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Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

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Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#411

Post by throwawayffffas »

paxys wrote: post #364
throwawayffffas wrote: post #270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean can't you see why 4 and 5 are irreconcilable? I am all for 1-4 and 6. But reselling digital copies is silly.

> I mean can't you see why 4 and 5 are irreconcilable? I really can't. The only argument I see is "we can't allow it because every customer is a potential thief". What will enabling resale cause? Piracy? Well piracy is happening regardless. People who want to illegally download games can do it today in one click. Instead the piracy excuse is being used to restrict legal resale so you have no option but to pay the pub…

Yeah but there is really no way to enforce a single resale other than extensive DRM measures, which is the whole thing we want to avoid.

By allowing resale of digital copies outside of platforms all you get is essentially the complete repeal of intellectual property rights for digital media.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#412

Post by epistasis »

inigyou wrote: post #406
epistasis wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point of the account was multiplayer, unfortunately. Wanted a locked down account to play the game with a closed group of friends. Ended up on Minecraft Education on the computer, eventually.

Closed group of friends works fine in offline mode (pirate friendly mode).

If you can get a group of other parents to also pirate...

Not really in the cards, though I can appreciate your dedication to pirate advocacy.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#414

Post by nirvdrum »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #397

Isn't this problem specific to Xbox and PC? I know for sure that first party Nintendo games are playable 100% offline, not sure about Sony?

Nintendo Switch cartridges don't have this problem, mostly. It's the reason I buy physical for the family library. Nintendo's digital licensing is terrible (slightly less so with Virtual Cartridges, but miles away from Steam Family) and doesn't really work for a multi-Switch household.

But, I was traveling for work and brought the non-"home" Switch with me along with a copy of Breath of the Wild on cartridge. I fired it up on the airplane, ready to go. And then discovered that because I had bought the DLC and the DLC license check couldn't pass, I was locked out of playing at all. It's given me pause on buying any other DLC on a Nintendo platform.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#415

Post by yjftsjthsd-h »

dwedge wrote: post #186
pelagicAustral wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the same effect of wanting to watch an old film... If you want to do it the legit way, you will have to face all kind of hurdles, starting from finding a service provider that might have the film, then forget about all the modern audience "edits" they put on these things, at times the quality isn't even good, the audio tracks are messed up... So you either give these jackals at least 30 to 60 minutes of your…

I don't know if I agree with you with this example. Sure it's annoying to find a streaming service but once done it generally works. Usually true with a film or TV show through the "forums" too, but not always. Sometimes it's the wrong episode, sometimes it's the wrong language, sometimes one particular show keeps buffering even for no obvious reason. And even though it's quite rare, you never know until you're sat w…

> Sure it's annoying to find a streaming service but once done it generally works.

Well that's hilariously untrue. Movies getting pulled out of streaming services is why I started to buy physical DVDs again.

> Sometimes it's the wrong episode, sometimes it's the wrong language, sometimes one particular show keeps buffering even for no obvious reason. And even though it's quite rare, you never know until you're sat with your wife or friends watching it, because who checks the show in advance?

Yes, those things do happen with commercial streaming platforms; Paramount is especially bad IME, but hardly unique.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#416

Post by callamdelaney »

Haha say you want to play co-op with your buddy or girlfriend or something and you just shelled out 59.99 or whatever for the latest microslop product..

You just connect a controller right?

Nah, on ps5, you need to setup a whole ass sony account, and then login to it, and then you need a new microsoft account to link that sony account to, and then maybe, you might be able to play couch co-op.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#417

Post by drdexebtjl »

inigyou wrote: post #382
drdexebtjl wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not every jurisdiction has the DMCA, so that’s why I said possibly. It’s definitely illegal in the US.

Every jurisdiction was bullied into adopting this provision as part of every trade deal the US ever makes. Cory Doctorow wrote about it. Look for the keyword "anticircumvention".

Couldn’t find it. I know for a fact it isn’t illegal in my country.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#418

Post by pishpash »

inigyou wrote: post #405
pishpash wrote: post #381

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's a list of MS software: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_software You cannot find a single one that was good, or better than whatever was the alternative at the time?

Evidently you can't, or you would have named it

You're digging yourself a bigger hole. Keep digging.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#419

Post by brightball »

epistasis wrote: post #302
keiferski wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is strange to me that people are re-discovering this today, in 2026. Microsoft has always been half-baked, even in the 80s and 90s. Heck, my parents basically raised me (20+ years ago) by running a business fixing problems with Microsoft products for their clients.

I was able to take a 25 year break from Microsoft, from 2000 to 2025. Yet I was drawn back in because my son wanted to play Minecraft. This was the worst account process of any system ever invented, as far as I can tell. Plus in 2025 I had some interesting clients that are large corporations that use Microsoft as their core IT practice. The escape to the relative simplicity and consistency of AWS interfaces, from MS…

This is basically my experience.

I switched to Mac with the Intel change around...2006 maybe? Converted my entire family.

I personally switched to various flavors of linux around 2016-2017 because I wanted more hardware options.

Eventually, my son got into gaming and eventually we let him get an Alienware laptop maybe 2-3 years ago. Then my wife had to get one for work this year. It's like nothing has improved in 20 years.

Re: Xbox goes down. You can't play games you own on disc

#420

Post by WalterBright »

thewebguyd wrote: post #313
f6v wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess it’s surprising because how ubiquitous their products are. You’d expect them to be of better quality considering everyone is using MS software one way or another.

Their products/services are ubiquitous not because they are good but because they got where they are today by abusing monopoly power and shady tactics. On the business side, with M365, they use lock-in tactics and extremely aggressive bundle pricing. The only competitor is Google Workspace, and it's missing features you get bundled with something like an E5 license. So your choice becomes: just pay Microsoft $60/user…

> by abusing monopoly power and shady tactics

> Google Workspace, and it's missing features

Sounds like Microsoft got there by having the features.

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