Previously, Kotaku published a handful of Japanese gamer reactions to the recent Xbox One changes. How did gamers in neighbouring South Korea take Microsoft’s announcement?
While PC gaming dominates South Korea, the country does have a hardcore console fan base. South Korean sites have been buzzing with comments regarding Microsoft’s change in policy.
“It doesn’t mean anything to us,” wrote a gamer on Ruliweb (via tipster Sang). “The Xbox One Asia launch is a year later.” That staggered release window continues to raise eyebrows — something summed up when a gamer wrote this in the same thread: “Releasing a year later in Asia is crazy.”
Many commenters were happy about the decision. “We won,” wrote one, underscoring a feeling many had — namely, that Microsoft just gave up. “It’s a done deal if they can add backwards compatibility and a replaceable hard drive,” said another. “Good move,” wrote a commenter on ThisIsGame.com (also via Sang). “This is why we need competition. The market wins. It is horrible to imagine one company dominating the console market.” Others stated that the decision felt like a sea change and that the Xbox One’s tide was changing.
Others were far more jaded. “The whole announcement feels like they are saints and doing us a favour,” wrote one commenter on Ruliweb.
“It feels like Microsoft tried to feel the market on behalf of the publishers and took the blame,” tweeted Eggry. “But publishers won’t repay Microsoft for being brave.” Another Twitter user, DCDaxter, had this to say, “Microsoft took the bullet on DRM but getting rid of used games is something the entire industry was interested in. Sony even had a patent on this…but Microsoft took the bullet.”
But, there were still concerns. “If they can easily remove it like this… maybe they can easily add it back on,” wrote another gamer on Ruliweb, echoing a similar comment made by a Japanese gamer. Another Korean gamer added, “They will reinstate their policy once they are number one in the market!!”
The Xbox One isn’t number one in the market. It’s not even out yet. That didn’t stop biting remarks like this one made by Twitter user Mei: “I wake up to Xbox One DRM policy being changed which made me laugh. It is now a ‘normal’ console. But this only brought it from a negative to zero, never a plus.”
엑스박스 원 DRM 정책 변경 전문 [Ruliweb]
엑스박스 원 DRM정책 공식 철회 [Ruliweb — Thanks Sang!]
Picture: Game Donga
Comments
8 responses to “Korean Gamers React To Xbox One Changes”
it really means Microsoft cant keep to its word and agreements, weather its bad or good agreements. For the gamer who only cares about him/herself yea this is good news but in the outside world Microsoft doing this is actually a worse move then putting those policies on in the first place.
This move they made really just shows how they are only thinking about money. They went back on there policies because the pre order sales where 8 to 1, for every xbone that was preordered another 8 ps4’s where pre ordered. I can most defiantly say the developers of games for the xbone will not be happy about this as they would be the ones who benefited the most. Now they will be the ones who will benefit the least and be hit by a huge wave of piracy.
It could even be on terms of a law suit between developers vs Microsoft
I have to disagree when you say the developers would have benefited. How can a developer benefit by developing for a console that nobody buys?
Negative infinity to somewhere reasonable. But still an extremely poorly thought out and unfinished product.
“It was designed from the ground up with shareholders in mind“
When you install Windows and the little menu asks if you want to send info to Microsoft about your usage. Clicking no makes no difference – it still sends it. Just because it says on the box “no internet check-in required” do you really think after investing $1000’s on such features (including DRM) that they’ll just forget about them. My assumption is the features haven’t been removed, just put into the background.
I expect messages to appear ‘reminding’ the user that they haven’t logged in (missing out on what their mates are doing). Each game start up will tell the user to “check for updates”. Then there’s the marketing of just not unlocking a feature of the device until the user signs up to live.
There are ways of making you agree to their plan all along.
Just wait until the first case of publisher vs EB used games, MS will jump back on the used game restriction a.s.a.p just by flicking a button. The development SDK for Xbone hasn’t changed or been updated to reflect the announcement. The ‘feature’ encoded on the disc will just be disabled …. Until further notice.
I am far less excited about the Xbox One now that I wont be able to share my games and DLC with a group of 10 friends, and the chances of digital games being cheaper than physical pretty much just went down the toilet with the ability to swap games without inserting discs.
Now we just have the PS3 and Xbox 360 with better graphics.
Posted from gaf, but the sharing games with friends was only for 60 minutes and that was all.
Cheaper prices were never going to happen. Anyone who thought they could are probably the same type of people who get friendzoned by a hot girl and think that by getting closer to her they’ll one day have a shot.
“But this only brought it from a negative to zero, never a plus”, well said!
How to get Koreans into Xbox One
Gangnam Style Kinect!