2. No Second-Hand Games
One of the most contentious and controversial implications of an online-only console is how it could be used to stop used games being played on the console, as Microsoft could theoretically then "lock" a game to an Xbox Live account, such that it simply won't operate on another player's account. Without being able to play the game offline, there would be no way to get around Microsoft's content control. Also, the Internet-only model would likely push digital downloads even further while the physical media market diminishes, giving players even less avenues to make some money back on a game they've shelled out for. I buy a fair amount of used games, simply because I'm not prepared to shell out £35 for a game that lasts 4 or 5 hours (I'm looking at you, The Darkness 2), and rightly so. I love the idea of also being able to go into Game or HMV, buy a game on launch day, complete it over the weekend, and return it to the shop for £30 of store credit; a playthrough of the game has essentially cost me only £5, and I can now use that credit to pick up another game and essentially repeat the cycle. That's enormous value for money in my eyes, and something which will go completely out of the window if this model persists. If the future means we're only able to buy brand new games, therefore funneling the money directly into the publishers' and developers' pockets, it leads to one very dangerous possibility...