Microsoft still hopes for Xbox One digital game trading

The ability to trade and loan digital games on Xbox One will be implemented at some point, Microsoft hopes, despite the earlier furore surrounding the console's DRM plans.

Xbox exec Albert Penello explained that Microsoft still wished to revive some of its earlier digital game sharing ideas that were dropped when the console's controversial 24-hour online check-in requirement was removed.

"We were trying to implement the ability to trade [and] loan digital games with your friends," Penello told GameSpot, "which is something that no-one else was doing. I believe, in retrospect that people have calmed down and gone back and actually looked at what we said, people are starting to understand, 'Wow, they did want actually to allow me to loan and trade', which other digital ecosystems don't want to do.

"I think we need to do that. That has to be part of the experience. Right now, we're focused on launch and we switched the program back to discs, because that's what customers wanted."

Penello also re-confirmed Microsoft's desire to bring back Family Sharing - the ability for a small network of users to share access to their library of digital games.

"I get a lot of mails saying 'god, please bring back the family sharing.' We'd love to figure out how to bring that back. I still think it was a good idea. Maybe it was a little too soon for some people, but I still think there were a lot of good ideas in there. And we'll bring it back when the time is right."