Next Xbox will NOT require an always on connection.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/microsoft-next-xbox-will-work-even-when-your-internet-doesnt/

Should single-player games, Blu-ray playback, and live TV viewing be possible on a gaming console with no Internet connection? Most gamers would say "yes," but they have been worried that Microsoft feels differently; the next generation Xbox has been consistentlyrumored to require a permanent network connection.

It won't.

According to an internal Microsoft e-mail sent to all full-time employees working on the next Xbox, "Durango [the codename for the next Xbox] is designed to deliver the future of entertainment while engineered to be tolerant of today's Internet." It continues, "There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should 'just work' regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game."

The quotation also implicitly confirms another rumor: the next Xbox will sport an HDMI input, to allow cable boxes to be hooked up for live TV viewing. Our sources tell us that the console will be able to provide TV listings and similar information.

How far this offline support will extend still isn't clear. It could take the form of a fully offline mode akin to that on the Xbox 360 (insert optical disc, install game, play, all without an Internet connection) or it could be more like Steam (install and activate online but enable subsequent offline play once this has been done).

While one could argue that "installing a game" is one of the "scenarios" that gamers "expect to work" when offline, a more Steam-like approach would be consistent with rumors that the next Xbox will use its Internet connection to block installation of secondhand games.

Still, though the next Xbox won't make everybody happy, it looks like fears that the console will be useless when your broadband goes down have been overblown.

Arstechnica

Reposting.

That's good to know.

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

Something good about the next x must be just false rumors. :o

Anyway, May 21st, can't hardly wait until the horses mouth does the speaking :P

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

casharmy

An casharmy is finally here.  Longer than expected

basement dweller cows owned :cool:

More proof that the early rumors usually turn out to be false. Same happened with PS4 really, we were just quick to forget. I'll wait for the unveiling at this point.

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

casharmy

The fallout from that twitter guy probably made M$ change their minds.ninjapirate2000

This^^

Maybe its a good thing that the twitter guy said all that. If he would have never, MS probably would have went through with this.

[QUOTE="casharmy"]

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

ninjapirate2000

It's funny how people took rumors as facts...

The fallout from that twitter guy probably made M$ change their minds.ninjapirate2000

Didn't even notice this post originally. Yeah, you may be right though. At least he served a purpose now.

[QUOTE="ninjapirate2000"][QUOTE="casharmy"]

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

casharmy

[QUOTE="ninjapirate2000"][QUOTE="casharmy"]

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

casharmy

but why wouldn't you just connect your cable box to your HDTV?  ^

perhaps it's meant to replace the cable box

but why wouldn't you just connect your cable box to your HDTV?  ^casharmy

Microsoft is providing a sort of overlay, similar to Google TV. Or so it is rumoured.

It's funny how people took rumors as facts...

Jak-25

[QUOTE="ninjapirate2000"][QUOTE="casharmy"]

One thing I don't understand about this article is "live TV viewing" offline.  WTH?  What are they suggesting nextbox being required for something like that?

casharmy

More proof that the early rumors usually turn out to be false. Same happened with PS4 really, we were just quick to forget. I'll wait for the unveiling at this point.

Yama

[QUOTE="Yama"]

More proof that the early rumors usually turn out to be false. Same happened with PS4 really, we were just quick to forget. I'll wait for the unveiling at this point.

casharmy

nobody knows, except the people who work there

I have a really good idea for us SW folks :o No one even mention a tweap about the next Xbox before the reveal, it is getting mighty annoying with all that basing things on rumors, neways. Thanks for the Thread given that it is not some negative propegandatrain for once.

Just let the Corps to sell ud and defend information of the consoles. Not the job of anyone here.

Hopefully so. An always on connection would make me want to avoid the next xbox.

[QUOTE="casharmy"]

[QUOTE="Yama"]

More proof that the early rumors usually turn out to be false. Same happened with PS4 really, we were just quick to forget. I'll wait for the unveiling at this point.

lostrib

nobody knows, except the people who work there

""There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should 'just work' regardless of their current connection status."

I am just saying MS is probably more in tuned to what people say on the internet than any other console provider.  They are not unaware of the kind of backlash they received when people hear what they might be planning.   We still have yet to see exactly how MS handles the whole thing but people need to stop thinking that MS wont bend if the majority of consumers reject their plans.  

Cool if true.  Always-online would most certainly be a deal-breaker for a lot of people.  That is frankly more concerning to me than the no used games, to be honest.

That's good news.

Did people actually believe it would?

Let me be clear, any positve rumor negating negative rumors are LIES. Move along, move along.

[QUOTE="ninjapirate2000"]The fallout from that twitter guy probably made M$ change their minds.Mrmedia01

This^^

Maybe its a good thing that the twitter guy said all that. If he would have never, MS probably would have went through with this.

As I said in the thread that got locked that's great. But will Kinect be mandatory and will the specs still suck as they are rumored to? As far as neagative rumors go these last two issues have been a bigger deal to me than the always-online thing. Seems like a bad idea to me to even include Kinect 2 in the box. There's plenty of people that don't even want it and it's money that could have been spent on a beefier graphics chip and/or speedier RAM instead. If it absolutely has to be hooked up for the system to even work that's gonna turn a lot of people off. Should be sold separately for those that want it like the original Kinect was.

Cool if true.  Always-online would most certainly be a deal-breaker for a lot of people.  That is frankly more concerning to me than the no used games, to be honest.

clone01

there is also rumors of new devkits overheating because of specs bump,if that's true cows are going to be on suicide watch :lol: :cool:Tessellation

Where have you heard that?

there is also rumors of new devkits overheating because of specs bump,if that's true cows are going to be on suicide watch :lol: :cool:Tessellation

[QUOTE="Tessellation"]there is also rumors of new devkits overheating because of specs bump,if that's true cows are going to be on suicide watch :lol: :cool:blue_hazy_basic

Where have you heard that?

Wickerman777

Confirming what anyone with half a brain already knew. Seriously, did you morons that actually thought that would happen not even attempt to think it through for a few seconds? It wasn't even remotely possible that Microsoft would do that. You were all overreacting idiots, and I gladly mock you.

[QUOTE="Wickerman777"]

Where have you heard that?

Tessellation

Well, I hope the specs are different. A difference of 600 gflops is just too much for me to stick with Xbox. Xbox is the one I want to get but they have to provide me with a viable option and 1.2 tflops vs 1.8 tflops just isn't. And yeah, I know, I know... it's about the games. Pleasssse, this ain't Nintendo we're talking about here. There will be games aplenty available for both PS4 and Nextbox. I'm confident of that. What I'm not convinced of yet is that both of them are gonna deliver on decent hardware.

Something good about the next x must be just false rumors. :o

Anyway, May 21st, can't hardly wait until the horses mouth does the speaking :P

SecretPolice

Still waiting for the official word; But if it isn't always online that would be good though I hope Microsoft announces more games then just Gears, Fable, Forza, Halo, and Kinect.

Very releived to hear this.  It surprises me it took this long for them to address this to their internal resources.  I guess they had a change of heart somewhere along the way.

Well, at least we know the 720 won't be giving Emporer Palpatine lessons on how to be completely evil.  That's a start.

Very releived to hear this.  It surprises me it took this long for them to address this to their internal resources.  I guess they had a change of heart somewhere along the way.

 

Well, at least we know the 720 won't be giving Emporer Palpatine lessons on how to be completely evil.  That's a start.

Shewgenja

It's funny how people took rumors as facts...

Jak-25

This is System Wars. Rumors are Gospel :P:P

[QUOTE="Tessellation"][QUOTE="Wickerman777"]

Where have you heard that?

Wickerman777

Well, I hope the specs are different. A difference of 600 gflops is just too much for me to stick with Xbox. Xbox is the one I want to get but they have to provide me with a viable option and 1.2 tflops vs 1.8 tflops just isn't. And yeah, I know, I know... it's about the games. Pleasssse, this ain't Nintendo we're talking about here. There will be games aplenty available for both PS4 and Nextbox. I'm confident of that. What I'm not convinced of yet is that both of them are gonna deliver on decent hardware.

Of course it won't, they wouldn't shoot themselves in the foot over something like that.. they will however lose sales because they will focus on kinect at not games people actually want.Rattlesnake_8

[QUOTE="Rattlesnake_8"]Of course it won't, they wouldn't shoot themselves in the foot over something like that.. they will however lose sales because they will focus on kinect at not games people actually want.clone01

Yeah, Kinect has sold a lot but in the meantime haven't sales of the Xbox 360 dropped off since its been around?