A bewildering flurry of stories emerged after the Xbox One reveal event, with Microsoft executives directly contradicting each other about several Xbox One features crucial to gamers - foremost among them, the console's requirement for an Internet connection and the way that the console will handle pre-owned games. Since then, Microsoft has officially clarified a number of these issues - as we detailed here

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Does it require an internet connection?

What kind of Internet connection do I need to use it?

Will Xbox One games be released on-disc and digitally at the same time?

Is it always-online?

Can I play my games on a friend's console?

Can I play my friend's games on my console?

Can my friends and family play my games on my console?

Can I lend my games to my friends or family?

Can it play pre-owned games?

What about game disc-rental services like Lovefilm and Gamefly?

Does every game have to be installed?

How big is the hard drive?

Will it work without Kinect?

Can I turn Kinect off?

Does Kinect automatically upload information to Microsoft?

Do I have to use voice and gesture controls?

Will all that live TV stuff be available outside of the US at launch?

How will Xbox One's live TV work with existing cable providers, like Sky?

Is it backwards compatible in any way?

Will my Xbox Live Gold account transfer?

How about my Gamerscore?

And my digital games library?

Will I still have to pay for Xbox Live Gold?

Below are the answers to all they key Xbox One questions as they stand the weekend before E3. If you're still unclear on Kinect, used games, the console's online requirements or anything else, you'll find as much as we currently know below, incorporating all the official sources and quote I could find.Xbox One will need to connect to the internetin order to let you play games on your primary console. On any other console, it will need to connect to the Internet. Some games and services will require a persistent connection. If you are somewhere without any Internet connection at all, such as a military base, you will NOT be able to use Xbox One. Watching TV or Blu-Ray discs is exempt from this restriction.Xbox One will need to connect to the Internet to authenticate you and check which games you own as well as connect to the Cloud. Games are tied to your Xbox Live account, so without connecting to the Internet the Xbox One won't be able to verify that you own them. A side-note: as a result, you can play all your games from any Xbox One console.Microsoft recommends a broadband connection of at least 1.5Mbps."You’ll be able to buy disc-based games at traditional retailers or online through Xbox Live, on day of release," says Microsoft's official information Technically, but it depends on your definition of the phrase. You will be able to watch TV and Blu-Ray movies and play single-player games without being connected to the Internet at all times, but as outlined above, the console will need access to the Internet at least once a day on your own console or once an hour on another. "While a persistent connection is not required, Xbox One is designed to verify if system, application or game updates are needed and to see if you have acquired new games, or resold, traded in, or given your game to a friend. Games that are designed to take advantage of the cloud may require a connection," says Microsoft You can play your games on any console that's connected to the Internet., not unless you're signed in as them. Otherwise you will have to buy that game yourself. Even if your friend leaves the disc with you, you can't play it unless you buy it.The clearest stance on this comes from Eurogamer's interview with Harrison: "I can come to your house and I can put the disc into your machine and I can sign in as me and we can play the game. The bits are on your hard drive. At the end of the play session, when I take my disc home - or even if I leave it with you - if you want to continue to play that game [on your profile] then you have to pay for it. The bits are already on your hard drive, so it's just a question of going to our [online] store and buying the game, and then it's instantly available to play. The bits that are on the disc, I can give to anybody else, but if we both want to play it at the same time, we both have to own it. That's no different to how discs operate today."Microsoft's Major Nelson (Larry Hyrb) put it this way : "Should you choose to play your game at your friend’s house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile." But then if you go home and leave the disc with your friend, they will have to pay for that game if they want to play it on their own profile.If a game is installed on a console, anybody who uses that console can play it through that console's parental controls . "Your friends and family, your guests and acquaintances get unlimited access to all of your games Anyone can play your games on your console, regardless of whether you are logged in or their relationship to you," says the official information Bottom line: you can only share games if your accounts are on the same console.On the one hand, Xbox One's licensing only supports "giving" your games to a friend - so you can transfer the rights for a game to a pal, but then you don't own it any more and can't play it. They also can't give it back, or transfer it on to anyone else; each game can only be transferred once. Also, you have to have been Xbox Live friends for at least 30 days to be able to pass a game on to someone.On the other hand, you can set up 10 accounts as "family" accounts that can play your games anywhere from your console, which enables limited game sharing, similar to iTunes' Home Sharing. But we do not know how this is going to work, what counts as "family", or whether Microsoft is going to somehow attempt to verify these people's relationship with you., but this is still sketchy details-wise. The license system implies that you can trade a game in, but then the person who buys it won't be able to trade it in again, as each game license can only be transferred once. However, this is not absolutely clear."Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers," says Xbox.com So you will be able to trade in games at retail, but only through selected Microsoft-approved stores and retail partners, and third-parties are in control of whether it's enabled for particular games. We're not likely to get the details on exactly how that works for some time yet. In the meantime, our wiki lists some more details."Loaning or renting games won’t be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners," says Microsoft. To be honest that doesn't sound enormously promising for things like Gamefly.This is partly down to the speed of Blu-Ray drives. If you want to play a game, it will have to be installed on that system., but you can't use all of it. Microsoft's official Xbox One information site contains a significant caveat in the small print : "Xbox One system software uses a significant amount of storage; less internal storage will be available to users."Kinect requires to be attached to the console in all cases. "The all new Kinect is now an essential and integrated part of the platform. By having it as a consistent part of every Xbox One, game and entertainment creators can build experiences that assume the availability of voice, gesture and natural sensing, leading to unrivaled ease of use, premium experiences and interactivity for you," says Microsoft's Xbox One FAQ . However, developers will not be mandated to use Kinect in every game, Phil Harrison clarified to Eurogamer You can "pause" Kinect when you don't want to use it and the game or service you're using doesn't require it.You can't turn off Kinect's microphone, says hardware program manager John Link (via Polygon ). It's always listening. But in its idle state, it's evidently only listening for the phrase "Xbox On", rather than passively absorbing your conversations."You can play games or enjoy applications that use data,such as videos, photos, facial expressions, heart rate and more, but this data will not leave your Xbox One without your explicit permission," says Microsoft Controllers, remotes and everything else will still work. "While it’s faster to find what you’re looking for using your voice and gesture commands with Kinect, you can use a controller, your remote controls or your smart devices instead. And you can use all of these devices when Kinect is paused," Xbox Newswire reassures.At launch it will only work in the US, with a gradual global rollout planned.No Microsoft source has been clear on this - both Harrison and UK marketing director Harvey Eagle have stated that this will be revealed in due course. It's likely that all the requisite agreements are not in place yet. Xbox.com's own Xbox One information suggests that eventually it will work with any TV-viewing box via HDMI pass-thru: "Connect your cable or satellite box to your Xbox One and prepare for lift off."Not with any Xbox 360 games, digital or physical. "The system is based on a different core architecture, so back-compat doesn't really work from that perspective," according to Xbox Live vice president Marc Whitten.says the Xbox One FAQ : "You do not need to buy a new Xbox Live Gold membership. Your current membership will work on both Xbox 360 and Xbox One."that's coming with you as well - along with your Avatar. "All of the gaming identity that you have on Xbox 360 will be there on Xbox One as well," said Harvey Eagle . You'll have to say goodbye to your Xbox Live Arcade purchases, as outlined by Eagle last night . But entertainment purchases WILL transfer over.The head of Xbox in Europe told The Metro : "Yes, we still see that as a chargeable service... I think that people understand that for a premium service that gives access to so many different rich parts of entertainment. Our consumers are happy and I think we represent great value there actually. If you look at the plethora of things available now through Xbox Live, particularly the Gold service and what we put behind Gold, we’ve got no plans to change that."

Got more questions? Leave them in the comments, and we'll find the information and add them in.Be sure to check out more information on the Xbox One Wiki

Keza MacDonald is in charge of IGN's games coverage in the UK. You can follow her on IGN and Twitter