Sony files patent to block used games
Controversy has surrounded the rumors that the PlayStation 4 (and possibly the Xbox 720) could block used games completely. Now a recently filed patent shows Sony might seriously take action against used games with the yet to be announced PS4.
Used games have been around almost since the beginning of gaming. Used games have given gamers the ability to play buy games for cheap, which offers those on a budget the chance to enjoy video games. Among other things used games have a lot of benefit and major corporations like Gamestop have thrived off the used games market. Most game developers have been against the used games market for a long time for one reason; developers do not see any revenue from used games that are bought or sold. Some developers have taken arms against used games with the use of Online passes, which is a code for online play that can only be used once and if that game was bought used, to access those features you’d have to pay for that pass. Rumor awhile back was that developers and console developers wanted and were looking to take used games to the grave by blocking used games completely with the next generation of consoles. That rumor seems to be coming true from the new patient that Sony just filed, with Sony themselves saying that it’s vital used games are blocked.
Sony has researched and patented new technology that could be implemented in consoles or handhelds to block used games. Sony patient number 20130007892 was filed for an “Electronic Content Processing System” and “Use Apparatus” that would associate individual game discs with matched user accounts using a more advanced system. The system works, according to the document, by attaching RF tags to each game which could be read without any network connection. The document states “A game playing system includes a use permission tag provided for use in a game disk for a user of a game, a disk drive, and a reproduction device for reproducing the game.” The details of the document basically show a full on block of used games for all consoles with no way around it, besides of course hacking; even that would be difficult considering security on a next gen console would be increased. The document continues on by saying “According to the present embodiment, realized is the electronic content processing system that reliably restricts the use of electronic content dealt in the second-hand markets.” “As a result, the dealing of electronic content in the second-hand markets is suppressed, which in turn supports the redistribution of part of proceeds from sales of the electronic content to the developers. Though in the following description a game application (AP) is exemplified as the electronic content, the present embodiment is similarly applicable to various kinds of electronic content such as an office suite, images, and music content."
In the patent filed, Sony said in the games industry that it is vital to redistribute a portion of the proceeds from sales to developers, who do not see a dime from secondhand sales. However, if Sony or any company was to block used games on their consoles present or future, it would be negative. Not only would it take away options for gamers but used games are necessary in this economy and are not even a threat at revenue, something you can see with the $1billion dollars made in 15 days from Call Of Duty on new games alone. If a game is good enough it will sell, and shouldn’t be affected by the small potion of sales of used games, something analysts have been saying for a long time. Blocking used games would give gamers less of a choice when it comes down to price. Its also unfair to not allow gamers to get some money back that they could put towards a new one. Blocking used games also means games would no longer be able to be found if production was to be ceased. Doing so could also devastate the economy, both in normal markets and used game markets. Companies like Gamestop would be non existent, and sites like eBay would lose sellers, lets also not forget rental services like Redbox and Gamefly would be dead. It would be a terrible mistake to block used games on any console.
The main question is whether or not Sony would actually do something this drastic. It’s already created an uproar and made company shares fall. A lot of patents get filed, and a lot never see the light of day so now its a waiting game to see if Sony could actually do it. Until then sound off in the comments and let me know how you feel if used games were to be blocked.
They tried doing something like this with the vita. If you tried to play a used game, you would have to reset the memory of the cart itself. The game would be associated with the first vita it is put into.
c’mon sony! you guys are really making hard for me to have your back. its like sony is turning into the video game hitler…
I’m all in for this aslong as THEY DROP GAME PRICING. The good thing about PC (Steam) is that ofcourse they have DRM blocking Used sales (nothing new), but you don’t pay $60 per game and you get amazing discounts from time to time. But it’s console, I highly doubt this will work out.
Have fun paying $70 per game next gen.
the world is getting more and more ridiculous by the day
Yes $ony, another stupid idea, you know what!? Ok implement this system, but cut prices per game to 10-20$ if not good bye $ony.
Yeah they will be joining Sega in the not too distant future. I have 0 interest in anything they could have to offer regardless of what it is since it says sony on it. playstation had a really good run and produced landmark awesome gaming.
man thats hard to hear i used to like sony but now there doin all this things to f over everyone who back them for a long time so u know what now would be the best time to have a long lost player that got put out the game to early a.k.a saga if only they came back with a system just as powerful as the ps4 or even better then maybe sony would see the error of there money hungry ways
The games would be locked to the console but if the console dies then what? Hopefully they can remove it from the account and allow those games to be used on a replacement console. Either way, this idea is stupid on their part.
*Executives at Sony “working”, in the middle of a meeting*
Exec 1 “So, this is what customers want us to do, so they would buy more?”
Exec 2 “I suggest we do the complete opposite of what they want”
Exec 3 “I agree, customers don’t know what they want, we in the other hand know what the customers really want and that is high prices and *** products”
Exec 4 “So it is, let us file this patent then!”
*Sony shares going down, Executives think it was a success*
Screw sony, i have enough with nintendo, developers will eventually port to nintendo if sony implements this and nintendo doesn’t. I believe they should implement instead an appstore for homebrew distribution and better countermeasures against piracy. I wouldn’t mind that, even if it make me look like a moral ***.
This is just stupid especially for those not made of money and can buy everything brand new. Seriously I bought most of my consoles and games pre-owned because they were cheaper.
wouldent the thing need a buner to write the first start codes to the disk then so outher ones cant load the disk think would make copy prety hard.. speacial hard ware
on the saving the id of the disk what would be the case u had to install the os again how would does be save…
think is has solid state drive dont like them to much …
heard graphics was good but would the motherbase chips handle the little board ram the have in them last gen they chosse different way to push 512..
Looks like we all should be done supporting Sony and Microsoft if they both go this Neo Nazi way.
I agree Ten Thousand percent
Agreed!
would telll them a pc based os was fine on the most part meadia no big deal…meadia an in thing anow a days..on the 4k now of any good..hologram 3d projecters… waiting a bit last year on does…small..3 feet display.
nice diagrams..pictures say much..
This would be ridiculous, there is nothing wrong with playing a second hand game, in fact it allows users who don’t have a lot of money to play those games (they cant play it at the release, but thats ok).
Car construction never a dime on secondhand cars??? Sony is playing a bad card. I will just start a ban “Sony” website to make sure no ones sell the ps4(like gamestop-ebgames).
Where are the days when I was kid and I was bringing Contra at a friend’s house or Mortal Kombat and make them discover the game and finally buy it. Same thing with local videogame rental; i was buying games after playing with it. Downloadebled Demos are not the same and so many game just worth 10$ like Bust a Move..,
Maybe Sony will sell games at lowet price? 20$ per games? Ill be in. Else go f yourself.
We should start a petition or something. I am in for a site or petition.
Yea,I would only support this move if all games would get a huge price cut like you said…..
Hypothetically, if this were to happen, I imagine businesses that rely on used games for revenue (like GameStop) would give Sony the finger and refuse to sell any PS4 consoles, peripherals or games.
That would be the case here in Australia, companies would outright blacklist any related to the console!
Is Sony trying to force themselves out of the video game industry? This reminds me of Sega’s direction and how they are now a publishing company. In order for Sony to succeed in this new experimental endeavor, they will have to produce blockbuster hits every single month. With the PS3 and Vita however, they need to catch up. Good luck Sony.
If this happens then good bye to a lot of game stores. Netflix and Hulu killed the video stores, now Sony and MS want to kill the game shops.
If they actualy impliment something like this into the PS4, Sony may very well be very surprised when their console is denied entry to the country.
In Australia, it is a basic human, and LEGAL right, to be able to re-sell everything we purchase!
Sony claiming it deserves the money lost from used game sales and enforcing it can be seen like a Car manufacturing company putting means in place to prevent it from being driven by a 2nd owner. Absolutely ludacris, and downright Illigeal in Austrlalia.
Do it Sony. I’ll be sitting here *** myself laughing when it’s on the news that your new console has been Banned in Australia because it’s non compliant legally because of this stupid “resale protection” method.
What happens when the motherboard overheats, solder melts, and the console needs to be replaced? That kind of thing happening is VERY common in Australia becuase of the heat here. They’d have to get a new console, which means all their games would trigger the precaution and become as usefull as tit’s on a bull. You would have to call Sony, grovelling, to have your games “unlocked”, they’d want you to send them your console as proof that it broke, which turnaround time on that could take months….
yeah… no way will that be allowed in Australia… they’d need a *** lot of money to bribe our politicians otherwise, and even the public backlash would see Sony crucified for their gutless greed.
think the sytem alright fo reasle not sure but guess the games are microsoft n sony wander wy no nintendo… wander the disk format hd blueray hoping 100gig more sote type…push the 4k…..
Some very good points here. Selling things you purchase is a basic right and exercise of your freedoms as a human being in a capitalist society. However, in regards to the replacing the device point, I assume since the tags will be attached to your account, your new device will read it as being used by you assuming your new device is also connected to your account.
Kind of like with the Vita. the only difference being with Vita games you can reset all of the information on the game cartridge rather than the device completely blocking it after use.
Hackers will get rid of this. i feel sorry for SONY , they are killing themselves . also with new nvidia portable console , razor gaming tab, steam box ,ouya , etc , i guess big gaming emnterprices such as SONY and nintendo are going to die .
in the case of nintendo why the heck they created a “new console” which is not even more powerfull than 7 years old ps3?? what the heck were they thinking. its shame.
sorry for my bad english
Simply put, they could had gave you something worth technology this days, but along side the table like control, wich is what defines the WiiU and not it graphic power, it would had cost what PS3 first came around, $800.00 or more.
Nintendo rarelly plays the “last-gen tech, most powerfull components” card, they now not everybody can afford it so they try to create for the mass, and not just a few
Just like my father used to tell me a few years back, “develope games for the poor, there are greater number of them than the rich, that can afford to play a game with the last in the market of tech”
I’ve already committed to Xbox as my sole console moving forward. I really liked the Playstation brand until the last few years. Sony just hasn’t been delivering IMO. And the WiiU is a joke.
The vita is truly an awesome handheld tho.By the look of things,vita and 3ds will be my only “new” gen consoles lol
ALL HAIL PC
you have to have someone produce a game worth $60 first… *COUGH*VITA*COUGH*
I can’t sell my used games anymore.
Utter BS, they would be commiting financial suicide from protesters alone. If they think this is a smart move there needs to be a coup up in SONY headquarters, it’s just a ridiculous notion. I usually buy used games because they’re cheaper and allow me to play the game to get to know it, and 9/10 if the game is good I’ll buy it maybe even a directer’s cut or w/e if I feel especially over the top about it such as with AC and persona 4 Golden. I got hooked with $10 copies of their originals, I would have never and still won’t pay $60+ for a game I know nothing about if I can’t return it or somehow reimburse myself or try it for a good amount of time first. I know there are demos but most of the time we have to be honest and admit they’re nothing like the real game. Cmon Sony don’t kill my favourite industry…. I’m a Console/handheld gamer for life, don’t screw us out!
With ouya and now nvidia’s shield handheld, both android based opensource gaming devices, sony, ms and nintendo better carefully assess what they are doing. I won’t be buying any next gen system if they do implement this as some of my 3-4 star games are used; i didn’t want to pay full price on a game that sounded interesting, but didn’t get that great a review. Personally i think ms is playing the field with this one, most comments on such restrictions on their part have been ambiguous. Sony on the other hand seems really intent on doing it. If anything when sony brings the ps4 out with this restriction, ms will be like our 720 doesn’t do it and everyone will by that instead.
Stupid….not even because of the fact that i’m a gamestop manager, but because ppl like to bring games over to friends and families houses for enjoyment as well. They will never go through with this, nor will microsoft.
I don’t know how else to ask this question but, who else makes money on an item they produced and sold that is resold on a private level? why would they expect those kind of royalties? sounds like the developers need more money from else where, not destroying a whole gaming ecosystem for a little more profit.
sigh..what are they thinking..damn everybody will start ban sony
One more reason to step in “dark” ways.I mean seriously,instead of trying to attract people,they do exactly the opposite.
anyone else saw that UNO was #1 on psp games most purchased xD?
Games with exploits are staying up longer so Sony can milk ’em for all they’re worth. At this rate that will be their only source of income by year’s end.
Sony really are shooting themselves in the foot here. They are most certainly having financial issues, and they believe that forcing us to buy new games and re-selling our old games to us (PSX and PS2 Classics, anyone?) is the way to get more money?
With regards to used games, I understand they do not get the money for the secondhand purchase however I find it disgusting that if you purchase a game that you do not enjoy; you’ll be forced to keep it and nobody else can get any enjoyment out of it. Furthermore, a change like this is most certainly going to get people more and more interested in piracy.
I decided long ago that I would not be purchasing the PS4 or 720, and I stand by that. Games of this gen have been progressively getting more and more unenjoyable for me and I don’t see any reason to purchase the console especially with Sony’s idiotic ideas. I mean, they clearly haven’t learned from the Vita at all. Many people sold their consoles within a few weeks stating that the security, forcing you onto one PSN (providing you don’t have multiple memory cards) and other precautions they made just removed all the fun or the console wasn’t fun enough to actually put up with said issues. Clearly they want to make that mistake with the next gen.
I have to agree, and you’re right, games from this generation have lost that touch that last generation had except for a handful. Imho developers are just playing safe.
Agreed
this will help the scene believe it or not by giving major incentives to hack the system wide open 🙂
i mean, seriously sony, what are you thinking?
do this *** and how do you think hackers will react?
and in the time it is being hacked and your sales are down almost making you bankrupt, the console prices will plummet due to no sales. the developers will leave you due to low yields and when it is hacked you will see pure piracy.
if you block the games then you wont sell as many systems right? stop thinking with your *** please sony
The buisness industry is going to heck, they will always find new way to charge more for their product. It just plain out sickening
Ehh, what a surprise, Sony and Microsoft are yet again hellbent on killing the gaming industry…. anyone who continues to support them fully deserves to be sc***…… if you’re tired of taking it up the ***, you can always switch to Linux, PC gaming, and instead of supporting the market fatcats, you can support open consoles and open platforms, like Ouya, Nvidia Shield, Linux, Android…….. you have no right to complain if you continue to support companies that keep sc*** gamers over.
This is just the first shot across the bow at Gamestop to force their hand at sharing profits. Either that or setting themselves up for patent trolling later
If this patent ever see’s the light of day, I will make it my hobby to make sure all my family members and friends NEVER buy the console in question.
Most of my family members buy more used games than new ones, if our family lost the ability to buy used games, it wouldnt force us to buy them brand new…we just wouldnt even buy the console to begin with, so right there Sony (or any company) would actually LOSE money, not gain it!
There is no way in heck a system like this would be accepted into the world community anytime soon, too many ppl, companies AND gamers lose out.
Hey Sony, feel free to bring in this Nazi system all your like, but ill be laughing my *** off when you bankrupt ur company and get drowned in class action lawsuits!