Evil Avatar, referenced an article from six months ago discussing a patent that had been filed for the Xbox One. The patent in question details the Kinect’s ability to count the number of viewers for multimedia, and the ability to register when that number goes above a threshold set by the content provider. Loosely summarized, they’ll know if you’re holding a “mass viewing”. To make this real let’s use the NFL as an example. Technically by NFL policy the most people you’re allowed to have in your home to watch a game is 13, anything above that would require a “screening license”. It’s entirely possible then, that you could have a Super Bowl part with 30 relatives and receive a bill for a screening license from the NFL. This is of course not confirmed to be used in the Xbox One, and a part of me thinks Microsoft would be smart enough to realize that the marketing implications and detriment to reputation could be pretty massive. I for one could tell you the second I read about someone being fined my box would be sold on eBay or returned if in the appropriate window. Never have I been one to use the slipper slope argument, but the last thing Microsoft needs is hours of video of my living room, or the option to charge me for something else.
Thomas Winkley is the Gaming Editor for Big Shiny Robot!, follow him on Twitter: @thomaswinkley, or email him Thomas@bigshinyrobot.com