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[Hellraizah]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

 

[Redlancet]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

because now its a choice,then it was a obligation

 

[Grinchy]

I really liked the idea that you could tie a disc to your system and then not need it in the system anymore. The problem was that they wanted to make it so that a 2nd system using that disc would owe a $15 fee or something like that to then claim ownership. It was their way of cutting into the used market and pretty much killing it.

The only problem with the plan was the fee. If a 2nd system could claim ownership of the disc that's in its possession so that the 1st system could no longer play the game that is installed on it, the idea would have been awesome. I wish PS5 was doing that with discs.

 

[H-I-M]

because now its a choice,then it was a obligation

+ that was 7 years ago, let it go OP..

 

[Kimahri]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

I remember reading about how Microsoft was planning on letting you add friends to your "family" , and you being able to share your games with them, effectively letting you try out games for free.

I didn't get why people hated it so much that ot made Microsoft backtrack on not just the ownership, but also the cool things that cale with it

 

[Azelover]

Yeah, there is something related to timing.

The public isn't always ready for things. And they're still not ready, to NOT be given a choice. Yes we have all digital consoles coming out, but the public is still given a choice.

We have the ability to buy a system with a disc drive. And don't be shocked if the discless systems have the minority of sales. We aren't close to being ready to not have a choice on that matter.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

As I recall the vast majority of ps5 preorders were physical editions.

 

[EDMIX]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

? It's very obvious you're trying to force a narrative here, the big problem with Microsoft's reveal had nothing really to do with digital titles it had everything to do with digital titles by force as in no other option but to have titles a locked to a system and no way to actually resale outside of some permission based system.

So I want you to understand, the generation prior to that you could download many games.... did you see a backlash because of that? But your ability to download on Playstation 3 or 360 game did not actually stop that very game from existing physically on the disc... so I would hold off on this weird belief that people were simply angry at the option of something digital because technically that already existed they were upset that Microsoft made the choice for consumers to remove reselling a game.

I do not believe consumers have a problem with choosing to do that themselves on a game-by-game basis they simply have a problem if a company is out here trying to force the idea that you cannot resale any game at all. Because technically speaking you could choose to only download games on 360 or Playstation 3 no different than you could make the choice to only do that on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One in clearly no different than somebody could choose to do that on the new systems...

But the fucking differences that is their choice to do so it is not something mandated or forced with no other option. So trust me when I'm telling you this, the problem had nothing to do with it simply being digital because that concept already existed.


Keep in mind it's not like Microsoft was telling you they had a digital-only system and then also a disc base system by choice, they were fucking telling you that when you put the disc in it downloads the game in the disc is completely useless.

Oh yeah if you want to sell the game you need to go through some sort of procedure by specific retailers for them to allow you to resell it to them (maybe....)

This had nothing to fucking do with "digital", because it's not like people's reaction of being able to download a fucking 360 game was equivalent to what you saw with the Xbox One reveal. So we could relax on trying to make it sound like the simple concept of "digital" was what people were arguing about that had nothing to do with the conversation..

 

[M1chl]

MS is most of the time too fast, without being able to create "magic" around it. If you could dumb the keys from your X360/X OG disc at the retailer to your MS account, Xbox Series S would suddenly be far more desirable, but they are scared to do that...

 

[Night.Ninja]

The only issue was the 24 hour check, they were ahead of the times

 

[Andodalf]

As I recall the vast majority of ps5 preorders were physical editions.

They all sold out, there We’re just less diskless versions made

 

[GHG]

The main issues were the draconian always on DRM along with the fact that it would have killed the physical market.

Even if they tried to bring it back today it would be laughed out the door.

 

[MISTER INVEIGLER]

If Xbox fans still don't get the point after 7 years later, I won't waste my time.

 

[Redlancet]

+ that was 7 years ago, let it go OP..

i dont give single fuck on 2013,i dont give a fuck now,but the market decided

 

[Hellraizah]

because now its a choice,then it was a obligation

That's a good point. I hope it will remain a choice for a long time.

I don't believe it, though.

 

[The_Mike]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

Honestly, for many people it's only acceptable if their preferred plastic manufacturer does it.
Many wanted bc this gen from both sides. When xbox got it then it was unimportant.
At the beginning of this gen graphics mattered a lot, and xbox got (with good reason) a lot of flak by the lower graphic settings. When One X cam out then graphical comparisons didn't matter anymore.

Tlr it was shit when Ms did it, but cool now that Sony does it.

Keep in mind though, that Microsofts approach was that if you bought a physical copy, then you'd also got a CD key so you could redeem the game on your console, so you had both a physical and a digital copy.

What Sony does it giving people a choice between those two. Ironically, people laughed at the Xbox One S all digital, but there was a more acceptable approach to the PS5 digital edition. There's also been flak for it, don't get me wrong. But xbox One S was slain on the forums.

 

[AV]

Thing that happened 7 years ago isn't the same now

 

[Matsuchezz]

it was several factors:
-Dumb Mattrick
-Required internet connection
-Kinnect shoved up xbox fans' ass
-God Awful Games with DRM
-Xbox360 was crap hardware, I bought one and got RROD after I sold it luckily. Said goodbye never looked back.

 

[diffusionx]

How many people bought a full game (not a XBLA type thing) on 360 or PS3? The speed with which console gamers have taken on digital downloads surprises me. MS basically was 2 years early, not 7, with these plans. You can introduce a console after gamers have decided to buy games this way, you can’t push them off the deep end.

because now its a choice,then it was a obligation

It’s not going to be a choice for too much longer. This is probably going to be the last gen with physical media.

 

[Hellraizah]

It’s not going to be a choice for too much longer. This is probably going to be the last gen with physical media.

The way things are going and the comments I see on so many people going digital only, that's what I fear.

 

[Jaxcellent]

I really liked the idea that you could tie a disc to your system and then not need it in the system anymore. The problem was that they wanted to make it so that a 2nd system using that disc would owe a $15 fee or something like that to then claim ownership. It was their way of cutting into the used market and pretty much killing it.

The only problem with the plan was the fee. If a 2nd system could claim ownership of the disc that's in its possession so that the 1st system could no longer play the game that is installed on it, the idea would have been awesome. I wish PS5 was doing that with discs.

It's a great idea, not to mention, this could also work in a consumer friendly version: like any disc automatically locks the disc to a user, this info goes in your account/cloud and the key is removed when someone else uses that disc.

 

[Birgitte2004-2]

I remember reading about how Microsoft was planning on letting you add friends to your "family" , and you being able to share your games with them, effectively letting you try out games for free.

I didn't get why people hated it so much that ot made Microsoft backtrack on not just the ownership, but also the cool things that cale with it

Microsoft only talked about this feature after they had already killed their plans, as a kind of "see what we could have done?" snipe at those who hated the plan. And considering the backlash Sony had from developers from the group plan on the PS3, I highly doubt MS would have been allowed to do it with any titles that weren't their own.

 

[Compsiox]

I don't know but I'm glad it lead to Don Mattrick leaving Xbox.

 

[Nikana]

PR was the issue with this along with their inability to explain how it worked in coherent fashion.

The check in thing on games you owned the disc for made no sense. If I put in the disc I should have been able to bypass that requirement for that title as long as the disc is inserted.

 

[Iamborghini]

Today:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games =/= Games tied to owners

2013 by Microsoft:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games = Games tied to owners

See the difference?

 

[Hellraizah]

Today:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games =/= Games tied to owners

2013 by Microsoft:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games = Games tied to owners

See the difference?

Of course I see it and I understand the difference. What I mean is that we will most probably get there (the digital only future of games tied to owners and no other option) very quickly with the way things are going now.

My OP is about that. The way that we, as gamers, threw a fit about that, but are rapidly jumping in the pit ourselves by switching to digital.

Of course, I hope it doesn't happen, I love physical and I buy that as much as I can. But when physical becomes 5% of the sales, I don't think they'll bother making them anymore and then, we will be left with only one choice.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Uhh I still haven't budged on the digital issue, and digital ownership today isn't any better than what was proposed back then.

That said, I don't feel so strongly about it that I feel like gamers should be condemned one way or another.

 

[Diddy X]

Today:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games =/= Games tied to owners

2013 by Microsoft:
- Digital purchase of games = Games tied to owners
- Physical purchase of games = Games tied to owners

See the difference?

Nobody gives AF now or back then IMO, it was just the way they presented it along the Kinect, TV focus and price that really caused the backlash, you can convince the masses with any BS you just have to do it the right way, we are gonna eventually end up with digital only gaming and nobody is gonna complain, it just needed to be introduced more gradually.

 

[nush]

What changed for me during the last gen was the realization that the disc was to all an intents a digital version anyway. It had to be installed to play and you had to more often that not download patches. So it's all there ready to go and I need to insert a disc just as a key to play that game, that's all it is a key and a box for the shelf. I personally don't trade in or loan games anyway.

Next what happened is super deep discounts on digital games, weekly sales of a lot of titles. Granted that won't happen for the while at the start of the next gen, but I've no doubt it will continue.

I'd still buy the disc based version of a console to play movies and for the option should I get a disc version of a game.

 

[ManaByte]

As I recall the vast majority of ps5 preorders were physical editions.

Those numbers came from Cheapass Gamer who rely on associate link referral kickbacks for sharing sales on physical games.

 

[Self High Five]

What does digital gaming have to do with MS planning to brick your console if you didn't check into their servers every 24 hours?

 

[Deleted member 17706]

because now its a choice,then it was a obligation

Also, the always online requirement (that applied even to those who bought discs) at the beginning was rather strict if I'm remembering correctly.

 

[NoMoChokeSJ]

I thought their vision was cool at the time. The complaints about always online didn't really resonate with me because I always have access to high speed internet or a phone with a hot spot. But I get that this didn't apply to everybody. Plus the messaging was crap. The family sharing plan was money though... Wish they would've followed through with that.

 

[Hellraizah]

What changed for me during the last gen was the realization that the disc was to all an intents a digital version anyway. It had to be installed to play and you had to more often that not download patches. So it's all there ready to go and I need to insert a disc just as a key to play that game, that's all it is a key and a box for the shelf. I personally don't trade in or loan games anyway.

Next what happened is super deep discounts on digital games, weekly sales of a lot of titles. Granted that won't happen for the while at the start of the next gen, but I've no doubt it will continue.

I'd still buy the disc based version of a console to play movies and for the option should I get a disc version of a game.

What I would really like to see in the future is some kind of cart based console where each physical game has some sort of flash memory where it can store the patches that are later added to the game. Since patches are now a thing that won't ever go away due to the complexity of games, I think it would help bridge a gap between game ownership that last in time and digital advantages like patches.

Because right now, if one company decides that a game won't play anymore of if Sony or Microsoft ever folds, we're very screwed.

 

[CitizenX]

The main issues were the draconian always on DRM along with the fact that it would have killed the physical market.

Even if they tried to bring it back today it would be laughed out the door.

BUT it is still DRM something consoles never even knew about or know about today. its a learning process they better be prepared.

 

[Redlight]

So much of their messaging in 2013 was confusing and messy. It seemed like even the official sources weren't quite sure how anything was supposed to work.

I remember not being happy because I was in the habit of renting 'maybe' titles at the local video library and blowing through them in a day or two. I didn't want to lose that option. Then, of course, all the video libraries closed down.

There was some stuff in there that would've been good though, the idea of being able to resell digital licenses is still a good one. I was one of the few that was sold (and still is) on the 'all in one' media centre aspects. I wish they hadn't been burnt so badly, they may have still offered HDMI in and built-in voice commands this time around, even if the Kinect camera bit the dust.

That said, it was a massive mistake to reveal the media features first. They should've had their game showcase as the initial event and then sold the media stuff as 'cherry on top'. The power gap/price equation was also a giant screw-up.

 

[ethomaz]

I think you mistook the 2013 issue.

 

[Myths]

interesting how I was just reading about this yesterday, just a blast from the past random read.

IIRC, the issue was with having to be always connected to the Internet in order to play games.

 

[RoadHazard]

They wanted to force it. You can still buy a PS5 with a disc drive and resell your games.

 

[Ailike]

TV TV TV, TV TV. TV TV TV. TV TV? TV!

 

[Oddvintagechap]

Mmm... im getting a all digital ps5. I dont want 24 hour check in.

 

[cryogenic7]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

Yep, it's called incrementalism.

 

[Mobile Suit Gooch]

Was this supposed to be a gotcha?

 

[Ozzie666]

Microsoft wasn't wrong, they were just a little a head of the times. But people weren't ready yet and not fully on board. This generation really hammered home the positives of digital content. Microsoft was a bit of a trailblazer and their family game sharing of that digital content is better than anything out right now, we are worse off now. People blame Microsoft, but lets be honest, the big western publishers (EA, Activision) were fully onboard with stopping used game sales and fully supported Microsoft after the success of the XB360.

Unfortunately Microsoft took the public hit. Microsoft is fairly forward thinking in a lot of their ideas (Online, Xbox Live), similar to Sega. Just sometimes they are 5 years a head or ruin the delivery (NFL TV).

 

[RCU005]

I think the outrage was more about having to be online to play the games because of DRM. Digital games can still be played offline whenever you want.

 

[GreyHorace]

I went from the Xbox 360 to a PS4 because I didn't like the mandatory always online requirement to play my fucking games.

My internet speed is still spotty and that's one of the reasons why I don't buy games digitally. I still buy them on disc.

 

[mckmas8808]

It think it's pretty funny.

I vividly remember, on this very forum, gamers were OUTRAGED at the idea of not having the right to resell a game as is.

Backlash was so impactful that Microsoft had to change course on their plans.

7 years later...

When you do a survey on a gaming forum (or if you check game sales stats), you discover that 70% or more of the gaming market is now digital downloads.

I don't have to remind you that digital only downloads is, in essence, exactly why people were spitting on Microsoft in 2013, vowing to boycott them because of this decision.

Now, we have all-digital PS5 and Xbox Series S and you don't see any backlash at all.

Funny how gamers bark loudly... only to accept everything they were barking about just a few years later.

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

Are you forgetting about the console needing to check in to MS HQ once a day?

 

[Goro Majima]

The Series S is basically a Gamepass box which is an entirely different value proposition than whatever was going on in 2013.

And then Sony made like 47 Digital consoles total so far.

The backlash wasn’t wrong at all!

 

[ZywyPL]

So, back to 2013... was Microsoft plan that bad after all? Or were they just ahead of their time?

It was an absolutely terrible/awful idea back then, no doubts about that, but today doesn't look much different then what they proposed in 2013, now pretty much everyone is attached to their accounts with all their game libraries, friends lists, trophies etc. and internet is a must-have anyway, without it any PC/console/laptop/tablet/phone is pretty much useless, like it's bricked, so looking from a time perspective, their plan was just way ahead of the time, that's all, it just didn't worked because the market was doing its baby steps into the digital era, and most importantly they tried to force it, rather than wait and let the customer to slowly but willingly adopt.

 

[Aceofspades]

To answer your strange question, yes. Their idea was bad in 2013, still bad in 2020. MS plans in 2013 was you NEED to be online all the time to access your games, its not simply digital downloads.

Man , some users here have dementia I swear