Buffering: Microsoft's Quantum Break Requires Internet To Stream Live Action Segments
'Always-on DRM' is a phrase that sends shudders of terror and rage through gamers but apparently the premise of always having to be connected is okay if you otherwise can't access content. Microsoft and Remedy Entertainment's Quantum Break needs internet.
Quantum Break has almost become its own institution by now for how long it has been in the works for Xbox One as this big new IP from original Max Payne creator Remedy. Now it's nearing completion and we learn that the Xbox One exclusive is okay with coming to PC with Windows 10. Awesome. Great. However there seems to be an issue that won't be pleasing.
The big sell of Quantum Break is that it's a sci-fi TV-like show as well as a game and it switches between the two interchangeably throughout, with us getting to make certain choices and even getting to see more of the live action parts if we make sure to uncover narrative elements during gameplay. The trouble it seems is how much space all these 'episodes' will be taking up.
Remedy and Microsoft have opted to keep the live action sequences off the game disc and instead stream the content.
"We have 40 different variations of the show in total where basically your choices get to make it evolve and change whether it’s from a junction choice or we have these things called 'Quantum Ripples' which essentially unlocked sort of deleted scenes from the show," narrative designer Greg Louden says. "Then combined with that, the show length can change based on your decisions because some episodes are longer as a result and some episodes are shorter. It basically evolves and that’s why we needed to stream it."
The Elephant In The Room: Time
Time is what Quantum Break is all about so it stands to reason it should play on our minds. Well let's go a little meta here and ponder 'what happens in 5 to 10 years?' If this content is streamed via Microsoft to 'save disk space' then what about when penny-pinching executives don't like all this server space reserved for streaming content for a game not-so-popular anymore?
Thankfully there is an option to download the live action segments should the idea of streaming put you off but that's only for the Xbox One version, and the clips are at 1080p. The PC version has its episodes in 4K resolution and is only available through streaming. The issue still remains then that buying the game doesn't guarantee you the full package as you must either stream or download more later. Considering they've held it all back because of space concerns these downloads will be quite substantial.
"I can’t give you an exact size, but it is big, so we wanted to create this high quality game experience and use all the disc space to maximize the visual effects qualities of the animations and all that stuff. So for us, it was kind of like a natural choice," he says. "Also, our desire to really make it change… I think if we only had one show, it probably would have fit, but we didn’t want to do that. We wanted to do this active experience where you negotiate the story and change it, so this was the only real solution to our problem. When we figured out how big the data was, we had to backpedal and think of some good solutions and this made sense."
We've Seen This Episode Before
The cynic in us will likely squint in suspicion at this 'needs internet' requirement, especially when it comes to the PC version. Keeping certain content locked behind remote servers will irk some just for the inconvenience but also stoke the 'this is DRM!' fires. The other major problem is that internet bandwidth is hardly a settled issue and many experience spotty connections. Whether you're in a more rural area or packed into a college dorm, getting a consistent flow of data can be quite the challenge.
How will it buffer? Will stutter or wait until enough is buffered to start playing? Does it scale in resolution? This is the era of YouTube.
Why does the PC version get singled out? This may come back to Microsoft opting a more sly way of fighting would-be pirated copies. Keeping the live action sequences locked to genuine copies after all means you could get hold of a not-so legitimate copy but you're then missing out on significant chunks of the experience. Microsoft and Remedy can say it's just about the space it takes up but the truth is it conveniently acts as a form of DRM, unless Microsoft is letting unregistered sources stream this content? Unlikely.
Do these kinds of moves to disadvantage the jolly-roger brigade outweigh the enormous inconvenience it causes legitimate owners? It's something that plagued Ubisoft when they launched Uplay and took a very strict always-on approach to their PC games. Ultimately it really only caused trouble for real owners of the titles seeing as how pirated copies sidestepped all the connection issues. It also boils down to this: a single-player game demands you have internet.
Please Insert Disc Two
While Xbox One gamers may be breathing a sigh of relief they can choose to download the live action sequences to their consoles, PC gamers are left without a choice... at least for now. Why not just supply another disc with the game with all the live action episodes to optionally choose to install? Supplying multiple discs is hardly anything new. Heck the original Metal Gear Solid for PlayStation stopped the game and told us to change the discs and Hideo Kojima practically makes whole movies for cutscenes.
Have the practises of the past jaded us or is this a red flag moment for Microsoft's latest 'we love PC again, honest' attitude?
Quantum Break releases on Xbox One and PC April 5th, 2016.