It most definitely requires online connection, at least for revoking the license and download the game. It even says something about always online.

It's possible that there is some loopholes that can be exploited setting your console to offline, but as soon as you connect again licenses will be updated.

It'd be too much of a hassle for it to be a major issue, when you can already officially share digital games to one other console with the home console feature anyway.

Likely will only be the case if the game is compatible with both the One and Series, not if its Series exclusive, I believe you'll need a Series X for that.

Again, I am not worried for people exploiting this at the cost of Microsoft, I am worried about Microsoft forcing always online on me in order for them to be able to do the DRM check.

I believe its simple, not saying it'll work like that, but it just need a simple 2 flag system.

Flag 1 happens when you are online for the first time, license is granted to you.

Flag 2 only ever happens if Flag 1 is registered on another console.

That technically means someone can sell the game for someone else that never connects to the internet and both can play, digitally for the vendor and physically for the buyer. But if the buyer connects to the internet the vendor losses the digital license immediatly, which means selling is pretty much granted to result into the game being played by one person only.

Lending to a fried for a brief time, that could mean only one person can buy but two can play, but let's also remember a lot of Microsoft own games from the Series era are not even fully in the disc, or in it at all, so the friend being lent the game, a very small number of people to begin with, won't actually be able to play the game without registering the digital license as they will need to download a portion of the whole game on their own console, and even if they do get a fully playable from the disc game, they won't be able to access online features like multiplayer to play with their friend at all, in which case, just let your friend register it and you register it back when it comes back to you, which means only one person playing the game at any time anyway, just like physical games already are.

So that simple system is actually very much capable of everything it needs to take care of.

O.k., if it works like that (just an added bonus for those with a physical library) then it's fine.

What I think hasn't changed. If I can't buy physical games for a console, I won't be buying that console. It's really that simple. I don't need their new machines. I have every major old one worth owning, going all the way back to Atari. I have more than enough things to play. If they want my money, they have to offer physical gaming. If not, I'll have fun playing the old stuff, and leave the new stuff to people with less discriminating tastes.

One thing is they not needing an always online connection to use the system, another if if they will mandate it anyway, tho.

But yes, if it's an added bonus, as I always thought should be granted with all physical sales, it is, solely on itself, a very nice program.

I do agree, the physical games is the part of the equation that matter, so they are a must, but if its adding this and continuing to provide physical media, fully on disc/cart that is, otherwise its pointless, then its a good thing.

As I already own games just for the physical, getting an online license and being able to play it on a portable PC is a pretty good thing, IMO.

So here's what I am wondering if it hasn't been addressed or I haven't seen it.
If you use the disc to digital program and later on for whatever reason (it's usually people who hack or harass which almost none of us fall into) you are permabanned from Xbox network (but you console is not bricked) can you still use your physical game offline? And can you still use it if there's no internet access and you're not banned?