Microsoft creative director defends ‘always online’ [Update 2]

Microsoft Studios creative director Adam Orth has taken to Twitter to defend “always online” devices. 

“Sorry, I don’t get the drama around having an ‘always on’ console,” Orth said on Twitter. “Every device now is ‘always on’. That’s the world we live in. #dealwithit.”

In response, BioWare designer Manveer Heir said, “Did you learn nothing from Diablo III or SimCity? You know some people’s internet goes out right? Deal with it is a shitty reason.”

Orth retorted, “Electricity goes out, too.”

And Heir countered (2), “You lived in LA, SF, Seattle… very connected places. Try living in Janesville, WI or Blacksburg, VA… You should move to a NON-CITY for a period of time and tell me how your attitudes change. Gamers live in non urban areas too.”

Orth replied, “Why on earth would I live there?”

A later tweet from Orth reads, “This has been a fun #lunch break. Even @manveerheir got up in my grill.”

To which Heir responded, “Haha, don’t get mad because I’m right.”

Orth countered with a “deal with it” photo featuring Barack Obama.

Another series of tweets continued the defense.

“Sometimes the electricity goes out,” Orth said. “I will not purchase a vacuum cleaner.”

An aspiring concept artist replied, “Vacuum cleaners require electricity to function. Games do not require online.”

And Orth responded, “I think you probably meant to say ‘some games do not require online’. Saying that games do not require online isn’t accurate at all.”

Orth’s comments follow the latest next-gen Xbox rumor today suggesting the console requires an internet connection to start games, and if dropped, players are given a short period to regain their connection before their session is suspended. Earlier rumors have also said the system will require an always on internet connection.

But these are rumors. Rumors which Microsoft has yet to confirm.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Adam Orth has been working on an unannounced project for an unmentioned platform at Microsoft Game Studios since February 2012.

Thanks, NeoGAF.

Mini-Update: It seems that Orth has locked his tweets. Find screen captures courtesy of NeoGAF member Shinobi602 and myself here and here.

Update: Orth has said that his debate with Heir is “just the normal daily back and forth” between the two developers.

“Apologies for offending non-cities,” he said. “I was trolling him personally.”

Heir added (2), “You should know we [Heir and Orth] are good friends who joke around with one another. Don’t read too much into our back & forth… All those tweets you are seeing about the city being superior. That’s him just trolling me. And I fell for it. Don’t bust his balls on that.”

Update 2: Microsoft has issued an apology regarding Orth’s comments.

“We apologize for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday,” said the company. “This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers. We are very sorry if this offended anyone, however we have not made any announcements about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.”