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Comment by uptown | Hacker News Reader

Even the XBOX UI is problematic. I’m stunned that so many games have an additional layer of user onboarding just to get up and running. So many games require that you create an account “typing” your info in an on screen keyboard with an Xbox controller, and verify with email then return to the Xbox and sign in. What should have been a single-sign-on using your gamer tag profile is a clunky fragmented mess.

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The fundamental problem is that games require an account... be it Microsoft, Sony or a game specific account.

Yes. And games are built as multi platform so they don’t want to tie themselves tightly to the XBOX ecosystem. But the UIs for that enrollment are almost always horrible. You can tell they are designed for PCs with keyboards and mice. The scaling is all wrong for a TV based interface.

You missed the point. They should not require an account.

Or are you talking about multiplayer IAP fests? I'm not sure we should call those "games".

I'm not even sure it's an 'or' at this point; I've recently gone (multiple times) through the surreal experience of having to install a client and register an account having already bought a game through a storefront for which I had to install a client and register an account and which had already ostensibly installed. In the first case it was for a game I had actually previously played before the publisher decided to slap an account on top of its offering, and I decided I didn't care enough to keep going.

Let me guess, Ubisoft ?

lmao yes; specifically Far Cry 3.

More like U-no-soft !

This is a fundamental problem of technology, not just software, not just games games. Too many products unnecessarily tether you back to the manufacturer through an online account. When I buy something, hardware or software, I shouldn't have to check in with the developer forever, just to use it.

This is the buy vs rent discussion all over again. By tying your “purchase” to an account with T&S they have ensured you only have a license to use it on their terms which they can revoke any time they want

I’m a loyal steam customer because Valve has shown themselves to be the most trustworthy and user-focused of any platform, but even then I know I have decades of games on my account that can vanish in an instant.

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