>super simple.

Completely agree.

>if the rumor were that microsoft was going to change the xbox
>people already own, yo -- flip couches.
>

Completely agree.


>but a rumor about a product that you haven't spent any cash on
>shouldn't suddenly incite rage.
>
>but that's the internet.

I don't disagree, but like I said.... "always on" means always on. They even outlined a situation where your access to a game could get cut. Immensely popular single player games like Bioshock Infinite and XCom show that players still want to play solo (to say nothing of the backlash from games like Sim City and Diablo 3). It's safe to assume that "always on" would be a major detriment to people that prefer single player experiences but don't always have consistent access.

"Always on" is an element that gamers are already intimately familiar with. And we all know that consistent (and universal) broadband access, at the very least in the US, is not currently a reality. So while in general it's prudent to reserve judgement until something gets released, at this time I don't think it's premature to slam MS for this specific decision either.