Microsoft: Xbox One Digital Game Sharing ‘When the Time is Right’

Speaking to GameSpot Microsoft's Albert Penello said that a digital-only future "is going to happen" and adds that the original Xbox One plan to allow digital game trading will be re-introduced "when the time is right". 

Penello commented that Microsoft hopes to re-introduce some of Xbox One's initial policies such as the ability to give digital titles to other users.

"We were trying to implement the ability to trade [and] loan digital games with your friends. Which is something that no-one else was doing. I believe, in retrospect that people have calmed down and gone back and actually looked at what we said, people are starting to understand, 'Wow, they did want actually to allow me to loan and trade', which other digital ecosystems don't want to do."

Such a program would likely have a profound impact on Steam, Origin, and PlayStation Network services but Penello says that right now Microsoft is focused on launching the Xbox One as a primarily disc based console. 

"I think we need to do that. That has to be part of the experience. Right now, we're focused on launch and we switched the program back to discs, because that's what customers wanted."

Regarding the family sharing initiative, also scraped alongside the removal of the Xbox One's DRM policies, Penello says the service may be re-introduced at some later point. 

"I get a lot of mails saying 'god, please bring back the family sharing.' We'd love to figure out how to bring that back. I still think it was a good idea. Maybe it was a little too soon for some people, but I still think there were a lot of good ideas in there. And we'll bring it back when the time is right."

The Xbox One is set to be released on November 22nd in 13 launch territories for $499/€499/$429. It was announced that Microsoft will begin accepting applicants for the Xbox One's indie developer program this week.