A few days ago, Major Nelson gave us word of a new tool that Xbox owners could use to regain licenses for their downloaded content such as Arcade games and add-ons. The Microsoft DRM has been a point of considerable debate, as users can only use their content on one registered console without being connected to the Internet. This was exacerbated by the fact that the Xbox 360 has a less-than-exemplary hardware reliability and so many users who had to get their consoles replaced (including myself) found the content that we had paid for crippled due to the games not being played on the console with which they were originally downloaded. Until this new DRM management tool was released, Xbox users had no way of transferring their licenses. Have I lost you?

Hit the jump for more details on what is possibly the most inept remedy I’ve ever seen.

Luckily, only two and a half years later, Microsoft was kind enough to release the aforementioned DRM tool, which consolidates all of a user’s licenses onto one console. The only problem is that the process is a major pain in the ass. It involves a computer, your Xbox 360, and a shitload of patience.

The first step is transferring every license onto one console using Xbox.com. Simple enough. Then you have to log in to you Gamertag on your Xbox 360 and… here’s the best part… download everything again, manually, one by one. That means every single map pack, Rock Band track, and XBLA game. This is done by going through the terribly organized Download History section of the XBL marketplace, forcing you to wade through every little theme and game trailer that you don’t want anymore. Redownloading content only means transferring the licenses (all of the other data is already on the hard drive) so it only takes a second, but you also have to wade through the blade interface for every single item.

Take a look at this:

I have 503 game licenses tied to my account (many of which are trailers and throwaway items), but I still had to wade through Live’s poorly organized digital shelves in order to figure out what licenses I needed to retain. That means redownloading over 100 items (I stopped keeping count at 60 or so).

One last hiccup was that some items were fully redownloaded, and after regaining every license I had to search my hard drive for duplicate map packs and Arcade games. It was the icing on the diarrhea cake that was my whole DRM ordeal.

It’s nice to have full control of my paid content again, but could Microsoft really not come up with a better solution than manually redownloading every single item?

As an added bonus, why read about the process when you can be condescended to by Major Nelson? I just wish he would talk a little slower.

Choice quote: “It’s quick and simple!”

Categories: DLC, Failure, Microsoft, WHY??, Xbox 360, Xbox Live