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[mugurumakensei]

I mean, if you don't have internet, are you really going to be buying the latest console anyway?

High Speed Internet isnt available everywhere.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Diablo III must have done a lot of damage to the general perception of the PC if its to blame for this.

 

[Bojanglez]

As someone who only buys new games the activation code doesn't bother me, having said that I was once a young gamer with much less disposable income and this would have severely reduced my ability to explore games and thus become a gamer that now drops £600+ a year on games.

I honestly can't see one manufacturer doing it without the other, it would kill them (in terms of bad PR).

 

[mrklaw]

I think this would be an unfortunate policy by Microsoft if true.

• 20% of Americans do not have internet
• 34% of Americans do not have high-speed internet
• http://dashboard.digitalinfo.org/trends/view/internet

Microsoft, or any company that forces a constant connection, is willingly giving-up on a third of US homes.

whats the demographic overlap of those 20% of consumers without internet and expect buyers of Xbox for the first 12-24 months (after which more users will have internet as it becomes more pervasive)


And if MS do this but Sony don't, Sony risk losing third party support - or at least significant time exclusivity penalties.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Originally Posted by BruceLeeRoy:




Not every gamer is rich and some people like to be able to buy multiple games in a relatively short time frame. Not everyone buys only 1 game a year. Not everyone wants to blow $60-$70 on a new unproven IP or franchise. If you do not like the game or if you get bored of it quick, you re stuck with it. Demos are not always indicative of the final product either. Plain and simple, if companies even consider getting rid of used games which imo is anti-consumer, they need to lower game prices to more reasonable prices. We had so many bombs and studio closings this generation where you can actually get rid of the game if you weren't satisfied with it. What's going to happen when games cost more to procure and you cannot get rid of them or try them out?

You can bet that up there what you said is something both companies are very aware of. I completely understand where your coming from because I remember when I had no money for this stuff not to long ago but you got to get used to this concept or get a new hobby.

 

[Gravijah]

I mean, if you don't have internet, are you really going to be buying the latest console anyway?

What about people in rural areas who do not have access to high speed internet? They suddenly do not buy consoles?

 

[Portugeezer]

You can play offline on Steam though.

You initially have to be online though. For me it's more about if something happened and you can't connect online at a given time you're fucked. Steam offline is only good if you know you won't have a connection and prepared for it.

 

[quest]

Never understood why people are so against this. Always online is not a problem whatsoever in this day and age. I don't think my Internet connection has gone off in like 2 years. No second-hand games, well Steam has been doing it for years.

Except steam does not have the retail anchor around its neck for pricing. How much would people love steam if it was priced like current DD from Sony and MS? Retail will never let them have those super steam sales. So it will be worst of all worlds full price rentals and prices never going down.

 

[apana]

I'm wondering why someone wants to go after a videogame forum. Perhaps the new consoles are going to have features we don't like. Maybe no used games or they are going to be even more aggressive in getting as much money as they can off the hardcore. They want to stop the resistance before it starts. So they do a preemptive strike on NeoGAF and try to label us as whiners.

I knew it, called this in the thread about NeoGAF documentary. They knew the resistance would start here.

 

[pixlexic]

You guys talking about carrying your consoles ... I am fairly positive the game will be tied to an account and not a console. Just log in on your friends Durango.

 

[RedNumberFive]

I see rich, elitist GAF has entered the building.

 

[Camp Lo]

Diablo III must have done a lot of damage to the general perception of the PC if its to blame for this.

I'm starting to think this is the case.

 

[Mononoke]

whats the demographic overlap of those 20% of consumers without internet and expect buyers of Xbox for the first 12-24 months (after which more users will have internet as it becomes more pervasive)

The U.S. doesn't have the best internet. Seriously, a more concerning issue is how many Americans have subpar internet access/connections.

If this has to be online always, and you have a shit connection...

 

[Huff]

I've known people without internet that own a Xbox 360.

doesn't mean that they arn't a minority and not a factor in MS's big picture

 

[KalBalboa]

I think this would be an unfortunate policy by Microsoft if true.

• 20% of Americans do not have internet
• 34% of Americans do not have high-speed internet
• http://dashboard.digitalinfo.org/trends/view/internet

Microsoft, or any company that forces a constant connection, is willingly giving-up on a third of US homes.

This is why I'm skeptical about this story.

 

[Ding-Ding]

Really? Let me tell you a story.

I'm no fan of hack'n'slash games, got mildly curious about No More Heroes from reviews, not enough to buy it new because the reviews weren't actually aimed at someone like me. Tripped over it second hand at a local store for about £7, bought it, loved it, got No More Heroes 2 on day 1.

So - entirely through there being a secondhand market - the publisher/developer got one full games worth of revenue from me whereas without it they would have got nothing.

New customers. That's one thing the secondhand market feeds. You want new customers?

I think you have highlighted a very important point regarding 2nd hand purchases.

Demon Souls, Dragons Age, Infamous are just a few games that when released, I was dubious as to a purchase. If it wasn't for a 2nd hand purchase, I doubt I would have picked up the sequels on day one as I did (even though DA2 has the opposite effect for DA3)

 

[140.85]

The Kaz face everywhere in this forum lately is freaking me out.

 

[Plinko]

I think this would be an unfortunate policy by Microsoft if true.

• 20% of Americans do not have internet
• 34% of Americans do not have high-speed internet
• http://dashboard.digitalinfo.org/trends/view/internet

Microsoft, or any company that forces a constant connection, is willingly giving-up on a third of US homes.

So one-third of the country doesn't have high-speed internet?

Yeah, I don't see any way a company is dumb enough to do this. It would be insane.

 

[WickedCobra03]

They have a patent which can block second hand games from working using a RF tag and stuff.

If any console blocks used games, I'm out. It's not like I actually buy many used games, I'd say I've only bought 2 used games in the past year. But it's principle for me.

Same thing. I more just buy new games cheap rather than used cause I don't like them mucked up. I do borrow maybe a game or two from my friends either to try them out or give them a go if I am mildly interested. Or if you just want to play your games at a friends house. I feel like I am kind of out on the next xbox if this is all true. For awhile, I didn't have an easy way of getting my xbox online when I lived in an older house in college with Wifi other than going to another room and hooking it up in the main living room or dining room area where we mostly did our interneting even on laptops. This would kind of suck.

 

[Nealand Liquor]

No way it will require an internet connection. Absolutely zero fucking chance.

Think about kids having a console in their bedrooms, or the mass of people that never even bothered to connect their consoles to the net in the first place. They are never going to abandon that group so suddenly.

Exactly. Based on this one rather large point I don't give this rumour any weight.

 

[Dark Octave]

After a generation is over, do you ever seek out games you missed out the first time? Games that are out of print and out of stock at retail?

Yes I do.

This is a great point.

 

[Nestunt]

It is really difficult to believe they are about to do it without knowing if Sony is

I am not calling conspiracy

But there is also the other rumours that point to a tech similarity between those two

 

[plutoknight]

Exactly. PC games had always-online bullshit way before consoles. And now/if consoles have it too, this just makes it easier for third parties to slap this DRM on their games and add elements into them to make sure you HAVE to be always online. To unify this as a new norm in gaming. Jim Sterling doesn't know what he's on about. PC is not immune to these practices, it spearheaded them.

I don't know if I'd say "spearheaded" them (Outside of Ubisoft, I can only think of Blizzard's games that "require" an online-connection. Steam only requires it on a first launch for most games!), but I guess MS saw Diablo III, and went "Well that game sold a metric ton, so obviously we can do this!" I wouldn't be surprised if ecosystem economies like Apple's and Google's played a huge part in this, too.

That's what happens when you only look at the numbers.

(I would never argue that PC gaming is immune to this -- but the biggest benefit to being a PC gamer is choice. You have very little choices NOW on consoles...MS is looking to eliminate all of those except major retail channels that sell new mainstream games (the Walmart's of teh world), that's how I see this. It's the Apple way of doing business on a console.)

 

[Uiki]

I knew it, called this in the thread about NeoGAF documentary. They knew the resistance would start here.

NEVER SURRENDER.

 

[abadguy]

It's not a deflection. At least not on my part. I just don't believe rumors until I see more proof behind them. So far this seems to be just an idea.

I honestly can't imagine they'd just say NO to used games. It seems almost unfathomable, like they don't realize that many users trade in old games to buy new ones. It's a cycle.

They've also made no attempts to put online passes into first party games either this gen. Just saying. But having a console be always online is what i really don't buy.

I think this would be an unfortunate policy by Microsoft if true.

• 20% of Americans do not have internet
• 34% of Americans do not have high-speed internet
• http://dashboard.digitalinfo.org/trends/view/internet

Microsoft, or any company that forces a constant connection, is willingly giving-up on a third of US homes.

This post illustrates why that is.

 

[FordGTGuy]

I wish people would stop over stating what Steam sales really are.

You can't buy brand new games for $10 that are normally $40-60 not on sale.

You can buy older games for cheap, but yeah go try and buy new releases for the prices people keep saying. That doesn't happen.

Yeah, you can buy Witcher 3 or Alan Wake for $10 right now. Both are at least year old at this point.

Completely untrue and my library of 200+ games on Steam back me up on that point.

doesn't mean that they arn't a minority and not a factor in MS's big picture

Just because they are a minority doesn't mean they don't matter. Like I said before Microsoft opened to the casuals to open their demographic, closing to internet only will only close the demographic.

 

[Foffy]

This is the future. People will complain, just like they did when Steam first launched. Now that platform is accepted, even loved by the majority of PC fans. Consolites will get on board sooner rather than later.

For the 700th time in this thread, the console space and the PC space are two entirely different markets, and their norms and standards are far different.

 

[Gravijah]

doesn't mean that they arn't a minority and not a factor in MS's big picture

So Microsoft doesn't want to expand, they'd be happy with theoretically less sales than the 360?

 

[DopeyFish]

Please, today it's easier than ever to know in advance if you'll like a game or not. There are videos, demos, reviews....

And please let's not forget that gaming was always an expensive hobby, so I don't really get that "some people don't have a lot of money" argument. It doesn't make any sense at all.

That and it's an incorrect assumption that prices won't dive

Developers and Publishers WANT bargain bins, just hard to do it right with a 2nd hand market (I know this first hand)

Games will always go down, you buy when you're comfortable to buy at a price you're comfortable to buy it at

You aren't forced to buy day 1

 

[GhaleonEB]

I'm having a very hard time getting excited for next gen. :\

 

[CambriaRising]

doesn't mean that they arn't a minority and not a factor in MS's big picture

That's a stretch. Compare the Xbox love gold subscriptions to consoles sold world wide.

 

[-Cwalat-]

"As long as you don't hurt anyone".... Come on man. Just because you disagree, doesn't mean it isn't the law. Its a murky area admittedly, but "NO BS LICENSING" isn't helping you point either.

There are some stupid laws my friends. What do you want me to say?

I'm not about to bend over because of some messed up law that lets them take my rights away from me. If that's the case then fu**** the law.

Why should we separate us from other industries? We also have rights.

I want the best for this industry, but not at the costs of my rights.

 

[mj1108]

No thank you Microsoft, if this is true.

 

[Raxus]

I'm starting to think this is the case.

Great, one more reason I hate Diablo III.

 

[hammster]

Can't believe we're saying goodbye to the next gen already...

 

[FunnyBunny]

I mean, if you don't have internet, are you really going to be buying the latest console anyway?

Many do. I have have friends and coworkers who, despite scraping by, still buy games.

I think it is also unwise to assume all console owners have their game consoles online.

 

[Huff]

What about people in rural areas who do not have access to high speed internet? They suddenly do not buy consoles?

Did enough of them buy consoles to be meaningful to MS? I don't know. But it doesn't look like it

 

[GlamFM]

I said it before an I´ll say it again.


Nobody had a problem when you sold your games to your friends or on eBay.


It became a problem when Gamestop made their core business out of it. Walk into a Gamestop and try to buy a new game today - it´s almost impossible!

They almost wont let you!

Gamestop is to blame for this and no one else.


Don´t contribute to a RIP (insert dead dev) thread and defend used games.


I expect 10€ activation keys and I think it´s fair and OK.

 

[Mononoke]

I see people defending a shit practice by pointing towards something else as justification.

"Well, they've always had canceraids, so I'm okay with getting canceraids too."

 

[ShockingAlberto]

When did I say I was more of anything than anybody else? I simply said that MS' used game idea doesn't effect me one bit. I don't buy a game because of the possibility to get money back from it. I buy games because I enjoy playing games. No other reasons for incentives are needed for me to enjoy my favorite hobby.

Take it as you will.

Then it's super weird how, in this thread, you listed several games as "borrowed" or "rented."

Halo CE (rented)

Halo 3 ODST (borrowed)

Halo CE Anniversary (borrowed)

Super weird.

 

[whitehawk]

1. I don't believe this rumour for a second. The market for people who buy games but aren't connect to XBL is too big to abandon.
2. Is EDGE making stuff up? I believe every game with online aspects will require an online code like they currently do, but that doesn't mean that used games won't work at all.
3. On the off-chance that this is true, which is a 0.01% chance, PlayStation here I come. Although I'm already getting a PS4 either way.

 

[SteveWinwood]

I wish people would stop over stating what Steam sales really are.

You can't buy brand new games for $10 that are normally $40-60 not on sale.

You can buy older games for cheap, but yeah go try and buy new releases for the prices people keep saying. That doesn't happen.

Yeah, you can buy Witcher 3 or Alan Wake for $10 right now. Both are at least year old at this point.

I bought Sleeping Dogs for 5 dollars this christmas.

Then it's super weird how, in this thread, you listed several games as "borrowed" or "rented."



Super weird.

I lol'd.

 

[Gravijah]

But it doesn't look like it

Where are you getting that information from?

 

[Meelow]

Wow if this is true, hopefully Sony doesn't do it.

 

[ASIS]

They can reduce the cost(who knows if they will) and control market prices easier from this kind of model.

Could you please explain?

 

[73V3N]

Prediction:

First place: ?
Second place: ?
Third Place: Microsoft

 

[vocab]

Are people really defending this? Wow.

People defend paying for peer 2 peer. It really isn't that shocking.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

This is in response to used is worse than piracy.

Because people who are willing spend money on a game are giving Zero to the devs. Pirates aren't willing to spend money. Thus you have the argument of used is worse that piracy.


Good Lord this thread is moving fast...

Your username is apt.

 

[Glass Rebel]

Exactly. PC games had always-online bullshit way before consoles. And now/if consoles have it too, this just makes it easier for third parties to slap this DRM on their games and add elements into them to make sure you HAVE to be always online. To unify this as a new norm in gaming. Jim Sterling doesn't know what he's on about. PC is not immune to these practices, it spearheaded them.

Hey, don't blame PC gamers. Ubisoft pushed always online with uPlay and we reacted accordingly: Sales fell down by 90% and they removed the requirement. We did our part.

 

[I H8 Memes]

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