Bigger issues with Microsoft

[dighost 25]

Setting aside Flight for a moment, rumors from IGN (respected source) are surfacing that the next version of Xbox will block all pre-owned games. I know this doesn't fit in exactly with Flight, but it has merit in my view that Microsoft and other game companies are waging a war against the consumer (the days of any goodwill are over). It's not a new issue, but Microsoft appears to be holding the spear. That means no more second hand sales of games and constant bombardment of DLC and microtransactions. Will this spill over to third parties and modders being blocked from adding new content? My guess is someday it will happen...http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/121/1217310p1.html?utm_campaign=twposts&

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

I heard about this. GameFly will lose customers, people will stop buying games, it's all a chain-reaction. It's just that Microsoft hasn't realized it yet.

Edited January 27, 2012 by linux731

[Dillon 2,198]

And true to fashion I'm sure some here will find a way to defend this and/or reason it away. I'm waiting to read the creative way this will get turned around against the original poster.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Dillon

[John the Pilot 0]

constant bombardment of DLC and microtransactions.

I've seen the phrase "microtransactions" before in describing Flight. I guess it's a nice way of saying you'll be "nickeled and dimed to death".

[simmerhead 885]

I guess most young people starting out with gaming today don't care as they will not know how things worked in the past.As a former musician I have collected a large amount of records over the years. I used to make mixtapes on cassetes for the car, later minidiscs and eventually mp3s. But what did record companies do. They tried to lock CDs from being ripped. Well, thank you. I haven't bought a record since. Same goes for movies. I was a buff and had a library of VHS movies. When DVDs came I jumped on board only to discover zones and what not. Well, thank you. I haven't bought a DVD since. Same goes for computer games and FSX addons. Annoying copy protection, thank you, I'll take my business elsewhere. The only time I've swallowed a bitter pill was with FS2004 - since there was a no-CD crack to be found.But my actions doesn't matter for these companies. I can be annoyed and p'd off, but there will always be plenty of people who don't care. There are plent of fish in the sea to harvest micro and macro transactions from.

[Fsau 0]

Steam uses this same system, and still thrives, games are one time use. I can see this causing a huge spike in console hacking an piracy, might actually benefit pc gaming in the end. Greed greed greed greed... Thats if the rumour is true.

[gtrbarbarian 1]

Companies are shafting consumers left and right...just look at Google sucking people into using their products and then changing the privacy rules (announced yesterday)...they will be building a 'profile' on you by examining data from across their product set, including gmal, google calendar, google docs, and I would assume android os... if you don't like it, they invite you to cancel your accounts...http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/google-privacy-policy-is-subject-of-backlash/2012/01/25/gIQAzwZCRQ_story.html

[JSkorna 137]

If you don't like it, leave it.

[Scottj85 0]

A lot of unfounded paranoia here.

[Tierborn 191]

I heard about this. GameFly will lose customers, people will stop buying games, it's all a chain-reaction. It's just that Microsoft hasn't realized it yet.

ridiculous .... gaming industry is growing ... lack of backward compatibility will not even dent the growth.

[JasonD210 0]

I honestly don't see an problem with blocking pre-owned games on an X-box. It's been like that for PC games for a long time. Licenses have never been transferable.The Steam platform on the PC is a system that enforces this - and to be honest in the 8 years or so I've been using Steam (when I had to install it to play Half-Life 2) I have never had a problem with it. I was very much against it at the time, but nothing has changed really in those eight years. It's still the same, well designed and reliable games platform. It is not the least invasive and does not block freeware add-ons and mods. While DLC is available through Steam via microtransactions, most games allow you to modify them manually in a traditional sense. I think this is a reasonable approach. And I must add, I prefer Steam as a form of DRM authentication rather than some of the other systems we've seen over the years, such as Starforce, or SecuRom. It's simple, and offers and offline mode.

Companies are shafting consumers left and right...just look at Google sucking people into using their products and then changing the privacy rules (announced yesterday)...they will be building a 'profile' on you by examining data from across their product set, including gmal, google calendar, google docs, and I would assume android os... if you don't like it, they invite you to cancel your accounts...

Nice. First get you hooked into using their cloud system, and then start sifting through your data. It's a shame because the cloud system was a rather neat idea, but this kind of thing ruins it.

A lot of unfounded paranoia here.

They said that about phone hacking, and it later turned out that it was common practice of newspapers over the last ten years. Be assure, if they can, they will. Edited January 29, 2012 by JasonD210

[FSMP 95]

"Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".Honestly, how much longer did anyone expect "CLOUD PROVIDERS" to offere a FREE email service, without getting something out of it.It's one thing tracking which website you visit, and "suggesting" others that may interest you.It's another one reading your emails to your Mortgage company, and then both suggesting you go elsewhere, as well as informing competeing Mortgage Companies that you you have a Mortage with Company A, and might be convinced to switch to their company.You think the content of your "CLOUD" email is not being read, or the content of your confidential "Cloud" Document is not being read ? :( Think again ... if there is a Financial advanatage to do so, and the ability, what would be stopping that.Reading the new "Simpler" Privacy Terms, there is nothing tat specifiacally protect email or document CONTENT, but plenty to suggest that it is is "in your best interest" to have that information "analysed" to give you a "Better Experience".BIG BROTHER & 1984

[simmerhead 885]

If you don't like it, leave it.

You are right of course, but how sad things would be if nobody cared and just turned a blind eye to everything they don't like...

[dighost 25]

A lot of unfounded paranoia here.

Said by many a fool on the Titanic when they were warned it was going to sink.

[JSkorna 137]

but how sad things would be if nobody cared and just turned a blind eye to everything they don't like...

Especially something SOOOOOOOO important as a little game where we pretend to fly around.Maybe care about something more important in the real world.