Xbox One has ‘single handedly alienated the military’

Armed forces thoroughly unimpressed with Microsoft’s DRM

Regular gamers have expressed quite a bit of upset at Xbox One’s ridiculous DRM policies, but nowhere is the disdain more keenly felt — nor more justified — than that coming from America’s armed services. Considering the troops have a lot of downtime, and games are a good way to soak up the hours, the Xbox One is absolutely useless to them.

An article in the Navy Times calls the Xbox One’s DRM “a showstopper,” and explains to its readers exactly how they’ll be unable to use the Xbox One, should they be stationed aboard ships or overseas. 

“Microsoft has single handedly alienated the entire military. And not just the U.S. military — the militaries of the entire world,” stated naval aviator Jay Johnson. 

As well as the region locking and online check-ins, the Navy Times highlights the “serious security concerns” with the built-in Kinect and its constant listening. Always listening. Forever listening. 

“Even when the Xbox One is in sleep mode, its built-in microphone can always listen in,” explains the article. “It’s a feature developers say will provide quick voice-command access to games and apps — but that could spook commanders who might worry the always-connected device could also capture more than just idle chit-chat among troops.”

Videogames have become a big part of military downtime, and the Xbox 360 was undoubtedly a hugely popular choice. Don Mattrick has expressed his belief that anybody unable to use the Xbox One (basically the entire armed forces) can just keep using the 360, but I have a feeling service members will instead just migrate to the PS4. According to a local air force buddy of mine, that’s already being seen as the best option by some folks. 

Now we just need Jack Tretton to appear naked, wearing only the American flag and claiming PS4 is the only console to support the troops, and I’d say this generation is over. Well … maybe without the flag bit. 

No … no, do the flag bit.

New Xbox ‘a sin against all service members’ [Navy Times]