I know there's been a lot of whaling and gnashing of teeth in regard to the Xbox One DRM, and some say that ANY kind of restriction is too much. As for me PERSONALLY, I'm a little more reasonable when it comes to this sort of thing, as I understand the business reasons behind it. In fact, I think they could do it in such a way that their business interests could be obliged without consumers getting screwed in the process. To that end, I propose the following tweaks to the Xbox One DRM:

1. Allow games to be sold as used/given away after a certain period of time

Let's be honest - when somebody buys a game, beats it in 2-3 days, sells it back to Gamestop who then sells it again as used for $55, that not only screws over publishers and developers, but is probably harmful to consumers in the long run. On the other hand, it strikes me as unreasonable for consumers to never be able to sell games they are no longer playing. So you keep the restriction on for a few months until the game is no longer a 'must have', and then allow people to sell it.

Besides, if people have to keep the games for a certain period of time, it might encourage them to actually PLAY their games more. For example, my nephew gets a new game, plays it on easy and blows through it in a day or two, and then he's done with it. Contrast that with me... still trying for that 'no death' run on Castlevania 1 for the NES. The grim reaper is a pain in my ass :)

2. Make game installations optional

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm happy to oblige the 24-hour check for the convenience of being able to play a game without the disc in. My electricity goes down more than my internet, and even if the connection is down for longer than a day, I can just tether up with my smart phone for the authentication, and then I'm good to go. I don't reasonably expect to be able to play games without the disc without some sort of server-side authentication, so I'm cool with it.

On the other hand, I think you should have the option of playing with the disc in, without any restrictions, except maybe having to authenticate the game on that console the first time you put it in.

3. Disabling ALL restrictions on a game after a certain period of time

One of the main issues I have with the Xbox One DRM is not being sure whether I'll still be able to play my purchased games after the next, next gen consoles come out and MS has shut down the authentication servers and moved on to the Xbox Two :P Thus, it would go a long way if they were to offer up some guarantee that if the authentication servers were no longer available, they would free all of the games from all of their restrictions, and make it such that this guarantee was legally binding.

Great suggestions - I'd be all for them. And I wouldn't be surprised if they revise their stance prior to launch.

I was going to post something similar but I believe MS should drop DRM on discs. If they believe the future is digital then implement their loan/give for only digitally bought games; it would give people a reason to buy the digital version. Lastly allowing you to sell your digitally purchased games (but like you said with time restrictions) would generate good will because no other digital system allows that.

Mainly I want them to do it so Steam will try to implement it as well (well one can hope).

Yep. I didn't even see this thread before I made my own, which pretty much repeats your ideas. Making check-ins only for people wanting to play without the disc would be a big deal. Their biggest problem now is overcoming the bad messaging and negativity they've created in the media.

Honestly, if they would just remove it after a period of time I would probably be 100% fine with it.

The DRM is fine how it is. They're not going to change it, they've said the reason it's the way it is, is to adjust to an all digital game licensing platform, and you need certain policies for that. The fact that you can gift and trade in games at all (not to mention share with 10 people) in that digital future is more than even Steam offers. You should applaud Microsoft.

The only things the discs do is install the digital copy of the game. There is no such thing as a physical game on the Xbox One. Once the game is installed the disc is useless, there is nothing being read from it at all. I doubt they'll be able to distinguish between who installed with a disc and who downloaded a game. Discs are just sticking around so people without good internet can install games. After the install it's the same as the digital download version.

So yea, you cannot play games from discs on the Xbox One. Therefore the online check in is needed.

I think a lot of us understand the business reasons behind Microsoft's restrictions, but I still don't think it's unreasonable to say that at a base level they kind of suck. Your suggestions would certainly be an improvement, but they can only go so far when Sony are offering an alternative with zero restrictions. Perhaps Microsoft will change their minds on some of this stuff, but they had the chance to make tweaks like this before now and didn't because they want the level of publisher control that the current system allows them.

Sony doesn't have zero restrictions. Even the fine print in their game sharing video specifies the policy is for disc games only. Their digital game's will have DRM.

All of the Xbox One's games are digital, the discs serve only to install. No games are played from the disc on the Xbox One..

I think that your suggestions would be an improvement. However, the only real indication as to whether this will change, or Sony will adapt similar stuff to Microsoft, is how the publishers feel about their consumer growth after launch. If publishers find that Microsoft isn't hemorrhaging with the new DRM policies, a lot will focus on their system over the Playstation 4. Sony is playing just as risky a hand as Microsoft now. If the consumer market and publishers don't vehemently side with their less-than-Microsoft's DRM policies, it could go south very quickly.

One thing is for sure, though. This will be one heck of a generation.

Some good points. I agree with make the games sellable but only after a month. I'd have been fine with that. Now it's too late and the game of winning hearts and minds is already lost.

I don't agree with no installs. One factor is that it takes wear and tear off the optical drive and less chance of a return and repair is better for you and them. It also means your games will load quicker. If you've played co-op with somebody even on the 360 and you've got it installed and they haven't it can make a hell of a difference sometimes, especially with the Halo games.

Straw man arguments based on comparing microsoft policies to other companies is weak. My dad's great! He only does murders, yours does murders and rapings! Yayayayyy! Dad of the Year!!!!

Its interesting for sure when you have EA out of all people saying " uh we never asked for the drm stuff we are catering for gamers uh erm" Seems like EA doesnt want to get blamed for this stuff

It isn't like when you are playing multiplayer Halo 4 or CoD it is using the disk either. Most of the engine and data were put on the hard drive a long time ago because it is easier to manipulate and patch on the hard disk which is something "discovered" on PC some 30 years ago.

The mandatory game install has nothing to do with DRM, it has everything to do with load times and a guarantee to developers that they can develop for fewer hardware targets. However, MS did make it a requirement that the game is playable after the first 2gb are installed while the remainder is installed in the background so it's not as bad as what we currently know as disk installs.

@jdh5153 said:

Okay sure, the restrictions will be there for digital games, but we're largely if not entirely talking about on-disc games here, and I don't think we can disregard Microsoft's restrictions for games by saying "You can install them so they're technically digital and the two situations are equivalent". When people say "Digital game" that's obviously not what they mean, and the bottom line is that the games on the discs you buy for the One will have fundamental restrictions on them, and the games on the discs you buy for the PS4 won't.

Yeah, because when you buy a disc you're not buying a game on a disc, you're buying an install that will allow you to play the digital game. It's just the way it is. Microsoft is done with disc games, they're just printing discs so people don't have to download stuff, but that's it. No playing from the disc, no game manuals, nothing. Essentially a use it and throw it out item. You won't even need the disc to play at a friend's house, just login to your account and download the game.

@jdh5153 said:

That seems a pretty arbitrary way to interpret that transaction, but okay, if that's the way you want to look at it, Microsoft are still only offering games in a form that is restricted, Sony will still be offering games in a form that doesn't have that restriction. If that doesn't matter to you then cool, but we really can't ignore that existence of that fundamental fact.

There is a compromise here:

- Disk installed games can be installed on any number of systems with the same key but can only be execute/run/played by only one of them. This will help with loaning and renting.

- All games need to be validated at run time instead of requiring the system to be online once every 24 hours. If you haven't played a game in weeks, why bother checking with Microsoft every day if it is valid?

You sure you dont work at MS. I think the nextbox is shitty but you are conveying the message 1 trillion times better then MS themselves.

Agreed with everything above. I'm completely fine with all of the xbox one's DRM policies and they actually make gaming much more convenient for me. Assuring consumers that if their servers ever go down in the far flung future that the check-in will also be removed would be nice though.

Remove the online check ins if you have the Disk version of the game and the Disk in the system.

Ease up on the DRM stuff. Just make it once you give the disk to someone else you can not play it. Not this "One give away only"

Put in a lending system *and renting system*

If you MUST have them make it so you can use your phone with smartglass to do the check ins so your X1 its self only has to connect to your phone.

1 and 3 are pretty whatever, but 2 seems like a no-brainer to me.

I don't even get what the justification is for the check-in on games purchased digitally.

cause Steam does it. And everybody gotta follow the golden standard.

Even if the disc is useless after install, they should just give people the option of using it in the tray instead of the online check in. Simple solution.

To be honest im not really bothered by all the DRM stuff i just wish they would either allow you to disconnect the kinect or even better sell a kinecless version.

THIS. I was thinking about this today.... and it is an easy move that would quell some problems. (playing single player games offline - and those without internet connections at all - also making the console not useless, like if live goes down or if the internet is down temporarily) The only thing is that by doing this they possibly jeopardize a bit of the weird publisher sanctioned used game market (which is fucking stupid anyway and im not exactly well informed on this subject)

However, this maintains their asperations for a digital future... and if you don't have a disc then the ping to "the cloud" or whatever is fine considering that most people that download games from the internet (where discs arent an option) would have a steady internet connection for the most part... like steam or something (or maybe developing an "offline mode" like steam could be good as well - granting longer than a 24 hour offline license for a game or something)

Would this make people less pissed? probably, right? and it would put them on par with Sony's example of handing a game to someone so they can borrow it - while maintaining some of the DRM they have for digitally sharing if someone wants to do that as well.

As far as the kinect - its just silly that it is required - i don't mind that it's bundled (if i get an XB1 then maybe ill eventually find a use for it) but its silly if someone doesn't plug it in that it just doesn't work.... a fuckin' Wii turns on without the sensor bar... if you don't have any other controllers you may not get far, but its not required (to my knowledge.... AMA about the Wii right now)

@jimmyfenix: Well, EA is most likely trying to save as much face as possible. Sony not implementing the same type of DRM is a goldmine for them. Microsoft wouldn't dare call them on their bluff, while EA can sit back and make their games for both consoles, and on the surface play the innocent who didn't agree with the DRM.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and vouch for Microsoft doing nothing wrong, but I am going to say that they are most likely the "most" prepared for the future. Let's face it, we are slowing become less dependent on disc-based games. We are becoming less dependent on physical media all together. I haven't purchased a movie in disc form for several years now. It's always been a quick rental/purchase on amazon or one of my other trusted websites. Games are pretty much the same. I think what needs to happen here is that Microsoft needs to convince us whythey chose this path. Why they buckled down and Sony didn't.

Let's not forget that Valve go the same kind of cold-welcoming as we are giving Microsoft now. They proved capable of breaking that burden, and I think that Microsoft will if that's what they want to do. If we start seeing lower-prices on digital entertainment, exclusives, and maybe a change in the check-in system, not much will be available to complain about. I really hope that actually happens. I won't get my hopes up, but I'm also not going to crucify a company just because change is happening. I just cannot wait we hit a couple of months after launch, when all of this compressed vitriol from E3 and new consoles launching fades. I don't think Microsoft or Sony is going anywhere in this generation, and most likely everything will be normal/forgotten within the first year.

I just wanted to say that most of the games shown this year were the pan out and holy shit your online variety which is pretty neat. I just really don't dig the stay plugged in or your games don't workedness of the Xbone I already have a TV and a Blu-ray player I do not need another one of those I want a game console. With that being said I understand that some games won't work without their online component (MMORPG) if I was still able to play games that are a solely single player experience after the 24 hour time limit I would have no problems with the policys at hand but Microsoft fumbled their scoring chance by making this seem like they dont care about selling games its just another function of our box which is entertainment focused.

My problem with this is, what happens when MS moves on to the Xbox Two and leaves the Xbox One behind? Will I still be able to play my games? I realize that with Steam, there is the same uncertainty there, which is why I've never purchased anything from them either. If I'm paying full retail prices, I want to OWN my games, not RENT them.

When are people going to realize that games like Titanfall which can't even be done without the cloud can't even be played offline?

So you DON'T WANT additional CPU processing power for your games? Additional storage? Titanfall can't run on the Xbox One alone. It's built for a virtual console that's made up of the Xbox One + server. It's in essence designed for a more powerfull system than just the hardware in the local box.

You DON'T WANT to be able to share games digitally essentially removing the need to track down rental stores and red boxes and saving on new games by splitting costs with your friends? That's what the restrictions are for.

You DON'T WANT for your or a friend be able to buy 1 game and both play it simultaneously, no matter where that friend lives?

Really? Because if they did what you ask, all of those things would go away.

No thanks.

I WANT the extra processing power of the dual Xeon 16 core CPU servers running at 2.6GHz with a sick amount of RAM.

I WANT to be able to come here ad one of you guys to my friends list and share our backlogs of games we may have yet not played.

I WANT to be able to save on NEW games and split the cost with 2 or more friends. If I have this, why do I want the hassle of going to the rental store or selling stuff on Ebay?

@alexglass: Exactly my thinking, I literally can't come up with a single disadvantage over how I currently use my 360/PS3.

I have a huge backlog that would be awesome to be able to share with my friends and family, so I hope that feature comes in as described. It sounds WAY too generous for a large corporation, but maybe having DRM yields enormous benefits like this (or steam sales).