So it's confirmed. After speculations of Sony's win being a chance for Microsoft to modify their policy on the 24-hour check-in period, the final word has been spoken, with clarification that offline gaming will not be possible unless an Internet connection is established after the 24-hour mark.

The issue on used games is more forgiving, as The Verge reports that, publishers can enable gamers to trade in games at specific retailers. As for transferring games, the rules are up to developers, with no fees set by Microsoft.

There may be a limit as to which publisher will allow which game to have free transfers with retailers.

If you're the type to share your games with friends, Microsoft has also clarified that there will be no fees when you transfer games via discs, but this can only be done with friends who have been part of your Xbox List for a minimum of 30 days, and the number of transfers allowed is limited to just once.

The Verge adds that sharing an Xbox One console within your family is allowed, having up to 10 members share one game, log in, and play via the library, even for those using a different console.

"We listen to the community and we will respond to where the business, the creators, and the gamers are going," said Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer to Game Informer. "But I don't want people to take that wrong. Our policy is our policy, and we've stated it. We wanted to put it up [on Xbox Wire] in unambiguous terms. 'Here's what our policy is.'"

Online requirement justified?

But perhaps one area where Microsoft will not be very flexible or forgiving would be the Xbox One's necessary check-in-to-play requirement, as Spencer has been quoted that online check-ins won't even be a problem.

In fact, even gamers who are in areas with limited access to the Internet would not find this a problem.

"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 to Polygon. "It's a predominant form of gaming."

Spencer pushes it further, stating that online check0ins are pretty much the same way that people check out their social media accounts or go online for other product platforms, such as music or video content.

One solution that Spencer has presented is tethering of Internet with the use of smartphones, since, according to him, online check-ins only take kilobytes and not megabytes of updating.

"You can also set your console to always have the latest bits in a standby state," he said to VG 24/7. "If you have no ability to connect to the Internet, the Xbox One is not the console for you."

This was a follow-up statement from what Don Mattrick, also of Microsoft, who had said that those who don't have online access can settle for the Xbox 360.

Somehow, this feels more like a justification, hinged on the hope that Xbox One diehard fans would do everything they can--even to log in every day for a few minutes--to keep their Xbox One connected.

At the very least, this may be wishful thinking on the part of Microsoft, especially with Sony offering a much more open-minded PS4. If there's already a better product being offered, why settle for a compromise?

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