PlayStation had "no intention" of messing with pre-owned - and no pressure from publishers, either

PlayStation boss Andrew House says there was never any plan for PS4 to block second-hand games - and publishers weren't asking for it either.

[Parapraxis]

I guess this flies in the face of that Tom's Hardware article huh
http://n4g.com/news/1292575...

http://www.tomshardware.com...

[thebigman]

TH made an out of context assumption based of his quote most likely just to get hits. Andy House and Adam Boyes both said they never even considered what M$ were doing and that the Twitter campaign made them realize that something had to be said.

[Bigpappy]

If I were the PR guy for Sony, I say the same thing. I am not saying he is lying, but what else would you say if you were in his shoes?

This is a negative M$ created on their own. Sony is right to use it as a wedge. Will it be all they need to do until November? I think that would be up to what M$ does between now and then.

I don't believe this issue on it's own is enough to guaranty M$ has no chance to compete. It will come down to what is shown before they go on sale. People buy stuff if they find it appealing. Price is a factor only if they get, what they see as, the same thing or better for less.

[lukeb4dunk]

Wow, I agree with you at least. Well thought out and said, with little fanboy like comments. *shrugs*

[nix]

Yushida himself tweeted/joked about "DRM coming to PSN" long before E3, which later turned out to be a game. Until then we didn't know what Sony was going to do... they did, however, used words like "if publishers wants"... maybe just to give MS the hope that they'll be doing DRM too.

whatever Sony did, MS certainly fell for it. Let's all agree that Sony has been surprising MS this whole year. MS is just so clueless.

[Polysix]

Seems obvious to me Sony played a very clever game with MS this time around. Of course they didn't come out and say months back "NO DRM" because they WANTED MS to f-up even more! That's good tactics and I applaud them :)

This doesn't change the fact that Sony were probably not considering draconian DM MS style, they merely wanted to leave it un-qualified and watch MS self-destruct. I don't believe Sony were ever gonna do it - and even the patent rumours about sony DRM may have been done to 'lead Microsoft on' even more.

They played it like masters this time and as the company that basically re-invented console gaming in the mid-90s, also making it 'cool' and popularising it among adults they deserve their success. Anyone who had a PS1, PS2, PS3 know that Sony has great games and they have never deviated from that, only adjusted to market pressure namely stuff introduced by Xbox 360 (better online, but also now paid online). Sony gave positives, MS mostly negatives (other than good online for consoles), Sony are as beloved to console gamers now as Nintendo are/were in the past. Microsoft will NEVER be seen that way, especially after XB1.

#goPS4!

[Freedomland]

There is nothing to it whatsoever because Sony revealed their plans before Microsoft in the conference and never mentioned about imposing restrictive policies. Microsoft could have done the same but they didn't although they knew Sony would not go with them.
Stop creating assumptions, both of the companies started in different directions and you know the rest.
In my opinion console gaming is different than computer gaming, I buy console to avoid the hassle of installation and other complexities, I really want to enjoy exclusives and other multiplatform games in a simple gaming manner and Sony made ps4 as a powerful console with the most demanding features not a hybrid child of computer and console. I don't need a underpowered pc as a console.

[G20WLY]

House isn't the PR guy for Sony. Even if he was, it wouldn't be a smart move to say something that a disgruntled ex-employee could later disprove and share with the press.

That would be reputational suicide and not something a decent executive like House would ever risk - even less so a PR guy lol

So, happily, we have no reason to distrust House on this.

[andibandit]

I simply dont believe there has been no pressure from publishers on this...they are bleeding so much money to the likes og GameStop

[awi5951]

So why did publishers just pressure microsoft to do it? Giantbomb broke that story that they demanded a used game block built into the next xbox at the hardware lvl. So why set microsoft up and not Sony? This has just gotten very weird. I wonder if people like EA could block used games sales in another way because they got rid of online passes because they knew consoles would have a used games lockout. So will EA bring back online passes now?

[Roper316]

"So why did publishers just pressure microsoft to do it?"

well the 360 was a heavily pirated console from a software perspective. Basically every big game getting released was available prelaunch thanks to the pirates. So i could see the publishers going after MS more than the other console makers to fix that issue.

[MysticStrummer]

"there was never any plan for PS4 to block second-hand games - and publishers weren't asking for it either."

Publishers weren't exactly jumping onboard with DRM, so this may very well be true and at least part of the reason MS backed down so quickly.

As I said in another article's comments, MS tried something that wasn't as popular as they anticipated.

Companies have to decide when to provide what the market wants and when to influence the market in a certain direction, and MS botched the latter this time.

[Bathyj]

MS never thought it would be popular. They just thought they could get away with it. They love to push at the edges to see what people will put up with, slowly eroding at your expectations until finally what was once thought of as unacceptable just becomes normal.

Thank god gamers rose up in a noisy wave and said in no uncertain terms, "I dont think so Microsoft."

[T2]

Yeah and even more disgrace to the xbots crying "sony will do it too then ill laugh at u guys" ... Complete disgrace to wish bad to all because you are a blind fanboy

[DARK WITNESS]

I think that is what made me laugh the most, the fanboys saying sony will have no choice but to do it so we should not be happy...

it didn't occur to them that if hardly anyone buys the xb1 and everyone buys the ps4, sony will be in a position where they can basically do what they want. it's the publishers who would have to submit to whatever policy sony is running with.

even if they don't want to and they don't release any 3rd party games sony still have enough 1st part games and studios to keep gamers playing without us having to think about 3rd party games.

what a joke..

[Anon1974]

Back when the rumors were flying that the PS3 would block used game sales prior to launch (that's right, we went through all this with the PS3) I said at that time this would never happen. For one console to block used game sales/game lending when the others did not would be suicide.

Lo and behold, Microsoft tried it and guess what? It was damaging beyond belief, forcing the company to back down.

For anyone paying attention, there was no confusion. Andrew House said last year that he considered any move to block used games sales as "anti-consumer". You don't just turn around and reverse a statement like that and there was absoluetly no reason to believe that Sony was planning on implementing anything more restrictive than what we'd seen with online passes already.

The people casting doubt on Sony's position were simply trying to smear the company. "Sony never specifically said the PS4 won't eat kittens, so clearly in the dead of night, that's exactly what it's going to do. Otherwise, why wouldn't Sony have clarified?"

It was ridiculous and forced Sony to take time away from their E3 to clarify, even though they had been completely clear in the past. What I find interesting though is if the publishers weren't asking Sony to do this, they weren't asking Microsoft so why did they do it? The only conclusion I can think of is a cash grab. Microsoft wanted to handle used games, digitally themselves (of course taking a cut) and it blew up in their faces.

[mcstorm]

There were + and - sides to the DRM on the xbox one. For me it has more +'s because you did not need to put the disk in to play games and switch from game to game and different services. You could also trade in your game at some places which was not a bad thing as all the big name shops would of been in on it.

I can see why people did not like it but the One was built around this system and now this can only be done via downloaded games.

Im not saying what Microsoft did was right or wrong but it now changes how we use the Xbox one to how Microsoft showed us at there shows.

[devwan]

You've gotta think though, a 500GB HDD would fill up so quickly with the previously proposed method of installing each game.

I'm not sure how much room the OSs/system software take up themselves, I think the Blu Ray disc used can hold about 50GB, so potentially you might have been looking at only around 10 or less games installed at one time.

Actually, I'm not sure that mandatory installs aren't still required, only that the disc has to be in the drive to play - anyone know either way?

[mcstorm]

@devwan I know what you are saying but it was still an option that is not there now because we have to swap out the disk. I kind of wish Microsoft offered both options and you can pick when you setup the console. Im not sure about the installs now infect im not sure what the one can and cant do now there is not drm options.

[awi5951]

Giantbomb broke the story that publishers demanded it and they wanted it to be built into the hardware. Thats how we got this xbox 1 mess. They also said if nothing was done game prices would have to be raised again.

So i dont know why they just pressured microsoft and not sony. You can tell by the fact that EA announced that they would do away with online pass. They thought they would get their way anyway so they would pretend to do something good for the consumer but they knew that xbox had DRM for used games from the get go. SO i bet it was EA leading the DRM charge.

[MysticStrummer]

Yeah I didn't mean to imply that no publishers wanted DRM, just that as a group they weren't very vocal about defending it when MS started getting all the backlash. I have no doubt that EA wanted it.

They should have come up with reasons why it was a good thing for consumers, and not just a benefit to themselves (the publishers).

[DragonKnight]

This was known for MONTHS before E3 and people still tried to lump Sony in with Microsoft.

[first1NFANTRY]

they just couldn't fathom the fact that Sony actually cared about gamers and their freedom.

M$ and Sony are in two separate worlds when it comes to gaming policies.

[lukeb4dunk]

Or just business in general.

[insomnium2]

Yeah all we hear is the same "they are out for profits just like MS" BS. There are more than one way to get to those profits.

MS has no foundation/backbone/ethics in this industry. They even trample on their own friggen fanbase to get to more profits. I have never ever seen as flip flopping company as MS has been with it's X360 and now with Xbone even before it effing launches.

First it was all about the games with core audience like it was with the original xbox. After that they went for casuals full force ignoring their previous install base almost completely. If I still were an xbox customer I would be seriously butthurt over that.

They've acted like a child with a notebook with x360 with stuff like HDMI and 1080p and now it's even worse with Xbone even before it launches. Hell people HAVE GOT TO HAVE an internet connection just to get the initial patch. Why can't they deliver the patch on game discs for example? Why do they have to do things the hard way for the consumer one after the other? It was the consumers who paid for the HDMI port. No HDMI unless you buy a new console. It was the consumers who paid for 1080p, proprietary HDDs coupled with game istallations. Now consumers go through the once online-thing too.

the problem with the things I mentioned is that MS was against all those things and publicly laughed at Sony and downplayed those very same things. HDMI and 1080p wasn't needed. HDD was not needed. Online was required with Xbone and now it isn't but still is required WTF?

I'm pretty sure there is no way MS can recover from the stunts they've done in my eyes. FFS MS you need to have a vision AND STICK TO IT for better or for worse. All this flip flopping is making me dizzy.

[devwan]

Yes and people such as my xbot friend were saying stuff like "Sony will do the same in time, you just watch, it'll happen, mark my words"... not been much comment on that since after it was ms who had to change -their- tune...

[DARK WITNESS]

lolol, classic

[XabiDaChosenOne]

So all of this talk about how publishers were the main catalyst behind the Xbox ones drm policies was just damage control from a certain group of obedient enthusiast. Why am I not surprised.
May 21st 2013- June 17 2013 I'll never forget the damage control that thrived during this time period.

[Benjammin25]

If publishers weren't pushing Sony, then they weren't pushing MS. There was never any need for Xbox one to have used game restrictions. God MS, you really piss me off sometimes.

[first1NFANTRY]

like i keep saying, the xbone needs to die for gaming to move forward without restrictions, gimped multiplats etc etc

[Hicken]

Bu-bu-but Sony was definitely gonna do the same thing as Microsoft. They just changed their mind after the #NoDRM campaign! /s

What do you all have to say for yourselves, now?

[Parapraxis]

check Godmars290 's comment below for an idea.

[imt558]

Wrong! True is somewhere between yes or no! Jack Tretton about year ago before E3 said that Sony has no intentions to bring used-game restrictions or DRM. I doubt that Sony has decide on no used-games restrictions or no DRM just a week before E3. That would affect hardware changes, but Sony has already ship components for mass production.

[ziggurcat]

The best was when someone on here claimed to know someone on the inside, and that he was told that Sony would have DRM just like MS... He mocked me for saying there's no way Sony would. Minutes after try made their announcement, I asked him how his foot tasted, and if he needed any help getting it out.

[ziggurcat]

stupid autocorrect... that was meant to say, "after sony made..." not, "after try made..."

[rainslacker]

Was it the same person who said they also had some inside knowledge of a giant mega-ton bomb MS was going to drop at E3 as well, despite not a single reputable site also reporting on it? You know the bomb that just kinda fizzled because the fuse was wet I guess?

Haven't seen him around much in the last couple weeks.

[Godmars290]

My BS meter just exploded.

Damnit Sony. You were doing so well...Not that it really matters.

[thebigman]

Going back to February they never once mentioned any kind of DRM and said it would be similar to the PS3. People overeacted and forced Sony to have to spell it out for everyone.

[XabiDaChosenOne]

http://www.cinemablend.com/...
Was it ever discussed in meetings? Probably, I can see some of the execs playing Devils Advocate in the board rooms. Was it ever going to be implemented? Nope.

[CGI-Quality]

For what reason would you doubt? They've said this for months now. Putting fingers in your ears only means you don't want to hear the truth.

[Godmars290]

That they filed a patient for the tech?

Seriously, this is no different than the issues with rumble and the PR statements they had to make in regards to not needing it, then adding it once the lawsuit was settled.

Its really sad that people sound defensive about this. *This* is only business. Sony making themselves look better while throwing MS under the bus. Doesn't change the fact that MS went overboard with what they were doing.

[ziggurcat]

@ Godmars290:

they filed an identical patent before the PS3 launched, and we all know that we weren't able to play used content on the PS... wait, no... that never happened.

you do know that patents almost never see the light of day, right?

sony threw MS under the bus? haha, no... MS did that to themselves because they thought they could pull the wool over everyone's eyes, and thought we would be distracted by shiny things like clouds, snapping, sports, rocket science, and TV.

[CGI-Quality]

No. What's sad is this has been said to death and people still claim it's "BS". Outside of your speculation, you can't prove Sony ever had this in mind. But, we CAN prove that they've said from Jump St that they didn't.

PS: I normally respect your contributions, but you're basing your assumption on nothing tangible, here.

[Hicken]

It's a patent. And they had one years ago, too; what happened to that one?

You're talking about something they filed last year, and incomprehensibly ignoring that they've said THIS YEAR that they weren't gonna do any such thing. MULTIPLE TIMES since the announcement, they've said "We're not implementing any DRM," "It'll be the same as what's on PS3," and "We're leaving it up to the publishers."

How is THIS suddenly PR bull?

Like CGI said, you usually have something reasonable to say. But here, you're reaching, and it's so obvious it's mind-boggling.

[Parapraxis]

He's also forgetting the fact that companies have been known to patent ideas just to prevent others from using them.

I'm not saying Sony patented for the reason of stopping another company from using this idea, but it's not impossible.

Patents have been made for the sole purpose to cause other companies problems before. Ie: Microsoft patenting playing music stored on your HDD during games.

[rainslacker]

The patent in question was actually just renewed, not filed. It was an existing patent for blu-ray game tech, which could feasibly work for movies as well. Movie industry is much more uppity about copy protection and DRM, although I don't think they'd outright restrict 2nd hand sale. That would be a major sh*tstorm putting our tiff with MS to shame.

[Bathyj]

"the flipside of the argument is that retailers will tell you that the vast majority of trade-in value gets immediately repurposed into new purchases of games, and those people in turn generate word of mouth and create more interest."

Good point. People trade in old games so they can buy new games. It would be rare for someone to trade in a game and then leave the store with the cash in their hands.

End result is, stop people from trading in old games, and they will likely not buy as many new ones.

[Grimhammer00]

You know how you determine a truth that can't be verified? History.

Xbox -
Proprietary HDD
Xbox LIVE
20pts MS on ones bday
Reactionary defence (DRM, psPlus free games)

I'm sure there's more - the facts are MS treats there fanbase like garbage and tries to squeeze blood from stones if they think they can.

Sony isnt perfect....but, by comparison they shine white.

[T2]

They still dont learn they will try to shove proprietary hdd, headset, battery packs,on you for time eternal

[iNFAMOUZ1]

oh really? that's why we xbox live users are getting two free games every month and have the largest most solid robust online service right?

[MasterCornholio]

The service will only last a few months though and it will end in December of this year. I don't know if you noticed but Microsoft is offering a pretty old selection of games.

Just an example, this month with PlayStation plus I managed to download 5 games. Two for my Vita and three for my PS3. For my Vita I downloaded Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus and Unit 13 and for my PS3 I downloaded Battlefield 3, Payday the Heist and Saint Rows The Third.

What did Microsoft release this month with games with gold? Well Assassins Creed 2 and Defense Grid: The Awakening.

In my opinion games with gold isn't even on the same level as PlayStation plus.

Motorola RAZR i

[DARK WITNESS]

"oh really? that's why we xbox live users are getting two free games every month and have the largest most solid robust online service right?"

Please tell me you are joking right... right??

[JoeReno]

You forgot the Live price hike cash grab.

[humbleopinion]

Wait, wait!
You forgot how MS also wanted you to work two jobs to be able to afford an Xbox 360, how they told you that rumble is a last gen feature and took it out of the controller only to bring it back again later on with a new more expensive controller, how they didn't bother to encrypt sensitive user data and then got hacked spilling your personal information, and how they promised an open architecture with Linux OS support and then simply took it away from you...

Oh wait.

[NateCole]

Sony were clear from the start regarding this. They planned and built the PS4 since 2009.

[iNFAMOUZ1]

man put a sock in it, these pr sony retards always saying the same thing over and over different words

[DARK WITNESS]

Like the MS PR retards, only they actually know what they are talking about, are not contradicting themselves and their message has been positive all the way..

[Narutone66]

*My corporate shill sense is tingling.*

[B1uBurneR]

Yea Sony ride that DRM tide while it last. Your fans are loving it. You did say third party can use drm on your system at E3 during a interview?

The truth is Sony &
Microsoft dont care about us gamers they just care that we buy & recomnend their system over the next guys.. by all means think what you want.

[JackOfAllBlades]

Sony actually cares about gamers

[MultiConsoleGamer]

This is either pure bullshit or a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

[THC CELL]

Why people next gen should worry about ms, they was gonna mess with next gen and flipped the switch and nothing will stop them flipping the switch when consoles exceeded sales

[_FantasmA_]

Well duh. I mean M$ is evil enough to try initiate new ways to pillage customers. That's what M$ does, always has, and probably always will.

[Thunderhawkxbox]

Yes of course they never did big fat lier

[madpuppy]

Business is all about profit, the best way to profit is to sell products that people want and treat the customer as the most important aspect of their business, thus, no customers...no profit...no business.

Microsoft has been living in an unhealthy business environment for so long (an unapologetic, illegal monopoly) that they forgot that they have to treat customers as the most important part of their business.
In the world of windows and Office they have more or less dictated terms to the world what you can do or not do with their products, did everything in their power to buy out or crush competition so there was no other choice but to buy from them.
When they entered the console industry they were up against two incumbent titans, Sony and Nintendo, they did their best to crush the competition with the xbox (to little too late) and then the 360, after the debacle with the RROD and how xbox gamers just swallowed a broken and flawed console for years because MS patched them up the best they could and sent them back. they felt that the had the HOOK into gamers and started getting cocky, they didn't think they had to try so much anymore because the fanbase/customer would buy regardless. so they started shuttering first parties and the ones they had left focused on kinect games.
The Xbone and it's DRM policies were the pinnacle of arrogance and forgetting that the customer is the most important part of a business, avarice and arrogance that should be MS catch phrase.

[SpinalRemains138]

Sony employing the Kings Indian defense.

Well played, gentlemen.

[EXVirtual]

Sony was never planning any of this. That patent in January was to let used work offline. They said 3 times before E3 the PS4 won't have any new restrictions. Ppl don't pay attention.