What are we going to do with all those yellow stickers?
Do you like being able to re-sell products you’ve legally purchased? Yeah, me too, but it’s time to say goodbye to that basic consumer right.
It’s been rumored for quite some time that Sony’s next console will block used games, and now reports are surfacing that Microsoft’s next Xbox will also require an always-on internet connection and won’t allow used games. Hardly shocking news, but still, it’s sad to hear. Hope that Microsoft might try to score an edge by being more consumer friendly than Sony is pretty much gone.
Suddenly Nintendo always being a step behind on Internet stuff is actually, in a weird way, making them more appealing. What about you folks? What percentage of your games do you buy new? Are you interested in buying a console where $60 new games are your only option?
via Edge
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I haven’t bought a used game in years. My concern is now about loaning games to friends and bringing games to friends houses. Sounds like that’s done.
Not being able to borrow a game from a buddy is totally a deal-breaker.
I only buy used games. This is horseshit
I definitely borrow more than I buy used. Hopefully they provide a method for the original purchaser to transfer ownership.
I almost exclusively use gamefly, except for must have titles like Mass Effect or Borderlands. If they’re doing this I’m just going to turn to PC gaming. The games are cheaper and more aggressively discounted.
SOME are more aggressively discounted. The blockbusters (like Starcraft II) stay at high prices for a very long time.
I only buy a couple games a year but I’ll rent dozens. Unless a marketplace is set-up where you can purchase five or seven day licenses or whatever, I’m out on the next X-Box.
I don’t buy it. Too many US households still don’t have broadband (or in some cases even have access to broadband). I’m sure they’re working on a way to keep you from playing used games, but having to be hooked up to the internet doesn’t seem reasonable.
Also no lan parties? fuck that shit.
Well, we’re never going to get to 100% of the population with broadband Internet — eventually they’re going to make the jump.
Blizzard implemented this policy and sold millions of copies of StarCraft II and Diablo III.
This is happening.
Yeah but StarCraft and Diablo are PC games, so unless you have a computer not connected to the internet because you live in 1994 Blizzard isn’t arbitrarily narrowing their available customer base. I totally think Sony and Microsoft will come up with a way to keep people from playing used games but I don’t think a constant internet connection will be it.
The second I hit post I thought of something. Doesn’t one of the kindles come with free 3G s you can buy stuff from amazon all the time? That’s what Microsoft should use. If you want to use xbox live you need a real internet connection but they could use a real cheap 3G signal to monitor you at all times. Jebus, that’s kinds scary. No xbox 360.2 for me.
The US households without broadband are not the target demographic for a $600 piece of hardware. This is absolutely happening. And it will be the beginning of the end for the console era.
I know this may be hard to believe, but there is a world OUTSIDE of the US. Not everywhere has consistent broadband.
The US is actually the problem — it has pretty lousy Internet coverage compared to most of the developed world. The countries that have *worse* coverage than the US, well, they’re probably not that interested in selling there anyways. Microsoft’s probably not too hung up about Kenyans or Papau New Guineans not having realiable enough Internet to play their new console.
I live in ‘Murica and my broadband internet goes out all the time. This greatly limits when someone can play games on the system they bought. If I have free time to play, but my internet is out, what then? Sounds like they are killing the patient in order to cure them.
Having required internet access seems like too big a jump. I mean, look at how long and arduous the digital conversion was for TV. It took more than a year of “DIGITAL CONVERSION IS COMING, PEOPLE” messages/billboards/commercials, and discount vouchers, to get people to do it, and even then there were tons of people who were somehow confused/angry when the switch finally happened.
I’m at about 90% used games, and an always-on Internet connectivity requirement has worked out so well for the likes of Diablo III. I don’t understand how anyone thinks either of these are a good idea.
THANKS OBAMA!
don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos
PC Gamer 4 Life.
On behalf of Steam, I would like to thank Microsoft and Sony for being complete cumwads and treating their customers like criminals.
I dont believe this to be true at all. As Devil said above to many console consumers in the US/world dont have broadband or even a stable internet connection and the idea that they would attack retailers like Gamestop’s business model and then expect them to sell their products is kind of laughable. I believe Sony and Microsoft would love to do this but I don’t believe they will with this new generation.
I believe they will just push more and more digital distribution and try to lure people away from physical copies not outright bans.
I agree with this. The push for same day, as a physical disc release, digital distribution (as the WiiU does) will kill off the used game market more than enforcing something similar to an “online pass” system that is on most current gen games.
Game publishers hate Gamestop — most console makers would probably prefer to only have their machines sold in Wal-Mart and the like.
The game makers would prefer working with Best Buy or the other big retailers. Plus, they can still just switch to digital delivery.
Nate, I think most PEOPLE hate Gamestop. Seriously, who likes those jerks?
I only buy a few games for console new … this would be an absolute dealbreaker for me. No used games = no hardware purchase.
Mostly all of my games are bought used unless there is something that I just must have, which last year amounted to 1 single game. I use gamefly almost exclusively and if I am enjoying something that is a long game, ill buy it cheap and get the game on my list.
I pretty much always trade my old games in for other ones and borrow a lot of games from friends so this sounds like a bucket of shit.
I used to just buy whichever console came out first. Now it looks like I’ll buy the one that isn’t made by nazis.
This is great news. Hopefully this kills Gamestop.
Sony and Microsoft can fuck right the fuck off
So I should sink those several hundred dollars into upgrading my PC, thanks for making it simple, Sony and Microsoft.
Yeah, fuck that. Guess this is the last generation I buy a new console.
FUCK YEAHHHH WOOOOO!!! PC GAMING HERE I COME BABY!!!
The always online aspect is the real shitty part. That has worked so well for PC DRM, why not throw it consoles as well? Jackasses.
The Internet connection thing just baffles me, why is it a necessity to play a video game while connected to the goddamn internet. This sounds cliche (and it is) but this leading to the 2nd demise of video games.
well, looks like ps360 is the last gen I’ll be buying. Also, shame on you for posting terrible rumors
I post nice rumors too sometimes!
Ya it looks like I’ll be going full time PC. Even tho I buy mostly new I despise my options being limited by this and always on connectivity. Fuck that noise. Steam are celebrating like they have won the world cup no doubt.
New games are usually ~$100 here in Australia. Like hell I’m buying the next Xbox.
Am I the only one struck by the irony inherent in the Steam love? No used games on NextBox PS4??? Long Live Steam!! where I can’t resell, trade, or share my games either and if I buy a bundle any games I already own disappear into the ether (with few exceptions, primarily valve’s games)…
Don’t get me wrong, I love Steam as much as the next guy, and the PC market is by far the leader in terms of pricing (especially with the aggressive pricing competition with the likes of Amazon and GMG) and that goes a long way mitigate the issues that consoles are only now catching up to. But please, the PC is hardly some bastion of consumer rights when Steam can still (though is extremely unlikely to) lock you out of your library entirely for an arbitrary reason they may or may not deign to share with you.
If the console market goes the no used game/always on/digital heavy route, they can certainly salvage it with agressively discounting and making the used game market irrelevant while being competitive with Steam and whatever the SteamBox turns out to be. Granted I’ll believe that when I see it as Capcom finally let the SFxT DLC characters go on sale on the 360 last week for a paltry 25% off if I recall meanwhile it’s 75% off (and at a reasonable price point of $5) on Steam currently.
Personally, I almost never buy used games as it is since with some patience all just about every game will hit the $10-$20 range on Amazon new anyways. Still, it will be sad if games go out of print and there is no legitimate way to ever acquire them again. I do on rare occasion fill in older console generation gaps with ebay and it would be unfortunate for games that some people may want to experience are forever locked in someone else’s library behind this lame DRM.
Yeah, this is really going to f–k people who are into smaller, more obscure games. Sure, you’ll always be able to find a new copy of Call of Duty, but that quirky adventure game or RPG they only printed 10 thousand copies of — you either find it right away or you’re f–ked forever.
If this is the case for PS3 as well I might be checking out the Ouya sooner than I thought.
I’ve invested in the long haul with games like arkham city and assassins creed three by buying the special editions with the art books and statues and belt buckles. If I’m gonna get stuck with a game I’m gonna get something slightly worth the price out of it. Other than that I rent any games I want I’m not sure if that’s going to be affected
Hell no. I barely invest that much money in video games now. If this is the case then I’ll be waving adios to the next generation Xbox.
Yea………….. If they wanted Facebook to be the next gaming console all they had to do was say so, they don’t have to waste money making games if they just told their consumer base there is no reason to buy them
I totally get sticking it to Gamestop and its shit-eating brethren. Sell games got $60, buy them back for $15, resell for $55, buy back for $10, resell again for $45… fuck ‘em. But there’s gotta be a better way to go about this.
The only reason Gamestop gets away with it is because the consumer keeps buying it. I don’t buy any used game until it’s at least 1/2 the price of new and I never ever trade games in anymore, I just give them to friends, family etc. For all of the handwringing over Gamestop’s policies, most people ain’t care enough to stop buying into it.
And even if you hate Gamestop, not being able to resell a product that you OWN or buy something second hand is insane. Imagine if, after buying a used car, you had to then pay the original dealer 5% of the cost of the ORIGINAL sticker price to get a key that would turn on the ignition. That’s what these asshole companies are doing to gamers. If you let them. I refuse to be a part of it.
I usually buy new but almost always wait a few months unless it’s a must-have so that the game goes down to around $40 before buying. The games I buy used are the games you have a hard time finding new. That’s what worries me. Hope game developers enjoy deminishing returns on sequels because people can’t find the previous game new.
I don’t think it’s right that I won’t be able to buy games off of ebay anymore or—the bigger problem—bring a game to a friend’s house. But I also think Gamestop is shady as hell and has unfairly profited by being a greedy middle man, taking money away from game publishers and developers and scorching gamers on trade-in value. I won’t be crying when they’re shut down.
I honestly buy mostly new games whenever I can. Feels like I’m showing my appreciation to a company for their effort and all that, but its just how I operate. That said, I do borrow games from friends and let them borrow mine occasionally, and I think that it’s bullshit that they would attempt to regulate so much on something that is a basic right of the consumer and their legally purchased goods. Sad to see that this is where things are going.
The internet connection is the annoying part to me. There are times where my internet goes wonky, and its nice to know I won’t be able to play any games because i don’t have perfect internet >_<
They also will be sued and loose due to laws already in place
I don’t buy it, only South Koreans have stable enough internet to completely rely on it.
I guess no more used games for me. Console gaming has got me by the balls. I want no part of having to deal with drivers, video cards, DirectX, plugins, etc…
if the “always on” internet connection thing is true, i’m getting a wii u. I’m not making my gaming beholden to con edison and time warner’s ability to maintain a stable internet connection for me.
Wow, I will have to think long and hard about upgrading to the Xbox 420 if this is true. I just got back into PC gaming so I may stick with that and try out a Steam Box when it comes out instead. I like being able to sell my games back and getting credit towards new releases as well as picking up a solid used game that I missed.
This is a really selfish move and it will be a big nail in console coffin if it happens.
While I’m not really a fan of this idea, as I tend to play games 2 years or so after release due to my hilarious backlog….I can’t say I really blame them for going this route. If they think they can pull it off without torpedoing their console profits, more power to them.
The only way I would buy into not being able to rent or buy used games, is if the prices of new games gets cut in half. I have a hard enough time buying a game at $60 when I know most of the people on xbox I play with will only be into it for a few months at best. I do not see the point in buying a digital download for the same cost as a physical copy in a store, they didn’t need to ship/print/copy the disk/case in the first place, just pay the 2¢ for the bandwidth.
I only buy big, must-have games new. The majority of my games were bought used for a huge discount (priced at $10-$15), usually through a Gamefly sale or something similar. If I could only buy new games, I would probably only have a handful instead of the massive backlog I have now. And if I’m only going to have 3-5 games, why even buy the console? This is a foolhardy, greedy plan.
So, I’m a little confused as to how this would affect the rental market. It sounds like there wouldn’t be one anymore?