Multiplayer is one of the reasons Microsoft thinks always online Xbox One is okay

One of the most controversial and divisive decisions that Microsoft has made with the Xbox One is their idea to require internet, to authenticate your game and console once every 24 hours. According to Polygon, one of the reasons Microsoft thinks that is because of the popularity of online multiplayer games on the Xbox 360.

Microsoft VP Phil Spencer said, “What we’re seeing in games … is online community gaming is becoming a predominant way that people play. You see so many of these large games that are out there that rely on and are kind of made by the connection people have with their friends, and how they play cooperatively and competitively with the millions of people on Xbox Live and other ecosystems,” he said. “It’s a predominant form of gaming today.”

Microsoft thinks a digital future for console gaming is the answer, and that its Xbox One is the first new step. Spencer likened the approach of Xbox One and games to iTunes and music.

So far, the consumer and media outcry against the Xbox One has been immense. We’ll see how well or badly the new console does when it retails for $499 later this year.