[Edit] Sony Plans to Make Used-Game Buyers Purchase Online Functionality

[Sonicron]

Eh... considering how unbelievably huge online gaming is nowadays, and that keeping the servers up isn't exactly free, I can actually get behind their train of thought here.

I'd worry that this could contribute to a (further) decline of proper single player titles though. If the money is primarily with the online portion of games, then SONY and the various game developers won't exactly be tempted to focus on the single player aspects of games, much less on single player-only titles.

My sentiment exactly. Seeing how I'm primarily a SP gamer, I'm quite alarmed by the current development regarding declining campaign length in new releases.

 

[Dalek Caan]

Doesn't EA do this? I hate it anyway. What if I rent a game? Or my friend rents it while I have bought it and we can't play together. Wish we could just keep things the way they are. There is nothing wrong with buying pre-owned games.

 

[Racecarlock]

What happened to the day when you could bring you favorite game to your friends house and laugh all night at all the shenanigans you get into on split screen. Not only do games not have decent split screen anymore but now you can't even play the crappy multiplayer at your friends house cause it won't work.
Its like the video game companies are trying as hard as they can to keep the "shut-in" gamer stereotype.

Those days disappeared when publishers and developers started believing that all we wanted was online multi player.

No, it started when game developers became entitled twat mackerels who think they deserve all of our money with minimal effort in return. Also they think gaming is only for rich people or something because clearly they aren't focused on players with not alot of funds like me. And if they want money from used games they should pressure gamestop or something instead of taking steps to make the player feel like they pirated the game or something instead of just trying to save a little goddamn money. Yes, apparently I am the greedy one, wanting to save money on games. What else could I spend it on besides food and shelter and shit? No, I should just give them a vacuum that leads straight to my wallet and say "Suck away!". The worst part is that people have bought into this idea that somehow I am a bad person because I bought a game used instead of buying it new, like it's my fault the store decided to keep all of the money from the sale. And yeah, I know they operate like that and still buy used, but i'm not made of fucking money here, and I don't think I should be seen as evil for being a little economical.

 

[Irridium]

Oh screw you Sony.

Why should games not have a used market, while everything else does? What the hell makes games so damn special?

Why isn't Hollywood complaining about used DVD sales? Why isn't the music industry complaining about used CD sales(or, why didn't they when people still bought CD's)?

Games are not special in this regard. Not at all. A used market exists for everything.

And I've heard the "well, the data doesn't get worse" argument. No, it doesn't get worse, but it gets better. If your game has a patch, the game sitting on shelves is rendered inferior and of lesser value. Unless you want to tell me that an un-patched New Vegas is the same as a patched New Vegas. Or un-patched anything is just as good as the patched version.

 

[Stormz]

And another company makes me hate the game industry even more. I wonder what will be next.

 

[kebab4you]

Can't blame them, developers and publishers do need there money, not like gamestop or stores like it are willing to give any of what they make back to them...

 

[Worgen]

I like how consoles are trying to have all the pitfalls of pc gaming with none of the benefits

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Tell me everything's free now, PS3 fans.

Don't bait the victims of executive meddling, Xbox fan.

Why are corporations so red-facedly determined to fuck players over in this manner?

 

[psicat]

Not a bad plan. Go Sony.

 

[The Breadcrab]

What in the world is wrong with the used market? If statistics are true and 90% of game copies are bought on release day, then that just means these companies are pulling a Scrooge McDuck. Some of us are not Bill Gate's children, developers! I wasn't interested in Resistance 3 or its multiplayer anyway, so I don't care.

 

[Happy Sock Puppet]

Bleh. I don't like this One-Full-Price-New-Purchase/One-Person-Admitted crap, but whatcha gonna do? We "gamers" always roll over for the next price hike or draconian control system. Before too long there won't be a used market, and we won't be able to lend games to our friends.. and we'll still be so damn proud that we spent, oh, let's say, 80 bucks to "support" Team Sony on our fresh new copy of Resistance 5, which we'll play for about a month before we jump to the next shooter. "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

Meanwhile, I just finished reading another book from the library! For free! Yaaaaay, I'm destroying capitalism!

Wit? Check.

Sarcasm? Check.

Making a valid point? Check.

Nice post.

 

[GigaHz]

Remember when used games were a bargain deal?

Soon there will be almost no reason to purchase a used game at all.

 

[Midnight Crossroads]

I can't remember the last multiplayer game I bought used. This really won't effect me unless there's a major shift in how games of the future are made. Still, this is a ***** move by Sony. I hope it fails.

 

[Eri]

Remember when used games were a bargain deal?

Soon there will be almost no reason to purchase a used game at all.

There never was a valid reason to buy used. Most used are only 5 dollars less and in much shittier condition than new. Boxes too.

 

[EHKOS]

Meh, I don't play online so I don't really care.

 

[FoolKiller]

See... I still dislike this idea.

I don't want my online play attached to a nametag. I don't want the game attached either. And for those that are saying that the poor company doesn't make money off the used game market are forgetting two key things:

1. They already made money off of that copy of the game. It was bought brand new when the person who sold it originally purchased it. The companies are not spending anything to create a new disc, new packaging, shipping etc. They don't even assume the risk that the store takes when they get a used game. The game store has to pay out money and hope that copy sells before the price of the game drops too much or they lose on it.

2. If the game is good enough for the 2nd person to buy it new, then the 1st person wouldn't want to get rid of it after playing it and so there should be no used copy.



Also, EA has a nasty habit of killing servers. I'm hoping that this doesn't happen where we pay to play online (EA Sports 11 onwards) as that would suck.

Oh... and one last thing I thought of. Say I buy a game used. Then I go and pay for the online pass only to find out that no one plays online anymore. Would that be fair?

 

[swordz202]

When this affects my single player games then I will worry.