Sony Patents a Way to Sabotage Used Game Market

[fenrizz]

In Sony-iet Russia, game own you!

Damn you for making me laugh!

OT:
If this technology is implemented I shall have to pass on future Sony Computer Entertainment products.

Having been a loyal customer since around 1996 I must say it's been a while since I've felt the love from good 'ol Sony.
In fact I sometimes get the impression they don't really value me as a customer anymore.

EDIT:

PC gaming is quickly becoming the poor mans gaming world, and it's glorious. And game developers are starting to realize where the bigger market is (what with all these ports and assurances that their next installment will be PC friendly).

It really is, isn't it?
I've been playing less and less console for the last 2 years and it's mainly because Steam has oh so many sweet deals.
Also, some of my favorite genres just feel more right on a PC.

 

[gibboss28]

As a PC gamer, I hope this will be used. (Because I would love to see more people come over here, and buy PC games instead of this, so there would be more games designed for the PC.)

At the risk of going off-topic, it's not like PC gaming doesn't have it's own heinous problems (*cough*Windows8*cough).

Windows 8 isn't a problem for pc gaming in the slightest though

 

[Ken Sapp]

What a laugh, Sony has a bad track record when it comes to implementing poorly considered DRM or avoiding pissing off its customers. Anyone remember the trojan they included on music discs they produced in the early 2000's?

 

[Dragoon]

If this happens I won't be buying a PS4, plain and simple. As a student I can barely afford used games let alone new ones so this a a big no no for me.

 

[Entitled]

As a PC gamer, I hope this will be used. (Because I would love to see more people come over here, and buy PC games instead of this, so there would be more games designed for the PC.)

At the risk of going off-topic, it's not like PC gaming doesn't have it's own heinous problems (*cough*Windows8*cough).

The main difference is, that in the end, the PC can't get truly closed. You can always crack it, mod it, pirate it, offer alternatives, publish them without authentication, and generally make your own choices.

 

[Torrasque]

On one hand, I would love to see this actually happen because it would be the worst thing that Sony could possibly do, and that would amuse me.
On the other, I don't want them to do this because it is really fucking stupid and really bad.
But since it is Sony, they aren't likely to do it unless Nintendo does it first.

Heh, captcha is: save face
How suiting.

 

[Baldr]

I always have this to say; WHY THE FUCK SHOULD YOU GET ANYTHING FROM USED SALES?!

If I sell anything else I own, the original creator doesn't expect to get anything at all out of it. I sell my car, that's all my money. I sell my TV, that's all my money. I sell my house, all my money.

In other words, of course you don't get anything from used sales, games industry. No industry does. What makes you so fucking special?

No other industry has to deal with retailers that market used items over new merchandise and undercut new sales.

 

[XX Y XY]

I've already had to boycott Microsoft consoles due to all 5 I've owned, including my 360 elite, 3 light red-ringing on me and if Sony ever actually incorporates this patent into their systems, I'd immediately due the same to them. It's already BS enough that there is no way to resell or trade digitally downloaded copies of games. All using this tech would do is piss off and alienate currently satisfied paying customers and give pirates and hackers a new challenge to overcome (for all of 10 minutes). Publishers and developers need to stop this crybaby BS about the used game market and just keep it in mind when making their financial decisions. And what Sony is really doing with this patent is holding onto it until another company employs a similar or more oppressive DRM measure to use it so that they only appear to be jumping on the bandwagon and have finger pointing rights to dodge the inevitable blame and outrage. Once a product has been purchased by a consumer, that product belongs to that consumer, period. That includes the right to resell and trade that product for whatever price they deem fit. Why is it the video game market is the only market that can't wrap their minds' around this very simple concept?

 

[HyenaThePirate]

The particulars don't matter to me here. Whether they actually patented it or not, whether the technology is viable or not, or whether it'll be in any of their future consoles is moot. The fact that they went this far to develop it sends me a clear message that Sony doesn't care about me as a consumer, but as only the potential fount of ever increasing amounts of money. Instead of seeking ways to increase the value of my purchase and thus encourage me to part with my money directly with them through incentives or a lowering of gaming prices to remain competitive in the industry, they seek ways to LIMIT how and what I PURCHASE. That's an act of war for me.

I won't be buying any further Sony gaming systems or products until they can demonstrate to me that the quality of the PRODUCT is the main selling point for them, and not because I'm somehow obligated to pay large amounts to them because they so "demand" it. And if Microsoft pulls the same stunt, they can expect the same response.

Enough is enough. Companies need to make games, adjust the prices of those games accordingly (Not every newly released title needs be $60 outright), and understand that how and where I acquire my games is as much a personal choice as the games I'm buying to begin with.

 

[Entitled]

Even if we limit ourselves to purely digital goods, that still drags the entire film and music industry along with it. We CAN resell our DVDs and CDs. But what if we purchased the content of those mediums digitally? Can or should the fact that all those 1s and 0s are on either a disc or a hard drive alter our property rights even though they are functionally the exact same thing?

It opens a giant can of IP worms but if the privacy and rights of the individual come out on top, as they should, this will not end well for the corporate empires. They will have to adapt and get over it.

I think we agree about the principles, I just think that calling it "property" is a waste. The digital era itself already opened a can of worms in IP laws, and going along with that faulty analogy will just cause even more grief.

I agree that the rights of the individual should come first, but this applies not just to used sale rights, but I also believe that copyright lenght needs to be shortened, Fair Use needs to be expanded, and trademark laws need to be completely rewritten.

By claiming that a game copy of a game can be our "property", we would just play into the industry's hands by also admitting that the copyright itself can also be their "property", and any liberalization would be like taking bread out of their hands, as opposed to just changing the details of monopoly rights that they got granted.

 

[Karma168]

At least there will be one positive, it'll end the console wars. It's only a big thing because xbox 360/PS3 are so similar and take up roughly equal chunks of the console market. If PS3 used game sales (which is probably where a massive chunk of the average gamers money goes) are gone then are people going to stick with them? I doubt it.

While you'll still have your die hard PS4 fans they'll just be the new Beta-max fans.

 

[loa]

Yeah no, unless it's a cartridge I don't see how you can do this offline and enforcing permanently being online on consoles only for the sake of DRM would not just be shooting yourself in the foot, it's more akin to chopping the whole leg off.

 

[Tortilla the Hun]

So, unlike the many that have done so already, I'm choosing to not jump the gun and make wild accusations in the process, but to withhold my judgment until after I've heard what Sony has planned for the patents (which hasn't even been made official yet). For all we know, they could be hoping to obtain the patent to prevent other companies from using that sort of technology with malicious intent. I'm not saying that it is their plan, so please don't tell me I'm wrong for my speculations.

Spoiler: All I'm saying is...

[HEADING=2]Let's not point fingers, mkay?[/HEADING]

 

[Mike Fang]

God, this reaction to use game purchases is so stupid. What makes video game developers such a special case? Book publishers and authors don't whine about used book sales. DVD companies and film producers don't ***** about used movie sales. Also, is it just me, or is it ironic that this restrictive tech is coming from the producers of the PS2, which is famous for doing well because of having a back catalog of PS1 games that could be played on it? Yeah, I'm sure a lot of those were from PS1 owners who got the latest console and didn't want to have to throw out their old games...but I'll bet there was a significant number of people who chose a PS2 over an Xbox or a Gamecube because they could also buy used PS1 games from Gamestop, Ebay, flea markets and garage/yard sales.

 

[weirdee]

Not being concerned about this is like saying that it's fine for countries to pursue nuclear weapons research even though they "promise" not to use it.

Tell you what: we'll accept them developing this if they accept hackers tweaking their machines on the grounds that they "only" use it for homebrew and not piracy or exploiting multiplayer.

 

[zidine100]

oh look another random patent which more than likely wont be used.

but i digress, they know better, they know for a fact that doing this would destroy whats left of there already meger reputation, there marketing department would tell them in much sterner words, no, thats why they have a marketing department. This looks like another case patent hoarding.

 

[jetriot]

If anyone thinks that all consoles wont be doing this within the next ten years they are kidding themselves. All your downloaded games already do this and as retail purchases shrink this will be more and more common. In the end it is for the best. It eliminates a middle man that gets a huge cut of the profits for doing little to nothing. This means prices can match supply and demand more fairly and developers will be able to invest further into their franchises.

I acknowledge that it sucks for consumers that use rental/trade services and even more for people who simply share games with friends. This is simply the future. Buy/trade stores' days are limited. Retail's days are limited. Rental services will adapt into something new. Also publishers don't know it yet but their days our just as limited as record companies.

 

[Odbarc]

Game developers also don't take any of the risk of taking in ANY used game by dishing out their money for stores to hold their games.