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Elite: Dangerous devs nix offline single-player mode
Elite: Dangerous designer David Braben revealed that studio Frontier Developments has ditched a previously announced offline single-player mode in favor of immersing players in an online persistent universe. "Going forwards, being online lets us constantly both curate and evolve the galaxy, with stories unfolding according to the actions of commanders," Braben explained. "Exploration is also a key factor, too, and it is important that what a single player explores matches what other players explore whether single or multiplayer - a complex, coherent world - something we have achieved." Braben continues: "Galaxy, story, missions, have to match, and it does mean the single player has to connect to the server from time to time, but this has the added advantage that everyone can participate in the activities that can happen in the galaxy. A fully offline experience would be unacceptably limited and static compared to the dynamic, ever unfolding experience we are delivering." A single-player mode was originally announced as part of last year's Elite: Dangerous Kickstarter campaign, which earned more than $2 million in backer pledges. A recent thread on the game's official forums has drawn thousands of responses, many of which express disappointment regarding the game's new direction. A studio representative notes that requests for refunds will be granted on a "case by case basis." Kickstarter backers will get access to a playable version of Elite: Dangerous on November 22. A public release will follow on December 12. [Image: Frontier Developments]
Microsoft: Xbox One isn't always online, but requires internet connection
Xbox One, Microsoft's next-gen console, does not require users to be constantly connected to the internet, but it does require an internet connection, a Q&A post on Xbox Wire said. The post itself has since been removed. The answer said the Xbox One "does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet." Developers are able to use Microsoft's Azure cloud computing service with Xbox One – this could potentially shift certain computations to the cloud and require players to be online, even for single-player runs, Wired reports. For pre-owned games, the Xbox One is designed "to enable customers to trade in and resell games," Microsoft said in the same Q&A post, promising more details later. All games can be installed to the Xbox One's 500GB hard drive, removing the need for a disc entirely after the initial load-up, Microsoft tells Wired. If a second account wants to play that game the player will be asked to pay a fee and install the game on his own console. Whether this is a mandatory installation for every game, Microsoft says, "On the new Xbox, all game discs are installed to the HDD to play."
SimCity GM: 'In many ways, we built an MMO'
SimCity has not had the smoothest of launches. Players were (understandably) frustrated by connection woes, most of which seemed to be due to the always-online component of the game. In an interview with Polygon, developers framed the always-online component as an integral part of the game structure, saying that "it wouldn't be possible to make the game offline without a significant amount of engineering work by our team." This statement was later thrown into question as a Maxis insider claimed that servers were "not handling any of the computation" of city simulation. Now Lucy Bradshaw, General Manager of Maxis, is stepping up to re-frame the situation. In a "straight answers" update today, she pointed out the gameplay reasons for building SimCity to be always connected. These include features like collaboration between cities in a region, social perks like world events and leaderboards, player gifts, and the global market. Additionally, cloud-based saves make for easy access anywhere. "In many ways," she concludes, "we built an MMO." Somehow, we don't think MMO gamers would agree
Maxis: SimCity's internet requirement not a 'clandestine' DRM strategy
Following claims yesterday that SimCity had been modified to run offline in a limited capacity, Maxis/EA general manager Lucy Bradshaw has since updated EA's official blog with a bulleted reiteration of Maxis' always-on design philosophy for the game.In the missive, Bradshaw dismisses claims that SimCity's internet connectivity requirements are in reality "a clandestine strategy to control players" while listing a few of the ways in which server connectivity is essential to the design of the game, though she does not directly address whether the game can be played completely offline in its current form."So, could we have built a subset offline mode? Yes," Bradshaw added. "But we rejected that idea because it didn't fit with our vision. We did not focus on the 'single city in isolation' that we have delivered in past SimCities. We recognize that there are fans – people who love the original SimCity – who want that."
German consumer advocacy group accuses Blizzard of deceptive marketing with Diablo III
The debate over Diablo III's always-online requirement doesn't seem to be over for a German consumer advocacy group. The Federation of Consumer Organizations is officially claiming that Blizzard Entertainment used deceptive advertising when marketing Diablo III and has given the company until July 27th to respond to these claims. If no response is received, the group will be taking Blizzard to court over these practices. This is in addition to a class-action lawsuit being organized by Korean internet cafe owners over the game's non-functional status following launch. Diablo III's current packaging states that players must be online to access Battle.net, but it does not specify that accessing Battle.net is a requirement of continuing to play the game. The outcome of these particular grievances could have a great deal of influence on the implementation of always-online services in the future, but it's unclear what Blizzard's response (if any) will be to this particular complaint.
