The Console Wars: Playstation 3: The end of letting someone borrow your games.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Playstation 3: The end of letting someone borrow your games.

"Hi folks, Cooper Hawkes here with an interesting scoop from a visitor to our site who calls himself Ethan.

For those of you who can read Japanese, the link is here.

This is supposedly a Japanese patent site, and this was the body of the e-mail from Ethan:

SCE has secured the patent for a new disc technology that, if used, would not allow the PS3 to read used games for that platform. The technology was invented by Kutaragi himself, as well as two others.

Details regarding the patent are featured here:(ED: The link I posted above)

It is indicated specifically that the technology is to prevent the use of used as well as pirated software.

The technology involves actually rendering a authentication code originally encrypted on the game disk unreadable to other machines once the disk it is used.

This would mean that Net-based and other such games will not be the only ones to be affected by the technology.

Naturally third software developers would embrace this technology, and it would ensure sales of the inevitable "Best series" for the PS3, but used games shops would be put out of business if the PS3 were to become the primary platform in the next generation.

While information regarding the patent does not specify outright that the technology will be used in the PS3, Kutaragi has gone on record saying that copy management is absolutely necessary in order to endure that no "Napsters" of the game industry create problems in the future.

Ok, if true: This is the biggest load of horse shit since the Kentucky Derby.

Now before I go off on a rant, let's talk about the positive aspects of this little scheme.

My biggest problem with places like EB Games and GameStop is that they basically double-dip the customers and do not compensate the developers for it. You buy a game from them for $49.99, now let’s (for the sake of argument) say the game cost them $39.99. That’s $10.00 profit right there. Then two weeks later you resell the game BACK to them which they will happily buy from you for $15.00 if you’re lucky. They then repackage it as used and since its only two weeks since the game came out, put it BACK on the shelf for $44.99. Once purchased by someone else, that’s an extra $29.99 in their pocket.

Amount to developer of game? $0.00

And that’s bullshit.

Now you can argue that they already received a profit from the initial sale, but that argument becomes torn down when you realize that not only is the developer getting screwed, so is the gamer.

Try this sometime, buy a game you really want, do not open it, then walk into a GameStop and ask how much they will give you for it, bear in mind that you purchased it just that day. You will get less than half the price you paid and they will profit and not share said profit with the people who made the game.

Now you’ll say: Well what about when I sell a game to someone, does this mean I have to pay the developers?

No, that’s completely different, your one person selling one game and you’re not profiting on it, you’re only getting some of it back. GameStop and EB Games are already making a decent buck, they are turning around, screwing the customers and the people that provide them with their merchandise to dip deeper into our pockets.

And you wonder why Valve uses Steam?" [more]

¶ D.Vader // 11/09/2005 12:18:00 PM // PermaLink

Anonymous
what happens if my ps3 breaks and i get a new one! think about it!

JLC
Well all I can say is that this is a total load of crap. Now all i have to say is that it is our money and once we purchase the game we should be able to do whatever we want. I understand that its unfair to the developer and the customer that ebgames and gamestop rips you off but look at it this way once you stop playing the game your not going to ever look at it again. so why not sell it you got your moneys worth. I just think that kutaragi is just trying to screw the customer here and just try to make more money.

Anonymous
not only that, but forget about the entire game rental business.

m3mnoch.

Anonymous
Well this sux what if i share my ps3 games with my brother then what i cant play my own fu#@in game

Anonymous
Calm down dudes!!! i know for a fact that i read on a Total Gamer Mag that u can play rented games or games from mates so don't get pissed off YET cos' here come da bad news:

I MAY BE WRONG COS TOTAL GAMER IS WRONG SO AM I SO......

Continue to worry un til it is confirmed!!!!! BYE