Ok, I realize what I may chalk up here will be scrutinized, torn apart, or even wholly dismissed, but I will attempt to express my feelings and opinion on Sony's and Microsoft's theoretical used games policies.
Well, we know a ton about Microsoft's Xbox One's used games policy already. Exact information has not been provided, but we do know that used games will be allowed to be traded in to retailers and the sales of those used games to new owners will be split into basically three separate funnels of revenue to three separate receivers. The first portion will be reserved for the publisher, the second portion will be reserved for Microsoft, and the third remaining revenue will be held onto by the participating retailer.
Essentially, ownership rights will be stripped from the original purchaser and will be transferred to the new owner. So far, that's all we really know. We don't know how the revenue will be split up between the three parties, but the retailers have the opportunity and flexibility to set the price of the used game at whatever they find reasonable. So, going off of that, I'm going to assume that the revenue gained will be split up according to percentages and not by a specified dollar amount.
So, there. That's the used games policy on the X1 side.
Now, let's move toward Sony's PS4.
First, let's get something out of the way, something which may indeed spell the direction in which Sony may be heading in for their PS4 console.
Unlike Microsoft in regards to their Xbox 360 console with their first party games, Sony has had implemented online PSN passes in order to play a number of their first party titles online.
Let's make a list of these PS3 games.
1. Resistance 3
2. ModNation Racers
3. SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3
4. Twisted Metal
5. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
6. Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
*there may be more Sony games that use the PSN pass, but I think I've made my point.
This highlights the different philosophies the two companies have in the current generation of consoles.
Now, going into the next generation, we have a better picture of where the two companies are coming from.
If not charging fees to retailers for second-hand video games, we can at least be sure that these online passes for Sony's first party titles will carry over to the PS4.
Now, let's get to the third party publishers in regards to the PS4. Sony has commented that it will be up to the publisher whether or not to block used game sales. You have to understand that this is a very vague statement. Several meanings can be drawn from it and we can't be sure of anything until Sony comes out into the open and highlights their exact plans for their used games policy. Only then can we, with utmost certainty and precision, compare the used games policies of the two tech giants.
One meaning we can take from Sony's statements is that publishers can fully or partially block access to their games, games that can be made to be checked, upon insertion into the PS4, for verification, etc. Sony has already confirmed their console to have the access to run off-line, but in what measure? If the publishers design their discs so that the buyer cannot gain access to any of the content without online verification, I don't think Sony would be able to block the publishers from doing so...unless Sony outright refuses to green-light such games to be made for and sold for the PS4. So, even if Sony might not force an online check for their first party titles, other publishers can make their games so that this may happen.
See? This used games stuff is very confusing.. :/
Honestly, I believe that major third party publishers have already pressured or are in the process of pressuring both Sony and Microsoft of building in anti-used games policies. This, of course, is financially favorable to both publishers and console makers. Without an anti-used games policy, these parties wouldn't see a dime from used game sales and publishers and developers, including Quantic Dream, EA, Activision, etc., have been very vocal in their stance against used games and I believe they are seeing their power and influence among both Microsoft and Sony coming to an ultimatum in the next generation of console gaming.
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Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery brings color and puzzles to your game canvas, but it drops the paintbrush in terms of length.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) President and CEO Jim Ryan has confirmed that PlayStation 2 sales reached a staggering 160 million units sold worldwide.
The soon-to-be-retired gaming boss offered an updated figure during a chat on a recent episode of the Official PlayStation Podcast. The conversation saw him covering his time at Sony while talking about the company’s direction for the future.
When asked about what the 2000s brought to mind, Ryan responded with, “The 2000s? That would be, I would say, 160 million, which is the number of PS2s that we sold. A high watermark.”
The ps2/ps3 era so many dam good games and then you got the online im sure i am not the only one with a ps2 network disc that still works and the modem/lan deal for the ps2.
Great consoles all around
The game library of the PS2 speaks for itself. These sales are absolutely well deserved. PS2 is still arguably the best game console of all time.
So odd that the number is suddenly higher than previously thought right as the Switch is closing in on the long standing record.
The PS2 had a phenomenal library of games for every genre. It’s unfortunate we’re never going to witness something like that again.
So he just came up with this fact all these years later??? I wonder if it has to do with the Switch closing in on the PS2 lifetime sales? How convenient.
I'll just drop this here for you to read.
http://gematsu.com/2013/05/...
http://www.neogaf.com/forum...
http://www.neogaf.com/forum...
Sony developed a "solution", but is not committed to it, and doesn't *want* to implement it, by all accounts. That's why EA didn't show up at the PS4 launch and have an exclusivity on some content with MS - they're throwing their weight around and demanding implementation if either company wants to be "supported", or if they don't, they'll be made to "fall". See Nintendo.
MS embraced it immediately and fully, seeing it as a way to usurp Gamestop and essentially walk in and "steal" a big chunk of used games - idea being that if anyone is going to "control" used games, it'll be them - not Gamestop.
At the moment, Sony still doesn't want to go down this route, and is obviously looking at the backlash as a way to bail completely.
Even without the backlash, it was 70% likely they wouldn't go ahead with it, and were willing to lose all access to EA games.
Edit: I'd just like to say, if Sony decide to implement something similar I won't have a problem dropping them like a hot snot either.
I believe Sony could try something. I don't think it is blocking used games to take fees but they could try and prevent them.
Regarding the third parties. They need to get over themselves already. Defend them all you want. It isn't right. There are laws in Europe against these types of practices. That should tell you corporate defenders that the companies have zero entitlement.
I'll be surprised if Microsoft get away with it. Provided Sony are doing similar things then the same should happen to them. Anyone who puts up with it is a fool. Thats the best word I can use to describe them. If you seriously believe these whining companies then you may as well believe it won't ever snow again.
No other industry has companies throwing hissy fits over used products. What makes these companies so special?
I get sick of people throwing these "entitlement" lines towards us out of defense of people who are trying to take your own rights away. The ONLY ONES acting entitled are the companies dictating what we are and aren't allowed to do with our products.
I am giving Microsoft the finger. And if Sony try anything funny then I will do the exact same to them. Wii U only for me. Actually it makes me laugh because EA will suddenly take back everything they criticized about Wii U if both sides get a backlash. You kill this practice day 1. I hope it gets a kick in the teeth because Europe are expanding into letting us sell our downloaded goods as well.
DON'T DO THIS SONY! The Xbox One is going to flop because people won't put up with it.
I actually don't mind the online pass as it doesn't involve the single player portion of a game, I can still play that game on any other PS3 or user and play it decades later if I a working PS3 is available, besides of course the multiplayer part. Multiplayer servers die off (community wise) or get shut down entirely eventually on the console side anyways. The smart way is for Sony to stand by what they said and let it be a PUBLISHER'S DECISION, let the backlash if there is any go to the publisher not the PS4 itself. I am fine with this as it gives ME the consumer a choice to support the dev/pub or not. The problem with Microsoft and where they screwed up badly is having their own drm infrastructure built into the software/console itself their pushing it themselves with a daily online sign in and your used or new game not working on another console with a different user, they should have taken Sony's route which I am confident they will go this route is letting the anti consumer practices come from the publisher themselves and not from the PS4, this to me is the right way of handling this sticky situation that currently clouds the gaming industry.
I hope Sony stands there ground, If not for themselves then for Us the consumers, MS Punked out, and Fuk EA and any Developer who practices this.
People forget that Nintendo, MS and Sony all collect royalties on each new game sold... If people are buying used then Sony and co ain't getting their cut as well as the publisher.
It's pretty easy to say this is all the publishers and MS being greedy, but it affects everyone involved, Sony too.