'Next Gen' X-box Always On?

The title is just what is suggests. There are hints that the so called 'next gen' x-box is going to require constant internet connection. This means that even games you play alone will not be playable if you do not have a reliable connection to the internet. That is -not- something that gamers want.

If any of you have played Diablo 3, then you know that you are required to have an internet connection for it. You are also required to log into your account with battle.net. Both of those things annoyed me when I first logged in, and I have not played it much because of that. When I play games like Diablo, which have always had solo aspects to it, I don't want to be online. I don't play them so that I can talk to my battle tag friends in WoW. I generally play them because I want some downtime to just completely and totally zone out to the game.

The Diablo 3 fans took another blow when Blizzard announced that it would be on the PS3 and that it would be playable offline. I've personally resolved not to play until they give an offline version to PC gamers. I'm certainly not going to purchase a separate copy, and console, just so I don't have to be online to enjoy the game.

I go over all of that to show that this is not something that gamers want. By forcing you to have a constant internet connection you are alienating players who cannot always be online. You are alienating people that may be able to purchase an x-box via tax returns, but are not able to afford the month to month payments of internet connections.

The arguments that Adam Orth, the creative director over at Microsoft for their Game Studios, made over Twitter were unprofessional, and completely missed the point. One of his arguments was to state that he wouldn't purchase a vacuum cleaner because power goes out sometimes. I'm sorry, that can immediately be torn down. A vacuum cleaner doesn't require constant power in order to run.

I think that we are going to see the death of the X-box if they don't fire him, and back off their stance of having a constant internet connection.

Thanks to Gamers book for their article and screenshots of some of the Twitter comments.