Sony/PS3, maybe trying to stop Pre-owned Games

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Below is taken from gamesradar
http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?articleId=20060524153157765035&sectionId=1006

High street games shops have been told by Sony that there will be no PS3 pre-owned sections in their stores as it will be illegal for customers to sell any next-gen PlayStation games that they've bought, retail sources have revealed to GamesRadar.

It seems that Sony is planning to adopt a licensing system that will mean gamers won't own the PS3 titles that they've paid money for. Instead, they will only be purchasing the licence to play the game and that the software itself will still be Sony property - meaning that the disc won't be the customer's to sell.

We assume that the thinking behind this move will ultimately be to stop PS3 games being resold several times - which currently snatches potential sales away from Sony - and to counter the impression in consumers' minds that games are only really worth their pre-owned price and are not worth buying new.

When we contacted Sony, it issued us with the following statement: "We have made all of the official announcements at E3 and cannot make any further comments at this time. We will be announcing more news running up to PlayStation 3's launch."

If sony do try to do this then its just taking the Wii.

To me if we are just paying our money to just play the game and not own it, then when we decide we no longer wish to play said game they should give us a refund as we no longer require the service.... but you just know this wont be true if they do go down this route.

I wounder if it will still apply to auction sites as this would be from person to person not a big highstreet shop who rip people off *cough*Game*cough* which looks to be what they are trying to do.

If all this becomes true then it will be a factor in a lot of peoples minds to not purchase a PS3.

There was talks of such things not so long ago if i remember rightly but who was it that was trying to do this? anyone remember ?
 
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To me it looks as they are trying to do this as if you was accussed of doing this would you reply with this ?

"We have made all of the official announcements at E3 and cannot make any further comments at this time. We will be announcing more news running up to PlayStation 3's launch."

If it was'nt true i would put an end to it by saying so, but SONY seem to be avoiding it. :(
 
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Yeah they really should make an official statement regarding this rather than just brushing it off till sometime later this year.

It could be a complete non issue or Sony could really be being major idiots.
 
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Looks like they're trying to nail the coffin themselves.

"How to lose customers the Sony way"

If they follow through with that they've certainly lost me as a potential buyer of the PS3, no doubt the games will be stupidly expensive still, I very much doubt they're going to make them cheaper just because you can't sell them on.
 
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I seem to remember reading a while ago that it's been techincally 'illegal' for shops to sell 2nd hand games in Japan for a while (instigated by Sony), but it's just not enforced.

I guess if Sony refuse to sell equipment/games to anyone that sells 2nd hand then that could be an issue, but woudln't stop people selling them privately.
 
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I remember reading that the PS3 games would have some sort of key and once its been played on one PS3 it cant be played on another, thus stopping trade-ins and selling games on.

Sony are just becoming really stupid for no apparent reason.
 
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cheets64 said:
I remember reading that the PS3 games would have some sort of key and once its been played on one PS3 it cant be played on another, thus stopping trade-ins and selling games on.
How would the game know? I presume you'd have to have your ps3 online or something?
 
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cheets64 said:
I remember reading that the PS3 games would have some sort of key and once its been played on one PS3 it cant be played on another, thus stopping trade-ins and selling games on.

Sony are just becoming really stupid for no apparent reason.


..benjamins. Im guessing they would see it as 'less traded between the public = more sold and more money for us'

Phnom_Penh said:
How would the game know? I presume you'd have to have your ps3 online or something?

maybe a writable area on the disc? i dunno
 
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Beepcake said:
I seem to remember reading a while ago that it's been techincally 'illegal' for shops to sell 2nd hand games in Japan for a while (instigated by Sony), but it's just not enforced.

I guess if Sony refuse to sell equipment/games to anyone that sells 2nd hand then that could be an issue, but woudln't stop people selling them privately.


There are (unfortunately) ways that hardware and software can be mated up - especially if the hardware is able to go online,
For example, you insert Ridge Racer 23 into your console, the console reads a code that is unique to that disc and contacts the central database which reports back to the console with a "yes, it's a virgin disc go ahead", or "no, it's already been used on another system".

IIRC a system very similar to that was proposed for some optical media not long ago, but I can't remember if it was one of new movie formats or one of the games systems.
 
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cheets64 said:
I remember reading that the PS3 games would have some sort of key and once its been played on one PS3 it cant be played on another, thus stopping trade-ins and selling games on.

Sony are just becoming really stupid for no apparent reason.

I thought that rumour had gone away? That the disc would be serialised to your own ps3 and wouldnt work on another PS3. So to stop rentals and resales???

If they choose to go down the path that is suggested in the OP then it doesnt matter how good the ps3 is I wont be buying one. Ive gone through loads of 360 games and currently still own only two. Whats the use in keeping a shelf full of games you will never play again.
 
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I wish I had a better, more elequant way of phrasing this, but it's just stupid.

The disc will remain property of Sony? I can see that being enforceable. What if you want to take a game to a friends house to play? Or you have more than one PS3 in the house? Or it gets replaced? No more rentals either then? Or swapping titles? How will a returns policy work for somewhere like Game if the disc has been used?

It'll never happen. Tbh I don't even think consumer law would allow Sony to stipulate such a licence.
 
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Hah..


So if your ps3 breaks, which 1st gens enevitably will, you have to get all games returned? :rolleyes:


What's the betting people get around this though? Will be like a keygen. Or maybe a special burner that removes the writing part?
 
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Bad Bad Bad move, if it is true.
I am not personally worried about the resale issue, but more the Rental side of things, especially with web sites offering games for unlimited time etc.
But i think this will be hard and costly to implement, but what they are trying to do is what software companies are doing at the moment.
Also how will it work with loaning to your friends etc?
I just dont see how it is feasable, but then again, knowing the way Sony are going about with DRM etc it wouldnt surprise me.

Also how would this affect games 8 day return policy!
In fact every return policy for every store in the world would have to be altered just for the PS3.
I can see a lot of places in the states just saying to Sony, ok then we wont stock anything of Sony's inc, SCEA, Sony Motion Pictures and Sony BMG. see how quick they backtrack
 
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Can't see it happening to be honest.

And if it does, after the amount of lemons I've bought for the 360 in its short lifespan there is no way I'd go for one as each game would be a real financial gamble!
 
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