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Escapist Magazine - How Xbox Has Become the Most Consumer-Friendly of the Big Three

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Gamepass is a game changer.

They went from DRM and anti consumer approach with XBO to completely a new fresh consumer friendly direction with Crossplay, Gamepass, Xcloud, and recently announced XSX games delivery feature that will shape the future of the industry.

Despite starting the current Generation at the lowest point ever, Phil Spencer managed to steer XB division into the right direction after taking over from Don Mattrick disastrous tenure that subsequently saved the whole division from being canned by Microsoft.

From which PR piece did you take this “verbatim” bit from... I mean c’mon (GamePass and Xcloud are part of the same DRM trajectory pointed at by Mattrick’s team before... renting vs ownership and the whole online only aspect of streaming ;)).
 

John Day

Member
As a consumer looking from the outside (the ones that dig in and pay for shit blind), Gamepass sounds very friendly and enticing. Shit it’s honestly a good deal indeed.

I own and enjoy both consoles, before anyone tosses labels around.
 

sn0man

Member
Gamepass is a game changer.

They went from DRM and anti consumer approach with XBO to completely a new fresh consumer friendly direction with Crossplay, Gamepass, Xcloud, and recently announced XSX games delivery feature that will shape the future of the industry.

Despite starting the current Generation at the lowest point ever, Phil Spencer managed to steer XB division into the right direction after taking over from Don Mattrick disastrous tenure that subsequently saved the whole division from being canned by Microsoft.

The Xbox started this generation as the only console that requires an internet connection to setup and they’ve never walked that back. The Xbox is also the only console that requires an online profile to save games. Same as day 1. I’m still waiting for the more consumer friendly option of skipping the internet if I choose to (like the PS4 and Switch).


Too dumb to realize that GamePass and xCloud are virtually the same as the DRM bullshit.

it’s not quite the same. Renting isn’t owning. t is DRM through and through. DRM is definitely a tool for a copyright owner to manage their media in the digital realm. It’s just more transparent DRM.

So now Gamepass is DRM. This shit gets crazier everyday.

Just because it works well doesn’t mean it isn’t DRM. Get a game off game pass with your wired connection. Yank the cord. See how long you have access to that digital media before the rights holder manages your access.

Until Sony does it, right? RIGHT????

No. If the PS5 adopts the less consumer friendly lack of choice that the Xb1,1s,1x use, I will crap on it and walk away from Sony just the same.
 
Some of these responses

re09Mi5.gif
 
Removing software ownership is consumer friendly?

Yes. Because somehow giving the option of subscribing to a rental and streaming service suddenly means digital purchasing and physical copies purchasable in stores will magically disappear at the same ti-- oh wait, that hasn't happened whatsoever!

Are you guys being purposefully idiotic this week? Or did Monday's news break you? It's no one else's fault that Sony is quiet, but being dumb and reaching for straws to paint any strength MS has of late into a negative won't get you PS5 news any sooner, or even the news you're hoping to hear. And you definitely wouldn't appreciate Microsoft fanboys doing this crap once that news finally happens.

But hey, maybe that's what you want deep down inside. Maybe it's how you get off, there's probably studies on warrior fanboying being a sexual exciter for some people. Weird fetish imho; I just like looking at thick girls to get me in the mood. Seems like the better of the two, and easily the less embarrassing.

Just because it works well doesn’t mean it isn’t DRM. Get a game off game pass with your wired connection. Yank the cord. See how long you have access to that digital media before the rights holder manages your access.

Steam is DRM. Your blu-ray discs are DRM. Your digital downloads from Amazon, Youtube etc. are DRM. Your purchases on your iPhone are DRM. Even your digital installation copies of games on your PS4 are DRM. ANYTHING with some form of copyright protection built into it, be it software, hardware, or both, that works in tandem with any sort of online connection for ANY part of verification (directly or indirectly, i.e patch update that leaves chunks of the game you've already payed for unplayable until you do the update)....is DRM. DRM runs a gamut, it is not one specific implementation.

So singling out Gamepass as being DRM is not only a waste of time, but completely foolish.
 
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HolyTruth

Banned
Too dumb to realize that GamePass and xCloud are virtually the same as the DRM bullshit.

giphy.gif



Wonder if you would say the same if Sony would offer the EXACT same thing.
And insulting someone only because he likes gamepass?
Gamepass is INCREDIBLE value!

I got TWO YEARS of gamepass for the price of a SINGLE GAME. Do you know how many games I can play with that? I don’t give a shit about DRM. I have a 1 Gbps connection. No data cap.
Only because you have shitty broadband connection doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t allowed to have fun. Seriously.
 

HolyTruth

Banned
Are you guys being purposefully idiotic this week? Or did Monday's news break you? It's no one else's fault that Sony is quiet, but being dumb and reaching for straws to paint any strength MS has of late into a negative won't get you PS5 news any sooner, or even the news you're hoping to hear. And you definitely wouldn't appreciate Microsoft fanboys doing this crap once that news finally happens.




Steam is DRM. Your blu-ray discs are DRM. Your digital downloads from Amazon, Youtube etc. are DRM. Your purchases on your iPhone are DRM. Even your digital installation copies of games on your PS4 are DRM. ANYTHING with some form of copyright protection built into it, be it software, hardware, or both, that works in tandem with any sort of online connection for ANY part of verification (directly or indirectly, i.e patch update that leaves chunks of the game you've already payed for unplayable until you do the update)....is DRM. DRM runs a gamut, it is not one specific implementation.

So singling out Gamepass as being DRM is not only a waste of time, but completely foolish.


It’s mostly because it’s Microsoft. If Sony would do the EXACT same thing as Microsoft, the narrative would be vastly different.

Funny how Sony IS exactly doing the same thing. you will see more and more Sony Games in PC.

Sony will also offer streaming. They are even PARTNERING with MICROSOFT.

But some people can’t and don’t want to believe it yet.
 

Psykodad

Banned
giphy.gif



Wonder if you would say the same if Sony would offer the EXACT same thing.
And insulting someone only because he likes gamepass?
Gamepass is INCREDIBLE value!

I got TWO YEARS of gamepass for the price of a SINGLE GAME. Do you know how many games I can play with that? I don’t give a shit about DRM. I have a 1 Gbps connection. No data cap.
Only because you have shitty broadband connection doesn’t mean everyone else isn’t allowed to have fun. Seriously.
What makes you think I wouldn't trash Sony if they were in MS' position?
 
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TBiddy

Member
Just because it works well doesn’t mean it isn’t DRM. Get a game off game pass with your wired connection. Yank the cord. See how long you have access to that digital media before the rights holder manages your access.

You're renting something. Of course there will be limited access. It's no different from Netflix et al. The issue here, is that Psykodad (and a few others) are claiming that Gamepass is more or less the same as the laughable policies that were introduced back at the XB1 reveal.

What makes you think I wouldn't trash Sony if they were in MS' position?

Gee, I wonder why people would think that.
 

phil_t98

#SonyToo
Still doesn't have any games on it i want to play enough to convince me to buy another xbox. So wonderful, it's a friendly doorstop. Call me when it has a robust library of exclusives worth playing.
its like people just play Sony games and nothing else, the funny thing is the biggest sellers are the multiplats and they currently play best on console on xbox.
 
and how are they removing ownership

It's the same as 2013 except this time they are giving you a carrot instead of beating you with a stick.

well its not like Microsoft are stopping people buying games is it, people act like you can now ONLY get games on the xbox via Gamepass

They also don't stop you from buying Office - and yet here we are in situation where only cheap access to MS office is subscription service while all lifetime licenses have been jacked up in prices.
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
They really have. It's crazy to me that every digital game I own just works on xCloud free of charge. And Play Anywhere is incredible. I get two copies for one purchase. I can play whereever I want. Compare that to a Microsoft that in 2013 wanted mandatory 24 hour online checks for my licenses and all but eliminate physical copies. And now they just give games away with Game Pass, so many that I can't even play them all. With an Xbox and Game Pass, you don't need to buy a single game anymore.
 

darkinstinct

...lacks reading comprehension.
and how are they removing ownership

Read any license agreement of any physical game released in the past fifteen years. You will be very surprised to find what you actually own. Hint: You only ever own a license. Same as with digital. They even tell you that they can remove that license at any point, no reasons. Of course it is harder to remove a license on a physical copy, but just based on ownership rights, a physical copy is exactly the same as a digital copy. You don't own anything except the disc it comes on.
 
Who needs consumer friendliness when all we need are interactive movies.

Where they at, Microsoft? Where they at?!

Lol where are the good games MS is more like it, all you get is gamepass fodder which is shit like Bleeding Edgy a game nobody wants.
 
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Tomeru

Member
I personally own over 500 games on my xbox x, but yeah I have no games. if your a diving game fan the ps4 isn't even a choice this gen as they only had 2 first party driving games and one which they shut the studio down after its release

Thats cool, but how many of them are xbox only games?
 

HeresJohnny

Member
Companies tend to become friendlier after getting dat ass kicked. True story.

The problem for MS as I see it is that friendliness doesn't cure them of their fount of bad ideas necessarily. We'll have to wait and see.
 
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phil_t98

#SonyToo
Read any license agreement of any physical game released in the past fifteen years. You will be very surprised to find what you actually own. Hint: You only ever own a license. Same as with digital. They even tell you that they can remove that license at any point, no reasons. Of course it is harder to remove a license on a physical copy, but just based on ownership rights, a physical copy is exactly the same as a digital copy. You don't own anything except the disc it comes on.
again I was replaying to the guy when
It's the same as 2013 except this time they are giving you a carrot instead of beating you with a stick.



They also don't stop you from buying Office - and yet here we are in situation where only cheap access to MS office is subscription service while all lifetime licenses have been jacked up in prices.
again you still have choice
 

sn0man

Member
Read any license agreement of any physical game released in the past fifteen years. You will be very surprised to find what you actually own. Hint: You only ever own a license. Same as with digital. They even tell you that they can remove that license at any point, no reasons. Of course it is harder to remove a license on a physical copy, but just based on ownership rights, a physical copy is exactly the same as a digital copy. You don't own anything except the disc it comes on.

yes. Correct I only have a piece of plastic that is slowly dying a death of decay. Just like my NES cartridges. The difference is that Microsoft (and what gets me) still requires an authentication with one of their servers for you to set up the plastic console that you put plastic disks into. So when a thread touts how consumer great they are, it gives me pause.

I don’t jump into the “no games” threads because MS does have some great games. Same with controller and accessibility. Gamepass is good (so is the PlayStation version I assume).

if MS would just announce that when they End Of Life a console that it will work without an authentication to a server then this wouldn’t be a big deal.
 

sn0man

Member
MS end of life’s the original Halo on the Xbox. That’s fine as the drm plastic works in the drm box after the company is done with it. Are we going to get our consoles that we paid for unencumbered by the online check-in? Can someone sell an Xb1 at a garage sale in 20 years and get some games from their uncle and play if the servers are turned off or if Miscrosoft retires support for the xb1?
 

Psykodad

Banned
Yeah you may have 500 normal games, but Sony has over 9000 3rd person action adventures!!!!!!!
Don't worry, when Hellblade 2 releases, MS will have at least one of those 3rd person action adventure walking simulators to brag about and we'll probably hear all about it from a couple of gaffers.
 
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phil_t98

#SonyToo
Don't worry, when Hellblade 2 releases, MS will have at least one of those 3rd person action adventure walking simulators to brag about and we'll probably hear all about it from a couple of gaffers.
But it will be running with 12tf and RDNA 2.0 lol
 
Thats cool, but how many of them are xbox only games?

Why does that even matter? I thought we were gamers , not corporate cheerleaders. It's this kind of stuff that really does make gaming look juvenile compared to other mediums like film or music, you don't really see fans of those acting this way.

It’s mostly because it’s Microsoft. If Sony would do the EXACT same thing as Microsoft, the narrative would be vastly different.

Funny how Sony IS exactly doing the same thing. you will see more and more Sony Games in PC.

Sony will also offer streaming. They are even PARTNERING with MICROSOFT.

But some people can’t and don’t want to believe it yet.

Yep, that's basically the honest truth of it. But if you outright say it, you then get accused of trying to "stoke the flames", as it were.

It's really annoying too because I'm a big fan of ALL 3 of the platform holders, and it's just embarrassing when fanboys of one given brand (like we're seeing with a lot of Sony fanboys this week) go into passive-aggressive out outright hostile attack mode the likes shills could only dream of doing if they didn't have to maintain a certain image for the companies that pay them under the table.

So it makes me look a certain way when I call that kind of nonsense out, when it has less to do with people of a certain brand preference doing it so much as it is people doing it in general regardless of their brand preference. But I can't help when it's a majority of people of a certain brand preference (again, Sony in this case) actively engaging in it. That's not my fault 🤷‍♂️
 
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Psykodad

Banned
so what is your reason to not get one?
Basically 2 reason:

The most obvious reason being that I honestly think MS is harmfull to the industry as long as they're one of the big three.
I don't mind competition, I don't mind them being 3rd party, I mind them for what they are now.

Also, only Hellblade and Ori would be interesting to me. Maybe Gears as well.
Not enough to warrant a XSX, imo.
 

phil_t98

#SonyToo
Basically 2 reason:

The most obvious reason being that I honestly think MS is harmfull to the industry as long as they're one of the big three.
I don't mind competition, I don't mind them being 3rd party, I mind them for what they are now.

Also, only Hellblade and Ori would be interesting to me. Maybe Gears as well.
Not enough to warrant a XSX, imo.
so how are Microsoft harmful to the industry?
 
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