Arkthur Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Source Sony has reportedly patented technology that will prevent the use of second hand games on consoles. According to NeoGAF member gofreak, 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. It does raise some concerns though. Firstly, the impact on game rental stores would be catastrophic as surely this means they'd no longer be able to do business? Given publishers' usual desire to keep retailers sweet by not undercutting them on prices and the like, this would be an unusual move. There's also the issue of what happens should your console break and need replacing, or if you have more than one console. Will the games be linked to your PSN account, meaning they can still be used, or the console, meaning an entire new library of titles would need to be purchased? IGN reached out to Sony for comment but was told the company doesn't comment on rumour and speculation. I don't buy second hand games but I understand how awful this is to some people, I hope this doesn't turn into the replacement of DRM because it sucks just as much. Leave your thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beyondthegrave07 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I read this on IGN. They have a patent for it but it doesn't necessarly mean they'll use it. It just means that "Hey, if anyone else makes this, we get that $$$$.) Sony (like usual) declines the rumor, and it never specifies which sony product it will be in effect or if they will ever put it into effect. If I have to guess...it'll be on the PS4 if anything. Not the PS3. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Incredible Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I know on the cross buy games, when you click on disc benefits, it takes you to the store and says this disc is now associated with your psn/sen account and cannot be transferred to another. That might be what this is about. I rented PS all-stars for ps3 so I could get the Vita version for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piggie_Pie Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 we all saw this coming... the rumors have been flying around the web for a while now... I read this article this morning... http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/01/sony-files-patents-for-pre-owned-game-blocking-technology honestly... If Sony does this but Microsoft doesn't then it would really hurt sales because people will flock toward the system that they can play more games on... Im a dad gamer who has been playing games since the early 80's... I remember my mom taking me to the local movie rental shop to rent NES games... Today isn't much different... I buy all the "must haves" on day one and the rest of the games that i buy are usually used games unless i stumble across a giftcard or something... and to be honest, with a full time job, a wife, and 2 kids, it will be a lot harder to play the mass amount of games that come out all at once... I can't buy every game that comes out every other Tuesday... Ive been a gamer for over 27 years going back to the Atari... who would this really screw over? the original gamers that put people like Sony on the map... people like me who have owned at one point EVERY Sony gaming system at one point... but lets be real... this is only news... the PS4 hasn't come out yet and things can change... The only way i can see this not blowing up in their faces is if they allow EVERY game for download... that way you can eventually get a game that is no longer sold in stores... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullstomp Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Thats stupid. I have 3 PS3s in my house. So now I would have to buy separate copies of games if I want to play in my den or my bedroom? I call BS. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Kitteh Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 And what if the console broke, your entire games catalogue would be rendered useless along with the PS3? Me and my brother both have PS3s so we go halves on games all the time, If we couldn't do this we'd probably barely buy any games, it's just too expensive. I reckon beyondthegrave is right, they're just patenting it so nobody else can use that technology, much like the horrible prototype ps4 controllers floating around, they're probably just patents that will never surface. Surely they aren't stupid enough to lose out on sales that easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveFree--OrDie Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 This spells doom for companies who thrive off of used games revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftprophet Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 IF they do this, they will fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aranea Highwind Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 (edited) They better not implement that i would lose a lot of respect for then if they make a system were the game is linked to a console/account that would mean i couldn't play my games on my other accounts they will lose a lot of costumers if they make such change. Edited January 3, 2013 by Melona 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Leopold Leon III Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 so if I understood correctly users ID will be stored so that would actually mean that if you had 2 accounts on the same system you could not play one game on 2 accounts...so if you make another account and want to play a game you bought on that other account you would not be able to tdo so...if they do this I'm giving up of console gaming... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piggie_Pie Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Thats stupid. I have 3 PS3s in my house. So now I would have to buy separate copies of games if I want to play in my den or my bedroom? I call BS. yeah, i have two PS3s in my house also... but it would probably be tied to an account so that if you DO have multiple playstations you can still use both of them if you save on the PS+ cloud... but you wouldn't be able to play it on a DIFFERENT account... I have 3 accounts... one is for Japanese downloads in case i want to try out the demos and such... another is just for randomness... actually they have already tied downloads to certain accounts so that actually makes sense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aranea Highwind Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 so if I understood correctly users ID will be stored so that would actually mean that if you had 2 accounts on the same system you could not play one game on 2 accounts...so if you make another account and want to play a game you bought on that other account you would not be able to tdo so...if they do this I'm giving up of console gaming... Well they kinda did that with the Playstation Vita the account is linked to the Memory card so if you wanna play games from another region you have get another Memory card of erase all of the data in order to log in to another account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoreTheVictim Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Companies need to stop crying about losing money. I'm not saying every company is making billions a year but most of them are rich enough and don't need to scam us any longer with season passes, online passes, DLC which is already on the disc and it's just an activation, releasing sequels once a year and the next one buggier than the previous one. I'm not saying I don't agree with what Sony thinks about 2nd hand games, I just think it's all a cover for scamming more money of our hard-working asses while they tell us they lose too much. Stop crying and be happy with your billions you earn. There is no need to earn even more. It's not a competition in who earns the most money. Or is it? Who will tell us? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbon_Lancer Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Well they kinda did that with the Playstation Vita the account is linked to the Memory card so if you wanna play games from another region you have get another Memory card of erase all of the data in order to log in to another account. You made a little mistake, you can play games from other regions (retail version that is) you just can't put a 2nd account on your vita, someone did find a loophole about putting a different account on the vita, its a hassle tho.... as for the thread in question, I don't see this happening at all..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Death Posted January 3, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted January 3, 2013 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidmarkgn Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I read this on IGN. They have a patent for it but it doesn't necessarly mean they'll use it. It just means that "Hey, if anyone else makes this, we get that $$$$.) Sony (like usual) declines the rumor, and it never specifies which sony product it will be in effect or if they will ever put it into effect. If I have to guess...it'll be on the PS4 if anything. Not the PS3. Exactly... companies patent tons of crap all the time. Not everything actually gets put into existance. If it happens, it happens. Deal with it then while enjoying what you have now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A12 Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 Even if the tech actually appears on the Consumer market, I give it 2 whole weeks before we are able to read/wright to the tags. Problem already solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndroidFox Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simpo Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 If this is used on the PS4 fuck Sony I wont be buying it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acasser Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Companies need to stop crying about losing money. I'm not saying every company is making billions a year but most of them are rich enough and don't need to scam us any longer with season passes, online passes, DLC which is already on the disc and it's just an activation, releasing sequels once a year and the next one buggier than the previous one. I'm not saying I don't agree with what Sony thinks about 2nd hand games, I just think it's all a cover for scamming more money of our hard-working asses while they tell us they lose too much. Stop crying and be happy with your billions you earn. There is no need to earn even more. It's not a competition in who earns the most money. Or is it? Who will tell us? How many companies are really making that much money? And how many companies are staying afloat because they release a new iteration of a game every year or two that doesn't have much more than cosmetic differences from its predecessor? A LOT of companies are not making money right now.... and companies that don't make money are often companies that go bankrupt and stop making any games whatsoever. More than that, the tax laws on this planet make it even harder to make a profit because governments of all shapes and sizes keep dipping their fingers into the till and taking money for whatever purposes they deem "necessary" from anyone who looks like they might be making any money. You can't expect a company to keep getting nibbled to death from all sides and from sources large and small and not to do something about it. Sony is in the business of making money for Sony. Not for your particular happiness, not to make money for GameStop or other parasitical companies that make their money without actually producing anything of value on their own, et cetera. If Sony figures out how to develop technology that diverts more money to them and away from other people, more power to them. If Sony can make their new paradigm concept stick, more power to them. If you don't like it, spend your entertainment dollars elsewhere. That's the ultimate vote that you get, to support (or not support) what someone does with your hard-earned money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legolover122 Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) If the PS4 uses this and the next xbox doesn't it's going to spell the end of the playstation and possibly sony as a whole with it. Though if both consoles use this and people accept it it could also be the end of retailers like gamestop. Most of their income comes from used games. This would then push us to a completely digital age of consoles and i'm not sure if I or my internet connection speed is ready for that. Edited January 4, 2013 by legolover122 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftprophet Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) How many companies are really making that much money? And how many companies are staying afloat because they release a new iteration of a game every year or two that doesn't have much more than cosmetic differences from its predecessor? A LOT of companies are not making money right now.... and companies that don't make money are often companies that go bankrupt and stop making any games whatsoever. More than that, the tax laws on this planet make it even harder to make a profit because governments of all shapes and sizes keep dipping their fingers into the till and taking money for whatever purposes they deem "necessary" from anyone who looks like they might be making any money. You can't expect a company to keep getting nibbled to death from all sides and from sources large and small and not to do something about it. Sony is in the business of making money for Sony. Not for your particular happiness, not to make money for GameStop or other parasitical companies that make their money without actually producing anything of value on their own, et cetera. If Sony figures out how to develop technology that diverts more money to them and away from other people, more power to them. If Sony can make their new paradigm concept stick, more power to them. If you don't like it, spend your entertainment dollars elsewhere. That's the ultimate vote that you get, to support (or not support) what someone does with your hard-earned money. Well you must have a shit ton of money then. I guess hand me downs, thrift stores, and yard sales aren't in your vocabulary. They made the money off the initial purchase, So I see nothing wrong with wanting to pass it off to someone less fortunate than yourself who cannot buy their games brand new. I get what you're saying and I like getting my money's worth as well (I'm not shit poor) but I was when I was younger and I know what it's like to be at the bottom. EDIT: Not everyone that buys used games are shit poor or less fortunate. Edited January 4, 2013 by daftprophet 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acasser Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Well you must have a shit ton of money then. I guess hand me downs, thrift stores, and yard sales aren't in your vocabulary. They made the money off the initial purchase, So I see nothing wrong with wanting to pass it off to someone less fortunate than yourself who cannot buy their games brand new. I get what you're saying and I like getting my money's worth as well (I'm not shit poor) but I was when I was younger and I know what it's like to be at the bottom. EDIT: Not everyone that buys used games are shit poor or less fortunate. Wow, you're making an awfully broad assumption based on my beliefs without any facts to back it up. I could go into the parts of my life that would make a reasonable country/Western song, too.... but that wasn't the point I was trying to make and doesn't add to this discussion. .... I believe people should work hard and earn things for themselves. I think people should stop expecting someone/something to make things easier for them if they can't afford the shiny new toy they want NOW, and use said shiny new toy as a motivating factor to go out and do something. I despise the concept that "life should be fair" and everybody should have relatively equal access to everything. I grew up being taught values like hard work, a situation that doesn't seem to have occurred with many people younger than myself. I believe people who complain that the GameStops of the world are entitled to continue to protect the niche they've carved for themselves should go pound sand. Products change, markets change, technology changes.... and a company dependent on one particular thing incapable of adapting to change deserves to be thrown on the dust heap of history. More than that, I despise parasites who make their money without adding anything in the way of value to what they're marketing. Sony manufactures a gaming console, various companies create content for that console.... and GameStop makes a markup purchasing games on the cheap from one user and re-selling them to someone else for a substantial profit. I believe people who complain that Sony (or Microsoft or Nintendo or whomever) taking actions that will benefit themselves are shortsighted. Why should anyone else look out for them if they won't look out for themselves? I believe people who complain about the impending changes to restrict the used game market are hoping the world stands still and never changes. I listen to many of them cite the PC and how that's better.... and that's a system where it is exceedingly difficult re-sell games or buy them used. I see a growing trend towards games being downloadable and quite possibly headed to download-only, which will kill the GameStops of the world if they can't find a way to adapt. (On the other hand, a chain like BestBuy will simply sell the console and not worry about the games anymore, and probably be happier.) I think it's quite plausible that we'll see a tendency towards having a limited game on the disc and premium DLC to make up the rest. Gamers won't like it -- I'm not a fan of that particular paradigm -- but that's another method by which game designers can make money from their product and undercut the resale market. It's not just computer games where this is happening. It's already happened with music, with movies, et cetera. Most people no longer walk into a store to buy a compact disc (or, heaven forbid, a casettte tape or record). You can't re-sell your music -- heck, you can't even put your MP3s and your iPod's inventory in your will/estate, legall speaking -- and the world didn't grind to a complete halt. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grimydawg___ Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 (edited) Companies have patents all of the time. This doesn't mean this will actually happen. I'd love to see companies like Gamestop be gone because of this though. To sell a used product for maybe $5-$10 less than retail price is dumb. They will even sell games for retail price, even though they've actually been rented/used by the employees. I buy my games new anyway, but I can see why people are concerned. The gaming companies have to make money too. Edited January 4, 2013 by grimydawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onlyrealmatze Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 [...]To sell a used product for maybe $5-$10 less than retail price is dumb. Yeah, last time I've been to GS for a PSN-Card, there were a lot of used games with even a higher price than their new copies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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