News Post

Xbox One Won't Support Game Rentals, Used Games Decided by Publishers

02:05 PM - June 7, 2013 by RaychelSnr

More news continues to leak about the XBox One and its stance towards classic gaming hallmarks, and the latest news isn't good. It appears Microsoft's new console will not support game rentals and whether used games will be allowed or not will depend on individual publishers. Publishers can lock out the used games market if they so desire.

Users will be allowed to transfer game licenses once to a friend, so long as you have been friends with said friend for more than 30 days on Xbox Live. Microsoft is looking at the possibility of loaned or rented game licenses, but those features won't be available at launch, and perhaps never.

Furthermore, XBox One users will be able to give up to 10 other family members access to their shared library, which presumably will mean people playing on the same console unless Microsoft wants a game-sharing mess on their hands. All titles will be available both digitally as well as on disc. Digitally downloaded titles will be attached to specific users and not consoles, meaning you could realistically download Halo at a friends house and play it via your username.

Of course, all items are subject to change in the future says Microsoft. You can read more about the Xbox One's policies on Polygon. Coincidentally enough, it appears EA's removal of Online Passes was nothing more than a publicity stunt after all.

What do you think? Are you worried about the Microsoft DRM push?

Member Comments

# 21 thedream2k13 @ 06/07/13 06:49 PM

Who rents games? ever heard of GAME FLY?

# 22 N51_rob @ 06/07/13 07:11 PM

I'm out on the X1. PS4 is my only hope, or else I will have to actually be an adult and stop playing video game.

# 23 mdiggitydawg @ 06/07/13 07:44 PM

Horrible decision...I will sign up for the class action lawsuit when it comes. Who are they to tell me where or with whom I play a game after I BUY IT?!

# 24 TIm @ 06/07/13 07:54 PM

Well, Count me in line for the Playstation 4.... I rent games from Redbox.. Cheap and easy... Gamefly isn't for me because I don't play that much.. I really only buy NHL every year but rent different types... If I like it, I may buy it... Hello Ps4.. This from a guy who loves the 360

# 25 TIm @ 06/07/13 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIm


	Well, Count me in line for the Playstation 4.... I rent games from Redbox.. Cheap and easy... Gamefly isn't for me because I don't play that much.. I really only buy NHL every year but rent different types... If I like it, I may buy it... Hello Ps4.. This from a guy who loves the 360

Now if Ps4 looks at this and starts at a nice price point, They will blow microsoft out of the water twice..... Big mistake... I don't play everyday... Nor sometimes never go online.. I could care less about the tv part.. I can press input on my remote...

# 26 chrisphil1724 @ 06/07/13 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TIm


	Now if Ps4 looks at this and starts at a nice price point, They will blow microsoft out of the water twice..... Big mistake... I don't play everyday... Nor sometimes never go online.. I could care less about the tv part.. I can press input on my remote...

Don't jump into these ps4 lines just yet. Wait till you hear about Sony's DRM....it could be worst on the PS4

# 27 tril @ 06/07/13 09:15 PM

Doesn't apple already do this with its media content. Users are technically leasing all the music, video, books etc that they buy.
In addition these copyright laws have existed for the longest. The way content is delivered now allows companies the opportunity to enforce these laws.
This is the wave of the future (downloads, streaming media etc), once physical media ceases to exist, users will not be allowed to share anything.

# 28 superjames1992 @ 06/07/13 10:01 PM

I pretty much never rent games, but I'm honestly pretty shocked by this. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if the PS4 trots out something similar...

I'm definitely not buying an Xbone at this point. PC gaming FTW.

# 29 scottyo60 @ 06/07/13 11:30 PM

Eh instead of $300-400 on any of these new systems, maybe ill just buy some season packs to the Blue Jackets and Reds. Count me out on the X1 and if the PS4 is like this, ill just go see the real thing more often.

# 30 bigbob @ 06/08/13 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisphil1724


	Don't jump into these ps4 lines just yet. Wait till you hear about Sony's DRM....it could be worst on the PS4

Sony's DRM has already been announced. They said they will not force any restrictions, that it will be 100% up to the publishers of the games.

So people can stop throwing around "Oh, wait for Sony's DRM".. because again, we already know about it.

# 31 BJNT @ 06/08/13 12:11 AM

Some of us dont have $59.99 plus tax to spend all willy nilly. Thus we rent the game first and if we like it we but it. Giras Microsoft didnt get that memo.

# 32 bhurst99 @ 06/08/13 12:34 AM

Microsoft is going to have to have a mind-blowing E3 to overcome all this negative publicity.

Unless I'm blown away by some great E3 Xbox One gameplay videos, I'm going to wait on the sidelines and continue playing my Xbox 360, PS3 and PC games. I'll let others be the initial users/guinea pigs and see how they enjoy the new consoles for the first year before I think of buying. I'm sure others will be in the same boat.

# 33 Grey_Osprey @ 06/08/13 03:03 AM

Here's more "good news" from M$.....

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Micro...t-359264.shtml

Going to be interesting to see what happens at E3.

# 34 asu666 @ 06/08/13 03:16 AM

I've been playing video games weekly since 1979 when I received an Atari 2600 and for the first time I believe console video gaming is in some real trouble. With as bad as the economy is and is likely to remain for a long time, console makers and publisher need to think about what gamers want and sell that instead of trying to make everything fit into a business model.

# 35 K0ZZ @ 06/08/13 03:58 AM

Hey, let's cost tons of people their jobs because developers have been giving us half developed games for years and are upset that we aren't settling with it. We vote with our wallet and they try to circumvent it to force our hand?

Awful business practice, if the game industry doesn't reform, it's going to collapse. Give us quality and the money will follow, give us average games with several design flaws and your revenue will be reduced.

Game prices increased 20% from xb/ps2 from $50 to $60. This industry definitely needs to learn economics, even just lowering the price of games would result in more sales.

100 @ 50 > 75 @ 60 especially with DLC growing to a forefront, not to mention the global recession that people are pulling from. Especially when overhead is minimal when it comes to replicating discs and packaging.

On the plus side, I have my new PC (because of this) and I'll have a Ps4 primarily for only CoD with friends, PS exclusives and my sports games. Been a Xbox customer and live subscriber for close to a decade, and that's gone.

# 36 dcal @ 06/08/13 08:13 AM

Xbox Done.....PS4 won;-)

# 37 jkra0512 @ 06/08/13 09:29 AM

My stance on the whole thing is this: While I'm an ardent follower of PlayStation, I think they'll have a similar outlook on this...Microsoft just took the brunt of the outrage.

That being said, I do think that as consumers we need to put our foot down. If publishers and console makers want to take this stance with us, then we should be able to send back a game that is full of bugs, doesn't work out of the box, or is otherwise rendered unplayable, without much hassle. Something like a "lemon law" for games.

As it stands now if a game in question is riddled with bugs and glitches we have to jump through hoops to receive any compensation. Not being able to rent games or share games should really put this on the front burners for us. Now we'll get demos that might not be indicative of the final build, but rather a souped up version of an inferior product (NCAA '11 immediately comes to mind).

I get publishers want their cut, they deserve it, believe me, I get it. However, their cut is budging into the end-user's experience when it should really cut into the revenue made by the console makers. Cut into Microsoft's and Sony's profits, hell even GameStop's if you want, but you shouldn't sacrifice how customer's access your game.

# 38 chrisphil1724 @ 06/08/13 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbob


	Sony's DRM has already been announced. They said they will not force any restrictions, that it will be 100% up to the publishers of the games. So people can stop throwing around "Oh, wait for Sony's DRM".. because again, we already know about it.

See that's where you aren't 100% right. Sony, as a publishers not force any restrictions. They does not mean Sony, the hardware maker, will not have a system for DRM on the PS4.

Let's look at what we do know. Sony has said the PS4 will not be always online and will not have an online DRM and games from Sony will not force any restrictions. So end of story, no DRM, we get used games and all is right with the world. Well as Lee Corso would say, not so fast my friend!

As we learned about early this year, Sony United States Patent Application US20130007892, Sony's technology would check a game disc's RFID tag, which is capable of remembering if that game had been linked to a different machine or account. This check is performed offline and before the game is played. So once a game is placed in a PS4, it is locked to that system and cannot be used in a different PS4.

Yes, Microsoft and Xbox One is taking a lot of heat for its online DRM. Microsoft may have done this as a cash grab but it does seem like, more and more, this DRM push is coming from the publishers and not Microsoft. Again, I'd wait for all the info to come. It may not be Microsoft or Sony forcing this.....

# 39 FBeaule04 @ 06/08/13 10:53 AM

The only thing I can say is that it will take a miracle to make buy an XBOX One.

# 40 FBeaule04 @ 06/08/13 10:56 AM

And as for EA, there's nothing this company will do to get make us look away from the half baked product they've been offering for years. I've been buying EA stuff since 1990, but it's over for me. Just have enough to be taken for an idiot. I don't mind when it's free to feel like an idiot, but paying 72$ for it, I'll find option that cost less and make me feel the same easily.

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