23 replies to this topic

[Marcus Estrada]

Let's ignore the specifics of how that would work on a technological level and just think about the "what if"... PC games already attempt to keep themselves locked to one owner by coming with special codes. Digital games downloads on consoles and PC are also often tied to some sort of account (which belongs to you).

What if the rumors about the next Xbox keeping you from playing used games on your system were true? Would you not buy the system (if you were interested in it to begin with)? Would you buy less games? Would you find ways around it or advocate for that?

To me it's a really scary idea that systems would attempt to lock players out of a game completely because they traded it with a friend or bought it at a yard sale or store. I don't much care for online passes either, but those are an evil that I can live with. Completely keeping players from touching used games though would just be too far over the line for me. If this had been the case for other systems I wouldn't be able to collect nearly as well! It's just a truly awful idea and I know that the companies want to see more income, but this is not at all the way to go about it.

[barrel]

Alright, saves me a lot of wind by letting me ignore how it would work. Anyway, the way I view it is that I'm the kind of person who hops into console gens several years into their cycles usually, so a lot of the games I would be interested in would be out-of-print by the time I get my hands on them, So used literally was my only option for those systems. So with the new system they would basically have to promise me that I would be able to get the games I want with no real limitations, be it having it as digital downloads to ALL games for the system (retail, downloadables, whatever.) or in the perfect world not having to worry about access to physical copies for any particular game I want, and never have to worry about price gouging collectors. The latter would be something to really worry about I would think, if that magical anti-used game system technology existed for games that get a low-print run and were uh...good.

I know I got a 360 semi-recently and for a lot of the retail games I was interested in, I couldn't buy the games for a reasonable price for new, and it would be pointless to do so anyway considering the price difference, accessibility of used copies, and how some are outright out-of-print (so buying new would basically be rewarding a greedy collector, not people who made/publish the game). If I struggled between paying a premium 'new' price or not get the game at all, I can definitely tell you I would feel little obligation when it comes to even getting the system and/or game in the 1st place, since it would be too much of a gamble or frankly too much....unless the games looked REALLY good like I couldn't live without playing them, then I might try to figure something out or become a desperate pirate of some sort (arr!). But yeah, not cool, I would probably just go back to playing only old games if the future was full of that I imagine, reflecting on the "good ol days".

[Marcus Estrada]

Yeah, you bring up a good point. Even if you ignore games that come out in more limited quanitites, only the most popular are kept in print for a tremendous amount of time. Otherwise they just get phased out of retailers, into bargain bins, and then you're stuck buying used. I don't think anyone would be happy to know that they could no longer get some semi-popular but not triple A titles a year or two after release because they couldn't find a new copy around. Used is a perfectly acceptable way to buy. We do it for movies, music, and even clothes so why not games too?

If there were no used game options then games would have to come down in price much faster. If not, people would be buying much less games then they do now because it's a somewhat expensive hobby! Almost nobody is able to buy every big new release these days because there's just so damn many of them. Buying used lets players still get in on the fun and at a lower price point. Besides, since ever publisher will probably eventually work in an "online pass" they can make money off that from used copies.

It's just DUUUUUMB. It's also not foolproof. People will crack/hack/open it up and find ways around it.

[bink]

Although I own a 360, I would seriously consider switching brand loyalty (if I even have it?) to another console if I could still purchase used games on a non-Microsoft console. This is of course unless the price of new games dropped dramatically (like $30 or less), which probably won't happen though.

If the prices remain the same and used games are restricted, and there is no legal workaround (meaning there are no more consoles that allow used games, or there is no other morally just way to make use of used games given the circumstances), then sadly I would probably just have to purchase a few new games a year and that's all. My spending would not increase; it would just mean I got less product for my money from my perspective.

[JohnnyC]

Games are extremely overpriced in my country, so i only buy games at launch when i have money (and series i love). If they blocked off pre-owned games, i would most definitely not buy the console.

[Palmerama]

If Microsoft have thought about it then they really haven't actually thoght about it. The main point so far is theat games don't get re-released every 2 years or so like CDs & DVDs. Also I think that developers wouldn't want this to happen as it would prevent new players coming to their franchise or game as they wouldn't be able to play it.
What about renting games? Alot of people rent games and the money does go to the publishers so why shoot themselves in the foot? What about local multi-player? If I had friends round to play the next Gears of War and they downloaded their gamertags onto my Xbox, would they be able to play it? As its on my Xbox, or would it be only registered with the gamertag?
All the rumours I've heard so far about the next Xbox seem ludicrous and downright stupid!

[mr.me]

I don't even have a 360 and I'm not sure I will. I definitely would not buy a console that blocked used games and I think the console would be a massive failure.

[smallpau1]

It will never go through.. They will think it through, and find it will not be reasonable enough for them to follow along with this agenda.. A 'New-only-game-console' would not sell nearly enough to make it a profitable console. Just look at the PS3 and the original model vs newer models. Just because they took away backwards compatibility, I'm sure it prevented many consumers from purchasing a PS3, including myself.

*EDIT* - Okay, why does it say I only have 2 posts, when in reality, I have 4?

[Shin GenX]

For now I highly doubt that they will actually go with this practice. I think the opposition from users as well as "some" companies would not allow it. This just feels too unfair and unrealistic.

So for now... I am not worried about this rumor ^^

[sirdan357]

I haven't bought a used game in a very long time, so it wouldn't make a difference to me if it had that feature or not. Once digital distribution kicks in used games will go away anyway. I highly doubt they would implement that feature in the first place. The main reason that would keep me from a Microsoft console again is the fact that the 360 I had died twice.

[mr.me]

Once digital distribution kicks in used games will go away anyway.

I don't think that games will ever go to 100% digital distribution one reason being used games. I don't think many people even want all digital, you hear it a lot from journalists and podcasts, but that's it. I don't hear many others in favor of it. Then there's the matter of having to download every game you buy and each one will be a huge file(No more dial-up). You'll need a ton of storage for all this, probably way bigger than any harddrive currently available for consoles. You would have to have 2 harddrives each with a copy of the game in case of harddrive failure and that would be big time waster. Anyone who doesn't backup would be screwed if they had an HD fail. Just way too many problems.

[sirdan357]

I don't think that games will ever go to 100% digital distribution one reason being used games. I don't think many people even want all digital, you hear it a lot from journalists and podcasts, but that's it. I don't hear many others in favor of it. Then there's the matter of having to download every game you buy and each one will be a huge file(No more dial-up). You'll need a ton of storage for all this, probably way bigger than any harddrive currently available for consoles. You would have to have 2 harddrives each with a copy of the game in case of harddrive failure and that would be big time waster. Anyone who doesn't backup would be screwed if they had an HD fail. Just way too many problems.

Internet speeds are getting faster and faster, and storage is getting cheaper and cheaper(except for Vita mem cards). The games would all be tied into your account, just like PSN and Xbox Live already do. If you lose them you should be able to re-download them again. I don't necessarily want physical media to go away either. I like having the game case sitting on my shelf. As smart phone games get more and more popular and all the devices get more interconnected, carrying around cartridges or discs just seems less likely to me.

[Kezins]

If the next Xbox doesn't allow you to play used games, then I simply will not buy the system. I buy a lot of used games, but I also buy a lot of new games. They will be losing a lot of money from me.

[mr.me]

Internet speeds are getting faster and faster, and storage is getting cheaper and cheaper(except for Vita mem cards). The games would all be tied into your account, just like PSN and Xbox Live already do. If you lose them you should be able to re-download them again. I don't necessarily want physical media to go away either. I like having the game case sitting on my shelf. As smart phone games get more and more popular and all the devices get more interconnected, carrying around cartridges or discs just seems less likely to me.

Maybe it depends on where you live, but around here if you want really fast internet you have to pay $75-$115 a month and I bet it's slower than advertised. Way more than I'll ever pay. I forgot to mention another problem is anyone with a data cap wouldn't be able to download much. Storage does get cheaper, but games also get bigger. Being able to redownload them free would be good, but I wouldn't exactly want to redownload 30+ games, especially not ones I beat, then what would be the point of owning them? I don't think a digital future is feasible.

[John Kidman]

Highly unlikely and a terrible policy should m$ adopt it. Given their user demographic and the impatience displayed by that base demographic... it would make the console a hard sell to even the biggest stalwart.

[Andres]

I hope they Don't block Used Games. That would suck alot

[edlove]

I think its a horrible idea. I wouldn't support a console system that would block used games from being played.

[Wchillinman]

I'll be surprised if Microsoft makes a system like that but if they did it definitely would become a no buy for me & would mostly likely instantly doom the system like some have said.

[bink]

Maybe it depends on where you live, but around here if you want really fast internet you have to pay $75-$115 a month and I bet it's slower than advertised. Way more than I'll ever pay. I forgot to mention another problem is anyone with a data cap wouldn't be able to download much. Storage does get cheaper, but games also get bigger. Being able to redownload them free would be good, but I wouldn't exactly want to redownload 30+ games, especially not ones I beat, then what would be the point of owning them? I don't think a digital future is feasible.

Yeah my internet service provider just placed a data cap on high speed internet service and it makes me upset. I don't download any games or anything else, but just normal use streaming movies and using the internet to surf and play games puts me right at the limit. With the stupid data cap, I'd have to limit and really keep an eye on my internet usage if I were downloading games from the marketplace.

[Ludono]

They are going to have to tread VERY carefully if they decide to go this route. If they don't have every possible problem ironed out there is going to be a lot of anger directed their way. That said, I am completely against anything like this and find it quite annoying that they're even considering something like this. I mean, I understand they want to see the profits from their game but in what other industry are used products not allowed to be sold? I mean you don't see Ikea complaining when you resell some of their furniture?