In what must be one of the biggest backtracks in history, Microsoft have confirmed that they are dropping online check-in every 24 hours and DRM. This does mean that the online family game sharing has been removed which was an interesting and potentially positive situation but who’s to say that easing people into an online world isn’t a possibility. See the full announcement below but is it too little to late for those of you considering buying a PlayStation 4?

Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.

For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and buy games. We believe in the benefits of a connected, digital future.

Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One.

You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.

Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console — there will be no regional restrictions.

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray.

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year.

Fans of the extremely trippy and violent Hotline Miami will be happy to know Hotline Miami 2 is on the way.

“The epic finale to 2012’s blood-soaked hit follows an escalating level of violence through multiple factions born from the events of the original game — all within the confines of blistering combat, the unmistakable visual style, and another powerful and intense soundtrack that pushes you to the limit and forces you to question your own thirst for blood.”

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number will be out on PC, Mac, and Linux sometime 2013.

Similar to the news regarding game sharing with family on Xbox One, Steam may be bringing game sharing to the platform to share games with friends.

The code was spotted in the latest Steam Clint beta which suggests that it might be on the way.

“Just so you know, your games are currently in use by %borrower%. Playing now will send %borrower% a notice that it’s time to quit,” a line of code for one dialogue prompt states.

There’s no word from Steam right now but will update you when more is learned.

After a mini announcement last week, Epic Games have announced that the newest map pack for Gears of War: Judgment is now available. Titled “Lost Relics”, the new pack consists of four maps, weapon and character skins, and a brand new mode: breakthrough. It’s available now for VIP members and will release on June 25th for 1000 Microsoft Points. The map list is listed below.

CHECKOUT – Checkout’s combat takes place in the carcass of an abandoned superstore.  The shop owners tried to move inventory with a closeout sale in the weeks leading up to the HOD evacuations, but ultimately had to walk away and leave everything to time and history.  The intense close-quarters combat of the store aisles makes every decision important.  Weapon selection is key, cover is essential to survival and every move has an impact.  When facing your enemy, remember what the sign says: “Everything must go.”

LOST CITY – The ruins of this ancient city were once a major archeological find .  Despite sitting empty for centuries, the hydro-powered aqueduct and canal systems were still in working order and proved that the ancient Serans had a remarkable grasp of engineering and architecture.  Like so many projects, excavation was abruptly halted when the Locust emerged and changed the face of the planet.  Now every Seran city sits as empty and lost as this one.

MUSEUM – Situated on the bay just outside the city capitol, The Ilima Museum of Natural History features an array of permanent exhibits, special programs, and educational opportunities for visitors of all ages.  With over a million artifacts and specimens in our collection, you can explore the wonders of the natural world at your own pace, or take part in one of our special hands-on workshops. Tickets are on sale now for our latest special showing: The Ages of Seran Military Might.  Get up close and personal with ancient swords of mystical power and see some of the first working mechanical weaponry of our storied past.

WARD – The battle for Halvo Bay was fought on many fronts simultaneously.  While most areas of the city fell quickly, a few sections actually had time to mount a defense and fortify against the incoming Horde.  Some were even able to push the Locust forces back and regain some ground before all was lost.  This Overrun map features one such area where the battle was small but intense, and the dedicated forces of the COG army tried to hold off wave after wave of invading forces with little in the way of reinforcements.  They pushed the Locust back several blocks before resistance increased and ultimately they found themselves in a fierce tug of war with little hope of success.

State of Decay released on the Xbox Live Arcade just a couple of weeks ago and it has smashed all types of records. To date, it is the fastest selling original title on the Xbox Live Arcade selling 550,000 copies to date.

With the huge success, developers Undead Labs are preparing a lot of support for the title with a second title update in the works after the first one failed to be implemented. What’s more exciting though is the fact that a pure survival mode is in the works and will be released soon.

Have you tried out this game yet?

1001 Spikes releases later this year on PlayStation Vita.

Motorstorm creators Evolution Studios are bringing Driveclub to the PlayStation 4 and creating their vision of a game from a decade ago bringing team based racing to a whole new level. Driveclub is coming to PlayStation 4 and will be a launch title with the system.

Also, should you be a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you will receive Driveclub PlayStation Plus edition for free at the PlayStation 4 launch.

It was quite some time ago that Crimson Dragon was announced and coming to Xbox 360 with Kinect but as we found out at the Microsoft press conference, it is now coming exclusively to Xbox One and has dropped the Kinect functionality. View the announcement trailer below and enjoy.

There’s not many other developers that can show off the processing power of the PlayStation 4 quite like Guerrilla Games. Killzone Shadow Fall is one of PlayStation 4′s exclusive launch titles and is looking to change up the Killzone formula. We will find out just how different it is later this year but for now enjoy the E3 trailer.