Stuff Happens

Lightning storms, Tornadoes, Ice Storms, Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and Drunk People (probably shoulda put that first)

Any of these things can knock out power and internet. Most of these things will knock out power and internet in large areas, and guess which one is last to come back online.

So my question is, why take a chance with a box that requires that connection to allow you to play your games?

Because none of those has been a major issue for me in the whole time I had a 360. Why worry now?

YOLO

I'll make a sandwich or play with lego if my net goes out. Life goes on.

That's the point. Now I think it would be ok if when you initially installed the game, before being allowed to play it would have to verify through the internet (like Steam), but hey, DRM MOTHERFUCKERS.

People will still buy the thing, but there will be those who live in areas with slow or spotty connections for whom this will be a breaking point.

I also think the fact that you can use a smart phone to do the check in makes it less of a problem.

@tescovee: Well I don't plan on paying my carrier more a month just so I can play my xbox. I really hate this argument, does everyone else get hotspots for free? If you already have it cool, but I don't and a lot of others don't and It seems like everyone else just assumes anyone can create hotspots when ever they want. Also some phones don't have that feature built in, however that number is getting smaller every year admittedly.

I'm sure they'll change their policy and make it so when you go offline you have to have the disc in, that would clear up a lot of this stupid stuff.

Shit happens when you party naked.

When, when will these fucking threads end?!

@jnal: yeah mine has it and it has tethering, also the data sent is super small and it only needs to do it once every 24 hours. /shrug

Oh the humanity!

Can you imagine NO VIDEO GAMEZ!!

@budwyzer: Hmmmmm...can't tell if clever satire or.....OP is really that dense.

I'd rather kill myself than go without video games for any length of time.

@tescovee: I'm not negating your statement and it is a totally viable way to connect the xbox for authentication, but my carrier charges monthly for hotspots and I believe tethering as well. I shouldn't have to get a hotspot or tethering plan just for the xbox. If you've already got a plan like that or you get it free then I would totally go that route in a pinch. My argument was that not everyone has a need or desire for a hotspot because a lot of them are hamstringed by data caps and are usually only good for email, web and light video streaming. I do agree the data issue is a non-issue with the xbox as yes its only a few kilobytes, but you shouldn't have to buy a plan just to use your xbox away from the internet. With that said not trying to sound like an asshole about anything just throwing my 2 cents in.

It's funny how people say Microsoft is looking at the big picture but totally ignore it themselves. You are a straight up fool if you think it ends with a 24 hour check in. It may not come this upcoming generation but something else will eventually come out of one of these giant companies that makes this seem trivial. I'm sure by now we have all seen both your typical consumer and developers/engineers talk about the rather simple alternatives to this check in so I'm not sure why people are still justifying it with "I just want to play games" I do too and while this 24 hour does not effect me (at least not often enough to care about) I can't help but feel that it will only lead to worse things.

@kryptickiller: In order for something else to be "worse"', wouldn't I first have to think something is bad?

@sploogestain: Why is it a "dick move"? Honest question. I can understand that barriers to entry in any platform can be unpopular, but how did MS injure you in any way by announcing a new console?

While there is a real problem for those with sketchy internet, pretty much everyone I've seen arguing about this, including the majority of the press, have really been looking at this in the wrong light. Not having an internet connection is a trouble for some for sure, but really, fighting DRM is the point of all of this hubbub.

This is the problem. Letting these systems come into place, further removing consumer rights and limiting access to games, is a troubled road to go down. To not take some sort of stand against these policies is to be ignorant of the inevitable path these policies lead to. We find ourselves in one of the few most consumer-driven industries, where the entire point of business is making the consumer happy or no money is made. We have the opportunity to express our opinions and push back against these ideas that are only the stepping stone to a further dystopian walled garden where the companies raid your wallet and people don't bat an eye.

On the principle, this should not be acceptable. Add to this the also, though somewhat less meaningful, valid complaints about those without stable internet, and there is no valid reason to complain about these worries. The people who want others to just "get over it" lack the foresight to see the real threat here. Stand up for yourselves. You have the right to.

In the case of tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes you should probably worry more about your own safety than playing your video games. And the last time I was subjected to a blackout which lasted more than two hours (happened 7-9 years ago) my internet came back the same instant as the power.

I have had some longer "internet blackouts", like a day or two, once or twice in the last decade. In those cases I just read books, watched movies and hung out with friends.

I mean my computer is pretty damn useless without an internet connection but I still own one because I don't need to use it every single second of my life.

I'm not sure that the immediate reaction to natural disasters of that magnitude is "Man, tomorrow I can't play my Halo. WHAT THE FUCK?!"

I don't want to trivialize the problems with the Xbox, but the way you present your argument makes it seem as if you need broader interests in life.

I'm not saying at all that I would sit in my living room during a natural disaster and complain that the internet is broken. You people came up with that on your own.

I'm saying that miles down the road things got tore up and a week later I'm sitting in my living room one evening saying "Gee, sure would be nice if I could just put this disc, that I bought at Gamestop, into that there black box and the damn thing would work.".

@oginor: Nope, because fortunately the world doesn't revolve around stupid people. So those of us with brains and do realize that it is bad can justify that what will inevitably come later is worse.

This really needed another thread.

To be honest... It really did...

not.

I see the shills are in full force today, defending consumer restrictions. What a wacky world we live in.

I'll just switch over to my brand new Sony Playstation 4, the ultimate living room entertainment experience, brought to you by Sony.

Where's my paycheck?