Xbox Core Wireless Controller | Black, Electric Volt, Pink, Pulse Red, and other colors | $59.99$39.99 at Best Buy (save $20)Microsoft makes a mean controller that's tough to beat for the money. You can score a few color Xbox pads for less cash right now, and you'd be hard pressed to find a better controller for the same money. Maybe the DualSense, but depends which stick layout you prefer. The multi-colored versions are on offer at $45 right now, but you can get the plain black version for just $40.
Let's fake a deal | This Week in Business
03.11.2023 - 17:09 / gamesindustry.biz
This Week in Business is our weekly recap column, a collection of stats and quotes from recent stories presented with a dash of opinion (sometimes more than a dash) and intended to shed light on various trends. Check every Friday for a new entry.
Earlier this week, we looked at Microsoft's decision to block unlicensed third-party peripherals from working on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and asked what kind of impact that would have on unlicensed accessibility devices (potentially devastating) and the impact it would have on Microsoft's fig leaf excuse for the move, cheaters (next to none).
Today we're going to ask a different question about Microsoft removing functionality of its game systems a decade after launch and once users have come to rely on it: are they even allowed to do that?
The short answer is yes.
Hold on…
I'm being told 100 words is a little short for a column, so I guess it's time for the longer answer.
Let's look at the Xbox Software License Agreement, the legalese you agree to simply by using your Xbox console, Kinect sensor, or any authorized Xbox accessory.
Why are we looking at a software license agreement when the issue is Microsoft removing functionality from the hardware? Because you might technically own the hardware because you bought it from the store, but the same cannot be said of the software that makes it anything more than a sad conversation piece for any room in your house without a TV.
QUOTE | "The Xbox Software is licensed to You, not sold. You are licensed to use the Xbox Software only as pre-installed in Your Xbox Console or Authorised Accessory, and updated by Microsoft from time to time. You may not copy or reverse engineer the Xbox Software."
The capitalization of "You" suggests Microsoft views Xbox customers as being of divine origin, but the rest of the words make it clear that's not the case. In short, Xbox customers are paying $500 for "ownership" of something they can only use if they stay in Microsoft's good graces and continue to use the hardware they own in exactly the way Microsoft would like them to.
I single out Microsoft here only because that's the company that made this a timely topic of discussion for the column. The licensing agreements of Nintendo and Sony have similar language specifying that you don't own squat when it comes to the software that makes their systems function.
These devices are only ours to do with as they wish.
And just like Microsoft recently went out of its way to make its customers' products less functional, Nintendo and Sony have done the exact same thing in the past.
In April of 2010, Sony pushed a PS3 firmware update that removed the "Install Other OS" functionality for security concerns a couple months
The website gametalkz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Authors
Popular Topics
pcgamer.com
21.11.2023 / 16:28
These are my favorite bang-for-buck deals this Black Friday: from $20 gaming mice to $800 RTX 40-series gaming PCs
Here's a plain and simple truth: PC gaming isn't as cheap a hobby as it used to be. And here's another: times are tough out there, and money for many of us is tight. The holidays are approaching, the cost of living is on the rise, and generally most of us are watching our wallets and trying to save a bit of cash wherever we can. So how do you upgrade your gaming setup, or treat yourself to a little something PC gaming during these challenging times?
gamesradar.com
21.11.2023 / 14:41
The best Black Friday deals for gamers LIVE: all the biggest PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC sales this week
Deal Alert! Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 4060 gaming laptop | $1,599.99 $1,199.99 at Best Buy
wowhead.com
21.11.2023 / 10:03
This Week in WoW (Nov 20, 2023) - Arena Skirmish Weekly Event
Blizzard has announced This Week in WoW which includes the Arena Skirmish bonus event.
destructoid.com
20.11.2023 / 19:15
Steam Autumn Sale begins this week, looks like it’s going to be a good ‘un
It feels like Steam has some sort of sales event almost on a weekly basis. Recently, we had the Scream Fest to celebrate Halloween, and now we’re getting another one as we head towards the tail end of November.
wowhead.com
20.11.2023 / 18:18
This Week in WoW (Nov 20, 2023) - Weekly Dungeon Event
Blizzard has announced This Week in WoW which includes the Weekly dungeon event! If this is like previously Weekly dungeon events, this should award a Heroic piece of raid gear!
polygon.com
18.11.2023 / 02:47
The Creator, Blue Beetle, Netflix’s Rustin, and every new movie to watch this weekend
Happy Friday, Polygon readers!
gamesindustry.biz
17.11.2023 / 18:17
Has 2023 been a good year for new games? | This Week in Business
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox
pcgamer.com
17.11.2023 / 12:13
These are our top ten early Black Friday deals this week: $899 gaming PCs, RTX 4080 laptops and 2TB SSDs
Black Friday is now a week away, and the deals have started already. While it's true that some retailers put their prices up just before the event to make the discounts look bigger on the actual day, we've still found some really good early deals that we think are worthy of a mention right now.
pcgamer.com
16.11.2023 / 00:59
It's our favorite gaming laptop and another price cut has made it Black Friday's best deal a week early
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | Nvidia RTX 4080 | Intel Core i9 13900HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240Hz | 32GB DDR5-5600 | 1TB NVMe SSD | $2,749$1,999 at B&H Photo (save $750)This is a great discount on the best RTX 4080 laptop I've tested and is even lower than it was on Prime Day. It's a fantastic notebook, offering performance that can often match and sometimes beat an RTX 4090-based system (see our review). There's a high-performance CPU to back it up, a decent, bright 1600p screen, and a fair amount of storage. All with a discount.
gamesradar.com
14.11.2023 / 17:07
Diablo 4 hotfix coming this week targets the RPG's latest pain points: Living Steel and Helltide chests
Diablo 4's next hotfix is due sometime this week, and it'll make changes to the community's most recent bugbears: Living Steel and Helltide chests.
wowhead.com
14.11.2023 / 04:17
Living Steel Will Become Easier to Acquire With Hotfix Later This Week
Blizzard has previously stated that a Hotfix will go out later this week to resolve Season Journey progression locks. However, Diablo 4 Global Community Development Director, Adam Fletcher has stated that this Hotfix will also bring improvements to acquisition during Helltides. Season Journey Progression Bug Fix Blizzard Requests Player Feedback During Season 2, Helltides and have been some of the most criticized content, due to their time-gated nature and their importance in summoning Uber Duriel.