Sony has patented technology that would make it impossible to play used games on their consoles
By Tim Colwill on January 4, 2013 at 1:37 pm
Another year, another increasingly hard-line attempt to quash the used game market. PC gamers rarely have to worry about used games, but console gamers can look forward to a new approach from Sony that links individual game disc ID’s to a player’s ID when they are inserted for the first time — and then subsequently checks for an ID match, preventing that game from being played on new device.
The system, according to a patent discovered here, works via a contactless RF tag that is shipped blank and only set once the user inserts the disc into the device for the first time.
It should be pointed out that this isn’t the first time Sony or other companies have patented technology such as this and then not implemented it, and it’s no indicator that the next PlayStation will incorporate this sort of tech. But it’s something to think about.
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Strikes me that if this was implemented it would actually be illegal.
So if your console breaks and you have to buy a new one you’re required to have an internet connection to make sure you can reassign games to your machine via the PSN?
What about taking games to a friend’s house?
I don’t see this happening any time soon.
Bit two faced if you ask me.
On one hand, publishers don’t want to piss off retailers which results in the all too common price jacking on steam but on the other hand you have measures like this and online passes which is intending to cut into those same retailers’ bottom lines.
It is quite logical if you think about it because so many PC games require an internet connection why not apply that to consoles too? Obviously people would prefer to be able to buy or sell used games but the people most affected by this are EB/gametraders who make money on used games.
Actually I’m wondering if it’s attaching this disc ID to the user ID or to the machine. If it’s to the User ID then it shouldn’t matter if your machine dies, or if you want to bring your game to a mate’s place for a quick game with them. The patent seems to state User ID (unless I’m misreading) which isn’t so bad, just means you can’t give the game to somebody else with a different user ID, which would successfully restrict second hand sales.
If it’s attached to the machine, that’s just plain daft. What happens to those two-three dozen games I spent honest money buying when my console inevitably dies for one reason or other? I have to throw those out too?
I have no doubt they will be linked to PSN accounts, which makes me wonder what that means for people without internet connections.
Whoch is where I think they’re being two faced. The can’t have it both ways. Either you fully support retailers, gouge certain regions on digital pricing and don’t block second hand sales or you give them the middle finger, offer fair digital prices worldwide and block second hand sales.
Fuck you SONY.
That is all.
Yes let’s all yell at the company that patented a technology before we know how it will be implemented.
I sure hope they don’t implement such tech. I will not buy a console where my games are linked to my account/machine and I can’t lend the game to my bro without him having to play under my account or not being able to play at all.
We primarily play split screen and we sometimes play on my machine and sometimes play on his. Having to get two copies of the game would negate any advantage of consoles for us and we may as well stick with PC gaming again.
I also wonder how this will affect split-screen online gaming if the disc is assigned to a single account? I assume one of the two users will have to be the assigned owner of the disc.
So we can’t sell what is ours? They have successfully stopped people playing pirated copies which is fine because it IS stealing.
Now they go and piss off the people who do the right thing and buy their game by saying they can’t sell it to a mate for $20 later on… stop being fucking petty Sony