Penny Arcade Report has done it yet again. They first wrote their view on an all digital console, now they are back at it, with another well written article about used games on the next generation of consoles.
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We’ve already tackled the issue of an all-digital gaming console, but what about used games? There have been multiple rumors about technology that would block the sale of used games on consoles in the past few months, and Kotaku has the latest details about what could be the next-generation PlayStation console. The source is unnamed, so take all these details with a large grain of salt, but it’s still interesting to read.
The bit that sticks out is that each game you buy will be locked to a single PlayStation Network account. “If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do,” Kotaku reported. “While our sources were unclear on how exactly the pre-owned customer side of things would work, it’s believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.”
These guys over at Penny Arcade are doing a fine job of writing up some compelling arguments on the topics we discuss here on a daily basis, and they surely again out did themselves.
Not buying any console that forces me to buy another copy of the game for my wife and my kid. And no, they CAN'T play on my account and earn Trophies and Achievements for me. Nor would they want that.
Sony should go out of business if they get this stupid. Glad I have a huge back catalog that will last me until these companies get these heads out of their asses.
It's not just Sony. Microsoft has been hinting towards this too IIRC.
I don't care. I'm headed back towards the PC myself. The games that really brought me to consoles were JRPGs, and since that genre is dead on the vine, I have little need of the next Playstation or Xbox. These consoles, with their crappy subscription-based multiplayer and stagnant technology.
It'll suck but I'd rather not have some of the Sony exclusives than support any console/company that thinks it can pull this shit. We wouldn't tolerate a DVD player that locked dvds to it and we shoudln't tolerate this.
I can easily see them codifying the "online code" nonsense into the next gen. It's easy enough and it's (tragically) accepted practice already. They would just streamline the situation.
That is: games won't remove things or reduce functionality for having a loaned/rented/non-activated copy. They'd take them away from everyone and then give them back to people who do connect. As long as much of the removed content is tied to online operation (dlc/multiplayer) the offline/rental/used game crowd won't care any more in 2013 than they do now.
And by all accounts, gamers do not care right now. They should. They really should. But they don't. That ship sailed, so we can look forward to more of the same.
If true, then unless Sony and *** hold Sales like Valve does on Steam then I guess this will be the death of consoles (well for them at least, we haven't heard about Nintendo yet) and Mobile and PC will rule the market. Funny that people say PC gaming is dying when it seems right now that game consoles are dying.
Like I stated in a different thread, I believe Microsoft is playing their cards in hopes that Sony bites on them. The card I am talking about is the used games. I dont believe that Microsoft will make their without used games. I think they are just saying they will to see if Sony says "we are doing it too" and actually follows thru on it.
The thing is Microsoft really has all the leverage. Sony is in red and can't afford another PS3 debacle. And this would be a good start to that snowball. I think Microsoft is just trying to thin out the competition and it makes sense because they have the most to gain. If the PS4 is a miss, Xbox would be the one to capitalize on it.
Say what you will on the Wii-U, but really it is just catching up to today. Its not really going to compete against the next xbox or the PS4. So the only people to gain are the PC community (cheers I believe I will reading if I am correct in this theory) and the Xbox community.
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Originally Posted by lockwoodx
Why the fuck do people care about guns anyways? Oh right... they equal a penis.
In regards to taking your games over to your friends... I only see this effecting if they have no internet. If it is truly tied to your account, if you migrated your account to his system, would that give you access to that?
As for borrowing games, that is a different story.
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Originally Posted by lockwoodx
Why the fuck do people care about guns anyways? Oh right... they equal a penis.
So if you take a game over to a friends house to play it, no dice. Parents won't go for it.
Wrong, Penny's article states that the CD is tied to an account. Just go to the friend's house, with the CD, and log into your account. Game works fine.
The interesting thing here is that this would require every gamer to have their console hooked up to the internet; atleast for activation of the game on that console. If this isn't a requirement, then the scheme doesn't work.
Wrong, Penny's article states that the CD is tied to an account. Just go to the friend's house, with the CD, and log into your account. Game works fine.
That's all fine and dandy, but my brother and I still trade each other games a few times a year, and that wouldn't work under the model listed above. I'll build a kickass pc if MS goes this way. I've been thinking about doing it anyway.
As for Sony... Well I'm just done with them.
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"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica."
~Abraham Lincoln
That's all fine and dandy, but my brother and I still trade each other games a few times a year, and that wouldn't work under the model listed above. I'll build a kickass pc if MS goes this way. I've been thinking about doing it anyway.
Before you spend a whole lot on that PC you might want to look at the current state of activation codes on PC games. They kinda invented the concept.
