Given the flood of information released at E3 last week, it's not surprising that it has taken a few days for the US military to notice Microsoft's new stance on the Xbox One and how it impacts the men and women in uniform. Now that the show is over, a growing number of people are vocally unhappy over Microsoft's plans to not support US troops on deployment or stationed in non-supported areas of the world.
We first covered this last week, when Don Mattrick, President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Division, said: "Fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity, it’s called Xbox 360. If you have zero access to internet, that is an offline device." He then independently raised the issue of whether or not Microsoft would support soldiers on deployment with the Xbox One -- and stated that they wouldn’t. "I’ve got to imagine that it’s not easy to get an internet connection. Hey, I can empathize. If I was on a sub, I’d be disappointed."For military personnel, Xbone is AWOL
There are multiple problems with Microsoft's new strategy. You can only play an Xbox One in an approved country. Writing for the Navy Times, Jon Anderson notes: "if you’re based in Japan, Kuwait or Afghanistan, you’re out of luck." Games are region-locked and region-activated -- you can't buy a game in the US and activate it in Japan. That means no spouses sending games as part of a care package.
Microsoft has defended its online policy by claiming that game check-ins are a matter of kilobytes, not megabytes, but that still assumes that connectivity is widely available in any capacity. In April 2012, Navy Times detailed the internet capabilities of at-sea vessels, noting that sailors lined up to use rows of systems in a manner familiar to anyone who attended college in the mid-1990s. Navy vessels have internet service via satellite, but the bulk of that capacity is dedicated to ship operations. The fraction of the total reserved for sailors is split between several hundred and several thousand people.
Ground deployments are just as dicey. Online access is governed by the commanding officer and access to the internet in any sort of combat zone will be hit-and-miss. Even when service is available, homefront communication is going to be prioritized. Military journalists have asked Microsoft for additional information in the days since E3, only to be met with stonewalling. Microsoft's new favorite strategy is to tell gamers that there are lots of blockbusters coming for the Xbox 360 in 2013 and 2014.A bridge too far
It's time for Redmond to rethink this policy. Members of the military may be a small group in absolute terms, but the armed forces are built almost entirely from one of gaming's core demographics -- young men and women, aged 18-35. It's also a demographic that has favored the Xbox 360, thanks to a heavier emphasis on first-person shooters. Blowing them off alienates some of the Xbox's strongest supporters.
In the weeks since Microsoft's Xbox One unveil, multiple publishers have stated that they were just as surprised by the DRM and used game restrictions as players were. Whether that's accurate or not is unclear -- it's possible that publishers who privately lobbied for used game restrictions are backing away from that claim now that consumer response has come out overwhelmingly against it. Either way, Microsoft is standing on a sandbar at high tide.
It's time to change course. While I think Microsoft should abandon its 24-hour check-in, used game restrictions, and region locking altogether, I realize that this is extremely unlikely. Far from abandoning these policies, the company has actually doubled down on them: Not only is the Xbox One region-locked, it's activation-locked as well. If you import a console from the UK while living in Portugal, you won't be able to play games until the Xbox One service is available in your country.
Barring a change of heart so profound Dickens might have balked at writing it, Microsoft is committed to going over the cliff. Despite this, we believe Microsoft should to carve out an exemption for members of the US military. Troops on deployment should be able to register their consoles in some fashion, possibly by submitting documentation that proves their identity and military status. Failure to do so will hand Sony several million PS4 purchases during the critical early adopter period. Sony is already moving to capitalize on Microsoft's stupidity on this front.
Military personnel have unique needs that can't be covered under a blanket consumer policy. Don't just "empathize" with people serving on a nuclear sub -- take action that will benefit them.
Now read: Your burning Xbox One policy questions answered by Major Nelson
