to GameStop, they can turn that feature off and you're stuck with only the gifting option.

* No rentals, period. No Gamefly, RedBox, Blockbuster, etc.

* No private sales. No ebay, Amazon, Glyde. No selling a game to an acquaintance.

* Xbox One must check in and validate your licenses for all games online at least once every 24 hours or you can't access the games - any of them.

I can't find enough facepalms for this. Can someone help?


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

Also relevant (still reading IM's post but here's the official info on how the online works)


Xbox One Requires Online Connection Every 24 Hours - News - www.GameInformer.com

Today Microsoft gave more details on the Xbox One's connectivity requirements.

The system can be played offline "for up to 24 hours" on your primary console or up to one hour if you're using your login on somebody else's system. Although you can use your Xbox One for other stuff (to watch live TV or play movies) while offline, you cannot play games offline after the allotted time unless you reconnect. The company says this is to see if "you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend," as well as for system, app, and game updates. It would appear that this is the method by which Microsoft will determine if you've given/sold your game to someone else.

Microsoft also recommends a broadband connection of 1.5Mbps for the best experience with the system, and that if you don't have Ethernet, you can tether the system to your phone's broadband (provided your provider allows it).

Here's the info direct from Microsoft:

To ensure Xbox One works optimally and can offer the experiences described above, it is designed with the following networking requirements:

For an optimal experience, we recommend a broadband connection of 1.5Mbps. (For reference, the average global internet connection speed as measured recently by Akamai was 2.9 Mbps). In areas where an Ethernet connection is not available, you can connect using mobile broadband.
While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection.
With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies.

In addition, Microsoft offered details today on how the Xbox One will address used game sales and game sharing with friends, and offered clarifications regarding the upcoming console's privacy settings.

Only an hour if you log on from a friend's place? I swear the more I hear the less I care about this increasingly rank pile of turds.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I can't find enough facepalms for this. Can someone help?


Icemage

Helping

If Xbox One isn't a complete financial disaster I will be so incredibly angry. This is simply inexcusable.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I can't find enough facepalms for this. Can someone help?

Hmph. Icemage, this is the internet...



*snap*



Edit: well, damn, Cid just barely beat me to it.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

You're a bit slow on the draw there BBQ.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I had to throw in a good Q pic for some reason. I've been watching TNG and DS9 heavily of late.

[Malacite]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

Shit, now I'm actually upset that I won't be able to see the MS Conference live - I want to see just how many people will be there booing them.


Shame on anyone who's been following all this and still has their pre-order (I never had one, for the record) because you're a complete consumer whore if you do and deserve everything that comes to you for allowing MS to so egregiously strip away your civil liberties.


Sorry for the run-on sentence.


EDIT: Wonder if I can e-bay my Xbox Live Gold thing I bought several months back... was on sale for $40 and no tax (as opposed to 60+ tax) for 1 year of XBL Gold. Now I don't want anything to do with it. I'll keep playing Halo 4 etc. until my thing is up in December and then that's it...

Really if it wasn't for a few games I have on my 360 I want to keep (The Last Remnant, Vesperia) I'd just hock it towards a PS4. Maybe I'll just keep it as a memento from a time when Microsoft was only moderately stupid​.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

While things are too early to call for next gen, this thing basically ensures that Sony and Nintendo have a place ahead of them and gives Valve a HUGE opportunity to take their spot with a Steam box.

Sure, a Steam box would be internet-dependant, too, but not in an invasive way like Xbox One is going for. I think its fair to say when MS makes it so games can be shut off and TV and Blu Ray is still and option that gamers are not a priority for this thing.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I think the internet's fascination with the "Steam box" is grossly misplaced. It just smacks of consumers not actually knowing what they want.

[Malacite]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I just don't see the point either, really.

I mean, Steam is just fine on PC, why go through all the hassle of competing with Nintendo and Sony - they'd be far better off having more cross-promotion like they did with Portal 2 for Steam & PS3.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

I mean, Steam is just fine on PC, why go through all the hassle of competing with Nintendo and Sony - they'd be far better off having more cross-promotion like they did with Portal 2 for Steam & PS3.

Because people want the convenience of a console with Steam and consoles are less convenient than PCs now?

A Steam Box isn't going to take the world by storm just for its internet-reliance, but bringing it to the living room is critical in the sense that it will challenge Sony, MS and third parties on their pricing structures. People that get a Steam Box are quickly going to see that they're going to have access to this huge library of games from the current releases and last gen, the previous gen, the gen before that and all loads more indie titles than Sony and Nintendo will have on offer.

It has a unified achievement system, custom self-moderated communities, a better storefront interface than any of the big three can muster and sales, sales, sales. That game still going for $60 new in retail is going to go on sale much sooner on Steam than physical retail or the competition's online networks. Sony, Nintendo and MS never drop prices on their own shit. I'll grant Nintendo that their specific games have a long tail in sales - Mario Kart Wii shifted 33 million copies in its lifetime, MK7 is approaching the 8 million mark in less than two years and those are just examples - but even then its still kind of bullshit when it comes to digital. Sony gives a small slice off the retail price of Vita games, but its either fiddle with your content manager and shift some games to your PC or PS3 HDD or buy an expensive memory card. Playstation Plus is a little better with discounts, but steam sales they are not.

I mean, did you ever see The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion drop below $20 on XBL, much less them offer the Game of the Year Edition? I got that off a Steam sale for five bucks. I don't even have a huge Steam library because I'm mousy about my digital purchases. But I've gotten more games for $20 dollars on a Steam sale than I'd ever get on PSN, eShop or XBLA.

Say what you want, cling to your custom rig if you like, but this shit's going to matter in the console space.

[Malacite]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

Xbox Wire

Xbox One will deliver new benefits for gamers that are only possible with a system designed from the ground up to be ready and connected. Here are just a few examples:

A new generation of games with power from the cloud: Because every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection, developers can create massive, persistent worlds that evolve even when you’re not playing.

Your Xbox One is always ready: Xbox One is designed to run in a low-powered, connected state. This means your system, games and apps are always current and ready to play—no more waiting for updates.

Stay connected to your friends: Never miss an opportunity to play games with your friends or to catch up with family on Skype. Use Skype in Snap mode to chat while you play games or watch TV. Or enjoy group video Skype calls with people around the world, all from the comfort of your living room.

Access your entire games library from any Xbox One—no discs required: After signing in and installing, you can play any of your games from any Xbox One because a digital copy of your game is stored on your console and in the cloud. So, for example, while you are logged in at your friend’s house, you can play your games.

Buy the way you want—disc or digital—on the same day: You’ll be able to buy disc-based games at traditional retailers or online through Xbox Live, on day of release.


Networking Technologies


A range of advanced technologies will make these scenarios possible, including:

Superior wireless performance and coverage throughout the home: Xbox One is equipped with a gigabit Ethernet port and 802.11n wireless. With 802.11n, Xbox One can use the 5GHz wireless band which eliminates considerable interference from other devices in the home, such as cordless phones, Bluetooth devices and microwaves. Xbox One uses two wireless antennas, versus one in Xbox 360. This provides dramatically better coverage and sustained performance, which means faster internet speeds in more areas of your home.

Faster connection to a world of smart devices: With Wi-Fi Direct, Xbox One can speak directly to smart wireless devices and connect to them through the cloud. This means your smartphone or tablet will interact with Xbox One seamlessly.

Future proofed with power from the cloud: Microsoft has created a global network of more than 300,000 Xbox Live and Windows Azure servers, to help creators realize their visions of what is possible with a connected system.


Networking Requirements


To ensure Xbox One works optimally and can offer the experiences described above, it is designed with the following networking requirements:

For an optimal experience, we recommend a broadband connection of 1.5Mbps. (For reference, the average global internet connection speed as measured recently by Akamai was 2.9 Mbps). In areas where an Ethernet connection is not available, you can connect using mobile broadband.

While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection.

With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies.

At Xbox, we’ve always believed in a connected world of games and entertainment. With Xbox One, we are planning for a connected future. We can’t wait to show you what’s to come.

Might wanna double check your figures there MS, last time I looked it was more like 50~55% tops.


EDIT: The bit about being able to access your games while at your friend's house is pretty awesome, or it would be if it wasn't for all the other bullshit.

- - - Updated - - -

Update on Kinect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUccALKMYJk


Still not a fan, and they need to axe BOTH the DRM and invasion of privacy, so far they only appear to be walking back a bit on one of those and taking a hardline on the other.

[Icemage]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

How is "being able to access your games at a friend's house" awesome?

How is that better than just... you know... bringing my disc with me? It's not like you're going to download a 10GB game in a few minutes and start playing.

I despair for you Mal. Do you even read your posts? You're subconsciously trying to rationalize this pile of manure. It's disgusting. Please stop.


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

How is "being able to access your games at a friend's house" awesome?

How is that better than just... you know... bringing my disc with me? It's not like you're going to download a 10GB game in a few minutes and start playing.

I despair for you Mal. Do you even read your posts? You're subconsciously trying to rationalize this pile of manure. It's disgusting. Please stop.


Icemage

What, you don't like the idea of being able to go and play *anything* out of your entire library when over at a friend's place or even out of the country? I think that's pretty cool. And now who's being selective? Come on man, seriously, I said that'd be great "If it wasn't for all the other bullshit" - I'm still not buying it, I'm just acknowledging that they got at least cool feature.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Microsoft: Xbox One DRM policies

What, you don't like the idea of being able to go and play *anything* out of your entire library when over at a friend's place or even out of the country? I think that's pretty cool. And now who's being selective? Come on man, seriously, I said that'd be great "If it wasn't for all the other bullshit" - I'm still not buying it, I'm just acknowledging that they got at least cool feature.

Perhaps its because, as an adult not living with his family, going over to a friend's house to play games is a bit of a rare occurance - and if it does happen, he could just bring the disc or loan it to his friend like has been the case since the Colecovision. Your game will not just magically install on your friends console in few minutes, big installs take time and data storage gets really sloppy and big when you abandon compression and move into Blu-Ray.

I pretty much hated installing everything on my PS3 because because of the needlessly large file sizes, but now with online checks, the inability to trade and killing consumer choice, I guess Blu-Ray installs just by themselves aren't so bad after all.