Xbox files leaked, what's the secret?

New leaked documents appear to point towards always-online DRM for the next-generation Xbox console.

Although we’ve seen a lot of ‘leaked documents’ in the past year or so, these have apparently been confirmed by the Edge Online’s insider Xbox source, who described the documents as “entirely legitimate”.

The document can be seen here and shows the install procedure for Durango, the developer’s kit for what is apparently the next-generation Microsoft console.

With the heading “Durango Hardware Overview”, the gist of the document is that the new console will have a permanent online presence; “always on, always connected”. Creepy.

“Durango will implement different power states so that it can always be powered on, but will draw minimal electricity when not in use,” reads the document.

“The console will be ready instantly when users want to play, and will always maintain a network connection so that console software and games are always current.

"With this ‘Always On, Always Connected’ design, users will quickly and easily enjoy their connected entertainment experiences, with no waiting for the console to restart or install games.”

In the same document it is apparently confirms the console will include some sort of Kinect and a Blu-Ray drive, however play from the optical drive will not be permitted.

Instead, all games on Blu-Ray will be installed onto the console’s hard drive. That will be popular with the fans... In an interesting coincidence, developers from Thechineseroom who worked on Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs, have expressed their disinterest in always-on-consoles.

Dan Pinchbeck, creative director of the studio says he doesn’t care about used game accessibility, he is more worried about the principle of thing and where always-on internet connections can lead.

"I’m ambivalent about used games – a used game makes the developers no money, which means you are hurting developers buying them...always on...well, unless it’s a multi-player game there’s no reason for it, it seems like a pure marketing and DRM exercise, and I think it’s really intrusive.

"If I buy a game, I want to own it, so I can transfer it to any of my devices, play when I want, where I want, on or offline.

"It’s part of this horrible conceptual shift like iTunes where although it looks like you are buying media, actually you only really are renting access to it, and I have a pretty big problem with that.”

I would usually sign off with a pithy, cool one-liner, but...well said, sir. Well, said.