What I've read online seems to indicate that early production runs of Xbox One units required online setup and download of a Day-One patch. Without an Internet connection, they were essentially $500 paperweights and could not be used even to play offline single-player games.

What I don't know is whether or not subsequent production runs and newer models require online setup. For example, do the new Fallout 4 bundle and the Elite bundle require online setup?

Microsoft says:

"You’ll need a broadband Internet connection to complete the initial Xbox One setup and to use some of the most exciting features, apps, and games."

http://support.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-one/getting-started

Is that information current? Does it apply to newer models/bundles? Can I buy a new Xbox One, take it home, and play offline single-player and local multiplayer games without having to connect to the Internet?

That sounds similar to when I purchased a Wii U. You had to connect to the internet to download the majority of the operating system.

That's awful. I know from experience that later models of the Wii U could be played offline out-of-box, so I'm hoping it's the same with Xbox One.

Unlikely. Even on consoles, games nowadays are shipped in such broken states that they often require massive patches on day one (especially something like Fallout 4) and local multiplayer is practically extinct.

Cant help you with your question, but this could maybe interest you :)

I think the biggest update i had was 1,5 GB but im not sure, lately i only had 400 mb downloads as a preview member.

Backward Compatibility comes on on the 12th with an Dashboard Update so you should probably wait with your Xbox , till after that date, if internets an issue.

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/27470-xbox-one-blasts-into-the-past-with-backwards-compatibility-november-12/

Its a shame, if its really doesnt allow Offline use out of the box yet.
I know for the 360 you could download an iso with the dashboard updates, but i dunno about the One

edit: Just remembered -.-
you need to have an internet connection for the BC, to download the modified files.

But I wonder if it actually required and forced online setup and patching, or if he willing created an online account and was then asked to download a normal system update?

Edit: Just expanded the comments... Some people are saying that local offline profiles cannot be created on the Xbox One. :( I know. It's a sad state of affairs. But I mostly buy GotY and complete editions, and I've become more diligent about checking reviews before buying, so it might not be so bad for me.

Indeed. You'll need an online connection to create a profile. Afterwards, it can be used offline, but not before setting it up once.

That's terrible. Good broadband isn't cheap here. I could afford it (easily, actually), but I'd rather save that money because I'm not currently interested in online multiplayer (and I have both a cellphone and access elsewhere for my few online needs). Sad that much of the industry thinks anyone without high-speed Internet can't be a gamer these days.

If you have a data plan on your cell phone, you could set it up as a Wi-Fi access point and use that to give the XBox temporary internet access, setting up the account shouldn't use much data. Unless the patch is required and too large for the data plan.

Thanks for the suggestion. Might try it if I decide I really want an Xbox One. Or I could probably take a case of beer over to a friend's house and set it up there. It'd be a pain in the ass, tho, and I'm inclined to avoid supporting this kind of thing.

I download some of my larger GOGs at a relative's house on his Charter connection, but ironically, he's still got an oldschool CRT TV, so I couldn't setup an Xbox One there without lugging my TV along as well.

Yet another reason why I decided to simply ignore this console generation. They're trying way too hard to make them more like PCs, except they only ever seem to introduce the negative "features" of PC gaming, while modern consoles are still missing most of the positive ones, and completely lack the original charm and simplicity of older console generations.

Things like this is why I liked the idea of the original Xbone console. If you're going to do the online activation thing, go all out and do it properly.

I am still very curious why the 360 is considered undesirable now. They are pushing away from the 7th gen, but it's the last console generation i'd consider at this point. Yeah you can't do some of the fancy lighting effects, but the games look just fine. Although i do really wish they'd include options for disabling various effects, since games that heavily rely on visuals without a good framerate so far in my experience don't play too well.

I'm also reminded of the original xBox, they had various things they were going for. Not only was it a decent system at the time (733Mhz system), but one of the targets of the games was fast loading times. Larger Ram sizes can mean more it has to load before it's happy, and more textures that only marginally add to the graphics. Not to mention large ram and powerful CPU's more help facilitate bad programming practices rather than good design and optimal coding.

Recently i've loaded up and started playing the original Disgaia (on PS2), and you know what? It loads SUPER FAST!. That compared to say 360 games, or New Vegas, etc. It's an eye-opener, that the older and simpler systems did things much better. What's worse? The resolution is lower... and that's almost it.