RUMOR: Microsoft's new XBox Console to not play "Used Games" to open venue further for digital distribution.

[-Robin-]

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399366,00.asp

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox game console may have a built-in mechanism that won't let it play used video games, according to gaming blog Kotaku. A "reliable industry source" told Kotaku that the software giant intends to "incorporate some sort of anti-used game system" in the unnamed console but it wasn't clear how the company planned to do it...

...As for why Microsoft would try to squeeze out used games, a long-standing linchpin of the console gaming economy, from its future console, Wired's Chris Kohler figures the gaming industry as a whole is inevitably headed in that direction.

"[T]he death of used games is inevitable," he writes, positing that the cheap digital downloads available for Sony's PlayStation Vita point to "the road to the no-games future."

"[A]s soon as Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo et al. think they can get away with it, the disc or cartridge will simply disappear, replaced entirely by digital game sales," Kohler notes. That'd be a two-fer for the video game industry, he adds, because there would be "no cost to produce the goods, no possibility of used sales."

It is a bold move, and a possible solution, good or bad, toward gaming corporations relying completely on digital distribution, and possibly cloud technology (and indirectly, terminate a sense of monopoly that Gamestop is having with the Used Games market at the moment), but it's still in the air as to how Microsoft could accomplish a "blockade" of Used Games on it's console, how people will respond to this, or if this will really come to pass. Either way, it's bound to be an interesting development.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Icy Wind

[Tornado]

Not gonna happen, because I'm pretty sure Microsoft wants to actually sell consoles.

[Zarakai]

I can see how they are trying to combat the fact that stores like Game and Gamestop are making money off used games however it is also an unfair move because people like me borrow games and vice versa to friends and family members to try games out, etc. Alot of stores have even promised to share a percentage of the money made from used games. As for the digital downloads of games, I'm not in favour of this, I like to physically own the game, not have to download it.

[Tailer]

Horrible, if this happens to be true then I shall completely ditch their console, and make a huge deal about so that even less people shall buy their console. Plus I wouldn't mind to buy a console from sony for a change, since they also have ALOT more exclusives games too. Besides will probably only ending up to buy nintendo's console and be happy with a gaming pc.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Well we all know what console not to buy now don't we? Goodbye game shops, it was nice knowing you.

.....

I doubt this rumour is real... mainly because it looks like the exact same rumour that was started when the PS3 was announced... and we all know how much truth there was in that don't we?

Also not forgetting the obvious, ISP's/downloads are still nowhere near good enough for this to be even considered a good option.

[Phantomime]

I prefer to buy games new, when I can, to support the developers and all, but sometimes I have to buy used for games that become hard to find, or are no longer made. This would be a major blow. It would be bad for business.

[Shoot em up Capbusta]

I remember hearing something similar when the PS3 was first coming out. People were saying that you couldn't play used games but that would really suck if that would happen. I understand that companies loose money over used games but that would be a dick move to do something like that. I doubt this is real though can't imagine them doing something like this but then again I could be wrong.

[Silencer226]

Well, I don't buy used games or shop at Game Stop (maybe like 3 times out of an entire year, all 3 visits are shit), so I guess I really wouldn't care, but I don't think it's a good move right now. Yes it sucks that Game Stop is ripping off consumers with used games ($5 difference...) but in certain situations we have no choice but to buy used, especially for those super rare games that went out of print and we can't find anywhere brand new. <---But that's kind of why I like digital distribution, I don't have to worry about shit like that anymore.

The only problem is not everyone has the connection for digital distribution, I mean 40% of U.S. citizens are still stuck in 1994 using dial up.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Silencer226

[Badnik Mechanic]

Why I doubt this is true.

I buy a game... put it on my console... 1 of two possible things can happen now.

Scenario 1: The game comes with a code thats tied to my console.

Scenario 2: The game comes with a code thats tied to my XBL account.

The following then happens.

Scenario 1: The console breaks down... I buy a new console... all the games I now own do not work.

Scenario 2: For whatever reason I lose access to my account or it gets banned (yay for MS' random bannings)... I get a new account... all the games I now own do not work.

[Eternal EX]

It may be possible but it would really hurt sells. A lot of young gamers buy used games and it's easier to find used OLD games than new old games. (did that last part even make sense?)

[G.M.M.]

This is crazy, I'm pretty sure this could backfire in more ways then Hogfather said. Also, lets say this happened on the Wii, if I'm understanding this right, if I wanted to bring Brawl to my friends house because theres doesn't work/they don't have it, I can't? That's just stupid, that's all I have to say about this.

Edited January 27, 2012 by G.M.M.

[Spirit of Vengeance]

Why I doubt this is true.

I buy a game... put it on my console... 1 of two possible things can happen now.

Scenario 1: The game comes with a code thats tied to my console.

Scenario 2: The game comes with a code thats tied to my XBL account.

The following then happens.

Scenario 1: The console breaks down... I buy a new console... all the games I now own do not work.

Scenario 2: For whatever reason I lose access to my account or it gets banned (yay for MS' random bannings)... I get a new account... all the games I now own do not work.

Wouldn't this plan also hurt video game rental services? I can't help but think what it would do to GameFly...

[Tyranno128]

Haha I love it, cuz now gaming will be literally be fair game. Never again will there be people who are too cheap to buy their own games and merely just borrow them for other people or buy them cheaply used simply cuz they dont wanna spend extra money. When someone pays full price for a game, its not fair if someone else gets to have the same experience for free or at a lower cost simply cuz "they waited" thats just on some grimy shit and an excuse to cheat the system out of valuble money when there are other hardworking people who pay good money for these games. Also no matter what anyone says money HAS to go towards the developers who work hard on these games. Ive seen so many pirates who contradict themselves in justifying there ways, now there not gonna be able to do that anymore.

[Tornado]

Haha I love it, cuz now gaming will be literally be fair game. Never again will there be people who are too cheap to buy their own games and merely just borrow them for other people or buy them cheaply used simply cuz they dont wanna spend extra money. When someone pays full price for a game, its not fair if someone else gets to have the same experience for free or at a lower cost simply cuz "they waited" thats just on some grimy shit and an excuse to cheat the system out of valuble money when there are other hardworking people who pay good money for these games. Also no matter what anyone says money HAS to go towards the developers who work hard on these games. Ive seen so many pirates who contradict themselves in justifying there ways, now there not gonna be able to do that anymore.

Oh please. Used games aren't even in the same timezone as software piracy.

[Tyranno128]

Oh please. Used games aren't even in the same timezone as software piracy.

Yes but I know plenty of people who only borrow games or buy them used simply because there too cheap to pay full price and its wrong for the people who do pay full price and get the same amount of enjoyment for more money.

[Tornado]

and its wrong for the people who do pay full price and get the same amount of enjoyment for more money.

Says who?

What about the Greatest Hits program (and whatever the Nintendo and Microsoft equivalents are called)?

What about PC games, which usually cost way less than the console equivalents?

What about rereleases of titles that have more content in them than the originals (Game of the Year editions, etc.)?

Edited January 27, 2012 by Celestia

[Aquaslash]

Yes but I know plenty of people who only borrow games or buy them used simply because there too cheap to pay full price and its wrong for the people who do pay full price and get the same amount of enjoyment for more money.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Aquaslash

[Tyranno128]

Mofo, full price is sixty dollars per game! I don't even like paying that much for SHOES (and I don't, $30 is my limit). I don't know about you, but I don't have that kind of money to keep throwing at video games. Don't even get me started on consoles

Oh and if this turns out true, then MS just lost the little bit of money that I have.

I know and clearly our tendency to buy used games or borrow them has reflected on it. Luckily for us digital distribution could cut costs in half.

[Marcello]

Yes but I know plenty of people who only borrow games or buy them used simply because there too cheap to pay full price and its wrong for the people who do pay full price and get the same amount of enjoyment for more money.

Oh, shut up. Not everyone has the money to buy games full price. They aren't cheap, they just can't-. There's nothing wrong about buying used games.

[Patticus]

The pre-owned games market has long the bane of Sony, MS and Nintendo because they don't make any money out of it (or if they do, it's a tiny fraction of their new game profits). They can't just outright get rid of it though, they need to put in place a system of buying games that can either replace or outdo the used game market. If cloud game-buying is the future, they might for example want to allow the game buyer to put their downloaded game that they no longer want onto the console's used downloadable game market; basically, transfer the license from the console to this market where it can be bought cheaply and a greater percentage of that money goes to the console manufacturer, whoever it may be.

Anyway, can't say I'm too surprised by this rumour, but if it's true then MS needs to be very skilful in its implementation or it'll lose a lot of the market share it has worked so hard to carve out.

[Stacy]

Once again Corporate greed waves its ugly face.

I mentioned this at my local Game Station about putting codes in games to try and make you buy the game new. Funny thing was the game I bought their was only this pre-owned one to buy, I couldn't of bought new anyway unless I went somewhere else or faffed around online. I said its no wonder people pirate stuff if this how we are being treated!

The used game market has been around fo years so why the hell are they bitching about it now?

So are they going to go round car boots and garage sales preventing people from selling their old games and consoles because they lose out on money they have already gained?

Seriously all the people higher in the entertainment industry need to get a reality check.

Edited January 27, 2012 by BW199148

[Candescence]

It's depressing how the games industry is trying to get rid of its second-hand market despite other second-hand markets existing and nobody kicking up a fuss about it. It's fucking greedy.

[Solkia]

It's depressing how the games industry is trying to get rid of its second-hand market despite other second-hand markets existing and nobody kicking up a fuss about it. It's fucking greedy.

I thought the entire purpose of big businesses was to be as greedy as possible. /generalization

[VO.SUPER]

If you want my opinion on the matter (doesn't matter if you don't) I'd agree with everyone that MS is going about this the wrong way.

If I was in charge, I'd institute a system where you download the games from your system to memory cards, DRM free. Also, that Microsoft set up it's own online store, just for the sake of purchasing physical copies and having them directly sent to people instead of having to waste money filling up stock. That way, people can have the downloadable title to fill up their time, then they'll get their physical copy in the mail.

BTW everyone who is crying "greed" needs to get their heads out of their bums for a second and think, the game retailers barely spend any money and make a killing profit off this. If anything, they're the greedy ones, and from the prices I've seen in many gamestops, yeah they're the ones ripping you off.

The used game market has been around fo years so why the hell are they bitching about it now?

So are they going to go round car boots and garage sales preventing people from selling their old games and consoles because they lose out on money they have already gained?

Seriously all the people higher in the entertainment industry need to get a reality check.

They've been "bitching" about it longer than you think. They've tried multiple times to combat the market and everything pretty much failed for them. Your analogy also is a little flawed. They wouldn't mind if some individual makes money off of one game that they owned. The thing with gamestop and used game retailers is that they continue to make money off intellectual property through used games being sold at a discount price vs. the new games. None of the money goes to the publisher/developer and if there was a new title readily available then that counts as wasted stock.

It's like piracy, only that the game retailers are openly making money off these products when they barely pay a dime to just hold them, the fact that it is legal is all the more frustrating.

Edited January 27, 2012 by VisionaryBlur

[Stacy]

I still think its bullshit, I only buy games brand new if they are something I am really looking forward too, I can't always afford to buy them new (who can, lets be honest there).

I don't know its still the same as buying a second hand TV, I don't hear samsung and parasonic bitching.

Its this pissing recession thats making them do this.

Anyway if always bought things new a world would end up like Wall-E.