Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) introduced the new Xbox One game/entertainment console on Tuesday and the backlash has already begun. The company recently announced that they might charge a fee for gamers to use pre-owned games on the new console. It also means that gamers who borrow a game from friends will have to pay to use the game. Although the company also mentioned that users can trade used games on the internet but they didn’t give any details.
Gamers Have Complained About The New Xbox One
Many gamers have complained about this possibility and rightfully so. Many video games, especially new titles, can cost as much as $50 a pop. For those who love to play video games but don’t want to spend a lot of money to grow their collection, purchase pre-owned games or swap old games for other games.
Larry Hryb, director of programming for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), admits that there is some confusion about the potential new policy. The official Xbox account for Twitter originally told fans that there wouldn’t be an extra fee to use pre-owned games. Hryb cleared it up with the following message in a blog post.
“While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail. Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios.”
Hryb also added that if a gamer wanted to bring their own games to their friends homes, they could play without the extra fee if the Xbox Live owner is signed on to their registered account on the console.
Interesting enough, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Phil Harrison (corporate vice president) mentioned that his company will share future plans for pre-owned games.
It’s understandable why Microsoft wants to take control of the pre-owned game market as they lose a lot of money from this, but there are other ways to make a profit without charging the customers extra.
