After the tech giant announces that it's backtracking on its much-derided Internet connection requirement, social media, comment threads, and gaming forums light up. June 19, 2013 3:58 PM PDT Microsoft's Xbox One gaming console. (Credit: Microsoft) Relief, disbelief, and some leftover bitterness still surround Microsoft pulling a 180 on its Xbox One "always-on" policy. Gamers have taken to forums, comment threads, and social media to express how they feel about the tech giant flip-flopping on the series of rules and restrictions that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy. Microsoft announced Wednesday that it was backtracking on this much-derided policy, which caused a flood of user reaction. On Xbox's Facebook and Twitter accounts, tens of thousands of users have commented on the new policy change. On Facebook, as of this writing, nearly 55,000 people have liked the status post (which has been up only an hour) and more than 17,000 people have commented. Overwhelmingly, people seem quite happy with Microsoft's change of heart. Besides the typical "Thanks Xbox" and "Yes!!!," people are also saying that now they'll actually buy the upcoming gaming console. "Xbox, thank you sooooo much for reversing the policies on Xbox One, I am officially buying one now, you guys rock!," one user wrote. Some people, however, are still skeptical. One user wrote, "ya still not gunna hold my breath that they'll keep this promise." While others continue to be peeved about Microsoft even suggesting the policy in the first place. "Too late!," one person wrote and "I'm sorry Microsoft but you have lost my trust," wrote another. Twitter is seeing much of the same reaction with more than 7,500 people retweeting Xbox's announcement and 2,000 people favoriting it, as of this writing. In fact, in light of Microsoft's about-face, a new hashtag -- #Xbox180 -- has been created just for people to opine on the policy change. Related stories Microsoft pulls a 180, reverses Xbox One always-on DRM and used games policy PS4's lead architect disses Xbox One on Fallon show Jimmy Fallon test drives the Xbox One Xbox 360 top console in May...with 114,000 units sold Lewis Black gives middle finger to Google Glass and Xbox Gaming forums are also lighting up with people either commending Microsoft or continuing to complain about the policy. On GameFAQs bulletin board site, one user wrote, "The damage is done already," and another wrote, "Watch them pull a 360 later on." Microsoft faced a huge backlash when it announced the policy, just before the E3 video game conference earlier this month. Then, the company said it would allow gamers to play offline for up to 24 hours on a primary console, or 1 hour if they were logged onto a separate console accessing their library of titles. At that point, offline gaming would be disabled until players re-established a Web connection. Now, the new policy doesn't require a connection every 24 hours and Microsoft says the console connectivity will work just like the Xbox 360. "An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games," Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again."
After the tech giant announces that it's backtracking on its much-derided Internet connection requirement, social media, comment threads, and gaming forums light up.
Microsoft's Xbox One gaming console.
(Credit: Microsoft)
Relief, disbelief, and some leftover bitterness still surround Microsoft pulling a 180 on its Xbox One "always-on" policy.
Gamers have taken to forums, comment threads, and social media to express how they feel about the tech giant flip-flopping on the series of rules and restrictions that would have required Xbox One gamers to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day to prevent game piracy.
Microsoft announced Wednesday that it was backtracking on this much-derided policy, which caused a flood of user reaction.
On Xbox's Facebook and Twitter accounts, tens of thousands of users have commented on the new policy change. On Facebook, as of this writing, nearly 55,000 people have liked the status post (which has been up only an hour) and more than 17,000 people have commented.
Overwhelmingly, people seem quite happy with Microsoft's change of heart. Besides the typical "Thanks Xbox" and "Yes!!!," people are also saying that now they'll actually buy the upcoming gaming console. "Xbox, thank you sooooo much for reversing the policies on Xbox One, I am officially buying one now, you guys rock!," one user wrote.
Some people, however, are still skeptical. One user wrote, "ya still not gunna hold my breath that they'll keep this promise." While others continue to be peeved about Microsoft even suggesting the policy in the first place. "Too late!," one person wrote and "I'm sorry Microsoft but you have lost my trust," wrote another.
Twitter is seeing much of the same reaction with more than 7,500 people retweeting Xbox's announcement and 2,000 people favoriting it, as of this writing. In fact, in light of Microsoft's about-face, a new hashtag -- #Xbox180 -- has been created just for people to opine on the policy change.
Related stories
- Microsoft pulls a 180, reverses Xbox One always-on DRM and used games policy
- PS4's lead architect disses Xbox One on Fallon show
- Jimmy Fallon test drives the Xbox One
- Xbox 360 top console in May...with 114,000 units sold
- Lewis Black gives middle finger to Google Glass and Xbox
Gaming forums are also lighting up with people either commending Microsoft or continuing to complain about the policy. On GameFAQs bulletin board site, one user wrote, "The damage is done already," and another wrote, "Watch them pull a 360 later on."
Microsoft faced a huge backlash when it announced the policy, just before the E3 video game conference earlier this month. Then, the company said it would allow gamers to play offline for up to 24 hours on a primary console, or 1 hour if they were logged onto a separate console accessing their library of titles. At that point, offline gaming would be disabled until players re-established a Web connection.
Now, the new policy doesn't require a connection every 24 hours and Microsoft says the console connectivity will work just like the Xbox 360.
"An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games," Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business president Don Mattrick wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again."
