Microsoft Is Changing the Console Experience

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Feb 18, 2013 By Shujaat Syed @shoejaat



Microsoft will be changing the fundamental pillars of console gaming if the recent ‘next Xbox’ rumours are true.
We all know that next generation consoles are ready to be revealed. The PS4 will probably be shown off on February 20 at the Playstation Meeting, where Sony’s previous consoles and handhelds were first revealed in the past.  

However, in light of recent rumors, the spotlight is also on Microsoft’s next generation offering. The next Xbox, or the Xbox 720, will require an Internet connection to function; it will not work without it – according to a trusted source at Edge Magazine.  This is the first time something like this has been taken into effect, but it’s easy to see why Microsoft might be going this route and leading the charge. Simply put, Microsoft has invested a lot of time and money in the connected Internet experience.  Things ranging from Email services, Xbox Live, Cloud computing and even a new social networking service called Socl, all make up what Microsoft’s profile of Internet services. This is going to be their latest addition, but it is a problematic one.

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In this day and age, it’s still troublesome to get Internet access in some places, not to mention the bandwidth caps that are commonly placed on consumers.  It’s a very alienating move which is catching a lot of criticism on the Internet. This is obviously something that Microsoft discussed before deciding on this, so why are they going ahead with it? I think Xbox Live is their answer to that.
“IT’S STILL TROUBLESOME TO GET INTERNET ACCESS IN SOME PLACES”

Xbox Live has changed since its original inception – it has expanded.  At the beginning, it was about playing with your friends through the Internet. It was kind of a pain to set up back then, but it is also safe to say that everybody remembers their first Live experience on the original Xbox.  My first Live game was MechAssault, and I sure as hell got my ass handed to me. Reminiscing aside, it was something great. It worked well, and they made it better with the Xbox 360, where it became much more stable and easier to set up.

Now, through convergence, the 360 has become an entertainment hub with the help of Xbox Live. It’s a place where you watch movies, sports, and interact with your various social media.

Microsoft built on the foundation of Xbox Live – it was once an added feature, now it’s something they need to make the console sing. However all other major consoles have adopted what Live has done but offer it for free. Is it a questionable decision on Microsoft’s part? Yes, but I still pay for it, and so do the 40 million plus people who have Xbox Live memberships. That is why Microsoft continues to charge for it.

It makes money, it generates revenue, and it brings a whole lot of cash to Microsoft’s lap. Just last year Xbox Live memberships grew by 15 percent. That’s an insane number, and it makes executives and stock holders very happy.

“THROUGH CONVERGENCE, THE 360 HAS BECOME AN ENTERTAINMENT HUB”

Older services are now rebranded with the Xbox name such as Xbox Video and Xbox Music to appeal to the mainstream audiences because of familiarity with the Xbox name. In fact, Xbox Live has become nearly independent from the console – almost a platform in itself.
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Those aforementioned services exist both inside and outside of the Xbox 360 console. You can use them on your Windows 8 computers, tablets and even phones (currently exclusive to the Windows 8 OS).  These services also cost extra (on top of a Gold membership) to use. They can also be very pricey; Xbox Music costs users about $99 for a yearly subscription; this does not include the price you pay for a yearly Gold pass you need to use the service. However Xbox Music works for your other devices as well. This is the kind of interconnectivity Microsoft wants to expand on with the next Xbox but, Microsoft also has an ulterior motive.
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Advertisements have become a greater part of the Xbox console experience due to Xbox Live, as Microsoft makes a significant amount of money from selling ads through it. The Penny Arcade Report took a detailed look at the advertising process behind Live, such as general advertising costs and the like. It’s an interesting read which you can take a gander at here.
“MICROSOFT ALSO HAS AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE”

Microsoft is already making greater strides towards offering Live users more ads to interact with. The recent Dashboard update is quite evident of that – more tiles are added to menus to offer more ads.
However, if one disconnects the 360 from the Internet and all the ads go poof along with all the revenue that Microsoft receives from you clicking on the ads. This is why Microsoft might be considering a permanent online solution for the next Xbox.  Analogously, Xbox users who are not connected to the Internet are like third world countries in Microsoft’s eyes – and Microsoft is not a charity.

The problems with an always connected console are obvious to say the least.  Not everybody has an Internet connection or the Internet connection people have is too slow. There is also a fundamental issue this creates which changes a pillar of console gaming – the ability to take the console with you. We have all taken our consoles to our friends’ houses, and on vacations. We didn’t always have Internet connection but it worked. It’s what makes a console different than a PC; the ability to play it where ever you are, as long as you have a TV.  If Microsoft goes through with this, it won’t be as simple anymore.

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This very business-minded approach is also allowing Microsoft to put an attack on the used games market with the next Xbox.  Bluntly put, you cannot play used games on Microsoft’s next console offering. Every new game comes with an activation code that you enter to authorize that copy. This does not bode well with the high number of people who buy used games.

It does, however, become a larger problem when it gets in the way of letting others enjoy gaming. If this system takes effect, I won’t be able to share my games with my friends. I won’t be able to let my friends borrow games that I had enjoyed playing, and they won’t be able to do the same.

It’s also a very crippling blow towards the notion that video games are art. Have a film you absolutely adored? Share it with a friend. Read a book that moved you? Let a friend borrow it. All these other artistic mediums don’t have restrictions like this so why introduce it to video games?

“CRIPPLING BLOW TOWARDS THE NOTION THAT VIDEO GAMES ARE ART”
Microsoft might be leading the charge towards always connected consoles and the lack of ability to play used games but I hope they re-evaluate their ideas.

Business and forward thinking is important towards how Microsoft functions however they also need to take into account that sometimes the world isn’t entirely ready for what they are bringing to the table.

References: Edge, GamesIndustry, IGN, Engadget, Gamespot, PennyArcade Report


  • mark

    if this is all true, the next xbox is going to fail hard. i wont be getting one thats for damn sure. i spend quite a bit on used games. i lend and borrow with friends. i have crappy internet and i like to take my console with me when im out of town for long periods.
    way to alienate me microsoft.

  • dcbronco

    How do these fanboys of either side get to write speculative bs like this. If your goal is to eventually become a writer, this will get you on Fox News. If you want to be a real journalist, start wanting something different because you are clearly biased.None of this is proven and your cheesy “me too” format sucks.

    • lea

      …and then 3 months later a good portion of it turned out to be true. Fancy that.

  • http://twitter.com/tbiz33 BeastlyRig

    meh sony got games.. M$ can keep their next gen yoga and paid multi player. lol The last of us and Destiny now. Life is good on the dark side.

    • http://twitter.com/Knicks_psi EverythingIsRealLife

      Destiny is a multiplatform game, it might even be heading to the wiiu

      • chuckrock

        the wiiu sucks. I know cause I bought one.

        • http://www.facebook.com/gwwampler Gregory William Wampler

          Your mom sucks. I know cause I bought one… Yeah, you can pretty much say that about anything.

          • TheIronFistOfDeath

            Ha! Burn.

          • you’re a fag

            this completely makes no sense…hes just saying his opinion about the wii u…be mature about it

          • http://twitter.com/ValeFalkren Laer_HeiSeiRyuu

            Saying something sucks is implying an inherent lack of quality. The Wii U is NINTENDO HARD Yo! Oh and it uses less power at higher levels of performance producing less heat. BEAT THAT HOT WHEELS!

          • frenchi1991

            I love it how you are saying to be mature wen your name is “you’re a fag” lol

          • http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

            the difference is that chuckrock speaks the truth.

        • Tom Campbell

          It doesn’t necessarily suck. Well it does… but not because of hardware. There’s literally no games for it (Okay like eight, and nothing major since launch). But in a few months it should get better. SMASH BROS!

  • brianc6234

    Nobody is excited over what Microsoft wants to do. They want you to use crappy Kinect and their mediocre, expensive tablet.

    • mike

      The best thing I ever did with the Kinect was unplug it.

  • Dirty Sanchez

    Hey ps fanboys the numbers don’t lie 24 million kinects sold and 76 million Xbox sold so people don’t care about what you say because whatever you have sucks those so called exclusives blow. I mean these games are very forgettable like infamous, killzone, all stars royale garbage!!!!! and what happen to the move that crappy gimmick wii dildo that you play with buttons. I never see it in commercials because people don’t buy it.So shutup and think about the present because if Sony keeps bringing you this garbage then they will continue to bring this garbage.

    • http://www.facebook.com/ana.helusic Ana Helušić

      You are a garbage loser

      • Jason

        And you are dumber than prostitute trash.

    • rudero

      24 million kinect sold and yet can’t break 500,000 on a game… hmmmm?
      76 million 360s but has taken 7 years to hit 46 million members(and each system comes with free trial)hmmmmmm?
      pay for live so that you can see updated advertisement that company’s pay for and all you get is halo, froza, fable, gears and apps… hmmmmmm?
      And to be excited for a future console from microsoft that is going to be dependent of being on more than off and microsoft STILL can not build a console to do so… hmmmmm?
      to each their own, but i like investing my moneyy into something more reliable.
      And for the continued success everyone is believing…. I sure do hope microsoft does not run out on the 360 like they did with the original… (and the proof is in the pudding because where are all the upcoming games for the 360?) hmmmmmm?
      yeah, great company to stand by.

      “Do not sell people what they want, make people buy what you sell” Bill Gates.

      • EnragedPorkchop

        Too many hmmmmmms. You just made yourself look stupid.

      • mike

        Let’s not talk about a company running out on their consumers. I have a PSP sitting around my house collecting dust. Sony never supported that (and it was a lot nicer than the gameboy at the time too). They did try to reinvent it and make people download everything for it (the PSP go or whatever failure that thing was). Now they have yet another new handheld device (which has a completely different format for the games).. I will pass on this one due to their obvious lack of interest in supporting their past attempts.

    • http://www.facebook.com/Billy.Dibler Billy Dibler

      Spoken like someone who’s never played iNfamous or Killzone!!

    • bigevilworldwide

      You know the PS3 pulled ahead of the 360 in like November or December right???? Or the fact that the U.S is the only place the 360 was ever #1….There’s even the fact that multiplats which aren’t shooters sell better on the PS3….You sleep tight knowing that 90% of the last 2 years 360 exclusives were crap kinect games……I own both consoles and I can say without any hesitation that 360 fanboys are actually far worse than Sony fanboys…..You people get nothing but multiplats and timed exclusive DLC and act like it’s the greatest thing in the world……When in reality the only exclusives have been 2 Forzas, 2 Gears games and a WHOLE lotta broken Kinect garbage.

      • mike

        All fanboys are asses.

  • chuckrock

    If these things are true about any next gen system, I will go back to PC and encourage all my xbox friends to do the same. and I have a collection of around 350+ xbox games plus another 150+ arcade games. so I have been a dedicated customer for ms. But no longer if they do these things. what dumbasses to ruin console gaming.

  • Alan B.

    While a lot of this is speculation and hear-say, there is nothing wrong with talking about the implications of such ideas. Another reason that “always-connected” is a possibility comes with the idea that Destiny is one of the bigger games being released on this gen and next gen, but I recall seeing that it’s going to require connection to play. If that’s the case, it could be a strong lean towards what the popular games (if not the console alone) are going to focus on.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ana.helusic Ana Helušić

    Lamebox sucks big time

    • Roy

      Like you do all the time lame pauperwhore.

      • xIcarusX

        Tiny dick syndrome and gay fagbox fanboy fever must be hurting you

  • http://www.facebook.com/christopher.j.cann Christopher Mexi Cann

    I thought this post had no real evidence to back up what is being said so in essence is just rumor and should of been stated as such.

    • MamaT

      This is not the first site that has mentioned these issues but you go ahead and buy the first one and let the rest of us know if this shit is true.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=526840323 Sean Holt

    if this is true then microsoft just let sony and nintendo win hands down. did they not learn anything when ubisoft tried this crap for their drm. i guess not. get ready to fail hard microsft i for one will not be buying a next gen xbox if this is true.

  • DarthDiggler

    How many times are people going to rehash the same news stories?

    It’s going to be a long stretch to E3 if all the entities are going to repeat each other days and weeks later. Real easy way to get even the most die hard audience to tune out. We crave news, not repackaged OLDS!

    • bigevilworldwide

      You know most of the leaks/”rumors” are coming from the exact same source that was exactly right about everything about the PS4 with the exception of Ram, they said 4gb DDR3 and it’s 8gb GDDR3

  • http://www.facebook.com/Billy.Dibler Billy Dibler

    Hey M$, why dont you try asking gamers if they want that before betting the farm on it. Cox I sure as hell don’t want it and I know damn well I ain’t alone.

    Either bring the games or GTFO of the “Game”

    • Lockheede

      Feedback didn’t stop Blizzard from requiring persistent connection on Diablo III…

      • http://www.facebook.com/Billy.Dibler Billy Dibler

        And it drastically affected the sales and reception because of it.

        • Dominic Volk

          although to be fair, it is largely multiplayer, and the safety as a company knowing that they can moniter the legitamacy of accounts was probably worth the risk. certain games should be always online, but never entire consoles.

  • M C

    I am a super xbox fanboy and I am staying far away from the next one.
    I will buy the steambox or ps4

    • http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

      yay PS4

  • Joe

    Very interesting.

  • Chris

    “We didn’t always have Internet
    connection but it worked. It’s what makes a console different than a PC;
    the ability to play it where ever you are, as long as you have a TV” – No, you can play your PC anywhere. It’s not what makes consoles different. Fail comment, Fail article.

  • james

    constant internet connection? say goodbye to consumer rights. now you officially own nothing just licenses to play your games and console. that also means when the service is down you cant play anything. microsoft cant be this stupid

    • bigevilworldwide

      You do realize that you officially NEVER actually owned anything to begin with right????? Check the back of any instruction booklet for any game EVER made or just pay attention to the start-up screens, you don’t ever own the game you pay for the license it tells you that flat out in print.

      • Kittehtherules

        I owned the right to play an Xbox in a hurricane, I owned the right to buy my games from Game Stop, and I owned the right to ignore the annoying price tags on everything! You need gold for Youtube, you need to buy Netflix, and the DLC’s cost more! I used to have the right, when I was a little boy, to mod games like D&D and never have to worry about Elitist Corporate snobs, or people invading on my right to play Morrowind- ALONE. For god’s sake, I don’t care if I can’t sell someones artwork, I care if I can look at it and breath on it and use it- and if I want, break it too! I don’t care what you say, I’ll have my cake and I’ll eat it too, and if I can’t on Xbox, I will on Play Station. Enough said.

        • Quit ya bitchin’

          You actually don’t “own” any of those “rights”. They are not rights, they are privileges that Microsoft allows you to have for a cost. If you don’t want to follow their rules, stop playing games on THEIR console. They own it and the software developers own the games. Not you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Fawwaz-M-Yusuf/655161507 Fawwaz M Yusuf

    Honestly, if the next xbox requires internet I will most definitely not be buying it, bandwidth in canada is way too expensive for me to shell out hundreds of dollars on a console I will require probably thousands of dollars to play over an extended period of time. This isn’t taking into consideration all the other potential issues this could bring, if Im having internet problems and just wanna play skyrim(or w/e TES 6 is called) all of a sudden I can’t. I totally understand-and agree with-focusing more on xbox live, its their money maker. But making it obligatory would be one of the biggest mistakes MS makes imho.

  • http://www.facebook.com/swirlykalen Kalen Lancaster

    I have awful internet, i buy new games and used ones. I have bought every Xbox console, i don’t think there dumb enough to fuck with the people who give them money. If this turns out to be true, watch me go to PS4 because although i am a diehard Xbox fan, i will not be fucked over with my gaming experience. Its what i do, and how i do it that defines my console.

    • mike

      I just hope they aren’t dumb enough to implement most of what I hear rumored. I have little faith in the morons at MS making their decisions. For instance, they think people using a home PC like to press on their monitors with their fingers the same way they use a smart phone and tablet.

  • http://twitter.com/o3mta3o o3mta3o

    so they charge you for the membership and then spam you with ads anyways? who pays for this shit?

    • bigevilworldwide

      Don’t forget the services you get to pay twice just to be able to use…..OR paying to use youtube

      • http://twitter.com/o3mta3o o3mta3o

        unreal

  • John

    This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, you can’t always get online, they will loose so many sales. I’m a massive fan of xBox but looks like I’ll be going back to PC (f**k Playstation) because at least when games do it on there I can go look for a hack.

    • Matt

      That whole post was alright until the f**ck playstation came up. We all get your a “massive fan of Xbox” and I’m a pretty decent fan of Playstation. Lets keep it at that and end the stupid war between the consoles. They both have they’re ups and downs, but I’m tired of everytime Xbox or playstation is said somewhere, the automatic response is hate on both sides. Shit, they’re both good consoles and everyone should be excited on how Sony and Microsoft reveal there corner in the ring and see how they match up against one another. Btw if the match between them ends up a disaster, I’ll be there with ya and going back to PC gaming.

  • Rubio09lrs

    Isn’t internet connectivity to function only, the same reason that the psp go failed miserably.

  • The_Hornet

    The best thing to do in a situation like this is to just wait and see what happens. I always do extensive research on products upon release and read actual consumer reports and customer reviews before making my purchase. I think the Ps2 was superior to the Xbox, much like the 360 is superior to the ps3. Who will win next? Let’s wait and see when they actually release, rather than speculate on rumors. However I do agree that MS and Sony do need to hear our concerns beforehand.

    • bigevilworldwide

      You know in reality though the Xbox was actually superior to the PS2 right? it was old tech by the time xbox came a long and all multiplat games ran better on it because it was newer……And you do know that the PS3 is technically better than the 360 right???? Although both have strengths and weaknesses, PS3 can do native 1080p Xbox cannot and upscale everything….Do a google search for 1080p PS3 and 1080p 360….There are 0 360 games that are native 1080p because it cannot do it.

      Lets not forget that for years you had to actually pay $150 for a wireless network adapter on 360. OR the extreme price gouging for 360 HDDs while you can get a 1tb HDD and use it in the PS3 for less than 80 bucks ….Or that PS3 was the cheapest blu-ray player on the market and didn’t actually require an overpriced add on to play movies….The only real edge 360 had was online service, but then again that disappeared IF you know how to setup a router….Not even going to mention the services you have to pay twice to use

      • mike

        Why would you pay that kind of money for a wireless adapter when you could just use a cord and plug it into your router? I was able to do that since the 360 came out.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Sleider/1847907840 Brian Sleider

    Wont happen, do you think Microsoft doesn’t have teams of advisers telling them is a suicide move?

    • pockpock

      How do you explain WinME, Vista, Win8 then? They were horrible, but people still paid for it. You’re forgetting the fact, that there are tons of MS fanboys out there, who would buy a piece of shit labeled Xbox 720. Besides they could release it perma-online, show their ads and if it doesn’t payoff, change that in a single update – it’s just software. But I’m pretty sure it will payoff and others will follow… Read the Penny Arcade report, there is just too much money in there!

      • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Sleider/1847907840 Brian Sleider

        Pushing out bad software that can be patched into working order is a bit different that making hardware that only works online. Now they could make a similarly bad call to release the 720 as always online and remove that “feature” when they realize its a bad idea.
        Also MS PC folks are not the same as the MX Xbox folks, 2 different divisions.

  • wsublues

    I always laugh at self proclaimed “hard core” gamers who hate when their systems do anything other than play graphically intence games…yet at the same time they are addicted to apps like Netflix, Hulu etc etc etc. I think its a bit drastic to proclaim that change would mean the end in fact its stupid. How about we hold off on judgment and sensationalism until we see a confirmed product and actually see in in use in home before jumping off the deep end.

  • SoloJoe

    One topic. I talk to people all day, I play games to be alone, I don’t want to be plugged into Socl

  • Delta

    Well the ps3 vs Xbox 360 Xbox won hands down
    This might change that

  • Dominic Volk

    Reading through the comments and there is a lot of bias immaturity and unwarented verbal abuse. leave the ‘fanboy’ aguments alone for a while and look at things from an outsider’s point of view. Read the title, read the article and respect the legitimate opinions of your fellow gamers. Maybe one reason that companies make decisions we are against is because they go into a forum, read a lot of crap, and decide that if that is how we converse and make decisions, then we don’t know what will be good. PS, I’m against always online and feel sorry for the xbox users that pay for online every year, even though I consider xbox live to be better than PSN. Good luck being reasonable guys.

  • http://www.facebook.com/viliamituanaki Viliami Tuanaki

    Dont do that microsoft! If you do Sony will win and beat it like how the PS2 beat the Xbox and Sega Dreamcast.

  • Vledoc

    Nothing but rumors and speculation. Quit crying before its even announced.

  • FUD

    Don’t forget that it is only a rumour!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Rothweiler/142700133 Tony Rothweiler

    I just came to look at that funny controller mockup. Damnit, where’s my mockup?

  • redringofdeath

    AHHH HANDCRAMP HANDCRAMP just lookin at the controller

  • mike

    I predict the first system to release with the best lineup of games will blow the other system out of the water (and we can assume there will be some major fire hazard failure built into both systems that demand some sort of a recall)..

  • http://www.facebook.com/MichaelSundberg Michael Sundberg

    The thing is, if the next xbox does go along with stopping used game, and always on, I see no benefit to getting it, I will just get a playstation 4. It will be the first time since I started buying consoles that I haven’t bought both, but I see this as a way of ruining the way I play games. A majority of the games I buy, are bought using money I recieved from selling games. And if they do this I just wont buy it. Xbox also has shot themselves in the foot due to the way they have given up a lot of their exclusives. Playstation just has better exclusive titles now, and I see no reason to make the new xbox my majority console, if they go ahead with what they are planing.

  • Robosnakejr

    I never really wanted a Xbox, but was thinking of getting one. Then I read this. Xbox, you suck.(to me. All Xbox fans ignore the last part.)

  • Jason

    “It’s also a very crippling blow towards the notion that video games are art. Have a film you absolutely adored? Share it with a friend.”

    Do people even read the small print on the back of DVD’s, CD’s, Games etc? Seriously it actually states on the back that lending is prohibited, this is in addition to rental (due to the fact renting it means you are charging). I know nobody really pays attention to it, but that is not the point. And to say that going to single activation will make them less appealing is utter rubbish. Look at Steam, that is the best comparison that any company can make when they talk about one time activation, they are thriving in the PC market, and are moving into the console market soon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jason.rodriguez.10048379 Jason Rodriguez

    Too bad most of this article is just ramblings of rumors and non confirmation.

  • MamaT

    It’s the psp go all over again. Welcome to flop city!

  • Bill Coffren

    Like I have said whatever happened to the days where console gaming was just that GAMING not entertainment of movies, music, videos, emails, Skype, and whatever other BS they have incorporated that I’d rather do on my PC or TV or Stereo… PLUS now having to pay a fee on top of buying the game to play it… MS has gone waaaay overboard in my book and think I’ll stick with my 360 and my PC for gaming and they can shove the new up their arses….

  • Michael Godfrey

    According to Zergnet, I was promised a picture of a stupidly modified Xbox controller. I am disappointed..

  • The Mentor

    Xbox fucking sucks. And that is a fact.

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