Do you remember the olden days, when the Xbox One was going to restrict used game sales and require online check-ins? Are you annoyed that now that Microsoft conceded and went back on those policies, you have nothing to complain about on the Internet? Or did you just get used to the idea that Microsoft’s picture of the future was a boot stamping on a human face every 24 hours? Never fear, someone on the Internet wants to return to the bold future of a few weeks ago. Over 2000 people have already signed a petition to Microsoft asking the company to return to its original, consumer-unfriendly plan.
The Change.org petition is called ‘Microsoft: Give us back the Xbox One we were promised at E3’. It reads as follows:
“This was to be the future of entertainment. A new wave of gaming where you could buy games digitally, then trade, share or sell those digital licenses. Essentially, it was Steam for Xbox. But consumers were uninformed, and railed against it, and it was taken away because Sony took advantage of consumers uncertainty.
We want this back. It can’t be all or nothing, there must be a compromise.”
The petition might be alluding to the features that got cut along with the restrictions — the ability to share games digitally and play disc-installed games without the disc. But why isn’t the petition just about asking for those things specifically? The “Steam for Xbox” comparison fails on a multitude of points and PC games don’t become unplayable when you upgrade to new hardware. While not all consumers would have been harmed by the policies, it’s hard to see why people are passionate enough about this to petition for it.
On the other hand, if people are signing it to troll Microsoft — I know, I know, who would do such a thing? — that’s kind of circular logic, isn’t it? If you don’t like Microsoft because of their policies, and they changed their policies, there isn’t any point holding on to your feelings anymore.
In any case, if this somehow works, I’m sure some people will file a counter-petition to return to the status quo as of now rather than the status quo as of last month. Because, as Dr. Horrible says, the status is not quo.
(Change.org, Destructoid via Kotaku)
- In worthier petitions, Nintendo fans want to end region-locking
- Don Mattrick won’t have to respond to this now that he’s at Zynga
- And Steam may allow sharing your library with no Kinect-spying necessary
