Xbox Addict

New XBOne policy means Family Share, No Disc out

Don’t worry, Dave...I’m still here.

Microsoft’s sudden reversal today of its 24-hour check-in policy and how it will handle used games is obviously good news for those happy with the Xbox 360 status quo. But the change also means the loss of some features that the company had touted as important features for the new console.

Sharing your game library with 10 family members no longer viable because users are no longer required to store their games online, Xbox Live VP Mark Whitten told Polygon. Users will also not be able to play their game at a friend’s house without a copy of the disk, since the installed game will not be stored digitally with your Xbox Live account.

"While we are adding in the ability to use physical discs, we still believe in the power of a digital and cloud-powered future played out at launch and rolled out over time. You are going to see us invest a ton in all of the ways digital builds experiences," he said, adding that digital versions of games will be available day-and-date with retail copies.

Cloud-powered processing is something the company still believes in, but now that an Xbox One needn’t necessarily ever go online after setup, it’ll be tougher to use. Third-party publishers will need to decide whether they want to require going online for a game, should they hope to use cloud processing or other online features, Whitten said.