In between accessing your entire game library from a friend’s Xbox (but for an hour), an always-on Kinect, periodic check-ins and limited used game lending and selling, Microsoft revealed that up to 10 users will be able to access and sign in to the Xbox One.
Phil Spencer spoke to Penny Arcade about this and clarified that this so-called Family Policy won’t restricted to just family members. Any one – family, acquaintances, friends – can be included.
“I think the policy makes sense. It’s not ten different people all playing the game concurrently, but when you think about a real usage scenario, and we thought about it around a family, and I know certain people will create a family group of people that aren’t all part of the same family.
“And I do think that’s an advantage, and people will use that. I saw it on NeoGAF instantly, the Xbox Family creation threads, where people said ‘Hey be a part of my family’… I do think that’s an advantage of the ecosystem that we have.”
However, the mixed message dilemma comes back to haunt Microsoft, as the official wording reads that, “Just like today, a family member can play your copy of Forza Motorsport at a friend’s house. Only now, they will see not just Forza, but all of your shared games. You can always play your games, and any one of your family members can be playing from your shared library at a given time.”
And it didn’t help that Spencer didn’t know the specifics. Story of the Xbox One, right?