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[i-Lo]

Okay, okay, I've got to drop the act. I was trying to see just how many people would support this move or try to justify it. And I am surprised by how many actually oppose it. That said, if it were to be true here's what'll happen:

In the end, all will be forgiven if they can deliver on the games and service. People are like that. You give the plebs a good enough excuse and distract them with things that they assign greater value to and they will look past the issues that previously caused the uproar.

The truth is, we, who recognize the potential issue that would be the inherent by-product of this move are a vocal minority. Once again, look at Diablo 3 or Simcity.

People really do not learn. All this vote with your wallet sentiment belies the practise that people are willing to compromise their principles if the pay off is greater than the perceived cost.

 

[Rezae]

So when Xbox 1080 comes out they'll pull an EA and shut down the 720 verification server. Better upgrade!

 

[RetroStu]

This is really weird to me, seriously its like Microsoft are trying to jump the gun way too early, we are probably 30 years away from having the worldwide internet infrastructure for something like this, christ some countrys don't even have the internet!.

 

[Neuromancer]

So if XBL or our internet goes down, we're fucked?

You have 3 minutes to comply...

PERFECT hahaha

 

[infinityBCRT]

Interesting that Kotaku breaking news about the PS4 controller's touchpad and share button, breaking news about Doom 4's troubled development cycle, showing video and images from Star Wars: First Assault, breaking news about LucasFilm shuttering LucasArts and canceling their games, showing concept art from the Boba Fett version of Star Wars 1313, telling the story of what really happened to Aliens: Colonial Marines, and many, many more stories just weren't enough to get some NeoGAFfers to trust that maybe we know what we're doing.

But hey, we'll just keep on keeping on.

Have you guys been able to Verify Paul Thurrott's claim that the Durango unveil has been pushed back to May 21st?

 

[WalkMan]

Also, I don't think it's an apples to apples comparison with Sim City or Diablo 3 to what's happening here, if it's true. I completely agree that as consumers, we deserve to have a working product day one. Having an online only requirement does not necessarily preclude that. It just makes it a lot harder for devs/testers, and we start getting into unfamiliar territory with developers who have never launched and maintained a service which must run 24/7. MS has this experience across the company. They've been running XBL since 2002 with very few outages (that holiday outage a few years ago was the worst one I can recall), even though millions of people use the service every day. I very much doubt they are going to make the same mistakes as two games and rush load testing or go cheap and not have enough servers on launch day.

You're absolutely right, the thing with this is that it is a focal revenue stream for Microsoft. Having a user connected directly translates to money. They have an entire ecosystem that will feed services to the always-connected user, so ads generated by Bing for instance. It won't be half-assed like EA or Blizzard.

 

[Ahasverus]

I think people need to read a little more carefully into what Sony is saying. From that same article.



This means that Sony won't be requiring it at the platform level. It's a publisher choice.

That means that some games on PS4 will work offline, but more than likely the bigger titles will still require a connection..

Sony is doing all the right things. It doens't help that the 360 is seen as the console for teenagers and dudebros. I think the PS4 will make a big splash, and a lot of that splash will come from the people who had a PS1 and not any of the consoles betweeen.

 

[Colonel Nasty]

I don't think I've ever used my xbox without the internet, and i do think this is a very forward looking move but cutting out potential customers is bad.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Registering a game is still not remotely the same as requiring a constant connection.

I assume registering the game is connected to the install to hard drive feature. If it is, it would be as simply as being online when you start the game and while it installs, once completed, the licence would transfer to the account/console to allow for playing from the hard drive without the need for the disc.

 

[CrunchinJelly]

Define "substantial". Because it has happened just last year.

I'm listening. Go on.

 

[daveo42]

Not Kinect-y enough, but it's a start.

Spoiler

Please oh please don't do this Microsoft!

Okay, okay, I've got to drop the act. I was trying to see just how many people would support this move or try to justify it. And I am surprised by how many actually oppose it. That said, if it were to be true here's what'll happen:

In the end, all will be forgiven if they can deliver on the games and service. People are like that. You give the plebs a good enough excuse and distract them with things that they assign greater value to and they will look past the issues that previously caused the uproar.

The truth is, we, who recognize the potential issue that would be the inherent by-product of this move are a vocal minority. Once again, look at Diablo 3 or Simcity.

People really do not learn. All this vote with your wallet sentiment belies the practise that people are willing to compromise their principles if the pay off is greater than the perceived cost.

 

[Yawnier]

There is no way this is true it just can't be

Arrogance does wonderful things to corporations. Sony pulled a lot of stupid shit at the beginning of this generation and I can't see why Microsoft wouldn't be able to get their heads stuck up their asses too.

Also that EviLore post on Aegies - amazing.

 

[quest]

If this true no sale to me. I already was on board the PS4 camp thanks to sony first party and PS+. If MS pulls any of the rumored junk it be first generation I ever bought only 1 console.

 

[RetroStu]

Always online doesn't bother me at all. I don't play offline. As long as I can play used and rental copies of games, I'm fine with it.

So you don't play single player at all?

 

[Neokash]

As far as I now all apps on consoles require internet to use.
As for the games I don't believe it, maybe they might implement that rubbish in first world countries but not in third world countries. I live in south africa and most of the time when I buy second hand games 90% of the time the DLC and online pass is not used, which means the majority of gamers here dont have internet..

 

[Mudkips]

MS got away charging people for XBL for a decade. They probably figure people will be mad, but get over it anyways and just deal with it

And they're right.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Between win8 being a complete pile of shit and this, I wonder when heads are going to start rolling at MS.

 

[Zoe]

Only way this will take off is if it replaces default DVR's and cable boxes.

 

[Wickerbasket]

Interesting that Kotaku breaking news about the PS4 controller's touchpad and share button, breaking news about Doom 4's troubled development cycle, showing video and images from Star Wars: First Assault, breaking news about LucasFilm shuttering LucasArts and canceling their games, showing concept art from the Boba Fett version of Star Wars 1313, telling the story of what really happened to Aliens: Colonial Marines, and many, many more stories just weren't enough to get some NeoGAFfers to trust that maybe we know what we're doing.

But hey, we'll just keep on keeping on.

You've all been doing good work recently, don't let a few snide comments get to you.

 

[Dark-Cloudz]

Interesting that Kotaku breaking news about the PS4 controller's touchpad and share button, breaking news about Doom 4's troubled development cycle, showing video and images from Star Wars: First Assault, breaking news about LucasFilm shuttering LucasArts and canceling their games, showing concept art from the Boba Fett version of Star Wars 1313, telling the story of what really happened to Aliens: Colonial Marines, and many, many more stories just weren't enough to get some NeoGAFfers to trust that maybe we know what we're doing.

But hey, we'll just keep on keeping on.

Errr... The nature of journalism is to question what we read. Don't get butthurt.

 

[Jhriad]

Apparently there are some people who are not informed about Arthur Gies:

Damn. Only read a bit of that thread when it first started. Good to see Evilore crushing it as usual.

Funny, but if it was SuperDaE I'd say so. He's been a named source before.

Keep up the good work Stephen.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Sony is doing all the right things. It doens't help that the 360 is seen as the console for teenagers and dudebros. I think the PS4 will make a big splash, and a lot of that splash will come from the people who had a PS1 and not any of the consoles betweeen.

How big of a market is that? If they had a PS1, they undoubtedly had a PS2 and perhaps even a PS3 or 360.

I can't imagine there any many people who had a PS1 but didn't buy any consoles in between.

 

[krypt0nian]

Errr... The nature of journalism is to question what we read. Don't get butthurt.

Where is the butthurt? Dumbest net kid word ever.

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

Could you imagine the launch issues if this really happened. There is no way they would do this. I mean I have no intention of buying the next Xbox anyways, but even still this is beyond dumb. Right?

 

[RetroStu]

Alway online, christ can you imagine the potential for a virus and spyware etc, even for hackers which will happen with an always online model for sure.

 

[moai]

Sony is doing all the right things. It doens't help that the 360 is seen as the console for teenagers and dudebros. I think the PS4 will make a big splash, and a lot of that splash will come from the people who had a PS1 and not any of the consoles betweeen.

wait...........what?

 

[Satchel]

cool, I guess they've gotten better over time (admittedly I could be confusing it with another company...I vaguely remember something being once per year). Thanks for the heads up.

You're right.

It used to be once a year. They've obviously changed that policy realizing once a year is fucking stupid. I didn't know it was every four months until right now either.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Interesting that Kotaku breaking news about the PS4 controller's touchpad and share button, breaking news about Doom 4's troubled development cycle, showing video and images from Star Wars: First Assault, breaking news about LucasFilm shuttering LucasArts and canceling their games, showing concept art from the Boba Fett version of Star Wars 1313, telling the story of what really happened to Aliens: Colonial Marines, and many, many more stories just weren't enough to get some NeoGAFfers to trust that maybe we know what we're doing.

But hey, we'll just keep on keeping on.

At some point you need to start letting your work speak for itself and not try to combat every person that doubts Kotaku. The self-congratulatory smugness complete with emoticons doesn't help you as much as it makes you feel better.

Do you think this post actually convinced anyone who was already deadset on disagreeing with the credibility of the story? If anything, all it did was embarrass people who didn't write it off immediately and you can count me as a primary source on that.

 

[chris3116]

Xbox 3 is going to suffer if they will go in this path. Not everyone has a perfect connection to the internet. Here in Canada, it will suck on any internet provider.

As for PS4, I know Sony says they won't go on this path. If it's true, I figure it's the 1st party games. But they didn't say the 3rd party won't do that on PS4. If EA does again the Sim City situation on any games they will release on PS4, will you buy these games?

 

[Just_myles]

PS4 to be only console used at any game tournament, then.

This has my attention. Could be a real issue.

 

[AirBrian]

I always have an Internet connection anyhow, but I still don't like this. Enough to not buy one though? Probably not. By the time next gen is over, Apple and Microsoft will have my every damn move tracked both inside and outside my house. This is our future.

 

[G_Berry]

My Internet drops out all the time so if true, looks like I'll be passing on next box.

Dat crazy MS, not wanting my monies..

 

[Froli]

This can't be real. It's beyond stupid for this ever happening

 

[RPGCrazied]

Was never really interested in the next xbox, so this news doesn't bother me, wasn't going to buy one anyway.

 

[BlackJace]

bgassassin redeemed.

 

[dreamer3kx]

Folks who brought you Windows 8 and Zune, this is crazy to have to crap on a gaming console.

 

[kaching]

Actually, it doesn't - I'd probably be planning an aggressive push with the hardcore too if I knew some of things I was about to do with our next console was going to piss that group off.

 

[AstroNut325]

Slap me around and call me Suzy... I just don't see the big deal. I have Time Warner Cable for internet and it goes down every now and then. But I can't imagine that affecting me.

 

[thelatestmodel]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to what the benefits are to designing a system like this?

It's obviously going to be a massive headache for consumers, so why do it?

 

[Mandoric]

Entirely possible. It will of course be too late to save the console. They were extremely lucky that the console survived the RROD fallout, but they wouldn't survive something like this, especially with a desperate Sony on their backs.

I think there's room to stick to it, tbh. If you're up-front, honest, and push it with the right exclusive content, you could have what's basically the Microsoft Gamecube of making $5bn profit as $200 each from 20m users rather than $40 each from 100m.

It might even be healthy for the industry as a whole, as Sony can hold prices higher with the only mainstream "power system" and Nintendo can then ride the price differential to at least keep Wii U barely relevant until a new system in 2016 or so.

It would be devastating for American AAA development who rely on a massive userbase, heaping gobs of marketing money from both sides, shared platform interests with MS, and the Live juggernaut phenomenon that doesn't seem to occur with PSN or even Steam as much.

 

[BolognaSoup]

This would have been awesome just last night when both my Internet and TV service went out. I played a game offline but with the new Xbox I would have to like read a book or something!!!

 

[Hydrargyrus]

Perfection

 

[Metalmurphy]

Maybe it was your super fast PS3 downloads hogging all the bandwidth.

Something you wanna say?

I'm listening. Go on.

I know I missed a question mark there, but i'm the one that should be listening at this point.

 

[Pillville]

Even if you have a decent internet connection and you connect your xbox to it:

Xbox LIVE Server connects to
Internet connects to
Your Internet Provider connects to
Your Router connects to
Your Xbox

If any of those have a problem, for just a few minutes, you can't play your game?

No way.
I think there is ZERO chance that this is true.

 

[Owzers]

I want this rumor to be true just to have something fun to snicker about in the coming months. I doubt it is though, seems like one of those "sky is falling" rumors that turn out to be nothing, but we shall see in a few months.

I'm already planning on getting a PS4 and abandoning Microsoft next generation just because of their first party studio turnout towards the end of this generation and not wanting to pay for p2p online multiplayer, but this would just stack the deck higher.

 

[mackattk]

On the bright side, it'd probably be really easy for them to get rid of this "feature"

I don't think so, the server is using complex algorithms that cannot be computed on the console. Think of it as algorithm buffering, after 3 minutes, the buffer runs out.

 

[FlyFaster]

If this ends up being true I won't ever buy a Durango.

 

[FroJay]

Fucking hell.

Agreed, my internet connection regularly will go out for around an hour at 1am-2am a few times a week. Microsoft, count me out of your next gen plans if this is what you have in store for consumers.

 

[Marleyman]

Was already leaning this way, but this is the confirmation: PS4 it is for next-gen.

These kind of posts make me shake my head and sigh.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

You think Diablo 3, or Sim City had problems at launch, imagine millions of people trying to play their new xbox games but keep getting kicked out.