Microsoft clarifies some things, for better or worse..

[yourbeliefs]

They clarified the used games issue.... Sorta..
http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/how-game-licensing-works-on-the-xbox-one/

And they explained the "always on" thing. Not always on, but a number of consumers will be locked out if they don't hook up online...

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/06/xbox-one-requires-online-connection-every-24-hours-at-least/

 

[dont24]

This was my area of concern, family game access. Looks like all family members will have access to any games, with no additional fees. A big plus for my household.

Share access to your games with everyone inside your home: Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games. Anyone can play your games on your console--regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you.

Give your family access to your entire games library anytime, anywhere: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family can log in and play from your shared games library on any Xbox One. Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.

 

[king3pj]

This was my area of concern, family game access. Looks like all family members will have access to any games, with no additional fees. A big plus for my household.

You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.

That sounds even better than the way it is now but I think we still need some more clarification. The wording is a little confusing. It says up to 10 people can have access to your shared library. Does this mean you have to specify which of your games are in your shared library at any given time, and is there a limit to how many titles you can have in the shared library at once?

In theory we could create a satelliteguys group of 10 and all of us would have access to everyone's games. Then it says you plus any ONE of your family members can play from your shared library at any given time. So, yes you can make a list of 10 but if you have 3 or more Xbox consoles in your home you might only be able to use 2 at once. Note that it doesn't say one person can play a game at once. It says you plus one person can play from your shared library at once. So you buy the games for your console, one of your sons boots up a shared game on his Xbox, and all your shared games are blocked on your 2nd son's Xbox until the 1st son shuts down.

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[Ramy]

What if you have more than one Xbox One in your household? Do you have to have 2 copies or can you install it twice? Or what if you take it to a friends house to play?

 

[king3pj]

IGN has a good article up right now explaining everything. It sounds like none of this is ready for launch and individual publishers have the choice whether or not to allow it on a game by game basis.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/06/06/microsoft-details-xbox-one-used-games-always-online

"In our role as a game publisher, Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this.

In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends." “We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.”

So used games are allowed and Microsoft first party games support it, however, they have given third party publishers the option of blocking it or allowing it for their games or charging the used retailers a fee for the right to sell their games used.

“Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.”


It's worth noting that Microsoft allows you to gift games to friends but they can't borrow them. Microsoft added that "loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners."

Again, this feature is in the publishers hands. First party games will support it but third parties get to decide on a game by game basis whether they want to allow it. The last line is what seals it for me. I don't care about used games or loaning to friends. For the most part I only buy games on sale and due to the better pricing structure I tend to only buy games on PC. I have been using gamefly to play console exclusives and certain games I wanted to try but didn't have to own. If I can't use gamefly for Xbox one I have no reason to own one at launch. I won't buy one until there is a decent price drop and even then only if there are enough exclusives that I really have to play.

 

[meStevo]

Wow, that's a lot more like the PS4 than I thought it would be. I thought what we were reading were new standards for every title, but they're leaving it to each publisher like Sony.

 

[dont24]

I can see it now. EA will be the first company to block this. This would certainly benefit me, allowing my family to have access to all games. As long as I only need to make a single game purchase with no additional fees. What they haven't stated yet is how much will family member access cost? Right now I pay $99 a year for the family plan. That allows 4 gold live accounts. That family plan has been discontinued for new purchase. Existing family plans will continue to be renewed. Sounds like M$ will be introducing a new family plan, that will allow up to 10 accounts? I suspect they'll charge you for each account. ( MSRP of $60 is my guess ) Companies like EA will most likely try to stick it to us consumers with added fees for "family" members to access their games.

 

[meStevo]

Reportedly the big publishers said they need these kinds of options or games will become $70+. EA (among others) want this.

One of the things I see being a source of problems is not MS's huge infrastructure being used for their DRM system, but publishers having to prop up their own (more vulnerable to DDOS) systems for the PS4 version if they try and maintain the same policies cross-platform.

 

[king3pj]

Wow, that's a lot more like the PS4 than I thought it would be. I thought what we were reading were new standards for every title, but they're leaving it to each publisher like Sony.

From everything I read, that was the original plan after their console reveal. Microsoft executives were quoted after the reveal saying that the fee to play a used game would be whatever full retail was at the time. After they heard all of the backlash and Sony announced their used game plan it sounds like they just decided to copy it.

That was the smart move. Now when EA blocks all of these features they have clean hands. They can say it's not their fault and EA is the bad guy all over again just like with online passes. I'm sure EA won't be the only publisher to block used games and lending but you can bet they will be one of them.

 

[meStevo]

From everything I read, that was the original plan after their console reveal. Microsoft executives were quoted after the reveal saying that the fee to play a used game would be whatever full retail was at the time. After they heard all of the backlash and Sony announced their used game plan it sounds like they just decided to copy it.

That was the smart move. Now when EA blocks all of these features they have clean hands. They can say it's not their fault and EA is the bad guy all over again just like with online passes. I'm sure EA won't be the only publisher to block used games and lending but you can bet they will be one of them.

2 different things. The quote you're thinking of was if you took a disc over to a friends house. It would install, and you could play it there if you were signed in, but if he wanted to keep the game and play it without your account he could buy a license digitally. He said that if it were a new game, it would be the price of a new game. That has nothing to do with used games, just your friend buying a game after using your disc to install it so that they didn't have to download it is all.