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There's a lot of controversy around MicroSoft's new Xbox One system.  It's going to be an always on system, requiring a constant internet connection in order to buy codes for your games, so that you can then play them on your consoles.  Boy have things changed.  One of the best things about console gaming is that it's a social thing.  You take your new Call of Duty or WWE game to your friends house, and all of the guys sit around and play the new games you just bought.  A recent update to how they plan to allow this feature, still leaves a whole lot to be desired.  One of the things I've always done is traded games.. or lent out my games to friends to play for themselves.  Often this included me getting a new game to try as well, in return for letting my buddy borrow one of my games. Initially it sounded like Microsoft wanted to do away with any game lending or borrowing.  It's a damn shame if you ask me.  Often times I ended up going out and buying the games I was borrowing if they were really that good.  This puts the onus on the game developers to make really good games.

Update - Microsoft's Larry Hryb has issued the following correction to your friends not being able to play YOUR games.  "Another piece of clarification around playing games at a friend’s house – should you choose to play your game at your friend’s house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile.".  

So the lending of games has been resolved.  But how the heck can you play games by logging in to my account... or rather, how can *I* play my games, if my friend is already logged in to my account.  This is truly where things get complicated... and a little bit more clarity would be so very good.  I hate the idea of only being able to lend or borrow a game if I give out my Xbox Live password to someone else.  And they'd have to do the same thing for me of course.  Will they then have access to all of my content?  All of my videos or pictures, etc???  It would be GREAT to get some real answers on this.   So while you can "lend" a game... you really can't leave it there.  You'll have to log out of your account on your friends Xbox, and bring the game back home with you.  This sort of does away with the whole purpose or ease of borrowing or lending / trading games for a day or two.

And what about used games?  I mean, I go out an buy a good number of new games regularly.  Especially if they're games I've been waiting for or a sequel to an exisiting game I have.  Or... just a really great new title.  I also however spend a lot of time at my GameStop to check through their used game bins, and pick up some great games at some amazing bargains.  It's only natural right?  You played the game, grew tired of the game, and you want to now trade that game and use that money to go out and buy a NEW game.  Not a used game, but a NEW game you've been waiting for.  Will you be able to do this?  The short answer is yet, the Xbox One will play used games, and you'll be able to play used games.

That's the short version though. The long answer is a little bit more tricky.  Every single Xbox One game will have to be installed on to the internal hard drive.  Either by downloading the game from Xbox Live, or going out and buying the disc itself (only to use the disc for installation... once installed, the disc is not used at all).  This is great for gaming in one sense.  You won't have to worry about swapping out discs when you want to play a new game.  And you certainly won't have to worry about scratching or damaging your game disc itself either.  We go back again to the lending of games.  If you want to, for example, let your friend take your install disc, so that he can install the game on his Xbox One, to play it for a while, your friend will have to buy an unlock code, or pay an unlock code fee.  This will be the ONLY way these games will play on his Xbox One, and his Xbox Live account.  

This works the same for used games.  Let's say you want to sell your game on ebay or kijiji.  The person buying your game will then again have to pay a fee to unlock the game all over again.  No word yet on how much this fee will be. It may be $10.00... It may be $40.00... We just don't know.  But this does cause some complications too.  You won't be able to set your own price for your own used games.  You'll hand over the disc, and then whoever is buying the game, will have to pay an unlock fee to the publisher / developer or Microsoft themselves, in order to be able to play that game on their own Xbox One / Own Account.  How do you, as the owner of the game, actually get the money for the game you're selling?  You pretty much can't, as it will require a payment not to you - but to Xbox Live / the developer in order to then transfer that game over to another Xbox One.

Pretty strange all around if you ask me.  We'll keep you posted here with any further updates.