Releasing later this year, Xbox One, the next-generation gaming console is an exciting offering from Microsoft. Expectedly it has been hitting headlines with people discussing about its online features and new benefits for the gamers.
However, if you read more about its online features you will recognize that its online features are dependent on timely Internet pills. If you are guessing what I mean by Internet pills then let me inform “the enthusiastic gamers”, that your Xbox One gaming console would require an internet connection to connect to at least once in 24 hours in case you want to play games longer than a day. Effectively, what it means that you can game offline only up to 24 hours, not more than that.
The information mentioned on the Xbox Wire blog says:
“With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies. At Xbox, we’ve always believed in a connected world of games and entertainment”.
Stressing why a broadband internet connection of 1.5Mbps is required for Xbox One, Microsoft said that it is important so that developers can persistently keep the version updated with newer features, even when user is not playing.
Microsoft also added that Xbox One is designed to verify if the system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. So with this, Xbox One will effectively put an end to Single player offline games beyond 24 hours.
So how will the users, who are probably not based in the city and have access to just satellite or cell internet, would respond to Xbox One ?
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to stretch the offline gaming limit to a week from 24 hours? Certainly as future Xbox one users you would like to comment ?
You can check, Xbox One network requirement here.
I have the original Xbox, PlayStations 1 & 2 and my PC’s and Even if I had the chance and money to purchase one of the new Xbox’s, I wouldn’t touch one with this type of stupid idea’s incorporated. My Xbox is years old and works just as good now, as when I purchased it, but what happens when MS’s servers go down or the decide to bring a new version out and stop support for the Xbox One. I think if you purchase a product it’s yours and you should not be told when and how often to connect it to the internet. I know quite a lot of people who take holidays and take their games consoles with them, but this would stop them. Software should check for updates and things, as and when you are connected to the internet and if this is one day or after 6 months, it’s your choice. To make sure a game is not an illegal copy it could check the internet when installed and the only other time it should check is when installing updates.
It might be me, but I think this is one massive mistake Microsoft is making and think they are either going to have to change this from 24hrs to weekly, monthly or just as and when there is an internet connection or lose quite a lot of sales.
In our house if the kids are causing problems I disconnect the internet from their rooms, to stop social networking and general internet access, but they still stay in their rooms playing games. If others are like me, the kids will riot.
Sorry for the rant, but I think this cloud and internet checking on your products all the time is now getting beyond a joke.
>Ian, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I completely agree with you, 24 hours restrictions should be stretched to may be 15 days or a month. I am sure Microsoft would listen to this when Xbox One go live.