Remember all those rumors a few months back about Microsoft's new console? You know, the ones about the next Xbox not playing used games, a mandatory Kinect peripheral, and a permanently online connection?
Yeah. Turns out those might not be rumors. It would certainly explain why Microsoft hasn't whipped out their console after the big PS4 reveal. They're waiting for E3, we know. Microsoft's creative director of video games, Adam Orth, recently took to Twitter in an attempt to clarify some of the rumors.
"Sorry, I don't get the drama around having an 'always on' console. Every device now is 'always on.' That's the world we live in." Orth went on to say he wants every device to be 'always on.'
Microsoft normally doesn't comment on rumor or speculation, but Orth felt like this was the time to take to social media to defend the console. A recent Kotaku story had two sources that claimed,
"Durango consumer units must have an active Internet connection to be used. If there isn't a connection, no games or apps can be started," the source continued. "If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time--currently three minutes, if I remember correctly--the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started."
So, has nobody learned from the recent Sim City cluster fuck? Requiring players to maintain a permanent online connection is unrealistic. What if my online connection goes out? What if my dog chews through my router cables? Am I now the proud owner of a $400, or whatever they end up charging, decorative hunk of lime green, slave labor built molded plastic? What strikes us as the most naive is the obvious disconnect between executives at Microsoft and players. It's not drama. It's an issue of practicality, feasibility, and respect. Let us know what you think.
