This sounds like a necessary evil of the "disc-less" gaming feature.
As long as the used/borrowed copy still plays fine without any fees when the disc is in the tray, I don't see any difference to the console status quo.
Used/borrowed copies wouldn't get the play-without-the-disc feature (for free). But that doesn't even rate as a 'bummer'. That's just a logical, necessary architectural decision.
Otherwise a group of friends would just buy 1 copy of a game, pass it around installing it and then everyone would be able to play without the disc needing to be present. They could even sell the physical disc to Gamestop when they were done and still all be able to play the game.
Obviously, no publisher would sign up for that. So you get account-binding on install. Again, as long as having the disc exempts you from the fee, we're not talking about an experience any different from today. And it would still be more consumer-friendly than purely digital services like Google Play, Steam, iTunes, Origin, etc.
This sounds like a necessary evil of the "disc-less" gaming feature.
Without media, I generally agree: no one expects to be able to loan your electronic copy of a game to a friend, or to resell it.
However, the concern is that this will apply for physical media: it will require installation onto your box and be associated with your X-Box Live account. You can take it to a friend's house to play, if you sign into your account, but you can't leave it there unless you let him stay on your account.
If it accepts "disc is in the slot" as its "DRM," that would be totally fine. The concern is that it won't do that. Which sucks. If you are selling physical media for a console, the license needs to move with the media.
Well, I believe the new Xbox doesn't actually require the disc be in the console to play it. So when you loan the game to a friend, how would the console know who owns the game? Perhaps each disc would have to have it's own serial number, and if you install it on more than one device with more than one account, it would ask the original account if they were letting "account two" borrow the game. If so, that game would remain installed but be disabled. That seems like the best approach to me.
It would be quite expensive to burn unique codes onto all discs. Also, what happens the first time someone hacks this system, I put in a legally acquired disc only to be told I'm borrowing the game?
> The Xbox One will still have traditional game discs, but installation to the hard drive has become mandatory.
It sounds like it's not simply a matter of forcing the borrower to play from the disc directly, and the disc is merely a delivery mechanism for a DRM download. (I'm taking the article's word on this; seems like Microsoft is being deliberately vague on the actual mechanics.)
> As long as the used/borrowed copy still plays fine without any fees when the disc is in the tray, I don't see any difference to the console status quo.
In order for someone play a disc that they have purchased on someone else's console, the owner will need to sign into their Xbox LIVE account in order to play the game. Even if the owner leaves the disk with his or her buddy, they will not be able to play it without either a) signing in with the owner's XBL account or b) paying full retail price for the title.
The disc is just storage now. You put it in, install it to the xbox, and then it activates to your Live ID. Then the disc is useless and you can give it to anyone you want. When they install it, it's not activated to their account, so they have to buy it. Owning the disc doesn't mean you own the game, you're just buying the storage and an activation at retail. Though I'm not sure how that initial activation is going to work.. will be interested to find out.
Do all the Live IDs on the same Xbox One get access to it? That is, if I'm signed in as user X, does user Y on the same box get access, when they are signed in?
I would not be surprised if the games shipped with an "Activation Code" that needs to be entered in order to activate the game with an XBL account.
EA has been doing this for years, but only for online play. Madden, NHL, Battlefield, and other EA games ship new with a one-time-use "Online Pass". If you buy an EA title used, you are restricted from all online features until you pay ~30 USD for the "Online Pass".
The new system for the Xbox One is even more intrusive than EA's system considering that you cannot play a used disk offline. I was wondering why EA had killed the "Online Pass" system earlier this month; it seemed to good to be true... [1]
> and then everyone would be able to play without the disc needing to be present.
With online DRM (like, I suppose, Xbox has) it should be only one running instance at a time per bought copy. Which sounds perfectly reasonable. I suspect there are some "offline mode" workarounds, but this is essentially the same as just "pirating" the game.
All this boils down to a question on whenever lending, trading or gifting an "used" game is legal. If law considers so, then removal of an option to give the game away is a straight violation of consumer's rights.
Comments
This sounds like a necessary evil of the "disc-less" gaming feature.
As long as the used/borrowed copy still plays fine without any fees when the disc is in the tray, I don't see any difference to the console status quo.
Used/borrowed copies wouldn't get the play-without-the-disc feature (for free). But that doesn't even rate as a 'bummer'. That's just a logical, necessary architectural decision.
Otherwise a group of friends would just buy 1 copy of a game, pass it around installing it and then everyone would be able to play without the disc needing to be present. They could even sell the physical disc to Gamestop when they were done and still all be able to play the game.
Obviously, no publisher would sign up for that. So you get account-binding on install. Again, as long as having the disc exempts you from the fee, we're not talking about an experience any different from today. And it would still be more consumer-friendly than purely digital services like Google Play, Steam, iTunes, Origin, etc.
This sounds like a necessary evil of the "disc-less" gaming feature.
Without media, I generally agree: no one expects to be able to loan your electronic copy of a game to a friend, or to resell it.
However, the concern is that this will apply for physical media: it will require installation onto your box and be associated with your X-Box Live account. You can take it to a friend's house to play, if you sign into your account, but you can't leave it there unless you let him stay on your account.
If it accepts "disc is in the slot" as its "DRM," that would be totally fine. The concern is that it won't do that. Which sucks. If you are selling physical media for a console, the license needs to move with the media.
Well, I believe the new Xbox doesn't actually require the disc be in the console to play it. So when you loan the game to a friend, how would the console know who owns the game? Perhaps each disc would have to have it's own serial number, and if you install it on more than one device with more than one account, it would ask the original account if they were letting "account two" borrow the game. If so, that game would remain installed but be disabled. That seems like the best approach to me.
It would be quite expensive to burn unique codes onto all discs. Also, what happens the first time someone hacks this system, I put in a legally acquired disc only to be told I'm borrowing the game?
> The Xbox One will still have traditional game discs, but installation to the hard drive has become mandatory.
It sounds like it's not simply a matter of forcing the borrower to play from the disc directly, and the disc is merely a delivery mechanism for a DRM download. (I'm taking the article's word on this; seems like Microsoft is being deliberately vague on the actual mechanics.)
> As long as the used/borrowed copy still plays fine without any fees when the disc is in the tray, I don't see any difference to the console status quo.
In order for someone play a disc that they have purchased on someone else's console, the owner will need to sign into their Xbox LIVE account in order to play the game. Even if the owner leaves the disk with his or her buddy, they will not be able to play it without either a) signing in with the owner's XBL account or b) paying full retail price for the title.
How would that work? Aren't all the pressed discs identical, how would the console/network know it's a used disk?
That's what CD keys are for, so unless they bring that to consoles the person who owns the disk owns the game.
The disc is just storage now. You put it in, install it to the xbox, and then it activates to your Live ID. Then the disc is useless and you can give it to anyone you want. When they install it, it's not activated to their account, so they have to buy it. Owning the disc doesn't mean you own the game, you're just buying the storage and an activation at retail. Though I'm not sure how that initial activation is going to work.. will be interested to find out.
Do all the Live IDs on the same Xbox One get access to it? That is, if I'm signed in as user X, does user Y on the same box get access, when they are signed in?
Yes, [1]
[1] http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/05/22/xbox-one-what-we-do-a...
I would not be surprised if the games shipped with an "Activation Code" that needs to be entered in order to activate the game with an XBL account.
EA has been doing this for years, but only for online play. Madden, NHL, Battlefield, and other EA games ship new with a one-time-use "Online Pass". If you buy an EA title used, you are restricted from all online features until you pay ~30 USD for the "Online Pass".
The new system for the Xbox One is even more intrusive than EA's system considering that you cannot play a used disk offline. I was wondering why EA had killed the "Online Pass" system earlier this month; it seemed to good to be true... [1]
[1] http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial...
Thats a good question, I'm assuming an activation key of some sort will be provided at purchase.
Please hold the disk in front of your Kinect controller... Activation code found. Activating your game... Done!
> and then everyone would be able to play without the disc needing to be present.
With online DRM (like, I suppose, Xbox has) it should be only one running instance at a time per bought copy. Which sounds perfectly reasonable. I suspect there are some "offline mode" workarounds, but this is essentially the same as just "pirating" the game.
All this boils down to a question on whenever lending, trading or gifting an "used" game is legal. If law considers so, then removal of an option to give the game away is a straight violation of consumer's rights.
As long as I can pay 10% of the cost of old games, for removing 90% of it's possible use.