Microsoft Abandons Xbox One Mandatory Internet Requirement, and Pledges No Region Locking

Post by Dan @ 07:31am 20/06/13 | 54 Comments

In a frankly amazing display of corporate humility, and a victory for consumer rights, Microsoft executives have yielded on restrictive DRM plans for the Xbox One, with a blog post from Interactive Entertainment President Don Mattrick announcing that the company is relaxing the proposed restrictions on the upcoming console, to be more like the Xbox 360 --dropping the requirement of online check-ins for games purchased on blu-ray disc, allowing unrestricted secondhand distribution.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

The announcement goes on to confirm the complete removal of the 24 hours authorisation requirement, although Internet access will be needed for the console's initial setup.

Further, Microsoft remains committed to day and date digital download releases for all games at the same time as boxed copies retail, and Mattrick's comments even confirm that there will be no region locking:

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions.

Disappointingly, plans to allow sharing or trading of digitally-purchased games look to have been canned as a result of the change, with the assertion that "Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold" --a scenario that gamers are accustomed to with most digital download software, but a step backwards nonetheless.

Games purchased on disc will also now need to remain in the disc drive during use. Gamers wanting the convenience of no disk-changing can opt for the digital download purchase instead.

The Xbox One console is due in November 2013, in 21 markets including Australia, North America, and Europe, for AUD$599, USD$499, GBP£429, and EUR€499

xbox one xbox microsoft

Latest Comments

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Mosfx
Posted 07:37am 20/6/13

Cool I might actually consider this instead now, PS4 or the Xbox One will now be decided by the game line up

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The GuVna
Posted 07:41am 20/6/13

Haha beaten by 3 minutes :)

To summarize

In a very strong about face, Microsoft is changing their policies concerning DRM and the Xbox One, their next generation console. Here's a quick rundown of the details, in case you want the too long, didn't read, version.
• No more always online requirement
• The console no longer has to check in every 24 hours
• All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360
• Authentication is no longer necessary
• An Internet connection is only required when initially setting up the console
• All downloaded games will function the same when online or offline
• No additional restrictions on trading games or loaning discs • Region locks have been dropped

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Eorl
Posted 07:40am 20/6/13

Holy wow. That was a) very quick and b) very unexpected. I guess that seals the deal for me in my next-gen choice with all the features it has to offer. Stunned.

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scuzzy
Posted 07:48am 20/6/13

All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360

Man the wording of that could almost be interpreted as backwards compatible games.

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The GuVna
Posted 07:49am 20/6/13

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Twisted
Posted 07:57am 20/6/13

Mmmmm....XBox One is starting to look sweet now.

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Reverend Evil�
Posted 08:15am 20/6/13

You know why they call it an xbox one? Because when you see it you turn one degrees and walk away.

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Viper119
Posted 08:14am 20/6/13

Cripes!

Well at least they listened and responded! That's pretty impressive in itself.

I had almost acquiesced to just buying a new xbox 360, looks like the xbox one will be sweet now. Though the 360 will be dirt cheap once the one comes out no doubt...

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mental
Posted 08:24am 20/6/13

They'll probably still head in that direction but do it bit by bit instead of too much at once.

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groganus
Posted 08:31am 20/6/13

So i wonder how it will work now, will Games still install to the HDD and just not work with out the disc, or will they play straight off the disc?

IMO if Microsoft wanted to get rid of media they should of released a "cheaper" model with out a disc drive that was digital download only...

This still doesn't change my decision to hold off purchasing an Xbox One at launch

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TufNuT
Posted 08:35am 20/6/13

so what they will do is drop it for now, once people have bought enough of them they will re-enable the DRM.. kind of like Sony did when they disabled the ability to install Linux on the PS3..

Sony have gone from scumbag Sony ps3 to good guy Sony PS4..

how quickly people forget....

note: I am not a console gamer... so excuse me while I get on my high horse and ride away :P

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groganus
Posted 08:51am 20/6/13

That's nothing like what Sony did, Sony disabled a feature that was being used by 1% of PS3 users to prevent people from pirating games...

99% of people don't and didn't miss it. Except for one fat guy from sydney who sued sony for the cost of his ps3.

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Hogfather
Posted 09:00am 20/6/13

Did he win?

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TufNuT
Posted 09:07am 20/6/13

That's nothing like what Sony did, Sony disabled a feature that was being used by 1% of PS3 users to prevent people from pirating games...

one could argue that same apply to the DRM, the average person /mom/dad buying a console wouldn't have a clue about the DRM and the only people who would care are the minority.

The point I was trying to make is, companies like sony or ms can and will add/remove features as they see fit. so just because they are saying "Hey guys look we disabled the DRM" doesn't mean they wont re-enable it.

MS has made its intentions very clear, this is something they want, only reason they backed down is to bury the bad press and Sony has been beating them over the head with this.

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BladeRunner
Posted 09:10am 20/6/13

Damn, now everyone will get a Xbone. Ill stick with PS4 and wait and see what happens when both come closer to release.

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Zakson
Posted 09:21am 20/6/13

Xbox One Eighty = win.

You know why they call it an xbox one? Because when you see it you turn one degrees and walk away.

You'd have to turn 180 degrees to walk directly away, which I think you are trying to imply. Turning 1 degree is barely walking away at all; at best it's mildly drifting in an almost parallel direction. Maybe if you walked for an hour you'd be far enough away to say "I walked away" but until then, I think you are still in support of the Xbox One and have failed in making your point.

/davidmitchell

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ThunderBunny
Posted 09:35am 20/6/13

I agree with tuFnuT
You dont just go from badarse tuff guy to soft pussy cat in the blink of an eye. They will appease the masses with candy to make sales, then watch the restrictions creep into the system siting bulls*** statistics about rampant piracy and such.....

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groganus
Posted 09:42am 20/6/13

The point I was trying to make is, companies like sony or ms can and will add/remove features as they see fit. so just because they are saying "Hey guys look we disabled the DRM" doesn't mean they wont re-enable it.

MS has made its intentions very clear, this is something they want, only reason they backed down is to bury the bad press and Sony has been beating them over the head with this.

Couldn't agree with you more, Sony themselves have said that they see the console market changing to a more digital distrubtion system.. The difference being that they don't want to make the change, just be prepared for it.

Microsoft want to force that change because its inline with the rest of the Microsoft products and thats ok. But instead of trying to make a console with confusing policies and systems, they should of made an Online Only console that was purely digital distribution with no way to accept physical media... The community would still b****, but I don't think it would of been on the level it has been.

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Coldy
Posted 09:43am 20/6/13

I think ThunderBunny is 10000% correct. There's no way they will give up that easy.

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dais
Posted 09:48am 20/6/13

But instead of trying to make a console with confusing policies and systems, they should of made an Online Only console that was purely digital distribution with no way to accept physical media... The community would still b****, but I don't think it would of been on the level it has been.

Yeah I agree, they should have upped the ante straight away with this system instead of pussy footing around and putting people off side with confusing DRM. A console with pure delivery like Steam (and preferably cheaper games because of reduced production costs) would have been acceptable.

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Eorl
Posted 09:48am 20/6/13

Sad that they had to kill the family sharing aspect, was really interesting concept being able to lend games on whim. Though with these regional restrictions being lifted I'm half tempted to buy one from America for the cheaper price.

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eski
Posted 09:58am 20/6/13

This still doesnt inspire much trust, it just shows that the people running the show at Microsoft are out of touch and s***ting themselves.

Still cool to see, good for Sony forcing MS' hand.

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Zapo
Posted 10:11am 20/6/13

I'm actually kinda miffed about the whole thing to be honest. Not having to play with a disc, and the family sharing thing seemed kinda cool.

So yeah, I can understand why a lot of people were pissed about the 24 hour check and the fact you couldn't loan games, but for me personally, I will be more annoyed now then before.

I guess the big thing is for MSoft that there's no longer a differentiation between the PS4 and XB1 when it comes to playing the games.

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trillion
Posted 10:14am 20/6/13

you can stick this thread right in the marketing department. it's been an amazing lesson in product design and development though, even if it never happens.

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ravn0s
Posted 10:59am 20/6/13

well this was completely unexpected. it will definitely make the console war more exciting now.

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parabol
Posted 11:41am 20/6/13

People keep saying they're doing a 180 on this. However I see it as someone else said on slashdot, that it was just a trial balloon. They just want to see what they can get away with by announcing controversial stuff a long time in advance (before too much is committed) and waiting to see if there's a large enough negative reaction ... if not, full steam ahead.

Someone will get fired for this. Not for proposing the crazy DRM, but for not getting away with it.

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Fixah
Posted 11:47am 20/6/13

So does that mean if I buy an xbone from America it would now work perfectly fine here in oz?

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Eorl
Posted 12:09pm 20/6/13

Presume so Fixah. Time to rev up the import thread?

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Khel
Posted 12:12pm 20/6/13

Well thats kinda crap, they just nuked one of the features I was most excited about with the XBox One. I couldn't care less about having to be online once every 24 hours, but the shared library stuff sounded really awesome, it was the feature I had been talking up to other people as one of the main reasons to look forward to the new XBox. Now its just the same s*** we've always had :(

Seems like a very shortsighted decision to make.

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Mives
Posted 12:16pm 20/6/13

Just when I thought I was out, MS drags me back in.......

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Fixah
Posted 12:22pm 20/6/13

Presume so Fixah. Time to rev up the import thread?

Nah just curious but now that you mention it..

In other news I was going to buy the xbone purely for K.I cause I'm chump material when it comes to it but now this just a bonus for me.

Basically don't count on me to stand up to anti-consumer practices by big corps when it comes to my fighting games, but a big thanks to those that do!

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kappa
Posted 12:46pm 20/6/13

So we can't now choose the previous option of always on and never having to put discs in?

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Tollaz0r!
Posted 03:05pm 20/6/13

Hmm, I thought the 24hr check in was a big part of their anti-piracy stuff. Guess it isn't that important, sweet. I wonder what trickery they have under the hood for anti-piracy.

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Khel
Posted 03:21pm 20/6/13

Hmm, I thought the 24hr check in was a big part of their anti-piracy stuff. Guess it isn't that important, sweet.

It was important when they were going to have an online games library ala Steam, with the ability to share your games library with people you nominate off your friends list, and not having to have the disc in the tray to play games you've bought. Now all thats been scrapped though.

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maRtz
Posted 03:56pm 20/6/13

It's too late Microsoft.

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ravn0s
Posted 04:00pm 20/6/13

it's funny how a few days ago they said it was too hard to remove the drm because it's built into the system and now a few days later they do this.

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Taipan
Posted 04:13pm 20/6/13

F*** micro soft f*** the xbox and f*** consoles in general

The only thing any console is good for is playing fifa against my son :-)

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Taipan
Posted 04:14pm 20/6/13

F*** micro soft f*** the xbox and f*** consoles in general

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E.T.
Posted 04:25pm 20/6/13

haha, nice :)

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maRtz
Posted 04:29pm 20/6/13

haha funny..

I don't understand how people are now mad keen for xbox after they remove DRM.. Sony are the ones who put their best foot forward and impressed us, we should reward Sony for that and boycott the xbox 180.. haha I love that

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kappa
Posted 04:41pm 20/6/13

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Bah
Posted 04:49pm 20/6/13

Sony are the ones who put their best foot forward and impressed us

I thought they just didnt piss anyone off?

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IVY_MiKe
Posted 04:49pm 20/6/13

I could care less about the whole 'MS V Sony' thing on consoles; this disappoints purely based on it 'retarding' eventual digital distribution.

I'm quite keen to see how organisations handle 'game-sharing' (even more to a point would be 'game-trading'... finish a game and give it to a friend to plough through.)

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parabol
Posted 04:59pm 20/6/13

I could care less about the whole 'MS V Sony' thing on consoles

So you care to some extent?

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Khel
Posted 05:31pm 20/6/13

This is a pretty good writeup about it, reflects basically how I'm feeling too

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/the-xbox-one-just-got-way-worse-and-its-our-fault/

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kos
Posted 06:26pm 20/6/13

This is a pretty good writeup about it, reflects basically how I'm feeling too

Why does it have to be all or nothing though? It was just too soon to force people to need internet always and forever, but it wasn't an impossible scenario for probably the majority of Xbox One users.

Why couldn't they just leave games purchased digitally the way they were, and have disc-based games not ever require internet check-in? That way if you wanted to live the Microsoft dream for the future you could just buy games digitally, and if your situation prohibited that or you didn't want to live with the extra DRM you could purchase games on disc.

Is it really that hard? PCs did it just fine with having the option for either a disc-based game or buying it on Steam. It seems a bit less like MS doing an about-face and saying "sure, we'll give you what you want!" and more like them having a tantrum saying "fine, if you are going to complain then you get NOTHING, scrap the whole thing!"

<FaceMan>
Why is consumer choice always the least desirable option ?
</FaceMan>

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eski
Posted 06:13pm 20/6/13

What an infuriating article. Don't blame the consumer because Microsoft is caught like a deer in the headlights. If they had faith in their scheme they wouldve told the noisy gamers to f*** off.

The writer's assertion that everything was going to be roses on the new xbox is also entirely subjective, and more than a little naive. Not much has changed beyond one set of rumours and speculation being replaced with another. Just looks like another Kotaku article written to troll its readers.

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Whoop
Posted 06:11pm 20/6/13

Still needs the kinect to be connected to function from what I hear.

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crazymorton
Posted 10:02pm 20/6/13

All game discs will work on Xbox One as they do on Xbox 360

Man the wording of that could almost be interpreted as backwards compatible games.

Is this the case? Can someone advise.

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TufNuT
Posted 10:09pm 20/6/13

Is this the case? Can someone advise.

no backward compatibility, its a completely different architecture. AFAIK

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kos
Posted 10:22pm 20/6/13

Yeah all they're talking about there is how the DRM will work, in that you will need to have the disc in the drive to play the game.

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Whoop
Posted 11:01pm 20/6/13

Yeah all they're talking about there is how the DRM will work, in that you will need to have the disc in the drive to play the game.

I don't see why they can't do it like some PC games do. Install game, activate game, play without disc. When you want to get rid of it, de-activate and be rid of it. Only really ever seen a couple of games that work like that but it's still nice.

I hate all this cloud based s*** because not everyone has fast internet or unlimited quotas. Some of us are still stuck in the 1800's as far as internet goes and if I download just one game on steam that's it, I'm capped. I can't justify paying $200 a month for internet.

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Fixah
Posted 11:51pm 20/6/13

$60 a month unlimited adsl2+ with tpg is your friend.

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ravn0s
Posted 12:28pm 21/6/13

so the rumour going around atm is that the family sharing thing wasn't full games but only 60 min demos.

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