Xbox One Won’t Play Used Games, May Require Online Connection After All
Microsoft’s Xbox conference is over, and while they didn’t give us a lot of meat to work with, we’re learning new details about the console from other sources. They’re answering some of the big questions that Microsoft didn’t see fit to address while on stage. Namely, whether the console would require an always-on internet connection, or play used games. The guys over at Wired have found the answers to both, and they’re not what we were hoping for.
First, the console will not require an internet connection to play all of your games. However, it is entirely possible that there will be some single-player games that do require it. Microsoft has given developers the option of offloading some computing tasks to their Azure cloud. This is the same reason given by Maxis for why Sim City 5 required a permanent online connection to play. This doesn’t bode well for those living in areas where high-speed internet is still not an option.
As for used games, it looks like we can kiss those goodbye. According to Microsoft, all games will now be installed from a disc to the hard drive. You won’t even need to have the disc in the device to play. So in order to prevent people from simply passing around a disc to your friends, the game will be tied to your Xbox Live account. That’s right, your family members won’t even be able to play it on their account. They did mention that you could install a game on a second account, by paying a fee, but they didn’t disclose how much that fee would be.
While PC gamers might be quick to point out that they can’t pass around games either, borrowing games from a friend and purchasing used games has always been a staple in the console market. That’s one advantage that console gamers have had over the years. Now that’s being taken away, and console gamers aren’t going to like it. At least PC gamers can depend on Steam sales for cheap games. Xbox One owners will be at the mercy of new games prices from now on.
