Opinion: Sony's Next Console Doen't Block Used Games

The great used game debate is back on the table. This time, a user on NeoGAF has discovered a patent that would theoretically allow Sony to prevent hardware.

PS1 - The good old days.

(Playstation4, Orbis, or any other consoles that the company hasn’t confirmed yet) from playing used games.
This is far from the first time we’ve heard the rumor that next-gen consoles plan on restricting used games. As Kotaku points out, these same rumors were around back when the Playstation 3 was first announced. It didn’t happen in 2006, and I don’t think we’re going to see it in 2013 either.
Sony wants the hardcore gamers. As Xbox moves more aggressively towards TV, Sony appears to be moving after the traditional gamers and a more mature audience partial to games like The Unfinished Swan. This traditional gaming audience has been clear about its hatred for used games restrictions. Sony’s made some questionable business decisions before, but a move this alienating would be a bridge too far. I tend to believe SCEA president Jack Tretton when he says he is “totally opposed” to blocking used games.

I don’t think this tech is going to be used for a carte-blanche ban on used games. Manufacturers can work on that by pushing digital downloads anyway. Instead, I hope it will be used for a more reasonable response to the used game “problem” – finding ways to reward first time buyers while giving people with used copies ways to play as well. Most likely, this is going to look a lot like online passes.
That means that the same sort of DRM questions that PC gamers and developers have grappled with for years are coming to consoles in full force. There are bound to be massive blunders, furious fans, and maybe a few crippled franchises along the way. Developers might want to see used games disappear entirely, but that’s not happening. Let’s hope that technology like this can be used to figure out these questions in a way that benefits consumers.

Sony is in a tough spot right now. The Vita isn’t exactly soaring. The company as a whole is struggling. Playstation is now, arguably, the company’s strongest brand, and if Sony makes a move that compromises its next home console, it could be putting itself in serious trouble.
That doesn’t mean I’d be buying Gamestop stock anytime soon. Whatever happens with the next console generation, the second-hand game market is going to look a lot less lucrative.


Source : http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2013/01/04/opinion-sonys-next-console-wont-block-used-games/