Xbox One: 10 Shocking Things You Won't Believe

Xbox One

The reveal of the Xbox One a few weeks back was a hugely controversial move with even the most loyal Microsoft fanboys, given the various restrictions and limitations the company seemed to be imposing upon players for their next-gen hardware; after all, shouldn't next-gen gaming be about morefreedom, not less? Internet discussion is naturally running rampant in the lead up to Microsoft's E3 conference on Monday; was this inundation of bad news a clever PR ploy to get all the crap out of the way first, or have Microsoft well and truly lost the console war against Sony before it has even really started? Though Microsoft aren't beyond turning themselves around, they've done plenty in recent weeks to anger hardcore gamers; here are 10 shocking things you won't believe about the Xbox One.

10. You Have To Connect Online Every 24 Hours

Xbox One In a day and age where everything from our mobile phone to a sandwich toaster can pretty much be connected to the Internet, is it really a big deal that the Xbox One requires users to come online once every 24 hours to "verify" the console? Though Microsoft assert that this is to perform essential updates, is it not really just a form of stealth DRM, and an ultimate means of Microsoft spying upon players? This is something that angers more through principle than practicality, that even single-player games will essentially become rendered useless without being connected to the web. Furthermore, unlike the similar service from Steam, there is no mention yet of an offline option, meaning that if the servers crash - as they inevitably will - we are absolutely screwed. All Microsoft have done is paint a red target on themselves for hacker websites, and if something even half as cataclysmic as the PSN system outage happens, it means the Xbox One will essentially be bricked for weeks. Oh, but don't worry, you can still watch TV and play Blu-rays... On a practical level, however, this one is sure to anger those who live in remote areas with unreliable Internet connections, most of all the Army, who frequently travel around, often without Internet for weeks. Is this really fair? Not at all.
 
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.