Microsoft hasn’t even announced its next console yet, but gamers are already up in arms over reports that it will require a constant online connection to play games. Microsoft Studios creative director Adam Orth poured fuel on that particular fire yesterday with a cavalier tweet dismissing people’s concerns.
“Sorry, I don’t get the drama around having an ‘always on’ console,” he tweeted. “Every device is now ‘always on.’ That’s the world we live in. #dealwithit”
His tweet drew plenty of criticism, and the developer set his account to protected in the aftermath. However, it was not before he reiterated his position a number of times, saying he wants all his devices to be constantly online. He also mocked those who would make purchasing decisions based on that fact, saying, “The mobile reception in the area I live in is spotty and unreliable. I will not buy a mobile phone,” as well as, “Sometimes the electricity goes out. I will not purchase a vacuum cleaner.”
In an Evil Avatar forum thread discussing the reports of an always-online Xbox 360 successor, another developer strongly implied that they were accurate, saying, “all I can say is be sure to pay your ISP bills.”
Microsoft later issued an apology for the remarks, but did not retract the statement that “always online” will be a requirement for the next Xbox. “We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday,” the company said. “This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.”
Source: NeoGAF {link no longer active}, Evil Avatar
