The next Generation of Game Consoles will not allow you to use a second had copy of a game

[halfpint]

I heard a little about this on the BBC Click program and what it means is that the buying and selling of second hand games will be killed off ..pretty cool stuff huh anyway heres more on it

While internal teams at Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all hard at work designing and revising new console hardware, at least one next-generation console manufacturer may implement a way to kill used game sales faster than digital downloads.

As metioned by Kotaku earlier today, Microsoft is reported to be testing a software or hardware method on the next version of the Xbox hardware designed to halt the ability to play used games. While this report doesn?t indicate that this feature will definitely be included in the next version, the appeal to developers and publishers is likely incredibly high. This type of solution would make it vastly more difficult for retailers like Gamestop to resell traded-in games for bloated prices, thus cutting into publisher sales. However, it?s also likely to anger consumers that want to unload old games on sites like eBay and severely harm video game rental services like Gamefly or Redbox.

The most likely scenario of this protection method would tie anyone with an active Xbox Live account and Internet connection to a specific disc of a new game release. However, finding a way to bind one game per system in an offline environment may also strike a severely devastating blow to piracy. Since piracy has increased by 20 percent over the last five years and impacts the gaming industry?s revenue each year to a certain degree, this new system of protection may halt software pirates from distributing game data when the code will only work on the first console that it?s played upon.

Gaming publishers have already been fighting the used game market by locking content within the game until a a one-time use code is entered. This allows publishers like Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to lock Catwoman?s single player narrative within Batman: Arkham City or Electronic Arts to require a code to enable the multiplayer portion of Battlefield 3. Any consumer that purchases a used copy of these games from retailers or other sources is at the mercy of the publisher in regards to the amount of additional money spent on digital codes.

Digital Download Countdown

Vita-PlayStation-Store-2While this potential used game protection scheme is definitely alarming, the gaming industry is already in a transition period between physical disc sales and digital downloads. As broadband speeds and data caps increase over the next five years, downloading a future version of Call of Duty may become the preferred practice over waiting in line at the local Best Buy.

Sony and Microsoft could also take a page out of Steam?s playbook and allow consumers to download the entire game in advance of the release date to balance server load, then unlock the ability to play the game at midnight. However, storage capacity of hard drives within the next generation of consoles would likely have to start around 500GB or 1TB to store multiple 20GB games. Similar to OnLive?s business model, cloud gaming could also be a potential solution introduced by Sony or Microsoft.

The rest here http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/...gaming-market/

[halfpint]

Sharing is Piracy so dont fucking do it .. Dont even lend your games to your freinds you are taking money away from the publishers

[NaughtyVisions]

Doesn't surprise me at all. I can understand why they would do it, too. But, I would expect a backlash from the consumer as well. With Xbox 360 games at $50-60 new, it's no wonder people want to buy a used version for $15-20 less.

Perhaps this could lower game prices? Theoretically, sales should increase if everyone has to buy a copy, so prices should/could come down accordingly.

How will this affect rentals, such as Gamefly, etc.?

[halfpint]

Originally Posted by NaughtyVisions

Doesn't surprise me at all. I can understand why they would do it, too. But, I would expect a backlash from the consumer as well. With Xbox 360 games at $50-60 new, it's no wonder people want to buy a used version for $15-20 less.

Perhaps this could lower game prices? Theoretically, sales should increase if everyone has to buy a copy, so prices should/could come down accordingly.

How will this affect rentals, such as Gamefly, etc.?

It would put them out of biz eventually I guess when the games which they now rent become to old as they would not be able to update. Wonder if they will bring out a similar system for dvd films as well in the future.

[Ross]

EA Sports games already require the use of a pin code. If you lose it you have to pay for a new pin code so it is already pretty much killing off trading/selling games.

When I moved to Canada and bought a new PS3, I bought some new games and tried to play online but as I had a UK PS3 network account it wouldn't work. I have to get all my EA Sports games sent over from Scotland.

[InfoGuy]

Originally Posted by halfpint

The most likely scenario of this protection method would tie anyone with an active Xbox Live account and Internet connection to a specific disc of a new game release.

So if a legitimate buyer moved, their game library would be worthless.

[bronco67]

This is fine, if they want sales to be 1 disc, 1 owner...but they have to cut the price in half. They can't have it both ways.

Right now, the games are too expensive, especially for an 8 to 12 hour experience(if there's no multiplayer involved). I would happily pay 30 bucks for a ps3 game, even without the option to trade it in at gamestop.

[Fletch XXX]

consoles suck anyway, pc gaming where its been for years.

[bronco67]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

consoles suck anyway, pc gaming where its been for years.

Know this from personal experience? I play both, and I could hardly say that console games suck.

[Fletch XXX]

Originally Posted by bronco67

Know this from personal experience? I play both, and I could hardly say that console games suck.

i dont think theres a console i havent played that has come out since the atari 2600

LOL

[Socks]

Originally Posted by Ross

EA Sports games already require the use of a pin code. If you lose it you have to pay for a new pin code so it is already pretty much killing off trading/selling games.

When I moved to Canada and bought a new PS3, I bought some new games and tried to play online but as I had a UK PS3 network account it wouldn't work. I have to get all my EA Sports games sent over from Scotland.

Well... HOW CONVENIENT.

[Mr Pheer]

The only thing that sucks for me with console games is that I cant use my keyboard & mouse instead of the console's controller.

I keep hoping that some day the console makers will see that they lose business over this and allow a keyboard & mouse option, even if its a system-specific keyboard & mouse. I'd still buy it. I dont buy 1st person shooter games on consoles for this reason alone, and I own all three consoles.

[bronco67]

Originally Posted by Mr Pheer

The only thing that sucks for me with console games is that I cant use my keyboard & mouse instead of the console's controller.

I keep hoping that some day the console makers will see that they lose business over this and allow a keyboard & mouse option, even if its a system-specific keyboard & mouse. I'd still buy it. I dont buy 1st person shooter games on consoles for this reason alone, and I own all three consoles.

Keyboard and mouse is the only good option for 1st person shooters, although you can get used to the analog stick controllers if you need to -- but I would never let anyone tell me they could beat my mouse and keyboard aiming with the console controller.

But, there's way more third person games on the consoles, and for those types of games the thumbsticks are actually better.

So I guess if you only play stuff like MW or COD, then PC is better.

Even for 1st person, I usually get it on the PS3 and just put up with the sucky aiming. I spend 8-10 hours per day sitting at a computer monitor. The last thing I want to do is spend another 3 hours playing a video game at my desk. With the ps3, I can kick back on the couch with some chips and a beer in the living room(on a 50 inch LCD). I can live without the better graphics and mouse aiming.

[raymor]

When they talk about piracy they seem to be missing the elephant in the room that the DRM proponents and a lot of other people ignored. The pirates will defeat the protection, so it will bother only legitimate purchasers. Not too long ago Microsoft's new anti-copy "protection" was defeated two days before it was officially released.

This may cut down on used games and game rentals, but it won't have much effect on piracy.

[TisMe]

This would violate US 'First sale" laws, (section 109(a) which give someone who has legitimately purchased an item the right to be able to sell their item on their own terms and without restriction.

However, where the game consoles were made might change this.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...t-misuse.shtml


http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201...tside-us.shtml

[Fletch XXX]

ps i didnt say console "games" suck, i said CONSOLES SUCK.

the fact you gotta buy a new one every 6 months to keep up with the trend is just tip of iceberg... now you will be forced to buy one that will stop you from using second hand games.

[MrBottomTooth]

Originally Posted by Fletch XXX

ps i didnt say console "games" suck, i said CONSOLES SUCK.

the fact you gotta buy a new one every 6 months to keep up with the trend is just tip of iceberg... now you will be forced to buy one that will stop you from using second hand games.

Xbox 360 launched in 2005, so if the new one comes out in 2013 I'd say you got your money's worth out of it. Compare that to what you would have spent in upgrading your PC over the years, even if all you upgraded was the video card a few times, and I'm sure you'd come out ahead with the 360. Sounds like the new one will be backwards compatible with the old games as well.

They talked about banning used games on the PS3 years back as well. It never happened. Too much consumer backlash for them to fully implement that.

[SmokeyTheBear]

they cant even keep people from burning games so seems like they are jumping the gun a bit..

I'm not impressed either way , bought some kinect game for the kids and it cost $65, the stupid tray on the xbox closed as i was putting it in and scratched the shit out of it and now it doesn't work.. didn't even get 1 play out of it..

[Scott McD]

Originally Posted by bronco67

This is fine, if they want sales to be 1 disc, 1 owner...but they have to cut the price in half. They can't have it both ways.

Right now, the games are too expensive, especially for an 8 to 12 hour experience(if there's no multiplayer involved). I would happily pay 30 bucks for a ps3 game, even without the option to trade it in at gamestop.

Yup, they moan about money yet expect people to pay huge prices for games which can be finished in 1 day.

Either lower the prices, or put more effort into your releases before expecting people to pay...

[candyflip]

This is to start cutting out the middle man. Places like Gamestop will not be able to operate without the buying and selling of used games.

Smaller mom and pop type operations will likely benefit from something like this.

[candyflip]

My parents run the ski school at a local ski resort. Some friends of their's purchased it the year before.

Under previous ownership, the cost to Ski for 8 hours, rent equipment and take a lesson was over $100. Under new ownership that price is now $45. With hardly any snow this year, they have already had more people out skiing than the last owner's had in their final year at year's end.

Price things reasonably, and people will buy it...this has been proven. Do otherwise, and in the case of digital media, it's going to get out and it's going to be cracked...also proven.

[brassmonkey]

Vita-PlayStation-Store-2While this potential used game protection scheme is definitely alarming, the gaming industry is already in a transition period between physical disc sales and digital downloads. As broadband speeds and data caps increase over the next five years, downloading a future version of Call of Duty may become the preferred practice over waiting in line at the local Best Buy.

who's writing this shit? caps are slowing down the download. it should be drive to best buy because the cap will make getting a large file like that would take like 5 days to download.

[brentbacardi]

I only buy like 1 game a year... so whatever...

I think its bullshit, if you own something, you should be able to sell it.

[mynameisjim]

You have to understand the gaming industry as it currently is.

It's not uncommon for a game to cost $100 million dollars to make. That's close to what it costs to make a movie, but the big difference is that a movie can make money at the box office, then a few months later it can make money on DVD, then after that it can make money on cable and network TV, then it can make money in foreign markets etc.

A video game on the other hand really only has that first week to make money. If it doesn't catch on in that first week, it will never make money because the original owners will just sell it, and anyone looking to try it later on will by a used copy.

This makes it almost impossible for developers to try new things or make new games because the risk is just too high and unless the game has record sales the first week, it has no other options to recoup the development costs.

So for me I see it like this. I enjoy gaming and I want to see more unique games coming out and the truth is, used games are only a few dollars cheaper than buying games. A new game is $60, a used copy of a new game is only $5 less at GameStop. So I would rather pay a few bucks more for games if it gives developers more freedom to create new and unique games.