14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has further detailed the method in which the Xbox One implements a fee for owners who want to play a used (pre-owned) copy of a game, saying that they'll have to pay the game's current retail price in order to experience it.
The Xbox One was showcased to the world yesterday by Microsoft, and the company talked at lengths about its entertainment features and showcased a few of its games.
The company briefly mentioned that the console would support used games, but that owners who want to experience a pre-owned version of a title would have to pay a fee.
According to Microsoft's Phil Harrison, the system is quite simple and allows much of the freedom currently experienced by Xbox 360 owners.
"Our plans are very consistent with the way the world works today, which is if I buy a disc I can install it on my machine, I can play it and anyone associated with my machine can play it as well," Harrison told CVG.
"I can give that disc to somebody else - maybe my son who has his own Xbox One somewhere else in the house - and he can install and play it on his machine. I can come to your house with that disc, I can install it on your machine and we can play it and while I'm with you we can have all of the capabilities of that game."
Harrison's statement was clarified by Xbox Community Manager Larry Hryb, who said that the player who registered the game on his account can play it on any console he wants as long as he's logged into it.
"The moment I go home and notionally take that disc with me, you no longer have the ability to play that game," Harrison continued. "But the 'bits' are on your hard drive, so if you want to play that game you can buy it - you can go to the online store, buy it and it's instantly unlocked and playable on your machine. All of the privileges I just described in my house would now apply in yours as well."
The Microsoft executive mentioned to Kotaku in a discussion about the used games fee that, in the case of a newly released title, the fee will consist of the game's current price.
As a result, buying a used copy no longer makes sense as Xbox One owners will still have to pay the same amount of money, not less as they do on the Xbox 360.