Microsoft pulls an Xbox 180

Boy, I'm glad I posted my feelings about the Xbox One when I did! If you haven't heard already, Microsoft has announced a complete reversal on it's Xbox One policies. You will no longer need to check in to Xbox Live in order to play games, and there will be no restrictions on used games. This is fantastic news, as it addresses two of my major problems with the system.

• With the online requirement gone, there is no longer any worry about games not working in the future. Twenty years from now if I feel like firing up my copy of Halo 5 I will be able to do so, as it should be!

• With used games working the same way they always have, I can now loan a game to a friend, sell it to an independent retailer (or buy a game from one), list it on Craigslist, or do whatever I want with it.

There are still some issues. You still need to connect your system to Live when you initially set it up, but after that you never need to do it again if you don't want to. This could be a concern still for people who live in areas where they can't get high-speed internet, but it's not a complete deal breaker. You can always take your system to a friend's house for that initial setup.

And, of course, there's still the Kinect. But since Microsoft has said we'll be able to turn it off (but not disconnect it) I could see just doing that and covering it up with something while I play. When I'm not playing the Kinect will be disconnected.

There's one negative to all this, though. Apparently the option of sharing a game with up to ten people on your family list has been taken away. I know a lot of people are grumbling about that, but I'll gladly give that up if it means the bad things go with it.

Video game fandom is full of arguments, has been since gen 2 and probably always will be. I know there are some out there that will maintain that the original Xbox One policies weren't bad, and that by reversing them Microsoft are holding us back. In some ways I can understand that argument, but I can't help but see this as a major victory. Here's where I run the risk of sounding all preachy and hoakey, but it's more than just a victory for gamers. It's a victory for consumers in general. We should have the right to use the products we buy as we see fit. Now obviously Microsoft was completley in their rights to make the Xbox One with restrictions like they were going to, but we as consumers told them in no uncertain terms that we didn't like it and weren't going to buy it, and they listened.

So yes, I will be getting an Xbox One. Eventually. The thing's still $500, after all! It's tough to keep up with three consoles at once. Nintendo will continue to be my priority. I'll have to make a decision between PS4 and Xbox One, and right now I'm still leaning towards PS4, but time will tell.

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