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[phosphor112]

Lmao.

 

[dragonfart28]

Suddenly Wii U looks like a No .1 contender next gen.

 

[IrishNinja]

Xbox will sell, in the mainstream it's now the defacto gaming system

those perceptions aren't set in stone; see: nintendo, sega, sony, etc
this is actually a pretty decent example of the kind've move that helps you fall off, depending on how it's received worldwide

http://www.gamespot.com/news/activision-threatens-to-drop-ps3-psp-6212246

He threatened before to stop supporting the system:

wow, it's been years but yeah, i remember that now...at the time i thought it was just waving his dick to push for the price drop we all knew they needed, but it's not something he says a lot (from what i remember) so i guess it's some form of precedent?

 

[SparkTR]

Why do people think this is so crazy and outrageous when everyone buys PC games with these restrictions everyday?

PC games are cheap and can be bought digitally from multiple retailers, it's extremely competitive and great for consumers. Also not every game is always online. It's like they're taking the worst aspects of PC gaming, without the benefits. I'm especially worried about what this means for future hardware cycles.

 

[Camp Lo]

My question is if they planned on no second hand sales then why not go all digital already?

I think they would have to be gearing up for that.

Build an install base of gamers who are always online and buying new titles only, seems like the next step to me.

 

[magawolaz]

lol, come on now.

 

[Ricker]

Wow I still can't believe they will go with the online only,no rented or borrowed game from a friend or used game way of doing things...I buy most of my games and my 360 is always online but still I do like to rent games once in a while...

 

[szaromir]

That's a bad parallel to draw because of the MASSIVE difference in pricing structures. Most PC games are already $10 cheaper at launch and the amount of sales that go on trump any B2G1F sale for consoles that you see yearly.

With this new MS policy, retailers will be a lot more interested in various discounts of software, since they won't be able to rely on used copies.

 

[DragonSworne]

More window like development environment, less power, more Kinect, no used games?

Wtf

It's what we all feared back in the 90s when Xbox was announced

 

[vocab]

Paying for peer to peer and drm. That's value.
Also, people should not compare the console dd market to the pc. Microsofts games on demand is a complete failure when it comes to prices. Id be pretty worried if I was console only. The current business model gives zero incentive to go digital. Sony is the only one that's close with the day 1 digital with the vita/psplus.

 

[Foffy]

Yeah, they could be seeing how folks feel about it, the only people who would really notice is us. (gamers really paying attention to the rumors) The vast majority of folks will never hear any of these rumors.

To be honest I do not care if both prohibit used games. PC already has this model, but the prices of games are way more affordable on PC.

PC has it to where you have accounts and can re-download stuff on new platforms. What if a game is authenticated on one platform and that platform breaks? Are we to pray that there are measures that allow you to transfer playing it to another machine, or should we be ready to buy the game all over again?

 

[i_am_ben]

Presumably no second-hand games also includes games you've borrowed from friends?

 

[Herb Alpert]

second hand market helps indirectly the first hand market. people sell games they have finish to buy a new one.
Making this impossible is greed. I hope they will get penalized...

 

[Uno Venova]

So if they are doing this, maybe Sony is going through on that patent too? I mean would only one company go through with this?

This is killing my hype.

 

[ionicbluebird]

Hmm Sony supposed to be releasing info on the 20th. Gazumping MS to the punch.

MS releases info of no second hand sales.
Over to you Sony on the 20th.

All sounds like a high risk poker game played out by two big company's. lots of smoke and mirrors.

I wonder about that too. Controlled bluff?

 

[OldJadedGamer]

because games cost $0.99

I have a $5.00 limit on iOS spending because I can't resell.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

Presumably no second-hand games also includes games you've borrowed from friends?

Correct, this would mean CD-Keys tied to your Xbox live account. So borrowing games, giving them to your kids to play all goes out the window etc...

 

[ChosenPredator]

Seriously it's automatic win for nintendo if they both do this.

 

[Doffen]

If Id were Microsoft id quickly deny this obvious absurd rumor as far as possible, unless it was truth that is.

You could ask Microsoft if HD-DVD would be implemented in the next Xbox and they'd just release the same BS statement about not making a statement.

 

[PastorOfMuppets]

I'm more surprised by the number of people who think that Microsoft isn't "dumb" enough to do something like this. Do you guys need a quick primer on Microsoft's business decisions this decade?

* Put out the Zune Media Player to compete with Apple's iPOD. Four years too late.
* Spent eight years trying to make the Xbox division profitable. Regardless of how it turned out from a video game perspective, the Xbox division has not really paid off for Microsoft financially given how much money they pumped into it.
* Windows Vista and while I still think it's too early to tell, Windows 8 seems to be headed in that direction
* Sat idly while RIMM, Nokia Google and Apple all took shots at the mobile space.
* Sat idly by while Android and iOS devices took shots at the tablet space.

http://www.google.com/finance?chdnp...q=NASDAQ:MSFT&&fct=big&ei=BVwSUcmCIYPfrAH3iAE

That's Microsoft's share price over the last decade. It not the shining beacon of a company that consistently makes good financial decisions.

 

[Striek]

Xbox will sell, in the mainstream it's now the defacto gaming system

In two countries. And it hasn't held that position very long either.

 

[1-D_FTW]

If MS does this and Sony doesn't match, 3rd parties will ditch Sony and do everything in their power to make sure MS succeeds. If Sony does match, it'll ensure the death of consoles after this gen. I guess Nintendo could exploit the opportunity, but third parties will be ignoring it for other reasons. So it's not like it'll remain this oasis for hard core gamers. Really fucking stupid.

 

[TheAmazingXemo]

I don't care. I'm ready to go all digital download this gen, so as long as games are released for download day 1 with the physical release, I'm happy. Looking back over the last year, I didn't really buy many used games at all. I'm more concerned with the restrictions being placed on developers, per the article.

 

[dwu8991]

Wow I still can't believe they will go with the online only,no rented or borrowed game from a friend or used game way of doing things...I buy most of my games and my 360 is always online but still I do like to rent games once in a while...

renting for games is pretty expensive !

 

[GlamFM]

I assume you can buy activation codes for 10€ and honestly I´m OK with that.

 

[C4Lukins]

Always online has to be bull shit. With that being the case, the activation code stuff is probably bull shit also. You cannot activate a game on your machine if you cannot get online. Nothing about it makes sense.

 

[BadWolf]

So if they are doing this, maybe Sony is going through on that patent too? I mean would only one company go through with this?

This is killing my hype.

Sony could definitely use it as an opportunity to screw over MS.

 

[Vilix]

Yes, thousands of people losing their jobs and more people not being able to enjoy gaming is certainly a win win for the industry.

Pfft. Screw those people. I'm talking about me. ^.^

 

[DopeyFish]

You lost me. How are developers losing money when companies such as Gamestop are giving out trade? That 1.8 billion is going towards new games which is healthy for the developers and publishers, correct?

Because now there $1.8 billion in used games that are being resold for $2.5-3 billion?

You see where the loss is occurring? None of that goes to the game creators

 

[Radec]

Wait, wont XBL Gold a prerequisite now or just by playing multiplayer online if this is true?

 

[MrKaepora]

Oh boy.

First: I doubt this is true but this industry is known for its crazy ideas. If true, thanks but no thanks, I'll stick with a Nintendo/PC combo.

Second: For the ones mentioning steam, on steam I can buy AAA games for 3 or 5 euros. Will we be able to do that on consoles? I pretty much doubt.

 

[Soi-Fong]

I assume you can buy activation codes for 10€ and honestly I´m OK with that.

Lol Paying for Live and then being forced to go online... God consumer rights are being taken away, and users allow themselves to be shafted..

 

[Hanmik]

because games cost $0.99

you are aware that the ruling was made for a product that is FREE..?

 

[Gemüsepizza]

Suddenly Wii U looks like a No .1 contender next gen.

If you are happy with those graphics and if you don't want third-party games, sure. Because publishers won't release any version of their games on WiiU when there isn't such a DRM implementation.

 

[rudieboy77]

PC has it to where you have accounts and can re-download stuff on new platforms. What if a game is authenticated on one platform and that platform breaks? Are we to pray that there are measures that allow you to transfer playing it to another machine, or should we be ready to buy the game all over again?

I thought some companies had a limit on how times you could re download?

 

[ionicbluebird]

renting for games is pretty expensive !

What? Not in my experience. I've saved thousands of dollars by renting as opposed to buying.

 

[metalslimer]

If MS does this and Sony doesn't match, 3rd parties will ditch Sony and do everything in their power to make sure MS succeeds. If Sony does match, it'll ensure the death of consoles after this gen. I guess Nintendo could exploit the opportunity, but third parties will be ignoring it for other reasons. So it's not like it'll remain this oasis for hard core gamers. Really fucking stupid.

I've learned this gen to never underestimate the stupidity of the games industry.

 

[bill0527]

I wonder if Microsoft can be sued over this.

Lawyer-GAF step up and tell me something.

No second-hand means no borrowing, no rentals, and no purchasing used.

I may be wrong, but didn't the music CD pick this battle back in the early-mid 1990s, and they lost?

 

[KennyLinder]

Always online has to be bull shit. With that being the case, the activation code stuff is probably bull shit also. You cannot activate a game on your machine if you cannot get online. Nothing about it makes sense.

But.. Who's not online these days? More so... Who wouldn't be online, but would be buying a new Xbox console? Can't be a high percentage.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

I assume you can buy activation codes for 10€ and honestly I´m OK with that.

I would have to assume that they would sell activation codes ala project 10 dollar but still it's a very slippery slope to go down because I doubt the activation codes will stay 10 bucks. I am all for the developers and studios making the money they deserve but this sucks if it ends up being true.

But.. Who's not online these days? More so... Who wouldn't be online, but would be buying a new Xbox console? Can't be a high percentage.

I would have to agree with you here. I would have to say if 99% of the people who buy an Xbox have the ability to get it online, it's just some of them choose to not do so even though they can. MS is choosing the cross out the small % of people who have no way to do this at all, which would be people like military etc... sorry guys

 

[The_Monk]

In two countries. And it hasn't held that position very long either.

I agree with this fellow GAFfer.

In my opinion people should expand their horizon when talking about a Company that want to sell hardware Worldwide. It's not only US guys, MS like any other company want their System in the most countries they can get.

Japan, Europe is a huge market too.

 

[flyinpiranha]

With this new MS policy, retailers will be a lot more interested in various discounts of software, since they won't be able to rely on used copies.

Yeah. I'm all for it, IF it really does help developers prosper and IF the pricing comes in line with PC gaming pricing.

With the prices they have now? I'll buy it for a few games I deem worthwhile at the asking price, but I won't be taking any chances on most titles.

There's going to be a lot more draconian behavior when it comes to digital rights in the future, DRM on PC games is just the beginning.

 

[HylianTom]

Oh boy.

First: I doubt this is true but this industry is known for its crazy ideas. If true, thanks but no thanks, I'll stick with a Nintendo/PC combo.

It's been a potent combo since the 80s. Lots of gaming choices with such a combo.

I don't see these moves by Sony & MS as putting Nintendo on top though.. Nintendo has committed too many sins in the eyes of the extreeeeme gaming audience.

 

[sublimit]

Sounds like EDGE has a PS4 love affair going on they talked about the PS4 just as much as they did the Xbox 3 in this article.

You are joking right?

 

[hwy_61]

I would have to assume that they would sell activation codes ala project 10 dollar but still it's a very slippery slope to go down because I doubt the activation codes will stay 10 bucks. I am all for the developers and studios making the money they deserve but this sucks if it ends up being true.

Yeah, I'm thinking those activation codes will be $59.99.

 

[Aquamarine]

But.. Who's not online these days? More so... Who wouldn't be online, but would be buying a new Xbox console? Can't be a high percentage.

Always online-required is absolutely mortifying for me.

Where I live, my internet connection is unstable as FUCK.

No I'm not poor...the wiring in my apartment building is ancient and the internet is prone to switching off all the damn time.

So I would be literally incapable of playing the console, especially when it likes to get testy and cut me off the Internet for 30 minutes at a time.

If the new Xbox / new PlayStation have an always-online restriction, it's Wii U-only for me in consoles next gen.

 

[Voice of Reason]

So XBL Gold, anti-used games, constant connection, region locking.

Man, those 4 new IPs better be fucking good.

 

[electricpirate]

I've always said, the damn model of selling games is broken as shit and that's a big problem.

I don't think this is the solution though, it's fiercely anti consumer, and will alienate retail partners in a big way.

Also, the part about not letting devs get close to the metal is really dumb.

PC future it is.

 

[jrush64]

If you are happy with those graphics and if you don't want third-party games, sure. Because publishers won't release any version of their games on WiiU when there isn't such a DRM implementation.

Yes because no third party will ever release any game on the Wii U.

 

[PBY]

You are joking right?

I hope so. That is the worst part of new consoles.