Xbox One vs. PlayStation 4: Microsoft takes a U-turn, bites back at Sony

In what it claims is a reaction to “feedback from the Xbox community,” Microsoft has made a rather dramatic U-turn over its always-on Internet connectivity as well as its decision to impose restrictions on pre-owned titles on the new Xbox One gaming console.

In an update [news.xbox.com] to the earlier blog post on Xbox One, Microsoft has now said the new Xbox One console will not need to connect to the Internet once every 24 hours, and Microsoft is also giving back users the option to “trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today,” it said.

“We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds,” Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business’ President Don Mattrick said in the blog post titled ‘Your Feedback Matters – Update on Xbox One’.

“You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world,” he said.

He then went ahead and announced the reversal in its policy, based on that feedback. “An Internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games,” he noted. “After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.”

Microsoft came under intense criticism after it revealed the system and its additional requirements in May at its big presentation at E3 earlier this month, with gamers and market experts claiming Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4, which will also cost $100 less than the Xbox One, stole a big march over the Microsoft console especially because of the senseless restrictions that the latter seems to be imposing on its gamers.

Admitting its folly, Microsoft has now backtracked from those requirements in a bid to soothe angry fans, a number of whom said they would be moving on from Xbox to PlayStation rather than live with Microsoft’s new restrictions.

The other change that Mattrick announced was that Microsoft was lifting the new freeze on lending/sharing of offline games. “There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360,” he conceded.

“In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console – there will be no regional restrictions,” he added.

Earlier, there were regional restrictions imposed by Microsoft, making it impossible for users in one region to trade games with those from another.

“These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray,” the post announced.  

“We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content.”

The game is back on.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.