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[Cincaid]

So they fired Adam Orth, why? lol poor guy, if it turns out his tweets had nothing to do with MS.

Whether he was correct or not doesn't really matter. Microsoft (and most companies, for that matter) doesn't care very much when a high-profile employee at their company is acting like a douche on Twitter. And yes, he was doing so in a 'private' conversation with a friend, but a lot of people saw his messages, and we all know what happened after that.

 

[Ponn]

That sounds like a normal "put out fires" internal email that uses alot of qualifiers, vague assertions and PR speak. I would still wait and see on this one.

 

[JiuJitsuka]

internet won't work if xbox doesn't

 

[PsihoPerihelion]

We want bad news.

 

[GeoGonzo]

Watching live TV? This thing really is going to be a DVR isn't it?

Microsoft once again focused on the US market confirmed!

Spoiler

but happy to hear about the offline stuff

 

[Kill Your Masters]

I wonder if this was the plan all along, or if policy had changed between uproar and now. Did they go back to the engineers and ask if something could be done about it? Look forward to the behind the scene story about it a year after Durango launch.

Well if the rumors are true, and if I read it correctly, the devkits have to be always online, so that could be the source of all the rumors.

 

[Hindle]

I knew it was bullshit.

 

[Deku Tree]

Your title makes it sound like this is an "official" MS public statement, which it isn't...

 

[spwolf]

Why would you need an internet connection to watch TV, anyways?

basically confirms that xbox will have some kind of tv features?

 

[ironcreed]

That is great to hear. Now tell me that gaming is your top priority and show me some exciting exclusives.

 

[NemesisPrime]

Was there really ever any doubt? Seriously? Mass self hypnosis?

 

[ringwaldhaze]

Why would you need an internet connection to watch TV, anyways?

The rumour was that the next Xbox would basically be like HAL 9000 and take control of your entire house.

 

[BRocknRolla]

That's good news.

I wonder why MS would send the email to all full time employees working on the Xbox? What was the reason, I wonder? Was there previously no decision on always-on? Was this a policy change?

Also, interesting that there's a tacit admission of TV and Blu-Ray functionality.

Edit: Because I read more closely.

 

[Meelow]

It's going to be so awkward if this is fake.

 

[oneida]

"There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should 'just work' regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game."

SO I HAVE TO BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET TO PLAY MULTIPLAYER? FUCK U BILL GATES

 

[DaBuddaDa]

As I suspected, the always-online requirement rumor probably began with the dev kits being always-online so Microsoft could keep track of them.

 

[Visualante2]

Ars is going off a clearly worded email, which obviously was intended to get out the message that its not always online. Whereas (pure speculation here) I think there are a lot of other outlets are sourcing confused MS employees or third party employees who don't really know whether it will be always online or not-- only that the development kits so far require it, and the SDK has the wording "Always On, Always Connected" in it.

There's no way to rule out Microsoft changing plan, that's why I feel the date of this memo is so key. If it's post backlash then it becomes a more interesting story.

Microsoft once again focused on the US market confirmed!

Spoiler

but happy to hear about the offline stuff

UK providers to be announced at Gamescom, sorry everyone else.

 

[Shiggy]

So why do they send out an email about this to their employees working on this thing?

 

[Vinterbird]

So wait... Microsoft sends an internal e-mail to...People working on the new Xbox...

To tell them that it works without a connection...

Shouldn't they know this if they've been working on the damn thing?

What the heck is this?

Not every department knows everything (UX department might not know about the online/piracy stuff and so on).

And this is just as much a way to get a message out to the press. Durango is so close to be revealed that more and more people on the project will feel safe to discuss it with outsiders that might bring that information to Twitter.

Therefore MS is just making sure that when they talk, they are informed and actually don't start another set of rumors about stuff that is wrong,

 

[Tylahedras]

That's good news.

I wonder why MS would send the email to all full time employees? What was the reason, wonder?

Because they didn't know about the recent change in policy?

 

[teiresias]

So am I to assume that as of right now the next Xbox currently does require an always-online connection and MS wants the team to change that behavior, but that hasn't actually been done yet? After all, they sent this email to employees working on the next Xbox, right? Apparently, those employees need to be told to change something or else sending this email to those people makes no sense.

 

[Takuya]

Not every department knows everything (UX department might not know about the online/piracy stuff and so on).

And this is just as much a way to get a message out to the press. Durango is so close to be revealed that more and more people on the project will feel safe to discuss it with outsiders that might bring that information to Twitter.

Therefore MS is just making sure that when they talk, they are informed and actually don't start another set of rumors about stuff that is wrong,

Or it's just bullshit.

 

[Dug]

Good news about Durango? I don't believe it!

 

[kitsuneyo]

Watching live TV? This thing really is going to be a DVR isn't it?

Yeah this was the most interesting part. If it can show live TV without being online, does it take a cable/antenna/satellite feed?

 

[dragonbane]

Would be nice if true.

However "and yes playing a single player game" in the mail sounds weird. Who writes like that? Doesn't sound really official to me...

 

[Four_Chamber]

Or it's just bullshit.

Even though you want that to be true, I'll take Arstechnica's word on this matter.

 

[Salaadin]

That sounds like a normal "put out fires" internal email that uses alot of qualifiers, vague assertions and PR speak. I would still wait and see on this one.

I dont know how vague "playing games regardless of connection status" is. Thats the important bit that most of us came in here looking for.

Sounds to me like this is them killing the "internet connection required" stuff. They should have taken care of this weeks ago but it is what it is and we can all move on from it.

 

[Beer Monkey]

So wait... Microsoft sends an internal e-mail to...People working on the new Xbox...

To tell them that it works without a connection...

Shouldn't they know this if they've been working on the damn thing?

What the heck is this?

If Microsoft is smart (ditto for Sony and Nintendo), the devkits only work online. Because devkits get resold to shady people who leak information and they should be tracked and monitored.

Now, if you are a dev and a bit of a moron, you would probably think this means the console is online-only.

 

[DocSeuss]

Ars is going off a clearly worded email, which obviously was intended to get out the message that its not always online. Whereas (pure speculation here) I think there are a lot of other outlets are sourcing confused MS employees or third party employees who don't really know whether it will be always online or not-- only that the development kits so far require it, and the SDK has the wording "Always On, Always Connected" in it.

Oh.

Huh.

Y'know, it's possible, in order to avoid devkits getting out into the wild, they've required always-online for those devkits. That'd make a lot of sense.

EDIT: damn, I got beaten, this is the worst day ever

 

[Aquamarine]

That's good news.

I wonder why MS would send the email to all full time employees? What was the reason, I wonder?

Also, interesting that there's a tacit admission of TV and Blu-Ray functionality.

Read more closely:

* Full-time employees working on the next Xbox

 

[Vinterbird]

Or it's just bullshit.

Which part?

 

[Tyrax]

So am I to assume that as of right now the next Xbox currently does require an always-online connection and MS wants the team to change that behavior, but that hasn't actually been done yet? After all, they sent this email to employees working on the next Xbox, right? Apparently, those employees need to be told to change something or else sending this email to those people makes no sense.

rumors got to such a fever pitch outside of MS, they probably need to keep everyone on target internally if they were asking questions if that was suppose to come in later

 

[Walshicus]

So they fired Adam Orth, why? lol poor guy, if it turns out his tweets had nothing to do with MS.

I imagine he was fired for starting a PR nightmare for Microsoft when his role probably had strict 'do not make the company look bad to the press' clauses and such.

 

[bug_42]

I love how they have not came out to the rest of the world, and said hey, you don't need the internet, for out next box to work. Instead they will have to address this during the press conference. which I find to be silly

 

[ShroudOfFate]

This is definitely good news.

So good we got two of the same threads!

 

[stktt]

Or it's just bullshit.

Good. Let the anger take hold. Find a way to turn this into a negative.

 

[def sim]

Good news about Durango? I don't believe it!

Then don't! That's the fun of being a console warrior: believing whatever suits you.

 

[lethial]

I only trust news that has been posted anonymously to pastebin.

 

[dancmc]

There's no way to rule out Microsoft changing plan, that's why I feel the date of this memo is so key. If it's post backlash then it becomes a more interesting story.

Maybe; but big companies often times have to send what reasonably minded folks would think would be common sense distributions. The reason being is that some folks; even those with direct knowledge of a particular project; just don't have that much common sense.

It happens all the time.

 

[Officerrob]

Or it's just bullshit.

Well, that didn't take long

 

[ThisWreckage]

A vague e-mail. I will not believe this until Microsoft explicitly states that it is false. The same goes with anti-used games. They've been so tight lipped and then this magically slips out.

 

[Lunar15]

Yeah this memo is all kinds of weird. It seems specifically designed to address this issue. Are they expecting some internal teams to be like "oh, shit it's supposed to be able to do things while offline!" and change their product or something?

EDIT:

If Microsoft is smart (ditto for Sony and Nintendo), the devkits only work online. Because devkits get resold to shady people who leak information and they should be tracked and monitored.

Now, if you are a dev and a bit of a moron, you would probably think this means the console is online-only.

Oh, this would make sense. But it would make microsoft's silence really weird.

 

[Xenon]

We want bad news.

There are no single player games being made for the Durango!

 

[Takuya]

Which part?

This e-mail.

Why didn't they just post the entirety of the e-mail instead of picking and choosing what to quote?

 

[BRocknRolla]

Because they didn't know about the recent change in policy?

So you're thinking there was previously a policy that it would be always-on, and this was altering that? That would be news in and of itself, though I don't think there's any evidence for that.

 

[Prine]

lol people actually believed the always online thing.

.

 

[gofreak]

So am I to assume that as of right now the next Xbox currently does require an always-online connection and MS wants the team to change that behavior, but that hasn't actually been done yet? After all, they sent this email to employees working on the next Xbox, right? Apparently, those employees need to be told to change something or else sending this email to those people makes no sense.

Maybe after the Orth incident they wanted to make sure everyone was on the same page.

Maybe there are aspects about the system that made some even internally confused about the necessity of a net connection. Like maybe apps need a persistent connection. Or maybe games need online activation, so you 'need to have an internet connection', but can still play games thereafter offline. Or not - and maybe people internally who had some but not all knowledge just got confused by rumours too.

 

[iMax]

I think the biggest take away from this, which Ars has completely overlooked, is that Blu-ray is confirmed to be part of the next Xbox.

edit: ...or more accurately, 'confirmed' if the email is legit.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

A vague e-mail. I will not believe this until Microsoft explicitly states that it is false. The same goes with anti-used games. They've been so tight lipped and then this magically slips out.

What part if the email is vague?

 

[Vinterbird]

A vague e-mail. I will not believe this until Microsoft explicitly states that it is false. The same goes with anti-used games. They've been so tight lipped and then this magically slips out.

This is straight up damage control on Microsofts part, this is the only way they can comment on the rumors without publicly doing so. They knew this was going to be leaked.