Topic: if they do this on the PS3 then they have lost their minds

[Avinash_Tyagi]

SCE has secured the patent for a new disc technology that, if used, would not allow the PS3 to read used games for that platform. The technology was invented by Kutaragi himself, as well as two others.

Gamerandy.com

I'm willing to put this in the believable folder because it was invented by Katuragi.

[Bill Aurion]

The most amusing thing is that Sony's hardware is by far the worst of the 3 (though XBoxes tend to have a lot of problems too), thus all your games would become unplayable if it broke...Unless there is some way of them working on a "virgin" PS3...

[Avinash_Tyagi]

My guess is they'd make you obtain new access codes to allow the discs to be used on the new system.  Similar to the serial codes you have to punch in on computer software.

[odifiend]

Ree-F*ing-Dickulous.  

I'd add comments but i think that the way i spelled ridiculous summarizes my thoughts.

[Don'tHate742]

That's laughable. I can't believe they would even THINK of even THINKING up such an idea.

This sucks though, I was planning on getting a PS3 because I am very happy with my PS2. However, I use it mostly as a "borrow" system. I buy some top tier games, then use those games as collateral for my friend's games. All in all, letting me play games I would normally have to purchase.

It seems like Sony has me under there sight. Targeting me as if I'm a criminal. Well sh!t, If I can't do that then it's just not worth it.

[Guitar Smasher]

Will someone explain how rentals would work?

[ThePerm]

sony is on its third generation...meaning its going to fuck up..just like nitnendo did  with n64

[KnowsNothing]

They, uhh, wouldn't.

This is hilarious.

[Ian Sane]

If this happened I would seriously predict Sony in last place within like a year from now.  This is arguably even worse than sticking with cartridges.

Aside from the fact that consumers would be royally PISSED about not being able to buy used games or rent games or even have their friend come over with his game there are some big retail businesses that are going to be upset too.

What about EB?  Used sales is part of the game store model.

What about F*CKING BLOCKBUSTER?  This completely eliminates rental stores from being able to have anything to do with the PS3.  That's a chunk of Blockbuster's business just outright GONE.

And the thing is, pirates will STILL find a way around it.  Just like all these other bullsh!t anti-piracy methods the only people getting punished are the honest consumers.  The pirates will make a mod chip or find a way to have fake codes and away they'll go.  Piracy happens and all you do by going insane with protection schemes is scare the honest people into pirating because in some cases they have to just to use the product they paid for (this is sorta common with PC games).

Nintendo had the best anti-piracy strategy by having a console that couldn't read non-proprietary discs at all and had no way to even put pirated discs inside the console.

I actually hope Sony does this just so I can see them crash and burn.  They probably won't but everyone with half a brain knew the N64 was f*cked because of cartridges and Nintendo still did it anyway so you never know.

[Don'tHate742]

Ian, if this horrific idea actually comes to life, then you can't bitch about Nintendo do anything wrong ever, even if it regards Nintendo's past mistakes. Ok?

This is such a bad idea I can't even comprehend how many people would completely sh!t themselves with anger and disapointment.

[IceCold]

Maybe if this happens, they'll give rental stores "special" copies which can bypass the feature..

[Don'tHate742]

That still f*cks over the consumer who actually bought the game. Also, what's to stop consumers who actually bought the game from switching their copy with BlockBusters?

If that happened, which it most definitely could, then BlockBuster might not even bother.

[PaLaDiN]

IceCold, no because that would give pirates an easier way around.

[Guitar Smasher]

And really, what's the point?  PS3 will use Blu-Ray.  I don't know about you, but I don't have a Blu-Ray burner.  I'm not to knowledgeable about this pirating business, but wouldn't that be required?

[nickmitch]

I hope this is true. I will laugh my ass off at all the Sony fan boys.

[King of Twitch]

Has someone patented the word "stupidity" yet?

[stevey]

ahhhhhhh! there going to die and this isn’t there 1st timeor 2nd time they did something evil like this.

[Djunknown]

Yeah its one of those WTF situations. In an futile attempt of sound reasoning, they'll have a patent, but not actively use it. Its just one of those 'neat' innovations that aren't publicly viable.

I can see them executing this concept in Japan, where selling used games is a big no-no last I heard. Even then it'd be a big stinker.

But this news make Kutaragi look a bit loopy. Hell, it makes Iwata look almost sane!

[nitsu niflheim]

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
The most amusing thing is that Sony's hardware is by far the worst of the 3 (though XBoxes tend to have a lot of problems too), thus all your games would become unplayable if it broke...Unless there is some way of them working on a "virgin" PS3...

That is the very first thing I thought of when I read about this early today.  I take it as just another way for Sony to bump up their sales figures.  PS3 breaks... have to buy a new PS3, and since each game is encoded or whatever for the system that broke... you'll have to buy them all over again to play them... Sony racks up money and Media is blind because Nintendo is Evil!

And just to point it out... Your PS3 is going to break, just like your PS2 broke and just like your PS broke.  It's Fate!!!

[mantidor]

Ive read this is fake.

sorry to burst your bubble hehe

Also, as far as I know, Japan is the holly land of used games ( or just games for that matter), they still sell used famicom and superfamicom cartridges on a regular basis in Akihabara.

[KDR_11k]

Japan has laws regarding used sales that force the stores to pay money to the game makers IIRC.

[Pale]

Yeah, used games are terrible for every company involved except the retail outfits.  Here in the US game sales are already seeing a decline because of the growth of used sales.

I just still don't get why so many people let EB and Gamestop rip them off so much by buying the used games.  They marke them up to like 10% below the cost of the new game itself and make a SIGNIFICANTLY larger profit than they do selling the new ones.  They could sell used games for half the price they sell them for and still come out way ahead, yet people still think saving two dollars is worth lining the retail outlets' pockets instead of the people who actually made the game.

I won't argue that a decision like this wouldn't hurt Sony tremendously, but I wouldn't hold it against them at all.  To them and everyone else who makes games, selling used games is only one notch below pure piracy.

[nitsu niflheim]

The problem is that a lot of the times, the only way to get a game is to get it used.  The real culprit in the whole used game outselling new games in the publishers themselves.  If they cut the price of the games they would be more appealing, if they made them available for more than three months until th eonly way you can get them is by buying it used.  Castlevania games are a great example.  In about 5 months you probably won't be able to get Dawn or Sorrow or Curse of Darkness new anywhere outside of Ebay or some obscure store.

I for one only buy used games if I can't get them new.  And the 5 dollar discount that Gamestop.com and EBGames.com sell used games as opposed to their new game counterpart is not an incentive to buy because even if the game is only a month old, you will run the chance of not getting the case and instruction manual.  And five dollars really doesn't cut it either, anyway you look at it.  It it were like 15 or 20 dollars cheaper them yeah, maybe, it would be a good thing to look into.  

And then you look to next generation where games are going to sell about 10 dollars more per game than the current generation, used games are going to evenmore important because that extra 10 dollars you will be paying isn't going to be for extra content (some cases, yeah, maybe, but on a average game, no.) so you are going to be paying 60 dollars for a game that you used to get for 50 dollars and people who don't have a lot of money to spend on games are going to be taking a closer look at the prices.  And parents, who I think it has been proved, (not sure though) buys more games than any other group is going to look at the price and probably won't buy as many games for their children anymore.  That extra ten dollars can go for food or clothes.  

I think next gen used games are going to be more important than this gen.

[Pale]

But Nitsu, you're kidding yourself if you don't think EB and Gamestop will mark their used games up 10 dollars next gen as well.  The discount is still going to be relatively low.  The same goes for trying to say that publishers would solve the problem if they sold their games cheaper.  Not true.  EB and Gamestop would just mark their used games 2 dollars below that and people would still buy them.

You do have a point about the out of print games though.  Assuming this possible trick by Sony involves some sort of online validation, maybe they could shut it off after a game has been out of print for a sufficient amount of time.  Again though, you can't fault them for trying to protect their new games.  People are stupidly using places like gamestop and eb as rental places, buying a game used, trading it in so someone else can buy it used.  There is a reason why rental places have to pay a lot more for a game they are going to rent out than normal retail.  If a dozen people get to play a game and beat it in its first 2 months of release, and to Sony it appears they only sold 1 copy, that just isn't right.  It's not fair to the publisher and it's not fair to the developer.

As far as the concept of out of print games being hard to find, this is the biggest argument for online distribution of titles.  I for one still like to get hard copies of my games, but something could be said for being able to purchase any game, even if it is 3 years old.

[Ian Sane]

"Ian, if this horrific idea actually comes to life, then you can't bitch about Nintendo do anything wrong ever, even if it regards Nintendo's past mistakes. Ok?"

Hey, MS would still be in this.  Nintendo would still have to put up a good fight with them.

You know Pale some of us get used games from places other than EB and actually get a good deal on them.  Case in point this local store in my area marks used games down by at least $20 so there is significant savings to the consumer to get a used copy.  I don't think it's fair to damn used game sales just because idiots let EB and Gamestop jerk them around.