[opticalmace]

Have there been any hints about Microsoft perhaps doing the same thing?

If Sony does this, and Microsoft doesn't, Sony will look like huge assholes IMO. I don't see how this is going to work out well for them.

I rarely buy games as it is... this would drive me to buy even fewer, I think.

[Clay Davis]

any console that implements such a restriction won't see a penny of my money. I rarely buy used due to how fast prices crash on new releases in the UK, but restricting what I can do with my games after I've bought them? fuck that.

I like to lend my games out to friends who maybe can't afford to buy as many games per month / year or take them over to a friends house to play multipayer, etc this would stop that and that just ain't cool. :/

[Callibretto]

Would they even make any money off this? Because my impression is that lots of US gamers rely on selling back their old games for a new one, and/or would not get as many new games if they couldn't trade back.

I think they want a piece of that used game money. online pass looks like it work pretty well for them, but that can only be used for game with online component. now they can do it with all their games.

if this happen, it'd be nice if the game disc automatically switch to demo mode when it recognize it's being played on other console.

[Vinterbird]

Have there been any hints about Microsoft perhaps doing the same thing? If Sony does this, and Microsoft doesn't, Sony will look like huge assholes IMO. I don't see how this is going to work out well for them. I rarely buy games as it is... this would drive me to buy even fewer, I think.

They are all looking at it in some form or another. Whether or not they will implement it in their hardware is another thing entirely, but they are all definitely looking into it and how to do it right.

[Callibretto]

Have there been any hints about Microsoft perhaps doing the same thing? If Sony does this, and Microsoft doesn't, Sony will look like huge assholes IMO. I don't see how this is going to work out well for them. I rarely buy games as it is... this would drive me to buy even fewer, I think.

well, ms most likely launch first, so sony can still change their strategy if it turns out ms is not doing it.

[Foffy]

This type of measure, like region locking, would only have me lusting for the system to be hacked. And I don't even buy used Sony products. Fuck measures that walk over consumer choice.

[Mael]

you wait for _everyone_ to have a bluray player before you start buying vastly superior quality movies for your own enjoyment? :D what an odd stance!

I buy the DVD if it is THAT good (or the dual release with BR and DVD), I usually do without.
For example, Simpsons complete seasons get bought in DVD cause there's no way in hell I'm not lending this to everyone I know

So you buy movies and games primarily to lend them to friends and not because you want to watch the movies or play the games yourself?

Sharing is caring, same goes for everything if I don't care about it enough to try to pass it to my friends I don't care enough to spend money on it.
I'm more surprised by the selfish nature of people here.

[TTG]

If this type of system is implemented for both of the next gen consoles, I wonder where Gamefly would be. I'm guessing it also shrinks the pool for a lot of games that are big enough to require a relatively large budget, but don't have an established, successful franchise. Cutting off the nose to spite the face and all that.

[Untalkative_Bunny]

Better this than all the other crud they use to try to limit used game sales that actually affects content. Further, this could be used as leverage to make places like gamestop share used sale revenue with content creators.

But this kind of shit just goes to show how locked-down platforms can be used to hurt consumers. Anonymous general computing devices with the ability to run unsigned code purchased/downloaded from anywhere (no walled gardens) will continue to be the consumer's best friend.

[outunderthestars]

They are all looking at it in some form or another. Whether or not they will implement it in their hardware is another thing entirely, but they are all definitely looking into it and how to do it right.

DD only systems will eliminate the need for these kinds of solutions

[Roxas]

They have already started ID tagging games (Playstation All Stars & Ratchet Q Force), they lock to your account so only you can download the free PSVITA versions.

[Aaron]

Sony is already a master at suppressing first-hand sales.

[Callibretto]

If this type of system is implemented for both of the next gen consoles, I wonder where Gamefly would be. I'm guessing it also shrinks the pool for a lot of games that are big enough to require a relatively large budget, but don't have an established, successful franchise. Cutting off the nose to spite the face and all that.

maybe gamefly have to deal with Sony directly and ask for copies that don't have the restriction? can sony do that?

[SpinningBirdKick]

They are all looking at it in some form or another. Whether or not they will implement it in their hardware is another thing entirely, but they are all definitely looking into it and how to do it right.

There is no right way to do it.

[Mael]

There is no right way to do it.

Yes there is :
like in French politics popularity, don't fucking do it.

[Clay Davis]

Have there been any hints about Microsoft perhaps doing the same thing? If Sony does this, and Microsoft doesn't, Sony will look like huge assholes IMO. I don't see how this is going to work out well for them. I rarely buy games as it is... this would drive me to buy even fewer, I think.

they probably are, but I wonder who would be wanting to implement it more? sony have more of a vested interest due to their high first party output and not stellar attach rates, microsoft less so due to their not to high volume of first party releases and their pretty great attach rate.

whoever does implement it won't see a penny of my money. if needs be, I'll go full pc gamer, but I refuse to support anti consumer practises like these.

[Oersted]

Have there been any hints about Microsoft perhaps doing the same thing? If Sony does this, and Microsoft doesn't, Sony will look like huge assholes IMO. I don't see how this is going to work out well for them. I rarely buy games as it is... this would drive me to buy even fewer, I think.

We rather see more "solutions" like Ps+. It has proven that people are nowadays perfectly fine with not owning their games, hence giving the possibility not reselling them.

[dwu8991]

God damn it. I always buy used games.

How do you help support the games industry, who don't receive a single cent for all their creative work through buying used games ???

[Mael]

How do you help support the games industry, who don't receive a single cent for all their creative work through buying used games ???

He's actually paying other people getting new games.
Or do you think that retailers should burn every copy people sell them or that used copies are spontaneously generated when new copies show up in retailers' stock?

[opticalmace]

How do you help support the games industry, who don't receive a single cent for all their creative work through buying used games ???

Why is he (or she) obligated to do so?

[DieH@rd]

I dont think they will implement this with PS4. They are just increasing their patent "war chest".

[michaelius]

How do you help support the games industry, who don't receive a single cent for all their creative work through buying used games ???

It's business not charity.

[jaosobno]

If you ask me, nobody's suppressing anything. It would be counterproductive for Sony and Microsoft. I know that publishers would be ecstatic if this happened, however Sony and Microsoft would take massive amounts of shit because of that move.

Publishers could lower prices for new games and perhaps used market would stop being such a big problem for them (Activision you greedy little piggies, I'm looking primarily at you).

[rCIZZLE]

How do you help support the games industry, who don't receive a single cent for all their creative work through buying used games ???

DLC, online codes, credit from those used games being used towards new games, etc.

[smallios74]

It may have been mentioned already but prior to the PS3 release wasnt their a lot of info wrt BD being locked to the machine it was first played on? Pretty sure this never came to surface, also wouldnt the rampant piracy on the PSP mean something would of been done for the Vita? It all seems to me to be a tech Sony has looked at using at could implement if others take the same stance, perhaps a PS+ subscriber would be able to "unlock" traded in games?

[V_Ben]

If Sony does end up doing this, then they may be able to convince publishers that their system is the better choice if they want to make more money. Although I can imagine that if only one manufacturer does it, GameStop would throw their weight behind the other. Hmm.

[BosSin]

Stuff like this will increase motivation to hack their next console, resulting in people being able to pirate their games earlier than usual in place of getting them second hand. So go ahead Sony, you will only end up hurting yourself

[shinra-bansho]

Why is he (or she) obligated to do so?

They aren't. But I similarly don't see how publishers are obligated to support or facilitate that trade. Nor is there any reason why they shouldn't try to monetize the sales.

[Hyun Sai]

I lent my TTT2 copy to one friend for one week. Result : he bought it with 2 of his friends.

Food for thought.

[2MF]

Trying to make more money by selling a crappier product, that will go well...

People still don't see that the second hand market supports the first hand market. Prices and/or demand will go down if that stops.

[gofreak]

http://www.vg247.com/2013/01/03/sony...-sales-report/

Sony PR has offered a 'no comment' to VG247 on this.

Although I don't think that means much. If this was a part of a future platform, new-platform stuff would be strictly shared on a need-to-know basis, and right now I imagine regional PR folk would be out of the loop. If it's not part of a future platform, obviously they wouldn't know anything about it either...

edit - also linked the patent in the OP for anyone who needs it

[hodgy100]

never buy seccond hand games anymore, i buy new for playstation exclusives and steam for everything else

[Hoya Destroyer]

If this crap gets out of hand in the next gen, Im going back to PC's.

[Backfoggen]

Time to have hell of digital sales then.

[sajj316]

This is surely anti consumer and business no? Can they legally do this?

[bernardobri]

ID-tagged gamers own ID-tagged consoles, play ID-tagged games. Gaming has changed.

[BosSin]

This is surely anti consumer and business no? Can they legally do this?

It may not fly so well in the EU

[Eusis]

It would be terrible, because if it became reality Sony couldn't just magically release a machine the next day without the technology and it would cost them a insane amount of money to retool everything if something like that happened. In regards to used game sales: Has there ever been any research into the matter in terms of benefitting the industry? Is it proven it would generate more money for publishers in the long run when a lot of people take the used games money and put it toward new product?

Well, I imagine if it's based on RF auto authorizing a disc they'd simply let every game be auto verified then update later to ignore that part of the disc, but even if they can't do that? It's a terrible idea, and it may well be that a catastrophic failing of the system is the kind of thing that HAS to happen to make it go away. Just burn it all down or whatever.

[Mael]

Actually if they all do this I might as well move on to iOS and Android, at least if I'm getting shit it won't cost much and the costy paper weight will let me contact friends without trying to fuck me over.

[Vitten]

Won't this actually be bad for software sales ? If you can only play new games won't people only stick to buyin the AAA titles ?
I often buy lesser known games second-handed because they're cheap and would never consider buying these new full price.

[Untalkative_Bunny]

never buy seccond hand games anymore, i buy new for playstation exclusives and steam for everything else

+1. Though, I also buy vita games for travel and some LE stuff, cuz I like art books.

[DerZuhälter]

This rumor sounds 7 years old:

http://www.shacknews.com/article/422...ock-used-games
http://www.joystiq.com/2005/11/08/pl...ay-used-games/

There was already an old patent available for something similar yet Sony didn't go through with it. Why should they do it now?

[2MF]

Won't this actually be bad for software sales ? If you can only play new games won't people only stick to buyin the AAA titles ? I often buy lesser known games second-handed because they're cheap and would never consider buying these new full price.

Think about what would happen if houses or cars weren't resellable...

[Yagharek]

I lent my TTT2 copy to one friend for one week. Result : he bought it with 2 of his friends. Food for thought.

It's more than just that - I'm still buying classic games on download services I remember playing at or borrowing from friends in the 1990s. Goodwill can last decades. Bad faith on the part of the seller can last equally as long.

[Eusis]

There was already an old patent available for something similar yet Sony didn't go through with it. Why should they do it now?

They may be seeing problems with the approach and backing off while finding another.

Hopefully they never stop finding problems that wreck the whole thing, or it'll eventually be decided that ill will is THE insurmountable problem that breaks it and abandon the idea entirely or rework it to be tamer, IE a promo to switch to DD at a discount or streamlining the online pass system.

[Htown]

Used games have been long gone from PC ages ago because of retailers refusing to even take back (or allow trade credits for) PC games because you can just install them and return them. What exactly is the problem here? I guess you could argue that since STEAM is around then there's no need for a used games market on PC :P

This comes up every single time, and it's always an apples-and-oranges comparison.

CD keys and activation codes and restrictions on returns are an effort to prevent PC games from being illegally copied.

That is entirely different from putting technology into a game in order to prevent people from legally selling their used copies of games.

[Gorillaz]

Stuff like this will increase motivation to hack their next console, resulting in people being able to pirate their games earlier than usual in place of getting them second hand. So go ahead Sony, you will only end up hurting yourself

Like people werent going to try and hack it before hand?

[weird]

Won't this actually be bad for software sales ? If you can only play new games won't people only stick to buyin the AAA titles ? I often buy lesser known games second-handed because they're cheap and would never consider buying these new full price.

I would guess that smaller and more niche games will be mostly digital only. and to sell them they will maybe be cheaper.
that could be one good thing.... maybe

[DerZuhälter]

They may be seeing problems with the approach and backing off while finding another. Hopefully they never stop finding problems that wreck the whole thing, or it'll eventually be decided that ill will is THE insurmountable problem that breaks it and abandon the idea entirely or rework it to be tamer, IE a promo to switch to DD at a discount or streamlining the online pass system.

I don't really believe that this is a decision Sony can pull alone. Without MS going with the same approach they would never go for something like this. Backlash from retailers would hurt them too damn much.

[Dr Dogg]

This would neuter renting, as well as just lending a game to a mate. Is it really worth all the bad blood that woukd entale just for a slight increase in game sales?

Imagine if all cars needed to be bought new... Anyway, if something like this was implemented, I'd be likely to buy fewer games. I do buy used but that's not why -- I would be less likely to take a gamble on a game that I knew I'd be stuck with if I didn't like it. I'd stick to the big hitters I knew I wanted and would buy new anyway. Can't imagine I'm alone in that.

I think you pretty much hit upon a very likely problem here. Take away the option to buy used, rent or borrow from a friend/family most people are going to be very careful on their purchases if its got no resale value, can't rent for a couple of days or share with friends or family. I can't see this boosting sales, even slightly but making the consumer either wait for a price crash or choose their purchase very carefully which in turn are going to drive sales down. My backlog has shot up due to stupidly cheap prices here in the UK at the moment. Back in '96 I had to save up for months to get a copy of Tekken at £60! Adjusted for inflation that would be £98.40! God knows what N64 games would be.

See this is the sort of work Pachter should do doing not pulling Mystic Meg like predictions out of his arse like he's a member of the Family Guy writing team ala South Park.