Microsoft’s forthcoming game console Xbox One may prove to be more trouble than it’s worth. Ever since the tech giant revealed the new game console, many Xbox fans became concerned about the future of the popular gaming platform. The company recently confirmed that users will have to connect the device every 24 hours to play games.
Microsoft’s Explanation:
PC Mag’s Will Greenwald says, “That’s a horrible idea. Microsoft’s explanation is that every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection, so it’s not a big deal. If you have a broadband connection, you can play whenever you want and it’s fine. That’s a seemingly reasonable concept that falls apart for so many different reasons.”
According to a recent study from Pew, about 65 percent of Americans have broadband internet. Although the number is higher than it was a decade ago, it’s still not significant enough. What’s more is that there are still some areas that have no broadband access and in some cases, it’s not always reliable. And although users can access a cellular hotspot at many places, it’s not a smart decision for users who use bandwidth-intensive activities including marathon game sessions. Not giving game players an option is just going to alienate them and possibly could ruin their chances of making good sales.
Sometimes, the internet goes down and sometimes server systems go down. Two years ago Sony Playstation networks shut down because a hacker broke into the system and stole player information. While it was shut down for a month, players couldn’t access the online features but they could still use their Playstation 3 consoles to play games. Perhaps Microsoft should take a cue from Sony and make the Xbox One accessible offline.
