Comparing nintendos online infrastructure to microsofts is like comparing apples to spaceships.

I'm anticipating some issues, but nothing too crazy.

@darji: If you can't deal with day one patches that need to be applied before you're allowed to play the game then avoid that platform obviously. This isn't the first time games require a patch before they let you play them, size of said patch is somewhat irrelevant.

Well the console itself won't work without an internet connection to set it up. Still though, this is a bad precedent for games. That game box had better make it blazingly clear that an internet connection is required to get the game running though or they are going to see a lawsuit on that front.

I hope this becomes the norm. Don't be held back by having to press a dumb disc version over a month in advance.

are you daft Darji? How many times must I repeat myself? If your internet situation is not good, then don't buy an Xone. What part of that do you not get? Yes companies have to cater to as wide an audience as possible but they have to draw the line somewhere. They have made it as clear as possible: if downloading this patch/content is an issue....for whatever reason....stay clear of Forza 5.

I don't know how else to explain it without going into "explain it to me like I'm 5" mode.

Hah!

I think the the genuine concern for this should be that it sets a bad precedent for physical copies of games. I tend to buy physical copies of my games when I can because I want to have the option in a decade to play that game even if the servers have been taken offline for it and the system is no longer online to support it. If they're holding half of the game hostage online for my $60 game disc, then it diminishes the idea of preserving physical media.

Eventually, yes, everything will be digital and then it's all in the wind, but we're not there yet, that system is untested and nothing is guaranteed, so stuff like this is troubling to me personally as someone who believes in games preservation for the long term, not just for as long as a Sony or Microsoft of Nintendo deems it financially worthwhile.

This isn't a console specific issue either. Sony just announced that the servers for MAG will be taken offline at the beginning of 2014. As someone who bought and enjoys MAG on occasion, the idea that with the flip of a switch, I won't be able to actually play MAG anymore is disconcerting and makes online gaming seem cheap and dirty.

This could still just be a one-off thing, so I'm not going to freak out about it at this point, but I could see this as Microsoft's "out" for having to dump the plans they had before. This is less insidious on its face and most people won't know/care about it until they get the disc home and find out.

Do you really think the normal customer will know this that he has to download a HUGE chunk of the game before he even can play the game? Again Release the game dgitally on day one and at retail when it is done. The customer should not suffer just because Microsoft is not be able to finish a game at for Launchday.

Of the 100 million people in the U.S. without internet in their homes, only 20 million want it, but are not able to get access in their area. These 20 million can't even activate an Xbox one in the first place unless they take their console to a friends house, so why does it matter if games also need online activation?

Ok you do realize that we will see the same mess which we had with a Sim City, Diablo 3 or the Wii update again? No matter how good your networksystem is you will run into trouble if a lot of people try to log in at the same time and try to download a huge update just so they can play it.

Again this is not a patch this is content because Microsoft can not finish the game for the launch. It is a first that this kind of stuff happens and it never should be.

Hey guess what. It doesnt.

Link

But you will need it to finish the main game part. Meaning you can get started and then download the update later on.

Good to know. Hope this will finally shut @darji up. Why must you post incessantly about the X1 if you have zero plans to buy it, Darji?

Sadly, I'm going to expect this with most games, the day one patch is a disgusting trend over the past few years but delays can kill a games momentum if it has any at all.