6 ms·

The Xbox requires that you have a Microsoft account, right? This seems like an inconvenience but I have a hard time understanding why it’s worth Congress’s time

The Xbox requires that you have a Microsoft account, right? This seems like an inconvenience but I have a hard time understanding why it’s worth Congress’s time. Isn’t the world full of products that have to be registered by making an account in some system or another? I guess I could understand if somebody didn’t have internet access and wants to use Oculus, but they wouldn’t be able to download any games either even if no account was required. The complaint seems like more of an ideological thing against Facebook, but I’m attempting to take it at face value.

r3drock 6y ago
In principle I would say you are right, but it is actually a far greater hassle to make (or keep) a facebook account than some generic account.
- millstone 6y ago
  Have you actually had problems making/keeping a Facebook account? I have several throwaways which continue to work fine.
  - Polylactic_acid 6y ago
    I have had mine locked in the past. Obviously facebook has some system that is locking accounts because so many people have faced this issue
  - coding123 6y ago
    I have created accounts that got immediately locked the same day. I have also had accounts that got locked about 2 months in.
    - shajznnckfke 6y ago
      I had an experience with Facebook locking my account once, and I came to suspect that they were doing it to punish me for logging in on a mobile browser to promote the app. The UX really seemed to be designed to be painful - interfaces where the buttons were just out of reach unless you scrolled a particular way, scary language implying it was unsafe to use the site that way. I felt like someone was getting a bonus based on how many people they could push off the browser into using the app.
  - protomyth 6y ago
    Try being an actual account with a Native American name. Facebook likes to randomly ban them accusing the owner of using a fake name. So, yeah, people around here sometimes have problems keeping an account.
  - hansvm 6y ago
    I tried making one a year or two ago. When it asked for a phone number I gave a throwaway. Turns out they verify you have control of the number, so next I tried some VoIP digits. Facebook knows which blocks are owned by the larger VoIP companies and requested a _real_ phone number this time. So...I went out and bought a damned phone so that I'd have a phone number to make this bloody account. I verified that I could make and receive calls and started their registration flow again to be blocked by some other kind of BS (I think they thought the number was still in a VoIP block...guess that misfeature isn't perfect?). Anyway, it wasn't thaat important to me, so I gave up and haven't tried again since.
mlboss 6y ago
Facebook is in the business of tracking user activities and then showing them ads to change their consumer behavior. I will not be surprised if facebook starts showing ads in the game. Also VR is not only for games. It can be used for remote meetings, design, tourism etc. VR is a different way to work and consume content.
dorkinspace 6y ago
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe microsoft doesn't care if you have multiple accounts while facebook will ban "non real" accounts. This is the part that makes it anticompetitive, I would imagine.
- zamadatix 6y ago
  I'm not sure what about that has to do with competition.
  - technofiend 6y ago
    Feed me, Seymour! But seriously what a dark pattern and just like Little Shop of Horrors feeding the beast really doesn't benefit you. This is exactly why I never purchased an Oculus: because the price of entry for playing a VR game is too high.
- sova 6y ago
  Na it's about deviation of flow of attention AFTER the product has already been acquired and UNNECESSARY to the core function of the product.
  - polyomino 6y ago
    I think the core function of a product should be up to the people making it, not congress.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - sova 6y ago
      Not if your product is harassing people by phone or something annoyingly similar. The line blurs and moves often.
      - polyomino 6y ago
taneq 6y ago
Does the Xbox stop working if your Microsoft account gets banned?
- ianmobbs 6y ago
  To an extent, yes https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/cj5b0a/what_happens_if_your_xbox_live_account_were_to_be/evbd4ni/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/cj5b0a/what_h...
  - tenryuu 6y ago
    I skimmed this, but this goes over getting banned from Xbox Live, the network service, not a system that prevents you from using the console
    - taneq 6y ago
      It also covers your ability to use the console itself. It seems reasonably fair. tl;dr The banned account can still play games in offline mode but can't re-download them since this is done through the XBox Live service. Other users of that XBox can do everything as normal including play and re-download games that were installed by the banned account.
- dawnerd 6y ago
  Nope but your console might get banned from xbox live in certain cases (all consoles have similar).
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
bena 6y ago
Xbox Live is a Microsoft service that requires an account, you don't need an Xbox Live account to use the Xbox.
- shajznnckfke 6y ago
  I tried to look this up, and I found people saying you don’t need an Xbox Live account, but you still need a Microsoft account. Would appreciate any authoritative source that can answer the question.
  - freeone3000 6y ago
    You need a Microsoft account to do anything with an Xbox One or Xbox Series, including playing offline games. If you don't have one, you get a series of prompts to create one. Doesn't need to be linked to anything, not even an email. If this is being used to bypass a ban, the console will get banned.
    - vlovich123 6y ago
      Isn't the accessory line pretty blurred with a device like the Apple Watch? The Apple Watch is about as powerful as computers from the 2000s (if not even more recently)[1] & has it's own line of accessories [2], & has its own cellular & WiFi connections. In theory Apple could make setup not require an iPhone if they wanted & even allow wireless displays. Smartwatches really are more companion devices that are tethered to phones to speed up the setup/input process & the phone acts like a smarter virtual display. [1] Can't find the speed of the latest one but the S5 is a 64-bit dual-core 2.4 Ghz CPU (I think the S6 is 20% faster than that?) with 1 GB of RAM & 32GB of storage. That's a pretty hefty device & will eventually consume a lot of needs for a phone. [2] https://www.apple.com/shop/watch/watch-accessories https://www.apple.com/shop/watch/watch-accessories
      - 2fast4you 6y ago
        I believe Apple is already heading in the direction of independent watches. The latest update lets you set up a new watch for family members that don’t have an iPhone. After the setup it will function independently. Right now it’s mostly meant for kids. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211768 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211768
grumple 6y ago
I own an Oculus Quest. I do not have a Facebook account, nor will I get one. For me, this will eventually deprive me of a product I bought and enjoy once they start enforcing it. It’s an attempt to force people like me to use another product of theirs so they can extract value from me.
m463 6y ago
I think xbox shouldn't require an account either.
p1necone 6y ago
The difference is that a Microsoft account is just a username and password used to log in to various Microsoft owned services - there's little baggage attached to it otherwise. In comparison a Facebook account is directly tied to a specific Facebook (the company) owned service - Facebook (the application). You can't just create a Facebook login, you have to also create a (public by default) Facebook profile, probably use your real name and photo to avoid it being banned etc. Facebook could fix this by letting you create a Facebook (the company) account which is just a username and password, and maybe an email for account recovery reasons. This account would then be used for logging in to all of Facebooks services, Facebook (the application) and Oculus included, while not actually requiring you to ever create a Facebook (the application) profile unless you wanted to.
- marcodave 6y ago
  if the shit hits the fan enough with this Congress report, I bet that's what they'll do. Probably they didn't do it yet for (a) keeping the status quo is more profitable and/or (b) it's going to be a huge architectural change
tomc1985 6y ago
Agreed, we need to be railing against all of this unnecessary account bullshit. Hardware devices need to function as hardware, and not software-based extensions of corporate control.
cblconfederate 6y ago
from an antitrust perspective, it's because facebook is using oculus to push its other product (facebook) and profit from the tracking information. It's similar to MS using windows to push an unrelated program (internet explorer). Creating an xbox account doesnt seem to affect the MS Office revenue or damage competition

r3drock 6y ago

In principle I would say you are right, but it is actually a far greater hassle to make (or keep) a facebook account than some generic account.

millstone 6y ago
Have you actually had problems making/keeping a Facebook account? I have several throwaways which continue to work fine.
- Polylactic_acid 6y ago
  I have had mine locked in the past. Obviously facebook has some system that is locking accounts because so many people have faced this issue
- coding123 6y ago
  I have created accounts that got immediately locked the same day. I have also had accounts that got locked about 2 months in.
  - shajznnckfke 6y ago
    I had an experience with Facebook locking my account once, and I came to suspect that they were doing it to punish me for logging in on a mobile browser to promote the app. The UX really seemed to be designed to be painful - interfaces where the buttons were just out of reach unless you scrolled a particular way, scary language implying it was unsafe to use the site that way. I felt like someone was getting a bonus based on how many people they could push off the browser into using the app.
- protomyth 6y ago
  Try being an actual account with a Native American name. Facebook likes to randomly ban them accusing the owner of using a fake name. So, yeah, people around here sometimes have problems keeping an account.
- hansvm 6y ago
  I tried making one a year or two ago. When it asked for a phone number I gave a throwaway. Turns out they verify you have control of the number, so next I tried some VoIP digits. Facebook knows which blocks are owned by the larger VoIP companies and requested a _real_ phone number this time. So...I went out and bought a damned phone so that I'd have a phone number to make this bloody account. I verified that I could make and receive calls and started their registration flow again to be blocked by some other kind of BS (I think they thought the number was still in a VoIP block...guess that misfeature isn't perfect?). Anyway, it wasn't thaat important to me, so I gave up and haven't tried again since.

mlboss 6y ago

Facebook is in the business of tracking user activities and then showing them ads to change their consumer behavior. I will not be surprised if facebook starts showing ads in the game. Also VR is not only for games. It can be used for remote meetings, design, tourism etc. VR is a different way to work and consume content.

dorkinspace 6y ago

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe microsoft doesn't care if you have multiple accounts while facebook will ban "non real" accounts. This is the part that makes it anticompetitive, I would imagine.

zamadatix 6y ago
I'm not sure what about that has to do with competition.
- technofiend 6y ago
  Feed me, Seymour! But seriously what a dark pattern and just like Little Shop of Horrors feeding the beast really doesn't benefit you. This is exactly why I never purchased an Oculus: because the price of entry for playing a VR game is too high.
sova 6y ago
Na it's about deviation of flow of attention AFTER the product has already been acquired and UNNECESSARY to the core function of the product.
- polyomino 6y ago
  I think the core function of a product should be up to the people making it, not congress.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - sova 6y ago
    Not if your product is harassing people by phone or something annoyingly similar. The line blurs and moves often.
    - polyomino 6y ago

taneq 6y ago

Does the Xbox stop working if your Microsoft account gets banned?

ianmobbs 6y ago
To an extent, yes https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/cj5b0a/what_happens_if_your_xbox_live_account_were_to_be/evbd4ni/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxinsiders/comments/cj5b0a/what_h...
- tenryuu 6y ago
  I skimmed this, but this goes over getting banned from Xbox Live, the network service, not a system that prevents you from using the console
  - taneq 6y ago
    It also covers your ability to use the console itself. It seems reasonably fair. tl;dr The banned account can still play games in offline mode but can't re-download them since this is done through the XBox Live service. Other users of that XBox can do everything as normal including play and re-download games that were installed by the banned account.
dawnerd 6y ago
Nope but your console might get banned from xbox live in certain cases (all consoles have similar).
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

bena 6y ago

Xbox Live is a Microsoft service that requires an account, you don't need an Xbox Live account to use the Xbox.

shajznnckfke 6y ago
I tried to look this up, and I found people saying you don’t need an Xbox Live account, but you still need a Microsoft account. Would appreciate any authoritative source that can answer the question.
- freeone3000 6y ago
  You need a Microsoft account to do anything with an Xbox One or Xbox Series, including playing offline games. If you don't have one, you get a series of prompts to create one. Doesn't need to be linked to anything, not even an email. If this is being used to bypass a ban, the console will get banned.
  - vlovich123 6y ago
    Isn't the accessory line pretty blurred with a device like the Apple Watch? The Apple Watch is about as powerful as computers from the 2000s (if not even more recently)[1] & has it's own line of accessories [2], & has its own cellular & WiFi connections. In theory Apple could make setup not require an iPhone if they wanted & even allow wireless displays. Smartwatches really are more companion devices that are tethered to phones to speed up the setup/input process & the phone acts like a smarter virtual display. [1] Can't find the speed of the latest one but the S5 is a 64-bit dual-core 2.4 Ghz CPU (I think the S6 is 20% faster than that?) with 1 GB of RAM & 32GB of storage. That's a pretty hefty device & will eventually consume a lot of needs for a phone. [2] https://www.apple.com/shop/watch/watch-accessories https://www.apple.com/shop/watch/watch-accessories
    - 2fast4you 6y ago
      I believe Apple is already heading in the direction of independent watches. The latest update lets you set up a new watch for family members that don’t have an iPhone. After the setup it will function independently. Right now it’s mostly meant for kids. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211768 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211768

grumple 6y ago

I own an Oculus Quest. I do not have a Facebook account, nor will I get one. For me, this will eventually deprive me of a product I bought and enjoy once they start enforcing it. It’s an attempt to force people like me to use another product of theirs so they can extract value from me.

m463 6y ago

I think xbox shouldn't require an account either.

p1necone 6y ago

The difference is that a Microsoft account is just a username and password used to log in to various Microsoft owned services - there's little baggage attached to it otherwise. In comparison a Facebook account is directly tied to a specific Facebook (the company) owned service - Facebook (the application). You can't just create a Facebook login, you have to also create a (public by default) Facebook profile, probably use your real name and photo to avoid it being banned etc. Facebook could fix this by letting you create a Facebook (the company) account which is just a username and password, and maybe an email for account recovery reasons. This account would then be used for logging in to all of Facebooks services, Facebook (the application) and Oculus included, while not actually requiring you to ever create a Facebook (the application) profile unless you wanted to.

marcodave 6y ago
if the shit hits the fan enough with this Congress report, I bet that's what they'll do. Probably they didn't do it yet for (a) keeping the status quo is more profitable and/or (b) it's going to be a huge architectural change

tomc1985 6y ago

Agreed, we need to be railing against all of this unnecessary account bullshit. Hardware devices need to function as hardware, and not software-based extensions of corporate control.

cblconfederate 6y ago

from an antitrust perspective, it's because facebook is using oculus to push its other product (facebook) and profit from the tracking information. It's similar to MS using windows to push an unrelated program (internet explorer). Creating an xbox account doesnt seem to affect the MS Office revenue or damage competition