The Great Microsoft Aspiration

[lenguy]

Now Before I get into this, let me just say that none of this is actually confirmed. It still all remains a rumor up to this point so lets threat it as one.

So it is not secret that game developers aren't much of a fan of the use game market and why should they? It seems easier to buy a use game that may be priced lower than 20 dollars than buying a brand new game that could range higher than 60 big bones. More convenient for use gamers but not so much for the ones who spent the time and effort to make these games. Perhaps it is a bit unfair that these developers don't see any sort of royalties for games they've made.

Boohoo. Its because the used game market exists that gamers are able to thrive a flourish. I don't know about most people but I only buy brand new games for the "must haves". Which lets be honest,might only be a handful of games a year. Everything else will fall under the buy it used category, because its just cheaper to buy it used. Its a constant tug a war between developers and consumers that may be coming to an end.

So here lies the kicker. Microsoft,currently rumored to have its next console(Xbox 720?)in development. The cool part is its rumored to be six times more powerful than current gen hardware,which is nice in all but here's the part people aren't too happy about.

Copy and pasted from IGN

Rumor has it the next-generation Xbox may limit exactly what kind of games you're allowed to play. According to sources speaking to Kotaku, the Xbox 360's successor will have some kind of anti-used-game enforcement. There's no explanation of what that means, but speculation surrounding the issue says the console could outright reject used-games altogether.

Online passes are a recent staple in staving off used sales. Limiting what used buyers can access is a protective measure for publishers, much to the chagrin of parts of the gaming community. Chris Kohler of Wired argues that the death of used games is inevitable, and passes are the first step toward something exactly like a native anti-used game something integrated into consoles. He notes, of course, that digital is the future of buying games, but in the meantime we may be looking at "an interim period in which the disc as a delivery method is still around but...becomes more like a PC game, which are sold with one-time-use keys that grant one owner a license to play the game on his machine."

For all we know, if this is legitimate, such a theoretical link between a Gamertag and new game would simply negate the need for online pass redemption codes in every game. This alleged feature comes alongside talks that the Xbox 3 will also turn to blu-ray for its primary format.

Until Microsoft officially unveils details about its much-rumored new device, we're relying on speculation with strong rhetoric to figure out the future of gaming. Would a console permanently banning of used-games be a deal-breaker for you?

(Sorry if I made you read...)

So no pun intended but..quite a game changer no? How would you feel about buying a game knowing that you and only you are allowed to play it? I guess we could go back to the old days and drag our consoles all around with us and migrate from one buddies house to another buddies house, but who wants to do that? I know I'm not a fan of this supposed plot to phase out the use game market. There must be a gray area in between the black and white. Can't we find some sort of compromise to resolve this felony? If this is that case then this could very well be the end of the use game market as we know it.

What do you think of all this? Is it ultimately good or bad for the industry as a whole?

Would this be the end of the use game market? Why or Why not

Is there anyway to resolve this without having to go to such measures to eliminate the use game market? Can both sides co-exist so to speak?

Is this does happen to be confirmed can we expect others to jump on board? Will Sony and Nintendo eventually follow suit?

Sound off below.

 

[Davi323]

What do you think of all this? Is it ultimately good or bad for the industry as a whole?

Ultimately, this will be very, very BAD for the industry. This is one of those "good intentions paving the road to hell" kind of situations. I fully understand what Microsoft is trying to do, however, what kind of market do you think they are going have if they proceed? Yeah, the game system might be technically AMAZING...but if it can't play used games, a lot of people aren't going to buy it, because they don't want to spend 60+ dollars for every game ever. It is going to piss off a very large majority of potential customers, who will boycott the system. Expensive game console plus $60 new games plus Xbox Live subscription minus the ability to supplement their must have games with used games that they never would have purchased otherwise equals a giant "fuck off, Microsoft" for a lot of people. It's just too expensive.

Would this be the end of the use game market? Why or Why not

Not at all. Instead, it could be end of Microsoft as a game console maker. The customer outrage over such a feature would ensure that the sales for such a game system would be abysmal. They would lose hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars. The reaction might make Microsoft gun shy about trying again.

Is there anyway to resolve this without having to go to such measures to eliminate the use game market? Can both sides co-exist so to speak?

There is nothing wrong with the status quo. All of those games that are in used game stores were once purchased at full retail. The developers got their cut from that game already.

Is this does happen to be confirmed can we expect others to jump on board? Will Sony and Nintendo eventually follow suit?

No, because I think the other gaming companies would realize what an utter mistake it would be, and would avoid such a strategy like the plague.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

What do you think of all this? Is it ultimately good or bad for the industry as a whole?

Personally I don't see this as a good thing at all. A lot of times I buy a game on the sole purpose of a friend bringing it to my house so I can try it out, I can't count how many times I have bought games in this fashion because sometimes a game doesn't look very good until you actually play it and realize how good it really is. A good example of this was Madworld for the Wii, it wasn't until my buddy brought it over to my place is when I realized how good it was, same with Killzone 2 and Fallout 3.

Not only that it pretty much means that every game a person buys has to be right out of the box and brand new, so no going to gamestop and buying used games for cheap. I know a lot of people who only play games because they are only willing to spend $20 on a used game. Not everyone is gonna blow $60-$70 on a game, they wait a year for the price to drop (my dad and uncle are good examples of this). But lets say my dad buys GTAIV for $20, loves it and can't wait for GTAV to come out. Then at that time he WILL spend $60-$70 to buy the game since he is such a big fan of grand theft auto.

I just don't think its a good way to go, overall I think game sales and system sales would suffer because of it. Sometimes giving stuff away for cheap is a good strategy to lure other people in who may not have bought it in the first place.

Would this be the end of the use game market? Why or Why not

No because that would assume all video game companies would do the same. Not only that logically I would think all you would ever have to do to get around such an issue is kill the internet connection from your system before you play the game (unless they activate the game at the store).

Is there anyway to resolve this without having to go to such measures to eliminate the use game market? Can both sides co-exist so to speak?


Just leave things the way they are. I don't get why they are so adamant about this anyways. No matter what you will never be able to fully eliminate piracy, they can slow it down, but never eliminate it completely. I don't see any reason not to just keep things the way they are, if you get too greedy then eventually you turn people off from the product. I think if you eliminate the use game market then you eliminate a lot of sales, which doesn't help anyone.


Is this does happen to be confirmed can we expect others to jump on board? Will Sony and Nintendo eventually follow suit?

It all depends on how it works and affects sales of Microsoft Xbox consoles and gaming. If there isn't a significant decrease in sales then I would think eventually both Sony and Nintendo would follow suit. It all comes down to how it affects business, if Microsoft does this and it doesn't affect business too much then others will follow suit.

 

[a0161613]

Would a console permanently banning of used-games be a deal-breaker for you?

If we focus on this part as the main headline, it would be a massive shame but this is the next obvious step. Since the fiasco that is online passes by THQ and EA, I have found myself much less willing to buy their software, pre-owned or new. Games like FIFA were always time consuming because having to sign up to their server, agree to their T&C's, it's a massive hassle. Online passes seem to be a money spinning tactic that has gone out of control.

What do you think of all this? Is it ultimately good or bad for the industry as a whole?

I don't see that online passes have made a massive difference yet. The next step will try and kill it off for sure but I don't think it will succeed. In fact, if a consumer buys a game and wants to trade it in, why would you as a game company like EA want to deny them the chance. If they want to trade it in, then that means they won't be playing the game at all. In theory.

Would this be the end of the use game market? Why or Why not

Hopefully not. Carrying on my above point, if they want to trade in the game, just let them. Someone else will almost certainly buy it and if they want it that bad, they will pay for the online pass. My wife borrowed Arkham City from her brother and wants the Catwoman DLC. I've bought points for the console and that's done.Why would anyone apart from me complain about that?

Is there anyway to resolve this without having to go to such measures to eliminate the use game market? Can both sides co-exist so to speak?

It's worked for so long I dont think any attempt to kill it off next gen will be successful.

Is this does happen to be confirmed can we expect others to jump on board? Will Sony and Nintendo eventually follow suit?

They would most likely agree but all three companies should focus on their bigger battles. I dont see pre-owned games as an industry killer. In fact, it shouldn't put a massive dent in it at all and while they charge for online passes, I see that as their compromise. Any attempt to punish or block on their hardware is wrong in my eyes.

 

[Sinister Shadows]

I will not buy a console that used games are not available for. I don't see any point to pay 60-70 dollars for ANY game. I have a sizable game collection, some of them I have bought new once they have been reduced dramatically, but many of them have been bought used. It's easier, and makes alot more sense to pay 15-20 dollars for a game that you may, or may not like, then it does to pay 50 or more, this would most likely keep obscure game series that gain a following with one or two low profile releases that people pick up second hand and really like from happening.

 

[Cracka Jack]

Is it ultimately good or bad for the industry as a whole?

Financially speaking this is of course very good for publisher's and possibly developers of games, but gamers can be a fickle bunch. This will undoubtedly leave a bad taste in gamers' mouths if something like this comes up in the future, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a protest of some kind among the community.

Would this be the end of the use game market? Why or Why not?

If this idea were to succeed on one console, I don't see why other companies wouldn't adopt the practice themselves. That would easily end the used game market, at least for that and all future generations, which would really be a shame.

Is there anyway to resolve this without having to go to such measures to eliminate the use game market? Can both sides co-exist so to speak?

I'm not sure. I don't like online passes, but I'd take them over this in a heartbeat. I can't think of any other way to handle the issue though, so it seems like one side will have to win while the other suffers.

Is this does happen to be confirmed can we expect others to jump on board? Will Sony and Nintendo eventually follow suit?

Yeah I'd expect them to, unless they wanted to market themselves as an alternative. Like, by saying that if you buy with them then used games will work fine. Of course, this may limit third party support, as publishers would probably pressure Nintendo and Sony into doing this too. So, if this happens in any capacity, I expect it spread quickly and screw all of us.