• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Microsoft Studios' creative director has some choice words about always-online

M

Mass Effect

Member
KarmaCow said:
That's pretty much it, isn't it? At best always online is not a hindrance when it works but it's terrible when it doesn't work.

So why would consumers want this?
Click to expand...
Exactly. This is why people take such issue with this. Ask yourselves these questions; What do you, as a customer gain by having always online required for playing a game? I can't think of anything that can't be done in an optional sense. Now, what do you lose by having such a system? The inability to play your game if your Internet or MS' server goes down. That's a pretty big negative, with [seemingly] no gain for it.

Now ask this; What do you gain by games not requiring Internet to play? Well, privacy for one. Not everyone is okay with being monitored, even for something as inconsequential as gaming. Two, you won't be affected by outages (power notwithstanding) and can still play your game. Now, what do you lose by not requiring Internet? As before, I can't think of anything that cannot be done on an optional basis (barring constant monitoring, which doesn't necessarily benefit you as a consumer).

And those saying "so what if the Internet goes down? Do something else!" or "my internet never goes down, whats the problem?" are being obtuse. Not only is that a non-sequitur, and only serves to obfuscate the point at hand, but it is a huge assumption that everyone operates in the same way you do. Some of us have limited playing time and/or shitty unreliable Internet, which could very well potentially render the console/games useless for many. Of course you can always say "well, that's not my problem" but at that point you're not even contributing and might as well not even posted at all.
 
A

Arksy

Member
Palette Swap said:
The guy probably wishes he could be offline now.
Click to expand...

He's protected his twitter account.

jbzMqm7cX5QbMp.png
 
R

Replicant

Member
Penguins&PolarBears said:
It has nothing to do with loyalty. This is how I have been using the technology for the past generation. The absolute only thing I ever do on my Xbox when not signed into Xbox Live is watch DVDs. The device is a fucking brick without Xbox Live as far as I'm concerned. That isn't Microsoft who says that. That's how I feel about it.

An Xbox 360 without Xbox Live Gold is a steaming pile of shit. Why would I ever use my Xbox when the Internet is down. Everything I do on an Xbox including saving and syncing my consoles together requires being online. That's Xbox 360 I'm talking about, not Durango.

That's fine if you disagree, but that's how I've been living for 7 years now. I would never play my Xbox 360 offline so this decision would have nothing but positive benefits for me. It means no longer building games like it is 2004 anymore, it means building single player games that involve sharing and communicating and competing with other people.
Click to expand...

You sound more and more like corporate PR parroting a scripted line with each post.

Many people, especially college students buy games second hand and they play it without online connection. You tell them that they are now not entitled to play their purchases unless they have internet connection. I have internet connection but sometimes it goes kaput. Last night I was playing Demon's Soul when I suddenly got disconnected from the server. And guess what? I can continue enjoying the game because it doesn't cease functioning without online component. In fact, I didn't bother to reconnect because I didn't want to get invaded by some assholes who want to kill first-time players.

A gaming console that isn't playable when you're offline is useless to me. I play mostly only offline games. I tend to ignore any online/MP elements and judging from the disapproval for online achievements/trophies, I believe there are many others who do the same.
 
I

ironcreed

Banned
razgriz417 said:
The idea of an always on console where your access to the games you buy is held hostage by MS's servers is not something I'd consider for a second. That'd be like renting all your games and losing all of them the day the servers go down for good.
Click to expand...

Well, they already hold the online portion of games hostage. Seeing them go all the way in this sort of direction would not really be all that surprising.
 
Z

Zinthar

Member
freddy said:
Microsoft calling everyone idiots now. Classy.
Click to expand...

Somewhat reminiscent of their incredulous response to the threat of the iPhone in '07, from Steve Balmer: "$500? Ha! It'll never appeal to business customers because it doesn't have a real keyboard, so it isn't a very good email machine. They might sell a bunch of them anyway..."

The implication, of course, being that you're an idiot if you buy one. Expect similar rhetoric about the console competition when they unveil this. After all, only Durango will interface with the Windows 8 tablet that you will NEVER own or even remotely consider purchasing.
 
X

x-Lundz-x

Member
If this ends up being true It would be so amazingly awesome if at the reveal they got an "error 37" type pop up and had to scramble to fix it.
 
H

hairypeckpeck

Member
GiantBreadbug said:
I guess my sarcasm meter is broken, but I fail to see his dismissal of the plight of those who live in rural areas as "tongue-in-cheek."

"Why would I live there?"

Doesn't really sound he's kidding. And even if he is, it's kinda just like he doesn't really care.
Click to expand...

Sarcasm is hard to pull off online. Don't really know why anyone would even respond to their audience in that fashion.
 
P

Penguins&PolarBears

Member
Roto13 said:
Single player games are steaming piles of shit.

Ok, brah.
Click to expand...

Do you actually not sign into Xbox Live when you are playing single player games because that seems very weird to me.

I love single player games, but I don't play them when I'm offline because I don't know which of my consoles I last played them on. You can overwrite your game saves when you're relying on cloud syncing. You also risk achievements not syncing. Also some XBLA games will not let you play unless you are online. It's not worth the hassle. If the Internet is out the Xbox is a DVD player.
 
J

JBourne

maybe tomorrow it rains
I lived a few minutes from Blacksburg a couple years ago. Spent a lot of time there. It's a nice, pretty town, even if you're not a fan of the Hokies.

Amazingly, they're managing to get by without Adam Orth. I'm sure they're real torn up about it, though.
 
K

kaching

"GAF's biggest wanker"
Penguins&PolarBears said:
It means no longer building games like it is 2004 anymore, it means building single player games that involve sharing and communicating and competing with other people.
Click to expand...
You can do a lot of that asynchronously, you know. The entirety of every game session doesn't need to be online to enable any of that. Because sometimes the friends you want to share and communicate and compete against aren't always online at the same time.
 
F

Fandangox

Member
Da1nonly J said:
On my phone haven't read much of the thread but why is this different from Steam which everyone loves?

People saying things like I'll just get a PC and likely buy most stuff from Steam or Origin (I kid seems GAF hates it) where you will "rent" games from those services as well. Is there something I am missing here?
Click to expand...

Steam works offline?
 
S

Spongebob

Banned
MS are going to have to think of really creative ways to spin this information if they want nextbox to sell. At the same time Sony should make it a priority to attack this "feature" of nextbox.
 
R

Roto13

Member
Penguins&PolarBears said:
Do you actually not sign into Xbox Live when you are playing single player games because that seems very weird to me.

I love single player games, but I don't play them when I'm offline because I don't know which of my console I last played them on. You can overwrite your game saves when you're relying on cloud syncing. You also risk achievements not syncing. Also some XBLA games will not let you play unless you are online. It's not worth the hassle. If the Internet is out the Xbox is a DVD player.
Click to expand...

I reiterate:

lol
 
B

BolognaSoup

Member
Penguins&PolarBears said:
It has nothing to do with loyalty. This is how I have been using the technology for the past generation. The absolute only thing I ever do on my Xbox when not signed into Xbox Live is watch DVDs. The device is a fucking brick without Xbox Live as far as I'm concerned. That isn't Microsoft who says that. That's how I feel about it.

An Xbox 360 without Xbox Live Gold is a steaming pile of shit. Why would I ever use my Xbox when the Internet is down. Everything I do on an Xbox including saving and syncing my consoles together requires being online. That's Xbox 360 I'm talking about, not Durango.

That's fine if you disagree, but that's how I've been living for 7 years now. I would never play my Xbox 360 offline so this decision would have nothing but positive benefits for me. It means no longer building games like it is 2004 anymore, it means building single player games that involve sharing and communicating and competing with other people.
Click to expand...

You know that's just what Braid and BioShock and Limbo were missing! More sharing and social features. Thanks for enlightening us man!
 
davidjaffe

davidjaffe

The Fucking MAN.
hairypeckpeck said:
Sarcasm is hard to pull off online. Don't really know why anyone would even respond to their audience in that fashion.
Click to expand...

Adam was giving his friend- they are good friends in real life- shit about where he lives. People are taking it wrong. I GET why people are taking it the way they are based on what they have to go on, but in the interest of making the truth known: Orth was NOT knocking folks who don't live in cities and such. It simply is not that but I fear- cause Adam is a good friend of mine and a great game designer- that most folks will take it as a slap to less populated areas of the country and that is SO. NOT. ADAM.

David
 
Darkmakaimura

Darkmakaimura

Can You Imagine What SureAI Is Going To Do With Garfield?
Penguins&PolarBears said:
It has nothing to do with loyalty. This is how I have been using the technology for the past generation. The absolute only thing I ever do on my Xbox when not signed into Xbox Live is watch DVDs. The device is a fucking brick without Xbox Live as far as I'm concerned. That isn't Microsoft who says that. That's how I feel about it.

An Xbox 360 without Xbox Live Gold is a steaming pile of shit. Why would I ever use my Xbox when the Internet is down. Everything I do on an Xbox including saving and syncing my consoles together requires being online. That's Xbox 360 I'm talking about, not Durango.

That's fine if you disagree, but that's how I've been living for 7 years now. I would never play my Xbox 360 offline so this decision would have nothing but positive benefits for me. It means no longer building games like it is 2004 anymore, it means building single player games that involve sharing and communicating and competing with other people.
Click to expand...
So, it's all about you. Nobody, but you. Everyone should follow your example. Okay. At least you admit it.
 
O

orznge

Banned
davidjaffe said:
Adam was giving his friend- they are good friends in real life- shit about where he lives. People are taking it wrong. I GET why people are taking it the way they are based on what they have to go on, but in the interest of making the truth known: Orth was NOT knocking folks who don't live in cities and such. It simply is not that but I fear- cause Adam is a good friend of mine and a great game designer- that most folks will take it as a slap to less populated areas of the country and that is SO. NOT. ADAM.

David
Click to expand...

so what about the online-only stuff
 
S

shinobi602

Member
davidjaffe said:
Adam was giving his friend- they are good friends in real life- shit about where he lives. People are taking it wrong. I GET why people are taking it the way they are based on what they have to go on, but in the interest of making the truth known: Orth was NOT knocking folks who don't live in cities and such. It simply is not that but I fear- cause Adam is a good friend of mine and a great game designer- that most folks will take it as a slap to less populated areas of the country and that is SO. NOT. ADAM.

David
Click to expand...

That doesn't excuse his host of other tweets not directed at his pal, ridiculous analogies and always-online defense, conspicuously in light of all the sources leaking info out.
 
D

DTKT

Member
Man, Twitter has been such a clusterfuck this generation. Facebook was bad, but this is new level of stupid.
 
R

Reiko

Banned
davidjaffe said:
Adam was giving his friend- they are good friends in real life- shit about where he lives. People are taking it wrong. I GET why people are taking it the way they are based on what they have to go on, but in the interest of making the truth known: Orth was NOT knocking folks who don't live in cities and such. It simply is not that but I fear- cause Adam is a good friend of mine and a great game designer- that most folks will take it as a slap to less populated areas of the country and that is SO. NOT. ADAM.

David
Click to expand...

But David Jaffe... If it was any ordinary day and was posted last year no one would give a shit.

With next Xbox rumors flying all over the place, and E3 next month, today was not the day to post that.

Reiko.
 
T

toddhunter

Member
Ahasverus said:
I'd wait a year if it meant -$120
Click to expand...

So would I...but then I don't play COD. It's the millions of others who will line up for it that they are after. Remember COD is only good to people...for playing online...which they already pay for. Requiring something they are paying for anyway isn't going to be a big deal.

It is a bit sad, but I really don't see this being an issue if true.
 
R

razgriz417

Member
Da1nonly J said:
On my phone haven't read much of the thread but why is this different from Steam which everyone loves?

People saying things like I'll just get a PC and likely buy most stuff from Steam or Origin (I kid seems GAF hates it) where you will "rent" games from those services as well. Is there something I am missing here?

Or is this just a make a big deal and sound like an idiot when the alternative I mention does the same I am bitching about sort of situation?
Click to expand...

That comparison can be made but I guess steam has be around long enough that most can assume its a constant and backwards compatibility is a nonissue. There are other services where you can get drm free games on pc. My biggest complaint with a console going this route is the based on the fundamental nature of consoles being static machines that are expected to be replaced with a newer console down the line. Given that MS does not have a good record pertaining to backwards comparability, I'm making the assumption that newer consoles will not play games from previous generations. If this assumption proves to be wrong, and MS is willing to keep severs up over generations for people to play old games, then I think it'd be acceptable like steam. If not, I cannot see the general public, who are used to owning their games as physical media, accept this change.
 
J

jabuseika

Member
This guy got Neogafed and Reddit Front Page at the same time. I can hear the PR people jumping out of windows right now.


Also, Why is everyone so quick to pitch fork for this guy's job? He made a mistake thinking that what he says on twitter could have some form of privacy, and he came off, out of context to us, like kind of a dick. Does that alone warrant him losing his job?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

[Jez Corden] Hotly anticipated 'Black Myth: Wukong' is delayed on Xbox for 'optimizations' — and now, Microsoft has responded
8 9 10 11 12
558
55K
ChorizoPicozo replied
‘A f***ing gut stab’: Arkane boss criticises Microsoft execs for studio closures
2 3 4 5
204
22K
Pasta la Vista replied
Kotaku 2024 High/Lowlights plus Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo summary
4
613
Mr Hyde replied
IGN: Phil Spencer Has Now Been Head of Xbox for 10 Years; We Look Back at His First Decade
Opinion Analysis 2 3
130
12K
ZehDon replied
Phil Spencer interview - Says that their intent is for all Xbox games, including Call of Duty, to be available on Xbox Game Pass Day One
2 3
102
11K
Kenneth Haight replied
Top Bottom