Microsoft surprised by 'how negative' reaction was to Xbox One DRM

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Microsoft's director of product planning Albert Penello says the firm expected controversy over its original always-online Xbox One pitch, but was surprised by "how negative" the reaction was.

"If I had to go back and wish that I could rewind time and redo one thing, that would be the one thing," he told Rev3Games, admitting flaws in the firm's messaging.

"I think with time, people have understood what we were trying to do, and in fact I'm sure you've seen it with the fans. They were saying, 'God, I wish some of this stuff would come back'," he said, likely in reference to the axed Family Sharing plan that would have allowed gamers to share all their games, digital or retail, with friends.

"People got in their minds that what we were trying to do was evil or anti-customer when, in fact, we were looking at what Steam does, we were looking at what iOS is going, we were looking where the customers were going and saying 'I think we can actually give you a better all-digital experience."

"So was I surprised that people had a reaction to it? No. I mean, we knew it was going to be a controversial decision. Was I surprised how negative the reaction was going to be? Yes," said Penello.

"We were surprised at how vocal it was, we were surprised at the reaction and the assumptions that people had about what we were trying to do. So we did the famous '180'."

But Penello insists that an all-digital future is imminent. "Nobody debates there's going to be a world, whether it's this gen, or next-gen, that discs are going to go away, it's gone away in just about every medium," he said.

"I think if anything we thought it was going to happen sooner than the customer. We took a hard stance on it.

"I hope that in some point in the future some of those cool features - some of the Family Sharing, the household sharing stuff, the games are always with you - we want to bring that stuff back."

Posted:
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/428147/ms-surprised-by-how-negative-reaction-was-to-xbox-one-drm/

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Dr-JPosted:

TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.


Well I'm a hardcore gamer but a casual movie watcher, where would I fit in ?


Well you have to options, you can buy the gaming one which comes with the blu ray drive and is well beyond qualified for gaming or you could get the portable disk drive that you could plug into the console so that you could watch your movies when ever you wanted.

I'd do the second option tbh


haha Exactly my point! It's a good idea.

Yea they had that portable thing for the 360. I don't think it sold a lot lol

ZigsPosted:

Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.


Well I'm a hardcore gamer but a casual movie watcher, where would I fit in ?


Well you have to options, you can buy the gaming one which comes with the blu ray drive and is well beyond qualified for gaming or you could get the portable disk drive that you could plug into the console so that you could watch your movies when ever you wanted.

I'd do the second option tbh


haha Exactly my point! It's a good idea.

Dr-JPosted:

TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.


Well I'm a hardcore gamer but a casual movie watcher, where would I fit in ?


Well you have to options, you can buy the gaming one which comes with the blu ray drive and is well beyond qualified for gaming or you could get the portable disk drive that you could plug into the console so that you could watch your movies when ever you wanted.

I'd do the second option tbh

Ted-Posted:

Most of the community wanted it gone originally then they come back crying when it gets taken away.

ZigsPosted:

Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.


Well I'm a hardcore gamer but a casual movie watcher, where would I fit in ?


Well you have to options, you can buy the gaming one which comes with the blu ray drive and is well beyond qualified for gaming or you could get the portable disk drive that you could plug into the console so that you could watch your movies when ever you wanted.

Dr-JPosted:

TTGxExecutive
Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.


Well I'm a hardcore gamer but a casual movie watcher, where would I fit in ?

slapshot101Posted:

I am really rather surprised on how surprised about the reaction the community they were, I mean I could have called this if I knew about it before it came out. I find it funny many time thought because now that they took it off I see a lot more people complaining about it not always being online but they are sure not as many as there were complaining about the DRM.

ZigsPosted:

Dr-J
TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!


Haha that's what I mean. That's all it would be used for if they eliminated discs so they could make 2 different consoles. One for gamers with maybe a little more power or something a little stronger that would benefit the hardcore gamers and the entertainment console used by casual gamers who play in their free time and watch a lot of movies.

Dr-JPosted:

TTGxExecutive
J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.


I'm happy about blu ray.i can watch all my movies on my console now!!

ZigsPosted:

J17 I thought I would have been just fine. They made a big push toward no discs but apparently the fans didn't care for it. It won't be long unit discs are completely gone.


Then again, why bother making it a blur ray player which ups the cost of the console unless the disc drive was intended to be uses solely for entertainment on the movie side of things. If they wanted no discs, what if they created a console made for gaming that was priced lower and they could sell portable disk drives so that if the gamer wanted to purchase one later on they could.