Xbox One Used Games Policy Changes: What Do They Mean for the Industry?

With Microsoft's recent change in their online and used game policy, the company has altered the way many players perceive the Xbox One dramatically. Two of the biggest arguments against buying the console are no longer valid, as now the Xbox one no longer requires users to check in online every 24 hours to play the system, and console owners can now buy and trade used Xbox One games without any sort of hassle or fees. These changes help keep Microsoft in line with their biggest rival, Sony, and should help the video game industry overall.

Now, gamers with suspect internet connections or none at all are not excluded from being able to use a Xbox One. The system would have locked up without an internet connection every 24 hours, even if the user did not want to play online. This alienated a lot of gamers who simply have no interest in playing online games, along with those who do not have a reliable or strong enough internet connection to play games regularly. For global gamers this now means that they can play their Xbox One anywhere in the world, whereas before they could only work in supported countries.  

This news also affects the used game market, as now the Xbox One will not charge fees for used games, and not require a user to register that they are trading in a game or giving it to a friend.  This also means that the market for used videos games has a brighter future, as retailers such as GameStop will be able to not worry about gamers not trading in Xbox One games and losing revenue from gamers being unwilling to pay Microsoft's fees.

This move is wholly positive for the Xbox One and Microsoft, and should bring in some gamers who were considering switching to the PlayStation 4.