Xbox 720 will require an internet connection in order to play games, according to Kotaku.
“If there isn’t a connection, no games or apps can be started,” explained an unnamed source. “If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time—currently three minutes, if I remember correctly—the game/app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started.”
Gamers have been vocal in their opposition to the “always on” feature, a little too vocal for Microsoft Creative Director Adam Orth, who started a flame war on Twitter.
Orth tweeted:
Sorry, I don’t get the drama around having an “always on” console. Every device now is “always on”. That’s the world we live in. #dealwithit
As for those without internet he suggested they “get with the times.”
Gears of War game designer Cliff Bleszinski has weighed in on the controversy on Tumblr. Bleszinski chided the “internet lynch mob” and defended Microsoft’s decision.
“My gut is telling me that an always online future is probably coming,” he wrote. “It’s coming fast, and possibly to the majority of the devices you enjoy. Adam’s analogies weren’t that far off.”
Bleszinski was equally unsympathetic for those without internet access calling it the “edge case.” Furthermore, he suggested that by requiring internet it would “force the government, or Google, or any number of providers are going to get their shit together and we’ll have universally fast internet for the majority of the first world.”
He concluded, “Well behaved people rarely make history. Deal with it,”
Unfortunately for Orth, his employer did deal with it. Orth no longer works for Microsoft and his twitter account has been set to private so that only approved followers can read his posts.
Microsoft issued the following statement:
We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday. This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.
Given all the fuss over the rumor, you’d think Microsoft would set the record straight if the rumor isn’t true. Then again, perhaps it’s true but they’re considering removing it. Either way we should find out on May 21 when Xbox 720 will be officially announced.
