I have to say I don't understand the purpose of this e-mail within Microsoft. Maybe if I worked there or could at least read the whole thing it would make more sense. As it is, it just looks like the e-mail is meant to address the rumors directly, yet it was supposedly sent to full-time employees working on the next XBox... all of whom should already have known everything spelled out in the e-mail.

This line just seems like it's phrased weird, too: "Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game."

Specifically, "and yes playing a single player game," seems like a poor use of punctuation for an official, internal business memo. Shouldn't there be a couple more commas in there? "and, yes, playing a single player game." At that point, you may as well get rid of the "yes" entirely, since it sounds pretty unprofessional.

Anyway I don't really care; it will probably will not need a connection to play disc-based single-player games, regardless of the legitimacy of this e-mail.

Question though, doesn't the 360 boot all of your downloaded games as trials while you're not online?

If you check the state of the videogame industry being more worrisome about things makes complete sense.

Love how the reactions are to spin this as "Well Microsoft didn't realize it would be that bad till the interrnet erupted" but whatever.

Only two more weeks to go till we see the truth, and I'm sure this will be legit... but can't we wait just two more weeks? Gheeze.

But does it have Blast Processing?

Backpedaling? hmm they're most certainly not denying an always online feature.

So it still doesn't make sense to address the feature as "always-online" if the final product will be just like current gen consoles , where "things expected to work offline, work offline". There's obviously something they're not telling. Take the "always on" feature for example, they make that claim to especifically differentiate the new console (which will have some sort of sleep mode) from the 360.

Also, the email sounds pretty vague for an employee only version. Unless of course it was given to bottom level employees to avoid another Deal-with-it fiasco, but even then it almost sounds made up.

echoesfromthepast.

LOL!!

It's good to have a good rumor about the neXbox. I wouldn't even take this as proof either really but it is still a little comforting to hear. The21'st is days away. My sig'll tell ya!

I wouldn't call that a proper vacation if you want to spent a good deal of it playing Mass Effect 2 DLC.

M$ have said some features on the 360 are "always online". The term is nothing new, watching NetFlix requires an always online feature. Fanboys and/or people who generally don't like Microsoft have just taken the ball and ran with it on this one. People who don't often visit forums like these have no idea about the "deal with it" fiasco either.

Why not? After 2 weeks beaches, b*****s and drinks get boring to me. So I have to recharge my energy. What do you want me to do? Visit museums?