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Forums - Microsoft - Why Microsoft feels DRM will not have much negative impact

 

Is Microsoft on to something?

Microsoft understands me! 31 12.86%
 
Wait, this is real? 33 13.69%
 
#Dealingwithit: PS4! 177 73.44%
 
Total:241
CDiablo on 13 June 2013
ViktorBKK said:
I think it's the way they implemented it, that makes no sense. There are multiple online DRM platforms on PC(Steam, Origin, Uplay) and none of them require 24h check in. It's actually weeks before any of those clients require you to log in again for validation. 30 days or something like that would have been fine, along with a flat drop in game prices.

Then you wouldnt have used games. The problem is MS tried to find a way to have digital & cloud accessable games that you can also resell(and in certain cases give a cut of said sale to the publishers). I know you can put PC DRM clients in offline mode, but in doing this you can scam them for free singleplayer for you and many other friends. The 24 hour check in is strictly so that they can check to see if you sold a game, that you should no longer have access to it. Dont get me wrong I think the thing sucks but I understand what they are doing.



Getting an XBOX One for me is like being in a bad relationship but staying together because we have kids. XBone we have 20000+ achievement points, 2+ years of XBL Gold and 20000+ MS points. I think its best we stay together if only for the MS points.

Nintendo Treehouse is what happens when a publisher is confident and proud of its games and doesn't need to show CGI lies for five minutes.

-Jim Sterling

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ViktorBKK on 13 June 2013
CDiablo said:
ViktorBKK said:
I think it's the way they implemented it, that makes no sense. There are multiple online DRM platforms on PC(Steam, Origin, Uplay) and none of them require 24h check in. It's actually weeks before any of those clients require you to log in again for validation. 30 days or something like that would have been fine, along with a flat drop in game prices.

Then you wouldnt have used games. The problem is MS tried to find a way to have digital & cloud accessable games that you can also resell(and in certain cases give a cut of said sale to the publishers). I know you can put PC DRM clients in offline mode, but in doing this you can scam them for free singleplayer for you and many other friends. The 24 hour check in is strictly so that they can check to see if you sold a game, that you should no longer have access to it. Dont get me wrong I think the thing sucks but I understand what they are doing.

They could simply lower prices and eliminate used games completely. Then everyone would be happy. If games are 40 bucks at launch and 20 or less soon after that, then who cares about the used market? That is why people love Steam.

A jack of all trades is a master of none.



dane007 on 13 June 2013

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-13-xbox-one-check-in-will-need-kilobytes-not-megabytes for those who worry about connection . You can even use phone tethering to connect .



CDiablo on 13 June 2013
ViktorBKK said:

They could simply lower prices and eliminate used games completely. Then everyone would be happy. If games are 40 bucks at launch and 20 or less soon after that, then who cares about the used market? That is why people love Steam.

A jack of all trades is a master of none.

I honestly dont think there is as much money for publishers in the Steam model as people believe it to be. Publishers want the profit margins that traditional retail provides as well as DRM as well as a cut of (in the very least Gamestop style) used games. MS found the a way to provide that. Now publishers are seeing the backlash from this and are distancing themselves from the idea and letting MS take the fall. We still dont know the pricing model as there are rumors all the way from Steam pricing to $70 retail. I think embracing a more flexible digital pricing strategy is the only thing that can save the bone in its current state.



Getting an XBOX One for me is like being in a bad relationship but staying together because we have kids. XBone we have 20000+ achievement points, 2+ years of XBL Gold and 20000+ MS points. I think its best we stay together if only for the MS points.

Nintendo Treehouse is what happens when a publisher is confident and proud of its games and doesn't need to show CGI lies for five minutes.

-Jim Sterling

LiquorandGunFun on 13 June 2013

we will see. i spent shit tons on my x360. just exclusives on ps3. now its just ps4. So this time sony will have much more coming their way, besides what steam forces me to buy with ridiculous sales.

ALL the people that game that I know personally have preordered ps4s, they all had x360s and a good amount of games. Im hearing it from others as well even when i went to trade in my x360 and all the games, i had 3 people say they were planning on doing the same thing while i was at that gamestop. It will be interesting to see how sales go for both.



 

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tres on 13 June 2013
BinaryDelt said:
Damnyouall said:

Microsoft Xbox Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Yusuf Mehdi: "I think it's fair to say there's a segment of consumers at this show in particular who really pay attention, who are very passionate about all aspects of gaming, and that we listen to closely. In a broader set of community, people don't pay attention to a lot of the details. We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/06/microsoft-defends-the-xbox-ones-licensing-used-game-policies/

"...We've seen it in the research, we've seen it in a lot of the data points."

That's the core of the issue right there.  They see their consumers as data points, not gamers.  I understand it's a business, but this is a little insulting.  He's right, there are a lot of "I only play Call of Duty" gamers and uninformed parents that will buy it, as well as a casual gamers that won't bother with the details, but that's no reason to take advantage of them.  He's really admitting that they are exploiting the uninformed consumer because the research says they'll get away with it.  When that consumer goes to trade in their game or their piss-poor rural internet is acting up, they may not be so uninformed anymore.

A lot of these uninformed consumers know at least one person like us, who is more than willing to offer their opinion on such matters.  The magnitude of the backlash of their decisions has already been big enough to escape internet forums and video game blogs and enter the mainstream media outlets.  Once online reviews of these consoles open up after launch, that will factor as well.  I think they're underestimating the consumer, as well as the quantity of information available to customers.

The simplest part?  They're missing that no matter how uninformed a consumer is, money talks, and the PS4 is $100 cheaper.


thats not the problem.  the problem is they saw people dont pay attention to details and they threw something detail out there for them not to pay attention to whew....

knowing that why didnt they explain it instead of throwing it in the friday even news dump 



kurasakiichimaru on 13 June 2013
dane007 said:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-13-xbox-one-check-in-will-need-kilobytes-not-megabytes for those who worry about connection . You can even use phone tethering to connect .


But my Iphone doesn't allow tethering.



yo_john117 on 13 June 2013

That is very true. The average consumer doesn't really pay attention to the details which is why it's relatively easy for store representatives at places like Best Buy and Gamestop to influence people in their decision making process.



BinaryDelt on 13 June 2013
dane007 said:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-06-13-xbox-one-check-in-will-need-kilobytes-not-megabytes for those who worry about connection . You can even use phone tethering to connect .

I think the point that gets people most upset is being treated like criminals.  It's like the cops knocking on your door once a day to make sure you're not breaking the law.



ViktorBKK on 13 June 2013
CDiablo said:
ViktorBKK said:

They could simply lower prices and eliminate used games completely. Then everyone would be happy. If games are 40 bucks at launch and 20 or less soon after that, then who cares about the used market? That is why people love Steam.

A jack of all trades is a master of none.

I honestly dont think there is as much money for publishers in the Steam model as people believe it to be. Publishers want the profit margins that traditional retail provides as well as DRM as well as a cut of (in the very least Gamestop style) used games. MS found the a way to provide that. Now publishers are seeing the backlash from this and are distancing themselves from the idea and letting MS take the fall. We still dont know the pricing model as there are rumors all the way from Steam pricing to $70 retail. I think embracing a more flexible digital pricing strategy is the only thing that can save the bone in its current state.

If there isn't enough money for publishers in Steam's model, then please explain how powerhouse franchises like The Elder Scrolls & Call of Duty choose to use it. Mega publishers like Activision or Bethesda have the power to do whatever they want with their major franchises, and they choose to use Steam even on retail versions of their games.

Gamers have a budget. If prices are lower, they will generally buy more games. Either way, gamers can't magically spend more money than they can afford. With physical discs & used games some of that revenue goes to third parties like Gamestop etc. By lowering prices and eliminating all physical media both the publisher/developer and the consumer win. The consumer pays less per game, and the content creator ditches the middle men.

For this to happen however, the platform holder needs to have a sound understanding of market dynamics. You can't sell a "license to play" your game for the same price as you used to sell the actual game. Steam understands this. Microsoft does not. And to get back to the Xbone, it's pretty much dead on arrival. Even if they sack the entire chain of command and bring new guys to handle things over at xbox, by that time they will have lost significant ground.