Microsoft has faced a lot of negative press since the Xbox One announcement in May, mostly due to unanswered questions relating the the new console’s online connectivity, used game policy and the mandatory Kinect camera that will be a part of the so-called Xbone.
Microsoft has, ahead of E3, clarified a lot of these questions via the console’s website, perhaps in an effort to make sure that its E3 presentation isn’t overshadowed by them. Among the questions adressed are the console’s online requirements, how lending and reselling games will work and the permissions required by the Kinect camera.
According to Microsoft the Xbox One will require an internet connection once every 24 hours to …”verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend”, meaning that an extended outage will see the console becoming unplayable. In addition, Microsoft recommends a 1.5Mbps connection, something which is still out of reach for many local gamers.
The company has confirmed that there is no fee for trading in or selling games but have left the door open for an activation fee to be charged by a publisher when a player purchases a second-hand title. Players will be able to give their games away to a friend but this will only be possible if that friend has been on their friends list for 30 days and the game may only be transferred this way once. Microsoft have also added “Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners”, which seems to be a result of the negative publicity the company has been recieving.
In terms of the Kinect, Microsoft have said that the Kinect’s camera and microphone will only be listening for certain commands and that most of the Kinect’s features can be turned off. Some games and apps will require the Kinect, so it will be necessary to turn it on to use those functions. Odds are that some gamers will not feel really comfortable about the Kinect until it can be examined and analysed in the wild.
Source: GamesIndustry
