The biggest issue for me isn't a $10 fee from EA to access online content after I buy a used game seeing how I never had to anyway. The issue was having to check in every 24 hours even if i bought a game for full price.
The bottom line is that DRM is going to be part of the next generation regardless of what console you own. Yes you have to have an online connection if you own Xbox One (but who really doesn't in this day and age?). At the end of the day the big difference between the consoles is the price tags. An Xbox One with Kinect hardware is going to be $100 more than a base PS4. It will be interesting to see how much the price disparity will affect the majority of console sales to the non-hardcore. The Xbox 360 destroyed the PS3 in North American sales so it will be interesting to see if there is any brand loyalty with the casual buyers or if they will opt for the cheaper PS4.
The bottom line is that DRM is going to be part of the next generation regardless of what console you own. Yes you have to have an online connection if you own Xbox One (but who really doesn't in this day and age?). At the end of the day the big difference between the consoles is the price tags.
That's a pretty disingenuous analysis. Sony is not attempting to change the status quo and force DRM down consumers' throats. Microsoft is. As noted by some, their are many people who aren't always connected to the internet. My dad, for instance, lives in rural Tennessee and can only get internet through an aircard because the cost outweighs the benefit for adding broadband infrastructure.
I have a friend who I constantly trade games with, and neither of us generally gives a crap about online gaming. The Xbox One is clearly disadvantageous to us in that respect.
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The bottom line is that DRM is going to be part of the next generation regardless of what console you own. Yes you have to have an online connection if you own Xbox One (but who really doesn't in this day and age?). At the end of the day the big difference between the consoles is the price tags. An Xbox One with Kinect hardware is going to be $100 more than a base PS4. It will be interesting to see how much the price disparity will affect the majority of console sales to the non-hardcore. The Xbox 360 destroyed the PS3 in North American sales so it will be interesting to see if there is any brand loyalty with the casual buyers or if they will opt for the cheaper PS4.
That may be true down the road but there have been times where I have not had an internet connection for an extended period of time. We house/dog sit for my inlaws every summer for about a month and they do not have wifi, their only internet connection is no where near a TV. We also go out to a house on a river in BC for a week or 2 and I bring the console in case the weather is bad and there is no internet at all there. Could I get along without using the console for either period of time? Sure, no problem. My issue is after spending $500 on a console and however much in games/accessories it should be my choice if I want to go without the console, it shouldn't be forced on me. Let's say Shaw screws up and I am without TV and internet for a few days, this means that even though I have paid for a game that is offline I can't actually play it because my Xbox hasn't checked into the internet in the last 24 hours. That has to be one of the worst ideas ever, I can understand the console doing it but to actually make it unplayable if it doesn't happen is rediculous.
I had a PS1, PS2, 360, and now I have pre-ordered the PS4. Brand loyalty should be dead in my opinion, if it isn't already.
The bottom line is that DRM is going to be part of the next generation regardless of what console you own. Yes you have to have an online connection if you own Xbox One (but who really doesn't in this day and age?). At the end of the day the big difference between the consoles is the price tags. An Xbox One with Kinect hardware is going to be $100 more than a base PS4. It will be interesting to see how much the price disparity will affect the majority of console sales to the non-hardcore. The Xbox 360 destroyed the PS3 in North American sales so it will be interesting to see if there is any brand loyalty with the casual buyers or if they will opt for the cheaper PS4.
Have you ever moved and had to wait a week or two until your cable/internet was hooked up? I know I have, a couple times now. Not being able to play any of the games I legally purchased over that time frame would have really sucked. And that's only one case where the 24-hour online check is complete BS, lots of rural residents where broadband isn't available or very intermittent would be affected. Hell in cities sometimes internet outages can last for several days if it's a major line cut (or a building fire at a major hub like Shaw)
I just don't see how you can defend this practice when the customer sees zero benefit from it, it's all about Microsoft putting arbitrary limits on products you legally own
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I believe one major scenario was also Military camps and some oil camps where Internet is not provided.
Not being able to play a video game for those in situations like that would suck.
Oh ya, totally forgot about the oil guys. One of the few entertainment options my friend and his rig buddies have up north is an Xbox 360 in the common area, with the only internet available being a few public machines hooked up to satellite. Guess they'll be switching to a PS4 too
I wonder if the 360 being easy to hack and pirate with entered into their decision for the 24 hour thing?
I bet the 24 hour restriction thing will be changed eventually, I'm not confident enough to say before launch but maybe even then.
At the very least they could push it down to the publishers like the consoles do for used games.
I think at this point the damage is done, even if they back peddle I still think it will show in their sales.
Down the road I don't doubt that their sales will climb Xbox One will be considered a successful console for them, but I think they are going to take a pretty big hit for the first while.
Hope that Futureshop puts some of the actual PS4 launch exclusives up soon (Knack, Killzone, Infamous), would like to take advantage of the $20 off deal.
Have you ever moved and had to wait a week or two until your cable/internet was hooked up? I know I have, a couple times now. Not being able to play any of the games I legally purchased over that time frame would have really sucked. And that's only one case where the 24-hour online check is complete BS, lots of rural residents where broadband isn't available or very intermittent would be affected. Hell in cities sometimes internet outages can last for several days if it's a major line cut (or a building fire at a major hub like Shaw)
I just don't see how you can defend this practice when the customer sees zero benefit from it, it's all about Microsoft putting arbitrary limits on products you legally own
Not to bring a damper to your argument, but a quick internet tether to a smart phone would resolve a lot of those issues.
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"Wake up, Luigi! The only time plumbers sleep on the job is when we're working by the hour."
I think the point is Microsoft has seemingly now made everything gamers are used to convoluted and annoying. People don't want to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to share a game disc or sell it (or play it for that matter). It'll be interesting to see how they react from now to the actual release of the console, because its pretty apparent that thus far the Xbox One release has been a PR disaster. Just shocking that they didn't see this backlash coming.
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A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
This graph puts in perspective the launch price of the new next gen systems from Sony and MS. I can't believe in 1993 I paid $699 for the 3D0 system which with inflation would be around 1200$ today. Yikes!
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I don't remember the PS2 only being $299 at launch, could have sworn it was more. Might have been that all the retailers were forcing bundles and that brought the price closer to $500.
