Licensing and Xbox Live Marketplace content

 

Over the past few months, forumers have reported issues with certain content items functioning improperly. Prevalent among these issues was the report that their purchased content was no longer being recognized as “purchased” by their boxes. The reason people seem to be having issues with these items is because of licensing.

 

When an item is purchased and subsequently downloaded for the first time, licenses to use the downloaded content are created and passed out to two separate locations. First, a license is created and issued to the console. This license enables all accounts to use this content freely, as long as the content is being accessed from said console – any profile being used on the console will be able to use the content while on the console.

 

Second, a license is created and issued to the profile used to purchase the item. This license is different in that it allows the profile to use the content on whichever console it currently resides on, but only if it is connected to live. Only the signed-in account can use the paid-for content – a license would have to be purchased on that console for everyone to be able to play. This seems to be where some people are getting tripped up – bringing a profile with a license on it to another console will not give the second console a license as well.

 

Example Scenario:

 

Say we have Consoles A and B, and profiles Player1, Player2, Player3.

 

Player 1 purchases the full version of Geometry Wars on Console A. Console A now has a license for Geometry Wars, and anybody can play the full version of the game on that console. Player2 and Player3 are both able to enjoy the game as well on console A, as the console is licensed.

 

If Player1 moves to console B, he can still play the full version of Geometry Wars while he is signed into Live, as his profile has the license for the game. Player2 and Player3 would both be able to play the full version on console B, as well, as long as Player1 is connected to live on the same console. Once Player1 disconnects, however, Player2 and Player3, can only play the trial version, because they do not have the license, and nor does Console B. The only way Console B can be licensed is if another profile (Player2 or Player3) purchases the content on the new console.

 

Hopefully, this helps to clarify some of the issues you folks have been having. I’ll do my best to keep actively reading the forums, and will try to help out in any way I can.

 

Millael (Ben Salem)