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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Microsoft Studios’ creative director defends always-online Xbox 720

Machiavellian said:
Online only is not the way to tie customer to you permanently. Making content that is tied to an account where users can only access using your services is the way you permanently get customers to stay with you. If customers are purchasing your content and services then by choice the customers would be tied to MS. I still do not see for the console to be online only other than for DRM purpose and really for Purchased disk based games.

The reason the market dose not support what you are saying is that the market already have sub based systems like phone, tablets, which all allow you to play your content offline if no net connection is present. This would mean that MS would have to go against whats already established and sell it to consumers who already have devices that give them this ability.

The only way to justify doing it different is if you can provide something customers need as a result. Making GOLD a service like PS Plus where you can basically play any game you want for the Sub price. Think about services like Hulu and Nextflix, where you can watch what you want for the sub price but those are basically rental type of services which if MS wanted to go down that road they could do. Or they can do what they do with their Zune music service. You can download all the music you want and play it offline for a month. At some point during that month if you connect to the internet to verify your sub then all is good. If the month ends and you have not verified your Sub then the service would ask you to connect to the net before allowing you to play your content.

MS already have models for their subscription service and none of them require you to be online only in order to use the content. For MS to change what they already do would mean there is some competitive advantage to do so. The market doesn't show it so it would have to be something new.

I do not remember being able to play any multiplayer games for the PS2 until after the Xbox. It was the main reason why MS could start with the whole GOLD thing in the first place.

I said tie to you permanently. Guaranteed access to every Xbox User at all times. It also allows you full content control.

What the detailed plan could look like I have no clue but my point is: MS COULD attempt to do always on even if Sony don't and Cell Phones don't .

Unless you know the plan MS made for the 720 you can not say that MS won't do this with absolute certainty, just because you think it won't work the way you think MS wants it to work. 

Fact Opinion Theory. 3 different things. 

I personally guess they won't do always on in a non optional form. But I don't know that for sure and you don't know it too what exactly MS thinks. And if you do please post it here. 

 



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MS already tie content to your XBL account without online only so this is not a case for Online only. MS already controls content they sell you online, like XBLA games, movies, TV shows, Music and videos which does not require today online only so those are not cases for MS to go that route.

You are right that MS could do always online and unless they have an ace under their sleeve they will fail. I am not saying that MS might not go for an online only console. What I am saying is that if they do, they must have something that makes it worth the consumer to purchase such a console. IF MS comes out with a 399/499 console that you can only use it online how will they position such a console if the competition does not have that restriction. Its not like MS, a billion dollar company is going to risk a billion dollar product just for DRM.



Machiavellian said:
MS already tie content to your XBL account without online only so this is not a case for Online only. MS already controls content they sell you online, like XBLA games, movies, TV shows, Music and videos which does not require today online only so those are not cases for MS to go that route.

You are right that MS could do always online and unless they have an ace under their sleeve they will fail. I am not saying that MS might not go for an online only console. What I am saying is that if they do, they must have something that makes it worth the consumer to purchase such a console. IF MS comes out with a 399/499 console that you can only use it online how will they position such a console if the competition does not have that restriction. Its not like MS, a billion dollar company is going to risk a billion dollar product just for DRM.

 

Sold over XBLA, now they would gain control over retail disk content. But even though its tied to your account you don't risk loosing it since you can use everything offline aswell. Its not as effective as always on.


Obviously they will have to sweeten the deal to a certain degree.