It was bound to happen eventually. All the outrage over the Xbox One's DRM scheme has paid off. Microsoft announced today that they would be stripping the controversial restrictions from the console. GiantBomb broke the story earlier this afternoon.

Story developing. As of writing, Xbox.com has crashed due to the overload.



UPDATE: Xbox Wire Q&A has outlined the changes

Microsoft stated that they have listened to customer feedback and have implemented the following changes. 

-Xbox One will no longer require an internet connection. You will only need to connect to the internet during initial setup of the console.
-Status quo on used games will remain. You will be able to buy, sell, rent, and trade as you would on the Xbox 360.
-Xbox One games will not be region locked. 

This follows an earlier report this week from publishers, who stated they were caught off guard by the used game restrictions. None had made a decision regarding a ban at that point.

This is very good news for Xbox fans who felt betrayed by the initial restrictions. Microsoft took a major beating at E3 when Sony announced the PS4 would lack the controversial DRM, and would cost $100 less. Early pre-order reports suggest the the Xbox One is lagging behind sales of the new Playstation.

In case you were living under a rock, dear gamer, the new Xbox One was announced today. I must say I felt rather underwhelmed with Microsoft's presentation. Especially after Sony's strong showing back in March. Here's a peak and some commentary at what's coming up for the nextbox.

It has an odd name
When gamers refer to the Xbox One, they usually mean the original Xbox. Guess that well known fact went unnoticed at Redmond. It's a bit of an odd choice, and completely out of left field. Many figured it would be called the Infinity, which makes (ahem) infinitely more sense. Then again silly names can work sometimes. Just look at the Wii. Though I still think it's code name Revolution was cooler.

It will be out by the end of the year
Microsoft hasn't set a date but they did confirm it will launch by the end of 2013. Expect a November launch window in the run up to the holidays. That seems to be the norm these days.

We don't know how much it costs
Microsoft didn't say a word about pricing, or even if there would be different models to buy. With cable integration, we can speculate that this may be part of the much rumoured subsidization program. So far, Redmond is tight lipped on the subject.

Keep reading after the break more details on the Xbox One