Xbox 720 to use always-on DRM?

&#62; "If false, the rumor is nuts because of just how much of a stretch it is. The developer of a platform that runs a multitude of software unrelated to each other — and software that, on the whole, focuses primarily on offline play — would never create such a barrier to entry."<p>Does anyone else think the author is being a tad bit naive here?

So, rumors like these are pretty typical before a major platform announcement, right? Intentionally leak a negative rumor in the months leading up to a release and either let the public get used to the idea (if true) or overlook an actual marginally better new practice (if false) because "well, at least they didn't do that first thing..."

As long as it works and doesn't create a barrier to play, most people will not care. Most of the past always-on DRM has caused public outcry because it created problems for people to play the game they paid for.<p>But over time people will just get used to it and accept it much like they go along with almost everything else. I remember a time in the PC gaming world that if a game didn't work once installed then all hell would break out in the company's forums and in the gaming news. These days? Several games that require always-on connections such as MMOs have had outages the first week of release and most have just shrugged their shoulders. That kind of thing is almost expected these days and not many care. Sure, there's a vocal few that complain about it but once the problems are sorted out then people tend to forget they couldn't play their game for the first two or three days after paying for it.<p>My thought on why this is likely not true is because even today it would be quite a stretch to expect enough of the market to be able to provide an always-on connection. Take the US for instance, how many people who currently have a 360 couldn't get the next console simply because they don't the proper connection to support it?<p>Plus, why is always-on DRM necessary for consoles when we've heard from the industry for years that the reason they focus on consoles is because piracy is almost non-existent on those platforms?<p>Is it to prevent used game sales? I understand the thinking since not only do publishers not get a piece of the used game sales transaction but the console manufacturer doesn't get a piece of it either like they do from new games through licensing fees. But they might as well hold up a sign that says, "Hey customers! Please sue us!" Plus Gamestop, and others, would likely get involved since it would hit their bottom line quite severely. It's great for the publishers that somehow they've convinced enough of the courts that a EULA allows them to cancel out people's first sale doctrine rights but if they prevent used game sales on such a scale then I guarantee that people will buy less and rent more. I expect publishers to go after rental companies next.

Is piracy a big issue on Xbox? I assume anybody who is running pirate games on the Xbox360 is using a modified console anyway.

This is inevitable. I know most won't want to hear that, but like any contention like this, it will be resolved by adding more cloud computing power. "Costs less because 90% of the OS/processing is in the cloud!" will become a selling point and a financial incentive soon. Not sure if this round of consoles will see this DRM style, but it's definitely coming.<p>Remember that time, way back in the 90s/00s, when you said you wouldn't want a device that could track you anywhere? Using iCloud's Find my iPhone?

Maybe this is just a terminology gap here, but it seems to me the real issue isn't that the DRM is 'always-on', rather that the DRM model would require one to be 'always-online'.<p>That's a rather disturbing trend. I'd be rather upset if I couldn't play any console games at my remote cabin for example, or in an RV while traveling, or to kill time while my comcast connection is down.

Completely unsourced FUD, and probably the result of some guy just fucking around and sending some "journalist" an anonymous email ala <a href="http://x-surface.tumblr.com/post/41282771026/x-surface-dont-believe-everything-you-read.." rel="nofollow">http://x-surface.tumblr.com/post/41282771026/x-surface-dont-...</a>. if there was any source at all.

This how PC gaming has worked for a while now through Steam and other popular platforms, and console owners will eventually warm up to it as well.<p>This is just a typical "DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING!@#$" reaction. In 5 years we most likely won't care, and the vocal minority will continue to talk about how gaming is ruined.

wrt to the whole 'always-on' thing for DRM - is it not more likely that it would use the Spotify model - i.e. you have to go online at least once every 30-days to verify that you still hold a licence/subscription? That would be more practical than requiring a permanent Internet connection.

If this is true no one will buy the console, no matter what bells and whistles they add on top to make it "feel right". It's not right.

Apart from killing the used games industry, which would benefit MS, I wonder also what would happen to video game rental businesses.

Until someone breaks it that is. Then there will be two independent markets appearing: legitimate and cracked.

Are we seriously calling it Xbox 720?

Speculation. Betteridge's law.

I never understood, why companies think that software must not follow the first sale doctrine, I am not only talking about games...<p>We have things like always on DRM to block used game sales, various softwares that phone home, dongles, and lets not forget of the infamous lawsuit of Autodesk against a guy that sold some copies of their software that he had legally obtained.<p>Of course, this is one of the main reasons behind the cloud push, making software become a service instead of a product.<p>But I don't trust it, I prefer a world where software, is a product, not necessarily tangible, download only is fine, but you should be allowed to truly own it, otherwise you are vulnerable to it being yanked from you, like Amazon yanked books from Kindles.