So, New Xbox Reveal In About 14 Hours.

[Dominus Atheos]

So apparently Microsoft said "Xbox Live" will only work in those countries and some people are taking that to mean the 24 check-in will only work in those countries.

[bilateralrope]

So apparently Microsoft said "Xbox Live" will only work in those countries and some people are taking that to mean the 24 check-in will only work in those countries.

Probably because we haven't heard anything to say that the check in system and Xbox Live are separate systems.

[Losonti Tokash]

We also haven't heard anything about the Xbox sneaking through the house at night to eat your babies, but I'm sure that's in development.

[bilateralrope]

Why would MS separate the authentication servers from the rest of Xbox Live ?

[Mr Bean]

Why would MS separate the authentication servers from the rest of Xbox Live ?

Security reasons for one, traffic reasons for another. XBOX live servers have to do lots of different types of things quickly. Authentication servers have to do a few things securely and reliably.

[bilateralrope]

Fair enough. So I did what I should have done earlier and found the original source:

Xbox One-Supported Xbox Live Countries

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Russia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States

Xbox One games are for activation and distribution only in specified geographic regions. See game package and/or retailer product information, for each game’s specific geographic regions..

That seems pretty unambiguous. If you aren't in the listed countries, you can't activate any games. Plus the publisher can restrict it further if they want.

[Ford Prefect]

The pre-order page does say that your country needs to be Xbox One supported in order to order, so ...

[Admiral Drason]

So whats the reason for them having the region locks in the first place? Besides the obvious reasons why this is dumb it seems to be overly complicated for no financial benefit for MS?

[Ford Prefect]

I actually cannot imagine why they would do this. It might actually be part and parcel of their DRM scheme but literally locking whole countries out of using the Xbox One on launch is like ... I don't get it at all. I can't see any benefit at all. Like it was dumb when Sony tried to artificially inflate demand by limiting the number of PS3s but this is on a whole other level.

e: well it might be a practical thing so there's adequate server support but uh ...

[AniThyng]

Wow. Well, if MS doesn't want my third world money I guess I'll just have to give it to Sony.

[bilateralrope]

So whats the reason for them having the region locks in the first place? Besides the obvious reasons why this is dumb it seems to be overly complicated for no financial benefit for MS?

The only reason I can think of is to price gouge some regions without any risk of someone buying an overseas copy and shipping it down to Aus/NZ for cheaper than local prices. But that doesn't explain locking some countries out completely, which MS have been doing for years with GFWL.

e: well it might be a practical thing so there's adequate server support but uh ...

Cloud computing should mitigate that problem.

[TheFeniX]

This is just weird. We have it from the horses mouth that no Internet = FYAD

MATTRICK: "Some of the advantages that you get, of having, a box that is designed to use an online state, so, that, uh, to me is the future-proof choice, and I think people, could've arguably gone the other way if we didn't do it and fortunately we have a product for people who aren't able to get some form of connectivity, it's called Xbox 360."

Does he honestly think locking people out of a hardware generation based upon their location/mobility is a good business decision? Especially when the direct competitor isn't terribly much more expensive (depending on model) than your suggested solution as well as not running on decade old hardware?

It's like the PS4 literally does not exist at MS HQ or they think we're going to see a repeat of the last gen where the PS3 launched a year after the 360 at a ridiculous price-point with a terrible development platform. "Cheap Blu-Ray Player."

Maybe he figures the intended market would be too bloated on soda and corn chips to actually be considered "mobile." Also, Next Gen Technology!

[Admiral Valdemar]

This is hilarious. The Xbone is dead at the gate and MS just don't see it. They couldn't have sold this win to Sony any more without actually giving them money in giant swag sacks.

Oh, but it has Kinect. Remember when gaming wasn't based on stupid gimmicks? Nintendo?

[atg]

Apparently Amazon have confirmed that Australian's can buy a PS4 from Amazon's American store and they will ship to Aus for $15.

You have got to be kidding.

I've not looked into it myself - just heard it from several people at work.

One has already pre-ordered from Amazon's US site so I guess he better hope it works.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Oh I hope that's a fake twitter account. Cuz that's just terrible.

[Terralthra]

It's a legit account, at a quick glance.

[chitoryu12]

How can a single console have so many bad decisions tied to it? There HAS to be a limit for how utterly balls-out stupid one group of people can be.

[Ritterin Sophia]

How can a single console have so many bad decisions tied to it? There HAS to be a limit for how utterly balls-out stupid one group of people can be.

What does the PS3 & Sony and Xbox One & Microsoft have in common? Phil Harrison. :p

[bilateralrope]

Oh I hope that's a fake twitter account. Cuz that's just terrible.

Fake or not, it's only repeating things that Microsoft have already said.

[Lagmonster]

I have a theory that Microsoft knows exactly how many people they can afford to give the finger to. Giving the finger to some people you would otherwise have made money from can be a good decision, because the people you flip off often don't have the balls to take it personally.

Microsoft is, in my opinion, targeting the living room - not the motel room, not the dorm room. The middle-aged career men who had an NES when it was new and just want something for the kids to do when he's taking a nap, or the casual gamer homeowners who wants a "box that does Netflix and some other stuff on the TV". The oft-repeated contented majority, who possibly have not read one single article or watched one press review from E3, for the same reason that they all own refrigerators, yet have never followed a Major Kitchen Appliances convention: they only care about the games. The system is often just a thing whose sole purpose is to be inexpensive and not break.

And I bet that it's that majority who will win over a shitload of consumers who hate them now by peer pressure. All your friends got the newest hot game title on the Xbone? Fuck you, you're buying an Xbone too because otherwise you can't play with them.

[Vendetta]

The thing is that targeting that non-core market is hard to do when your device costs $500.

The living room audience might like to have something for the kids to do that can also play netflix, but theyre also the least likely to spend that amount of money on a games console, they're the people who bought Wiis. They bought Wiis because the Wii was cheap as well as being a suddenly desirable brand item.

The people who are most likely to spend money on the most expensive piece of gaming kit are exactly the people who follow E3 and react negatively to, well, all the things they have reacted negatively to.

And then you're not buying an xbox to play with all your mates who have xboxes, you're buying a PS4 because that's what the one guy you know who's an early adopter has bought and won't stop telling you about.

[atg]

Oh I hope that's a fake twitter account. Cuz that's just terrible.

I'm pretty sure that's a legit account. They have 3 accounts for this stuff IIRC.

The same account has also said that there is no physical on/off switch on the XBox One... which probably explains why Microsoft is still being bullish on having the Kinect as a requirement, they literally have no other way for the box to be turned on.

[DaveJB]

Presumably they're also going to make it possible to switch the console on via the controller, as with the 360. Otherwise, it'll only be about a week before MS gets hit by a class action lawsuit from speech-impaired gamers.

[Grumman]

The same account has also said that there is no physical on/off switch on the XBox One... which probably explains why Microsoft is still being bullish on having the Kinect as a requirement, they literally have no other way for the box to be turned on.

I would assume that turning it on at the wall would turn on the console, rather than going straight into sleep mode. Then again, Microsoft hasn't made any smart decisions so far, so why start now?

[atg]

Presumably they're also going to make it possible to switch the console on via the controller, as with the 360. Otherwise, it'll only be about a week before MS gets hit by a class action lawsuit from speech-impaired gamers.

Ah that would make sense. Ive not owned a Xbox 360 so I didnt know that was possible.