How the next Xbox could stop you from playing used games

Rumor has it that Microsoft might ban used games from being played on its next Xbox. But is such a move even possible in a world where a significant number of players still don't have broadband Internet access? We look at possibilities.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/gaming/news/2012/01/how-the-next-xbox-could-stop-you-from-playing-used-games.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[QuantumCat]

Would someone be so kind as to elucidate Sony's relationship to Blu-ray? I know they played a significant role developing the format, but it is my understanding the BSA (of which Sony is a member) is the entity that handles licensing for Blu-ray. I'm afraid I'm ignorant beyond that, and I haven't been able to figure out more from browsing Wikipedia.

 

[TechGeek]

I am sorry but this is a brain dead move for Microsoft. Like it or not, used games enhances the player experience. If players are going to be stuck with one owner games, they may move to another system where they will get more games. Microsoft brought this problem on themselves by charging $60 for new games. Take it back to $50 or $40 and I bet resale rates go down. This would also prevent rentals.

 

[EdwardRox]

If they do anything of the sort, They can take their new xbox and shove it up ballmers rectum.

I am not faffing around in a shop burning a game with a usb drive. NO.

I want to buy a game, oh I forgot my usb key.... I don't see this working at all.

Why would they put up barriers to sale like that? .... quick answer, they wouldn't.
A successful marketing model for content is faster, not slower, i.e. iTunes/ app store etc. The only thing that beats that in terms of speed right now is onlive.

 

[nash076]

Methinks I spy a new age of PC gaming approaching . . .

 

[jbrodkin]

I wonder how they would handle people who replace a console. For example, I own the original Xbox, but my first one broke after a couple of years and I had to buy it a second time (and I purchased both of them used).

 

[NulloModo]

What a great way for Microsoft to completely destroy any goodwill that they've built up compared to Sony during this round of console wars.

It will also be an incredible motivation for the avid community of modders and crackers to get to work on finding ways to defeat these restrictions. As an added bonus, they'll easily be able to morally justify opening up the system to piracy because Microsoft will be stomping all over the first sale doctrine.

 

[Deleted member 216601]

If Microsoft goes ahead with some sort of system of tying new games directly to the console on which they are first played, then count me out. I went through more than enough Xbox systems thanks to red rings of death in the first couple of years of the 360's existence -- I can't imagine the additional hassle if I had to do something special to get the games I had already bought to work on the new system or, worse yet, have to buy the games all over again. This has dumb written all over it.

 

[SuperSpy]

Option 4: Blame the changes on piracy, then when sales tank because of the changes, blame *that* on piracy as well. Rinse and repeat.

 

[Fadawah]

Not an entirely bad idea, but I would much rather see one game per account instead of one game per console. I don't have to remind any of you about the Red Ring of Death.

 

[OregonLAN]

Haha, I don't think this will ever happen. They can block the ability to play online, but the moment they implement some type of measure to prevent people from playing all used, borrowed or rented games is the moment they will lose market share to their competition. The funny thing about selling used games is that they were once new, so really they aren't losing anything...

 

[sirawesomeson]

I think a small pay to activate for used discs wouldn't be the end of the world. I'm talking $3-5 to activate the game to your system or to your gamertag after buying used. It will drive the used prices down 3-5 dollars and the publishers can get some money and still bitch about used sales (nothing will stop them).
Off topic: Do you know who to contact or what email to send to to give feedback or ideas on the new system? I'd make any system my primary for dual output or piggybacking displayport so I can run netflix and a game.

 

[TheVelourFog]

I like how they focus on this. Why don't they focus on shitty load times and the cluttered, full of ads UI?

RIP the days of the N64. Insert cart, play game.

 

[Chmilz]

In 1994 I paid $120.00 for Final Fantasy 3. In today's dollars that would be $167.00.

Last week, I bought New Vegas + all DLC on Steam sale for $15.00.

Who needs resale when games are 10% of what they used to cost. I won't even get into the ludicrousness of trying to resell my $2.50 version of Terraria.

Consoles will go the way of Steam, high priced at launch, super sales down the line.

 

[Jeremy W]

Off topic: Do you know who to contact or what email to send to to give feedback or ideas on the new system? I'd make any system my primary for dual output or piggybacking displayport so I can run netflix and a game.

I'll just give you the straight truth: they don't give a shit about your feedback or ideas.

 

[Evil_Merlin]

Um, console games already do that. And have been doing so for years.

 

[fitten]

Rumor and FUD. I'll wait to see what really happens.

 

[MiggityMikeB]

Thank you for not calling it Xbox "720"

 

[Golgatha]

Isn't it obvious that the solution is to have registration keys with Online authentication through XBox Live? Basically it's Steam for the console. Or hell, Steam is on the PS3 already. Just integrate it into XBox Live. On the subject of the PS3, I would bet Steam will be used on console titles on the PS4 specifically to prevent resale. Either way, I'll gladly NOT buy the PS4 or next XBox, and just go PC exclusively if this is the road we're going down.

 

[crhilton]

If they drop prices, fine. I'm not paying $60 for a mediocre game with 9 hours of game play.

Sure, I happily drop $60 for fantastic games (Arkham City) that have short game play. And I can see forking over $60 for games with insane amounts of play (Fallout). But for a game that's just sort of okay (Fable, CoD, Rage)?

The fact that I can usually resell the game and recoup some of my cost brings down that new price.

Plus, the fact that I can wait on a game I'm unsure about and buy a used copy for $20 means I'm more likely to play it, and I've recouped part of someone else's high purchase price.


Now, if they want to curb it with good DLC that works only once I think that's fine.


BTW, the Kiosk idea would probably cost them more sales than the internet only service. I'm sure there are tons of forgetful gamers who would rarely have their xbox key with them when they want to make a purchase. People do go out, not to buy anything, end up at the store anyway, and then buy.


Anyway, if Microsoft does this and Sony doesn't I'll buy a Playstation next time. And vice versa.

 

[Nisuo]

Seriously, Ars? Citing Kotaku?

If we wanted to read the garbage that Kotaku comes up with, we'd be at kotaku, not Ars right now.

I'm getting really sick of this rumor mill garbage, and I always felt that Ars was above all of that.

 

[crhilton]

Thank you for not calling it Xbox "720"

Shouldn't it be Xbox 1080 by now?

 

[Jeremy W]

Isn't it obvious that the solution is to have registration keys with Online authentication through XBox Live?

Yes, however the focus of the ideas in this article is methods that do not require any sort of Internet connection. I think the introduction should make that clear, because I had the same thought at first.

 

[Kyle Orland]

I wonder how they would handle people who replace a console. For example, I own the original Xbox, but my first one broke after a couple of years and I had to buy it a second time (and I purchased both of them used).

I hand't considered used consoles. They'd probably have to have a program to give used console purchasers their own digital key on request. Might be tough to stop people from getting more than one key, but doable.

 

[Kyle Orland]

Thank you for not calling it Xbox "720"

You're welcome! I hate how that shorthand has somehow turned into a de facto standard.

 

[Donnicton]

It'll be cracked within a week of release if they go with any of those methods.

But honestly, I'm in a minority that will only buy used games if they're classics(PS2 or older), and will only buy them if they have the box and manual. I'm tired of Gamestop mailing me games in generic sleeves with no box or manual, to the point where I don't even go that far to shop from gamestop anymore. I'd more often trust amazon/ebay/gametz because you at least know what you're getting.

Unfortunately this also means that by the time these new games are 'classic', I'd be up sh-t creek without a paddle - short of the old piracy fallback or company's(square's) classic game re-release #523,580.

 

[Golgatha]

In 1994 I paid $120.00 for Final Fantasy 3. In today's dollars that would be $167.00.

Last week, I bought New Vegas + all DLC on Steam sale for $15.00.

Who needs resale when games are 10% of what they used to cost. I won't even get into the ludicrousness of trying to resell my $2.50 version of Terraria.

Consoles will go the way of Steam, high priced at launch, super sales down the line.

Consoles are a walled garden. There will be no super sales down the line. If Steam didn't have the "super sales" it has frequently, it would also not be a player in the PC market. Make a game so cheap that I don't care about resale value, fine, you get my money. Charge me $50-$60 per game with no resale possibility and I'm done.

 

[outlaw2005]

If Microsoft did this, it would pretty much guarantee I do not purchase this console. I don't need to spend $400-$500 on a piece of hardware that restricts me from playing used games on it.

What if a friend wants to bring over a game he owns to play on my console? Sounds like that would no longer be possible. This would just be one of the most brain dead stupid asinine moves ever for a game company. Sony has done some really stupid things with the PS3 but if Microsoft were to do this, it would top them all IMO.

 

[sismoc]

When will Detroit try to find a way to prevent people from buying used cars? Since the automobile manufacturer gets NO revenue from a used car sale, each used car that is purchased is like stealing from the manufacturer. This must be stopped. Car dealers need to have a way to lock the car to it's original purchaser. Or, make the air-conditioner only work for the driver who bought the car new. Used cars would need to be taken to the dealer for the $500 A/C activation!

 

[Kyle Orland]

Seriously, Ars? Citing Kotaku?

If we wanted to read the garbage that Kotaku comes up with, we'd be at kotaku, not Ars right now.

I'm getting really sick of this rumor mill garbage, and I always felt that Ars was above all of that.

Whether or not the next Xbox actually does this, the push for a way to stop used games is decidedly NOT going away, thanks to publisher interest. Given that, I felt a look at the technical hurdles to actually getting it done, without a 'net connection, was worthwhile. The Kotaku rumor is a news peg and nothing more.

 

[Kyle Orland]

BTW, the Kiosk idea would probably cost them more sales than the internet only service. I'm sure there are tons of forgetful gamers who would rarely have their xbox key with them when they want to make a purchase. People do go out, not to buy anything, end up at the store anyway, and then buy.

A decent point. I'm sure they could implement some sort of alphanumeric code that you enter if your key isn't handy, which you could keep on a slip of paper in your wallet/purse. That is still annoying, though, for sure.

 

[tesseractive]

Not an entirely bad idea, but I would much rather see one game per account instead of one game per console. I don't have to remind any of you about the Red Ring of Death.

This. I can't see them seriously expecting game-per-console to be okay with people.

At the very least, I would think it would work like XBLA, where if you are logged in to a Live account, you can get at your games from your new console.

 

[aka_mythos]

If MS really wanted to make money they should go the opposite direction and through the "neXt-BOX" allow user to sell their games directly to each other, where MS themselves can pocket a cut and retain the money within their system. That creates more of an open marketplace.

I agree though banning all second market sales are going to have a negative effect. The simple fact is there are enough people who can't afford to buy games at their MSRP price and used is the only price point that fits. They will completely exit the market for "neXt Box" games in prefering a system that allows them to continue enjoying that convenience. It shows a lack of understanding of the economics, since its often times the selling of used games that funds players to buy new games, when they otherwise couldn't. The result is further erosion of the player base. Even still, the purchase of new games will be further smaller by virtue of the fact that without the ability to resell the game it raises the effectual cost by diminishing its asset value to zero, which will raise the threshold players will have to want something to want to shell out money for it.

 

[Golgatha]

Isn't it obvious that the solution is to have registration keys with Online authentication through XBox Live?

Yes, however the focus of the ideas in this article is methods that do not require any sort of Internet connection. I think the introduction should make that clear, because I had the same thought at first.

The 27% without an Internet connection can call and get an authentication code using a WGA type scheme. They can make this work.

 

[speedyth]

BAD MICRO$OFT! I love used games! Eliminating the used games market will force people who do not have the money to afford broadband internet off the system AND it will give ISPs even more incentives to throttle and cap internet speeds on landlines(cough, AT&T, cough). If the rumors about the XBox Next turn out to be true, I will NOT buy that system.

 

[crhilton]

Here's a thought:

Offer the new games online and in hard copy at the same time. Charge $60 for the hard copy and $50 for the online copy on day one. By the time the game isn't popular lower the online copy so that it's still cheaper than typical retail hard copies (which are probably on sale to get rid of them).

If you entice new game buyers to buy online you remove the used supply simply by encouraging the market away from hard copy. But it doesn't look bad because you're giving the consumer a choice, not wasting human creativity on crazy schemes, and you're offering a reward to make up for the lack of a hard copy.

And people who live in BFE can still order theirs on Amazon.


If you're lucky you'll turn $15 used sales into $15 online sales.

 

[Spungy]

I don't buy used or sell my games. Anything that made just buying new games and playing them more difficult would be a big turn off. I already play as much as possible on PC. But something like FF13-2 that is console only I'll have to be able to play it.

 

[tangerinecheese]

All you console gamers are over thinking this. Those of us who are the Glorious PC Master Race have been in this situation for years now thanks to one platform: Steam.

All MS has to do is convert to a digital store where any physical media you purchase is a "backup copy" rather than the actual product. Instead of buying a game, you've bought a license to use the game which is activated via a code in the manual or something. If you want, you can certainly go out and buy a physical copy of The Orange Box, but it still activates over steam and all the updates come from there, you've just cut out a few GB of downloading, which is the preferred method of acquisition.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

The worst they can do is force keys on people to play the game on their account, this will just drive down used game prices nullifying whatever they sought to do, then again I guess a trickling of money into the publisher for bothering to publish a title is the small thing they want to do.

 

[Golgatha]

Not an entirely bad idea, but I would much rather see one game per account instead of one game per console. I don't have to remind any of you about the Red Ring of Death.

This. I can't see them seriously expecting game-per-console to be okay with people.

At the very least, I would think it would work like XBLA, where if you are logged in to a Live account, you can get at your games from your new console.

You completely underestimate the sheepiness of the Sheeple. People will bend over and take it in droves, profits will soar, and people like me will play our bucket list of AAA games and quite playing once those are exhausted.