Used Games Block (official?)

[C-Sword]

Sony has reportedly patented technology that will prevent the use of second hand games on consoles.

The patent application was filed on 9 December 2012 by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, and will work by linking individual game discs to a user's account without requiring a network connection meaning any future attempt to use this disc on another user's console won't work.

The patent explains that games will come with contactless tags that will be read by your console in much the same way as modern bank cards. When a disc is first used, the disc ID and player ID will be stored on the tag. Every time the disc is used in future, the tag will check if the two ID’s match up and, if not, then the disc won’t work.
The document goes on to explain that such a device is part of Sony's ongoing efforts to deter second-hand games sales, and is a far simpler solution than always-on DRM or passwords.

It's worth noting that Sony has not confirmed the existence of the device, and the patent doesn't state what machine it will be used in, with later paragraphs also mentioning accessories and peripherals.

Source: ign and neogaf
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=506560


Everyone should get a Wii-U

 

[Spletty]

Someone should find out if this is true or a hoax. Could be pretty major.

 

[bloodsport]

i can't see this actually happening, it would be a slap to retailers' faces. and the backlash from gamers would be daaaamn.

if it does happen i'm not buying the orbis... or ps4, whatever the hell it's going to be called. same with the box. but no way in hell am i going to wii-u, i'll just become a pc gamer again lol.

 

[Euphoric]

Do people understand why companies are doing this? Or are they just talking shit about it because they just want to. Only "retailer" that will be effected is GameStop in a major way, and GameStop is shit anyways. This is good for the gaming industry, lots of hard working people out there.

 

[Son ov Timett]

It seems like Sony has shot itself in the foot yet again. Yesterday those meddling kids on NeoGaf unearthed another of Sony's nefarious plans: a patent that seems designed to prevent a gaming console from playing a used game.



Here's the abstract:

A game playing system includes a use permission tag provided for use in a game disk for a user of a game, a disk drive, and a reproduction device for reproducing the game. The disk drive reads out a disk ID from the game disk. When the game is to be played, the reproduction device conveys the disk ID and a player ID to the use permission tag. The use permission tag stores the terms of use of the game and determines whether a combination of the disk ID and the player ID conveyed from the reproduction device fulfills the terms of use or not.​

In more readable terms (and as I understand this system), game disks would have an RFID tag embedded in them, and the gaming console would read that tag to determine if the game could be played in that game console. If it's a new game it would get bound to the account ID associated with that console and the ID or a relatable tag would be written to the chip. If it's a used game the tags won't match and the game won't run. Or it could be more granular than that. Perhaps the game's single player mode would run but it's multiplayer mode wouldn't.

The key here is that the console doesn't have to be online in order to do this check, which means it'll work on non-connected consoles, or during those times when our Internet connection goes out.
So is this a good idea? I have no idea; hopefully Sony has, or will, run the numbers to be certain they'll make up in sales what they lose in ill-will, because it's pretty much certain that it won't be a popular idea.
That, of course, is assuming they actually go forward with this tech. A patent filing doesn't mean a company will actually implement the idea they're patenting, after all. Back in May of last year analyst Michael Pachter related a conversation he'd had with SCEA president Jack Tretton in which Tretton said, in response to being asked about blocking the sale of used games, "for the record, I'm totally opposed to blocking used games. I think it's great for the consumer that they can buy those. We haver a customer that buys our console late in the cycle, pays less, is looking for value priced games, and I think it would be anti-consumer for us to do that."
Of course for now it doesn't really matter if Sony is planning on implementing this system on their much-rumored PS4 system or not; many gamers who hear of this patent will assume that it's a done deal and grab their pitchforks and torches.

Kyle Orland at Ars Technica has more details on this patent and his post is well worth reading.
One other possibility that occurred to me: perhaps stores that sell used games would have a way to restore a chipped game to 'new' status by using a system that they have to pay Sony for access to. That way Sony could get a slice of used game sales but places like Gamestop can continue to rip-off gamers by buying back used games for $5 and selling them for $45.
Hopefully Sony will be revealing some actual facts about the PS4 in the next few months and maybe that will put gamers at ease. If they're expecting to launch something next fall they need to start marketing by E3.

Speaking of E3, Xbox's Larry 'Major Nelson' Hyrb added a countdown to E3 timer on his blog with the simple caption "And it’s on…" Many have taken this to mean Microsoft is planning to officially unveil the Xbox 720...or Durango...or maybe they'll just call it the Xbox, at this year's E3 show.


P.S Don't shoot the messenger, this is just speculation at this juncture.


Source:http://www.itworld.com/personal-tech/333199/sony-patent-suggests-ps4-may-not-run-used-video-games

 

[RYX]

It's like Sony is trying to fail.

 

[MortySeinfeld]

Sounds like Sony plans on losing the next gen console war.

 

[Korpse]

This is very old news, same thing was said about ps3 and 360. If it happens, they're screwed

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[RagingNight]

Not exactly 100% true. Most company patent shit left and right even if they have no intent in actually implementing it. You can see that in almost every major company. MS has been looking into ways to fight the used game market as well, just about everybody knows this.

Sony (hopefully) isn't retarded, and if they are then they deserve to fail. I highly doubt the only system to be not region lock would implement something so anti-consumer. I mean they have to realize half the shit they sponsor on the ps3 uses USED games.

But in reality it is so easy to fight used game if they "really" wanted to. If both system makers decide to go fully digital then guess what happens? PC gamers are used to ZERO used games because 1) all the games are digital so you can't sell them back and 2) games are dirt cheap.

edit

ROFL it cited Neogaf as well. No wonder this shit sounded familiar. Nobody smart enough is taking this serious on gaf because everybody knows Sony would lose a LARGE portion of its playerbase if it happened and rightfully so.

 

[Pig Of The Hut]

How about banning wireless

And allowing more than a 100 friends

 

[STB Sgt Reed]

If they did do that... the other consoles could easily pick up a ton more sales just by allowing their consoles to run used games.

BUT, they could all be gigantic dicks and make their consoles the same, then no one can get used games and you can say goodbye to all video game shops.

 

[NRF CharlieMurphy]

How about banning wireless

And allowing more than a 100 friends

lol

no one has mor ethan 100 friends


how about relating your friends only to your Facebook!!! YEAH!!!!

The only way this will work...... is if all consoles are going to have this type of tech mandatory.

Then you won't really have much of a choice.

 

[Critical-Limit]

It's pointless to worry about this lol.

I'm really confident they won't implement it, not atleast anytime soon.

For something like THIS to take effect.

They'd have to slowly boil you toward that direction.

Not just flat out do it.



That way you become a little more accepting of BS.

The government does the same shit to us for the rich.





I say, no point in worrying until announcements/plans by them are set in stone.

If Microsoft or Sony ever go through with it. Then just object with your wallet.

 

[aj1701]

Not exactly 100% true. Most company patent shit left and right even if they have no intent in actually implementing it. You can see that in almost every major company. MS has been looking into ways to fight the used game market as well, just about everybody knows this.

This is exactly what I was going to say. Not only might they have no intention of implementing it, they might do it specifically to block the technology, because as soon as one console maker does it and gets away with it, they'll all have it (and Sony probably doesn't care about the used game industry).

 

[Reedoms]

BUT, they could all be gigantic dicks and make their consoles the same, then no one can get used games and you can say goodbye to all video game shops.

Steam Sales master race.
Consoles pay 60 while I can get as low as 25.

 

[Zoidberg747]

They said the same about 36o and PS3. They would be stupid to try this.

 

[aj1701]

Everyone should get a Wii-U

Wii-U = fail. Consoles are more then just games now, they're entertainment hubs, except the Wii-U isn't. Plus I was already tricked once with the Wii that has like 5 good games and 1,000,000 shovel-ware games. No thanks.

also don't we already have this thread elsewhere?

EDIT: We do, here: http://testyourmight.com/threads/rumor-ps4-may-not-run-used-copies.26734/

 

[InFlames]

Wii-U = fail. Consoles are more then just games now, they're entertainment hubs, except the Wii-U isn't. Plus I was already tricked once with the Wii that has like 5 good games and 1,000,000 shovel-ware games. No thanks.

also don't we already have this thread elsewhere?

EDIT: We do, here: http://testyourmight.com/threads/rumor-ps4-may-not-run-used-copies.26734/

This one was posted first. Check the dates.

 

[Jimmypotato]

be ready for it, because it will happen eventually, companys need to make money,

 

[TakeAChance]

be ready for it, because it will happen eventually, companys need to make money,

I wonder tho, if competitors would use the ability to buy used games as a selling point for their console if it ever happened. If the Xbox 3 can play used games, and the ps4 can't I think it would sway a lot of gamers to buy the xbox 3.

 

[Euphoric]

If you're a hardworking employee working in the gaming industry, you want to make money, because programming is a tough bitch. These people work almost every day to make games, sometimes, they stay in their offices when shipping time is near. Imagine people that have to make non AAA titles, where it's hard to profit. That's why the only companies surviving are start up companies that made AAA games now.

What essentially GameStop [shit company] and other retailers who have caught on, is doing, most people fail to understand, ignorance is bliss. Game companies rely on retailers to distribute and sell their game, (new copies of game) worth full face value. That's how they fucking keep making more games for all of you.

The software on the game CANNOT be resold, it's illegal to give software to a second party, same reason, why you can't give your OS to multiple people. When a game is sold at full face value, (the original software), game companies make $, how ever, when you buy, used games, the game company makes NO money, as that item has already been "sold" when it was originally purchased at full price. What GameStop CANNOT be accused of is selling, the physical copy of the disc, that's not illegal, but digitally, giving some one else your code with the consent of the maker is, so, GameStop is making all this bank because they can buy used game for dirt cheap and sell them for full profit, because the game has already been sold, so the company doesn't make money. And idiots keep going in and buying used games, in the end I think gamers will benefit, as they'll get better offers if GameStop and such dies down.

GameStop, the scumbags they are, found a loophole, and it's making everyone think they are so awesome for selling used games, but, you're all getting scammed like chumps. And will continue to do so, unless games become fully digital, or a system is implemented.

Remember that time when you when to go trade in a game and they were offering, you like $4 for 3 copies of games that came out >1 year ago? Yeah.

I full agree with this, change.

 

[Justice]

It's a sad state that we find ourselves in these days as far as the gaming industry goes. Everyone has less money but even without that, the burning market rose and grew; people just use the present economy as justification for doing so.

Gaming companies want to get paid like everyone else but between the burning and used markets, complicated due to less overall sales because of the economy, they are looking for other ways to make their money. Lets not forget that gaming companies have already taken a chunk out of the used market by releasing online codes that you will most likely have to pay for if you buy used. This cut into used sales but also put some of that market's dollars back into the companies' pockets where it belongs.

We find ourselves in an overalll bad place in the gaming communities from the standpoint that we are presently watching the bubble burst. Fans are demanding more content at much higher quality with a lower price point. There is no room anymore for niche or experimental games since R&D costs and develpoment times are astronomical compared to previous generations. Smaller developers are either going under or being swallowed by the bigger companies that remain. So the survivors are doing whatever they can to do exactly that: survive.

What I see happening is that Sony will implement this while Nintendo and Microsoft will sit back and laugh. We, the gamers, will predictably tell Sony to fuck off and jump ship to whicerver remaining console suits us best. Then once Sony is out of the gaming market and Microsoft has their monopoly, they too will incorporate this since we will have nowhere to go after that.

I personally will resume my stamp collecting hobby

 

[Euphoric]

It's a sad state that we find ourselves in these days as far as the gaming industry goes. Everyone has less money but even without that, the burning market rose and grew; people just use the present economy as justification for doing so.

Gaming companies want to get paid like everyone else but between the burning and used markets, complicated due to less overall sales because of the economy, they are looking for other ways to make their money. Lets not forget that gaming companies have already taken a chunk out of the used market by releasing online codes that you will most likely have to pay for if you buy used. This cut into used sales but also put some of that market's dollars back into the companies' pockets where it belongs.

We find ourselves in an overalll bad place in the gaming communities from the standpoint that we are presently watching the bubble burst. Fans are demanding more content at much higher quality with a lower price point. There is no room anymore for niche or experimental games since R&D costs and develpoment times are astronomical compared to previous generations. Smaller developers are either going under or being swallowed by the bigger companies that remain. So the survivors are doing whatever they can to do exactly that: survive.

What I see happening is that Sony will implement this while Nintendo and Microsoft will sit back and laugh. We, the gamers, will predictably tell Sony to fuck off and jump ship to whicerver remaining console suits us best. Then once Sony is out of the gaming market and Microsoft has their monopoly, they too will incorporate this since we will have nowhere to go after that.

I personally will resume my stamp collecting hobby

Good post. I don't see it sinking, I see, game companies, offering gamers their own rate for their games, after a certain period of time as the price of the game is depreciated, so they still make money, instead of others, who basically just sell you a physical copy of the disc. Game companies will most likely sell the game at a reduced price, which is essentially the same as a used game.

We are transitioning into a digital era of gaming, Ubisoft is on board, you already saw it happening when game manuals started to become extinct.

I think, the console market, is going to implement a universal market like Steam, Steam is doing fine, and companies still make money, and the games aren't 60 on steam. That's why PC games are so much cheaper with crazy deals because the companies is the only one that profits. That can happen to console. If not, each console will have their own market place to buy games, just look at Sony/XBL, but on roids, and more refined and intuitive.

You have to realize, if games go digital, the price won't remain 60, it'll go down. Everyone wins I believe, prices will go down, companies like GameStop won't profit of other peoples hardwork and the actual companies will, gamers will get more deals and such from the developer/companies itself, just look at PS+ is giving out FREE games, that's a indication of what can be in store.

And don't worry about not having fancy game cases, they've stated that if you buy a digital game, you can request a box if you're that nerdy.

I believe the complete opposite of what you're predicting.

 

[The Green Machine]

Maybe if games weren't 60 fucking dollars people wouldn't have to buy used games.

 

[Killphil]

Maybe if games weren't 60 fucking dollars people wouldn't have to buy used games.

Be grateful you're not paying that much for a SNES or Sega Genesis game. Game prices have hardly changed, but their quality sure has.