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[LifEndz]

I'm sure this has been said, but didn't MS conduct a survey that showed more than half the 360s sold are never connected to the Internet? Heck, there are areas in America where broadband isn't available yet. There's no way this could be true. They'd basically be telling half their current install base to not buy their new console.

 

[Trogdor1123]

I wonder if Gamespot will comment on this to say something like they wont sell a system like this that restricts consumer rights or some kind of BS like that?

 

[hymanator]

There are some reasons why this could be true:

1. Would allow to install your disc to your consoles hard drive without the need for the disc.
2. Microsoft could argue that PC services such as Steam have had a system like this for years
3. This would definitely make the system much harder to hack/pirate games
4. Gamefly and rental industry in general can no longer hurt potential sales
5. Used game industry can no longer hurt potential sales

There are also reasons why this could be nothing more than a rumor:

1. This could seriously hurt console sales
2. Used game retailers could turn a "cold shoulder" on the system entirely
3. Publishers could actually lose sales (many people only like to buy games they can trade in/resell, Gamefly can only rent out games that they buy in the first place)
4. A large portion of consumers don't have a reliable internet connection, if anything at all

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I am leaning toward this being not true. It would make it too easy for Microsoft's competition to succeed. Steam might be a DRM based service, but the dramatic price drops during their summer and winter sales more than make up for it. Microsoft would have to offer games at "too good to be true" prices in order for people to be suckered in. I would buy a game with all the DRM in the world if the game was desirable enough and the price was right. $60? Hell no.

 

[Odoul]

I have not paid one cent to Live.
I have not picked up a single game with online/content pass restrictions.
I have never played a Wii due to it's shitty hardware despite loving Nintendo games.

Try me with this garbage if you want to MS.

 

[DR3AM]

Both will either ban used games or allow it. I don't see that one company will allow it and 1 banning it

 

[Baconsammy]

Ebooks are selling like hotcakes. These are single account.

Amazon allows you to let someone borrow your books. No reason Microsoft or Sony couldn't come up with something similar.

 

[Dahbomb]

I will personally rally the DMC community against the Xbox and for the PS4 if Sony does not follow suit with this.

Hey that's like 2 million sales right there right?

 

[tajd]

so you can only play the new xbox with the internet all the time

i cannot afford that

when i not using the interent i turn it off

 

[Takuya]

MS released a console they knew was a ticking time-bomb and they've done pretty damn well with it. What 'consumer backlash' are you expecting?

Nobody knew that the 360 was going to die 4-5 times on them. The news it out that Microsoft plans on blocking used-games and also requiring an always-online connection. It's different.

 

[Vesper73]

Both will either ban used games or allow it. I don't see that one company will allow it and 1 banning it

.

 

[phaonaut]

Amazon allows you to let someone borrow your books. No reason Microsoft or Sony couldn't come up with something similar.

How do you do that?

 

[Data West]

I wonder if Gamespot will comment on this to say something like they wont sell a system like this that restricts consumer rights or some kind of BS like that?

If you want to get really mad, I bet you MS and Gamestop work something out and somehow it's just people who want to share with their friends get fucked.

Kind of like how you could buy Mortal Kombat from Gamestop and get a 'free' online pass

 

[LyleLanley]

Would you guys still have a problem with it if in return Microsoft promises you will get all future DLC for free.

Why would any publisher agree to that?

 

[SpaceBridge]

This is a bleak future if true.

 

[Deadly Joker]

I highly doubt the revenue lost to used sales would make up the revenue lost from not selling on PS4.

Great point. Oppurtunity Cost.

 

[sixghost]

Again, if Microsoft does this and Sony does not, will it not force publishers onto the next Xbox?

Publishers could perceive the PS4 to have cooties, (potential of lost revenue due to second hand sales).

If the PS4 has a significant portion of the market next generation and is relatively cheap to port games to, that seems unlikely.

 

[phaonaut]

I will personally rally the DMC community against the Xbox and for the PS4 if Sony does not follow suit with this.

Hey that's like 2 million sales right there right?

1.2

 

[Nealand Liquor]

Why are some people grouping Sony into this?

Because this is nothing but a rumor, and Sony being included is just as real as this rumor is atm.

 

[cdkee]

Both will either ban used games or allow it. I don't see that one company will allow it and 1 banning it

The Prisoner's Dilemma, indeed.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

It's been mentioned before, where would the competition be coming from? XBL already has a digital distribution service, it's called Games On-Demand, and it's terrible. Everything is way too expensive. One of the reasons Steam is so competitive with price is because there is plenty of competition in the PC DD front, and they are also compete for people who game on both consoles and PC. It would be great if MS' DD store was as great as Steam, but I would be shocked.

You know, even when Steam was the only viable digital storefront on PC, they still had sales because they figured out a concept that hasn't quite hit on consoles - price discrimination.

Some people might be willing to pay $60 for COD 46: Osama's Zombie Hordes. But Valve saw that by lowering the price 10%, sales would increase by 20%. By lowering the price by 25%, sales would increase by 50%. By lowering the price by 75%, sales would increase 300% and so on and so forth. This isn't feasible with physical games because of costs of distribution and manufacturing but with digital goods that can be produced at an effective marginal cost of $0, you could theoretically make nothing but pure profit on all your games after you cover production costs just by holding sales.

 

[Zombie James]

There are some reasons why this could be true:

1. Would allow to install your disc to your consoles hard drive without the need for the disc.
2. Microsoft could argue that PC services such as Steam have had a system like this for years
3. This would definitely make the system much harder to hack/pirate games
4. Gamefly and rental industry in general can no longer hurt potential sales
5. Used game industry can no longer hurt potential sales

But it will hurt potential sales: If this rumor is true, I won't buy any games at all because I won't buy the system.

 

[Ace Harding]

Neither of those conclusions make any sense. EDGE would lose some credibility (few people outside gaf will care or remember in a week), not "all" of it. Microsoft presumably has done some market research on this and believes that it's worthwhile, which is more than gaf used-gaming armchair analysts can say. Indeed, few gaffers know anything about the market and base their gloomy analysis solely on the fact they don't like the idea. It's probably a slightly risky move, but to suggest that it will single-handedly doom a console regardless of other factors is completely absurd.

This. I mean I personally think it will hurt them but Microsoft has 100% done a TON of research and analysis and can back up their decision (whatever it is) with more than a hunch.

The ability for them to completely control distribution of media for their platform, have a much better way to track sales and price products, not lose money to retailer middlemen, and not "lose money" to used game sales (or whatever their analysis shows) is VERY attractive and could outweigh any negative impact of their decision. I don't think it will, but I don't have anything to back it up. That said, my hunch isn't based on me not liking the idea - I'm OK with it.

But it will hurt potential sales: If this rumor is true, I won't buy any games at all because I won't buy the system.

How much does you not buying the system offset the positive financial impact of this decision? How much will it affect console sales? 10%? 20%? 50%? How much will attach rates (for NEW games) improve and per-console software revenue improve as a result of this? How much does one offset the other? Those are the kind of things they have thought about.

 

[Dahbomb]

1.2

The DMC community... not the DmC community.

 

[U2NUMB]

Ebooks are selling like hotcakes. These are single account.

Also from what I have seen are far cheaper than their printed brothers.

 

[TunaLover]

I wonder if publishers were asking to Nintendo to block second hand sales in WiiU too at some point.

 

[Baconsammy]

How do you do that?

There's an option on the website that lets me share certain books with my sister. I believe it's a perk of being a Prime member. When I'm sharing it I no longer have access to the book until she gives it back.

 

[fritolay]

Then can I install the games on my hard drive finally and not have to swap discs?

 

[dragonflys545]

Would you guys still have a problem with it if in return Microsoft promises you will get all future DLC for free.

It could happen if they up live the subscription to $100 or more a year lol.

 

[kingkitty]

The new xbox can still play used bluray movies right? Well I guess there's that.

 

[Visualante2]

Console makers barely let you share your own games within your own fucking household. Absurd to think that they will loosen their grip on digital rights to let you share with your friends and family. Publishers are their own worst enemies, constantly over promising, abusing game creators trying to 1up each other. Sure we occasionally get a Grand Theft Auto or a Red Dead. But at the end of the day these businesses are unsustainable and it's not my problem. I can live without consoles.

 

[Vinci]

Nobody knew that the 360 was going to die 4-5 times on them. The news it out that Microsoft plans on blocking used-games and also requiring an always-online connection. It's different.

Even after they knew, people bought multiple units and supported the platform for years. Because they couldn't stop themselves from wanting to play those games. Your assessment of gamers' sense of self-control is far more positive than mine.

 

[Frolow]

This is actually a really big bummer. Collecting newer games is kind of a dubious prospect as it is (try finding a working Xbox 360 in 25 years), but collecting will basically be cut off because of this.

Exactly. Just look at how much a new copy of Mario 3 is going for right now.

 

[YuriLowell]

If this shit is true im finding another hobby.

 

[axisofweevils]

I wonder if publishers were asking to Nintendo to block second hand sales in WiiU too at some point.

Yep. This could be the reason why the third parties seemingly deserted the Wii U after E3 2011.

 

[Le-mo]

Why would any publisher agree to that?

Well if Microsoft does indeed decide to implement this feature then the publisher would get extra revenue that they wouldn't have gotten from the used game market so it seems like a fair trade off.

 

[Baconsammy]

Also from what I have seen are far cheaper than their printed brothers.

This is false. A dollar or two most of the time compared to a new book, but still more expensive than a used book store. E-books are generally about convenience, not savings.

 

[3rdamention]

The dev all but confirms this is false. Most likely a smear from Sony.

Lol, I am sure EDGE is smart enough to consider the source. They are not going to listen to some "Sony Insider" talk about the next Xbox. They are not going to listen to a Sony owned developer talk about the next Xbox. They are not going to listen to someone trying to smear the Xbox or start rumors 2 weeks before the conference and run with them. They are smarter than that.


If this was a smear campaign, then this information would not come from a trusted source. The source of this leak was trusted enough to run the story that was followed by Gamestop stock dropping.


Actual, if this turns out to be true, and these are NOT rumors, then the Twisted Pixel developer ends up with egg on his face and looks stupid in my opinion.

 

[RedNumberFive]

The new xbox can still play used bluray movies right? Well I guess there's that.

Gold membership required for Blu-Ray playback.

 

[soundscream]

If the consumer backlash is strong enough, the third parties will have no choice but to support the PS4 (and even drop support for XBOX).

They would still be on PS4 but they wont put in extra work, they would be straight ports. So even though the PS4 would be the more powerful machine, why put extra effort into making the PS4 version superior, when you could make more money if you made the xbox version the lead platform.

 

[NeededSleep]

50gb pretty small for pushing always online.


Cant see them doing this. Maybe for the bare bones alternative.

 

[sTeLioSco]

If this shit is true im finding another hobby.

if both do it yes.......

if only ms ill just wait for the timed exclusives that publishers will give to ms while i play the first party games on ps4.

 

[Vesper73]

Ebooks or games, people don't seem to have an issue with digital distribution/single account as long as they are cheaper than their physical counterparts.

If Microsoft came out and said, "We are going digital only, but all games are starting at $10 less than physical copies.", you'd see people change their tune quite quickly.

 

[Takuya]

They would still be on PS4 but they wont put in extra work, they would be straight ports. So even though the PS4 would be the more powerful machine, why put extra effort into making the PS4 version superior, when you could make more money if you made the xbox version the lead platform.

You're assuming that the next XBOX would be easier to develop for.

 

[HPhins54]

Wasn't planning to buy, but if this is true, I most definitely won't.

 

[iammeiam]

I wonder if this might just be an option they'll be giving publishers? Like it will support a code-required disc system, but will not mandate it? Requiring a code for all games would be a pretty effective region-lock, though.

I'm just having a massively hard time wrapping my head around a complete used games ban in-step with Internet required at all times.

 

[Uno Venova]

I highly doubt the revenue lost to used sales would make up the revenue lost from not selling on PS4.

Agreed, pretty ridiculous assertion in the first place.

 

[YuriLowell]

How does the no used game thing on the console not violate the doctrine of first sale?

This is about as anti-consumer as you can possibly get.

 

[Trogdor1123]

I wonder if they would simply allow 48 hour "grace" periods before using a code maybe? That would make it so you could still share the games and then after that the code would be required.

 

[Foffy]

3. This would definitely make the system much harder to hack/pirate games

There is zero evidence to support this. Closed platforms that require a product to be purchased through official means have been circumvented in the past. PC games with DRM are still able to be pirated, as is content on smartphones. All it would mean is that if hacks were to occur, it would potentially mean the system is permanently offline, and any authentication it would need would no longer work..which would be useless, granted if it was circumvented in the first place.

 

[Vinci]

They would still be on PS4 but they wont put in extra work, they would be straight ports. So even though the PS4 would be the more powerful machine, why put extra effort into making the PS4 version superior, when you could make more money if you made the xbox version the lead platform.

Especially when the platform is garnering an audience of people so deadset on having access to used games.

Which is why I think both will do it or neither will.