Xbox One DRM Breakdown

[@houdin654jeff]

This is an amazing document of how badly Microsoft screwed themselves on the Xbone launch. It took a room full of games journalist professionals to parse their FAQ, and even they had questions that had very uncomfortable answers or no official answer at all. Stunning.

[@TyrenstraDoesAYouTube]

With the news of Vinny, Brad, and Alex leaving Giant Bomb and the GB fan base celebrating the site, I thought I would go to the first GB video I watched that got me into the site. Almost 8 years ago, I was looking on KZbin for info about the Xbox One launch disaster. I found this video of these chuckleheads being insightful, chill, and funny. Fast forward to now, and I've been a premium subscriber for years. I know that whatever Vinny, Brad, and Alex do next, they will be killer at it. And I know that whatever form Giant Bomb takes in the next few weeks/months will also be killer. Godspeed Duders. Giant Bomb Forever. And Rest in Peace Ryan Davis.

[@zzz_97]

This conversation is incredible. What could have been.

[@Atari-Dude]

...? NO

[@metalslingr]

Sucks to think Ryan had about a month of life left during this conversation. Sad. RIP, Ryan.

[@Atari-Dude]

Which one is Ryan?

[@PabloNevares]

The wonderful and beautiful man behind the camera.

[@thegameneededme5]

This video is incredible to come back to with the benefit of hindsight. It’s clear Microsoft didn’t have set policies on any of these things, or else they would have found a better way to communicate them. I’d love to know what their line in the sand was with pre-order numbers after E3 that caused them to reverse these policies. As in, how much ground were they willing to lose before making the decision to backpedal. It had to be somewhere around 3:1 or worse. Imagine where the Xbox brand would be right now had they stuck to their guns. Might not even be looking at a new Xbox in 2020...

[@Xenthoid]

@33:00 Disc replay and flea market vendors are the small biz you guys are referring to.

[@Johnsonicv]

I was worried, but Jack Trenton rolled up his sleeves and spit serious game. Never heard applause that loud at E3 before.

[@ShadowriverUB]

11:25 they can't encode the serial number on disc, method of mass optical production does not allow to do that or else they gonna use custom discs or something

[@SAndroidProductions]

The ending with the fruit worked so damn well.

[@LarryAsberryJr]

Thanks for your analysis Bombardiers! This cemented my decision to pick up a PS4. Love the intelligence of this crew.

[@LiamDilley]

They have said its not always on. The always on comes from power being in a standbye state so you can wake it with your voice etc. There will be a period check online that it will need which at the moment is a hazy once a day but that may change.

[@bigmac375]

This is still insane to watch. Mattrick deserved to be shamed after this

[@Rockymann27]

Theirs a limit to the friends though, so what if you run out of room? Also, if its on a friends xbox one, wont he need to register it as well for him to play it?

[@gotenibehe]

There is a huge difference between disconnecting the kinect and turning off the kinect. The NSA disagrees that all information will be kept private.

[@Zedisdead9]

I just love the last line : buy a PC.

[@dg474805]

So if I lose my Internet connection because I visit family in rural areas, hurricane (I live in FL) or my ISP modem dies ( again live in FL where lightning and surgery are common) then I'm screwed.

[@TheDrAwesomepants]

There's a little game store called Game City in my town that sells all kinds of games, new and old, along with game merch. It's a really cool place, and I buy stuff from them all the time. The little shops are out there.

[@jauty123]

Can we get some image stabilization up in here?

[@KrizMcGregor]

what if you have 2 xbox one in you house can you play the games on both of them.

[@Randomstupidchannel]

Patrick had a great point, you can't even make it a weekend without the internet connection. My family has a cabin with electricity, but no internet, and my phone doesn't have a connection out there. Looks like I'm not bringing my Xbone to the cabin for a weekend.

[@Rockymann27]

Did you read the fine print at the bottom of their contracts? "terms and policies subject to change" xD

[@memnarch129]

If you check that supposed NSA program, PRISM, youll find that Microsoft is already listed on the groups the NSA have requested info from. Meaning if the reports are true, AND the Kinect having to be connected for Xbox One to work, then the NSA can listen into anyones conversation if they have an Xbox One.

[@yme3267]

Wonder if xbox 1 will say... connection interruption when ur not online

[@crayez4441]

But about the kinect, they say they will not send your info or data from your system without your permission..But what if they make it mandatory for every game install, or updates..

[@Mehffort]

Did you watch the whole video? Although I do agree, the online only crap is stupid. They should enable both options (traditional disc play/online registration).

[@TheDiamondFella]

What about when sony announce that the PS4 has the same DRM?

[@dafatmofo13]

so what happens when my disc gets stolen? can they just transfer it to their account or do they got something set up for that?

[@SirMangoMantango]

Yeah, but it all depends. DRM doesn't mean "it has to be online" It can also mean that you cannot install the game then install it on every console in the world and use it at once. DRM is just a term to describe something to limit used games. There is DRM right now, you need to have your disc in your console for the game to work, and you cannot play it with no disc, that is DRM. Sony have a patent that allows you to install the game from the disc and on other consoles, but the disc is a "key".

[@xDECKAPEx]

So what's to stop the NSA from forcing Microsoft to send all the voice and video data to them like there doing to Google and Verizon right now? In theory if they say its for national security they will be able to watch and or store all the video with the user's never knowing unless it some how gets leaked.

[@Kheapathic]

Please tell us how you really feel.

[@LethalDozePL]

My #1 concern about XBox One is... will my games work in 10, 15 years due to online DRM? I know my PS4 games will work since they dont have that online check

[@PsychoCalibur]

how many xboxones will we see at EVO next year?

[@classicrock7871]

How about selling your games at a yard sale or fleamarket?

[@Genexi2]

How long has that Bart drawing been on the whiteboard now...

[@SomeGameNews]

It isn't even a fancy Steambox. With Steam you can go to offline mode indefinitely after just one authentication. Not to mention, the low low prices of games vs. their console counterparts.

[@TheUnfriendlyGhost1]

Agreed. I miss the old gaming days...

[@erikbertilsson]

But if you have a stable internet connection this is still a viable chioce for a system right? I don't get the outrage at the moment

[@XBAHUFF]

It will allow game rentals? Have you not read what MS says?

[@larraypage4146]

Anyone think Microsoft will implement its own digital trade in system?

[@reddbro7TV]

IDK about that. I have the original Xbox and I can't use any of the online content on their neither the xbox live arcade either. A lot of features don't work right now. I refuse to lease a game and pay full price for a game I don't own and told how to play it. I once own a Turbografx 16 with the original Star Fox and an Atari,so I know thing or two about video games. No DRM required.

[@anunziatocaelius2207]

What about the how it's a spy box?

[@JDowdy1979]

There will be exclusives. I didn't say I was going to buy it either, I just said the policies do not bother me because I am used to them already with my Steam Library and having multiple computers in the house. I do like playing multiplayer FPS games and I cannot play with KB&M so a console is really the only way to go. However, I can wait until one comes out that I "must have". I will admit prices would have to drop significantly for this policy to make any sense though.

[@Kheapathic]

How did you live past grade school?

[@SuicidalXboxers]

Wait I'm confused, the only thing stopping me from pre-porderin is the 24 hour offline which locks all games on ur console, is there any way you can unlock the games and if so how? Nice simple answer please and no hating, I hate hating :P thanks

[@murr9704]

So it can update through your smartphone through wifi.

[@bigmistakewow]

it's not the first time i see this... what have i missed? why the hate on patrick?

[@MichaelnMaximo]

Don't forget, that the new pages are almost buried in the site.

[@sigmundohi]

Surely you couldnt just instal the game into your account, unplug Xbone and then returnt it to the store leaving you 24hrs to beat the game. There has to be some record that youve played the game in the system and once you go online it has to say something about it...? Right?

[@remywanalo]

Well if ps4 does not require internet to play games then how does DRM come to play. Yes PS4 may follow suit but how, I think it will online games.

[@dukeboy87]

can't wait for the xbox one. aside from having to check in online every 24hrs. so if the internet goes down or MS servers then i wont b able to play a game's single player mode? dnt understand how that is possible if theres no way for them to authenticate with no internet. i think you should b able to game offline after 24hrs if you still have the disc.

[@rmrm1mrmr]

It startled me when Rorie turned into Drew.

[@bazyt1]

ha, a beautiful end to the video, shows how crazy these things sound when applied to non-gaming products. As Patrick said, would be better to block pre-owned for 1-3 months after a release, then have no restrictions. Ultimately though, the problem is they are stuck in the middle of disc-based vs digital system, hard to set rules that make sense.

[@lame-impala]

Maybe so. I guess we'll just have to see how things unfold. As for me, I'm rarely if ever without an internet connection where my consoles are - so the real question to ask here is "what happens if there's a problem on Microsoft's end?" Worst case scenario, they have a PSN-style hacking and have to go offline - would games be playable at all during that?

[@listofromantics]

Has Vinnie ever gone as Leon from The Professional for Halloween? The similarity is almost uncanny...

[@Bpsmooth1]

I am happy that I have been a PC gamer for many years now. Don't have to worry about all of this crazy stuff.

[@Dragon4234]

"With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies."

[@blackeaglen99]

Do you still have to purchase Xbox live

[@WrasslinKing]

I never said DRM system, I said digital system referring to a PC gamer, having a digital, not physical game, game and not being able to sell it to a friend, trade it in for cash etc. Two similar but different terms. But to your point games on Steam do have DRM, even if not all. And while it clearly is not as strict as this, it's still serving the same purpose. And I only "changed the boundaries of the discussion"when you brought in benefits and all this other nonsense about modding and such.

[@SwobyJ]

I agree. There is no possible title that would prompt me to get a new console for the next 2-3 years, at least given that I game on the PC too. Even games like a 'Mass Effect 4', I can get on PC, and games like Final Fantasy Versus, I can just wait 1-2 years and it'll drop significantly in price, most likely. etc

[@ElSpartin]

Loadsamone?

[@RHCPfan458]

Does Jeff gel his hair up or is it just naturally like that? It looks natural to me and if it is, that's crazy cool. Also, this is one of the most entertaining videos I've seen in a while, the guys were hilarious as usual and they touched upon all the topics I was interested in.

[@emmanueldavid2067]

also if your internet is down, and you have a pretty good phone plan, you could just switch on the hotspot, let the xbox connect to the phone hotspot, then after it checks everything is okay (no dodgy stuff) you can play for another 24h easy as that my friend

[@vfopiejcod7575]

This also means you Can't sell the the xbox one console after you played or used it ones? LOL? LOL?

[@YellowF3V3R]

then you can go to their house, log on your account and play it together. you can play any of your games that way, without the hassle of bringing all of your discs .

[@KJTrey]

Haha, so if I try to launch a game after I've been offline for 24 hours it will just tell me no, I guess? I'm assuming this is to stop loopholes that could be exposed through the online licensing thing, but is it worth it?

[@pprofitt2]

I guess the point is you can swap games without putting in the disc... They wanted to get rid of that, it has nothing to do with "cloud gaming" im not sure what you are even talking about with that one

[@darkmaggot]

I am mainly a PC gamer so I am used to Steam and not being able to buy or sell used games but I always thought that aspect was one of the biggest selling points of consoles.

[@NeonMenace]

It was reported that they are still free to play on the ps4 so I'm guessing so.

[@Selushakai]

TECHNICALLY the XBO doesn't either - if you only want tv/brd. Sony saying the console 'does not require internet' doesn't mean it won't have something like this.

[@ShadowriverUB]

Developers could do this on PS3 or 360, but for some reason they didnt do that, i mean PC games do that for long time what stops this on console? My guess is that licencing rules didn't allow to do that, that why they only did online passes

[@EuroMIX2]

But if the games aren't there, why should anyone buy the console? isn't that the same issue people are pinning on the Wii U already? If the PS4 goes the same way to appease 3rd parties, what can we do except not support either?

[@Zedisdead9]

Yeah I know what you mean... Certain PC games are trying the internet required to play method but are being criticize for doing it. PCs are much more open than consoles, I doubt that they could impose this on every PC games. There is a way to extend Steam's offline mode beyond 2 weeks btw...

[@AutoPilot300]

they should make a huge package thing to where you could save money by buying it cuz I would love to preorder a package of the ps4 with bf4 codg watchdogs destiny and some others.

[@Deokflsa]

I'd love to work with those guys. They just seem like an awesome bunch.

[@zemixerus]

You can play one game ONE AT A TIME. If it's split screen you can play both on the same "family" console. But ONLY in that way.

[@gloqkoma1]

"I'll do it if you do it" Classic Vinny

[@maxsmith2106]

can anyone help me I go between two houses and bring my xbox 360 harddrive with me so I have all my games saves ect on the othere xbox once I put it in the hard drive in it. I don't think I will be able to get the hard drive in or out of the xbox one. will cloud save all my games saves I know it will if it is online but will my offline stuff be on there eg [watchdog or call of duty campaign] if you know plz reply or send me a message and if there is anything elce that may get in my way plz say

[@hugecoolguns123]

microsoft comfrim that you can shut the kinect off or just put a black sheet over it like a bird

[@MMORE2002]

michael j fox working the camera here?

[@s1l3ntsh4d0w89]

Because taking my copy of Madden over to a friends house and putting it in the disc drive is too difficult. Instead we get to sit for 3 hours downloading it. BRILLIANT

[@fizzy_lifting_drink]

Jeff your outfit is cool as heck.

[@darkmaggot]

Sony did say that they are going to be open to games from $0 and up on the PS4 so there is hope that sales like Steam's could happen.

[@reverbedvonacular]

Don't forget to hook up your ethernet cable to that banana. And only one of you can each an orange at a time.

[@SOLIDSNAKES35]

I agree with what your saying, but I do hope they make some adjustments in order to make these limitations a little bit more gamer friendly, even though the whole thing is a joke in the first place.

[@Alibambam]

the PS4 also doesn't offer your second point, doesn't it?.

[@OfficialXAF]

i love that shaq picture they have on the wall

[@snowblindu]

I don't. But if I own a game that my friend does not and i want to bring it to his house,, so we can play it together i should have that option

[@afterlifeproducer]

That is also true, but there are various markets out there that offer me Bioshock or Borderlands for about $1. Even the various sales from Steam or Amazon will always be better than what Microsoft will offer me in regarding prices. Games on Demand on the Xbox store are still priced at $19.99-$29.99. We are talking about 2005-2006 games here when they are basically worthless.

[@CHA0SBLEEDS]

This is why they don't want a 1 on 1 with you guys! Lol too much questions that would make them sweat. Love you guys.

[@TheBrokenCage]

They have a patent that attaches RF tags to games, allowing them to block used games without an online requirement. Just google "Sony used games patent"

[@ewicn]

Another thing about the always-online, is that in about 15 years when they take down the xbox one severs, you won't be able to play those games ever again...

[@ShadowsHeat]

Eh, it seems like this is all on the publishers, PS4 will most likely have to do the same if it intends to have third party support.

[@papercutHJH]

feel like i am going to be watching this video more than once

[@FaintAcrobat]

And how do you know that when that time comes that Microsoft doesn't patch in a always offline mode so that you can keep playing your games. It's stupid to argue about shit that might or might not happen.

[@RoxasForTheWin]

I can just imagine someone walking into a room and just saying Xbox Off then leaving

[@Joolz1982]

And I thought iTunes DRM was complicated :/. XBone DRM sounds all kind of weird.

[@TheBrokenCage]

Because Microsoft isn't claiming that the online requirement is related to DRM that they can simply shut off later. They're claiming that it is required so it can take advantage of the "infinite power of the cloud." It's just like EA saying SimCity can't run offline because they needed the cloud to run simulations (they've since changed their story, you still can't legally play SimCity offline.)

[@punkxblaze]

I am so glad, a decade later, that they backed off of these half-baked plans. At least we know we're not in the absolute worst timeline.

[@ZaWarubro]

@ItsDedubs: Indie games are actually quite fun and last quite a while depending on the game. Braid was great and had beautiful story and message, same with Bastion. Don't starve gives the player a sense of survival where you thought you knew what you were doing, until winter comes. I suppose to you "blockbuster" games like CoD or the 2k series. These "Triple-A" titles provide the same experience every year with little to ABSOLUTELY no change at all.

[@spicytwiglets12]

Thanks. It's a Boards of Canada album cover.