The War of the Preowned Games is Coming

[Ultimeas]

PC Games have been shipping with cd keys for over a decade now. Digitally though, pc games can be had for MUCH cheaper than retail. When I had my 360 and PS3 I used Gamefly almost exclusively (besides any online games my group of friends were playing).

To me the only good thing about the new consoles (bar WiiU) will be the ease of porting over games to us. Who knows, maybe ports will have more options than just resolution and "graphics presets."

[LuckyNoS7evin]

PC Games have been shipping with cd keys for over a decade now. Digitally though, pc games can be had for MUCH cheaper than retail. When I had my 360 and PS3 I used Gamefly almost exclusively (besides any online games my group of friends were playing).

To me the only good thing about the new consoles (bar WiiU) will be the ease of porting over games to us. Who knows, maybe ports will have more options than just resolution and "graphics presets."

This is what is changing or should change I hope it does anyway. I hope they create for PC and "port" to console it's in my opinion the best way to do it!

[Tanuki]

http://kotaku.com/the-xbox-one-just-had ... -511766497

The console must connect to the internet once every 24 hours in order for you to play games. For many people, from military personnel to students, that's an inconvenience, maybe even an impossibility. Never mind what happens to everybody's console if Microsoft's servers ever come down.

The Xbox One will allow the sale of used games, at "participating retailers", but only if the publisher allows it. Publishers being the very people opposed most fiercely to used video game sales.

There are restrictions on how you can "give" and "loan" your games away. What's more, lending won't be available at launch, with Microsoft still "exploring the possibilities with our partners".

Only the internet every 24 hours really surprises me.

And Sony won't let people actually see the console yet. No bad vibes there.

I wonder if pubs want to see how lucrative used sales can be for them or just try and kill it off?

[GeneralAdmission]

The more Microsoft tightens its grip, the more customers will slip through its fingers.

[Tanuki]

Didn't see that coming. No used game restrictions for PS4.

Wonder how EA and Activision will treat multi-plats.

EDIT - A dark part of me wonders if every AAA game now will have required cloud functionality.

[tepescovir]

K, so war over, ps4 wins xboxone loses.

[Skid]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/v/kWSIFh8ICaA[/youtube]

Also note the text at the bottom, the PS4 now requires a PSPlus subscription to play multi-player games, same as XBox Live. If they try to do that on PC there will be a shit storm.

[evilmatt]

The whole DRM thing is clearly at the behest of the publishers, no matter how ignorant they claim to be. If EA, Activision etc can successfully broker deals with retailers to recoup money from used sales, there's a big incentive for them to shift all their development to Xbox exclusives as a result...

[Tanuki]

The more I think about this the more odd it is. The licensing fees from the big third-party publishers are the main revenue source for the non-Nintendo consoles. Was told by an EA developer less than a year ago how season pass was basically mandatory. Now it is gone.

No way in hell that are walking away from that money on PS4.

-Timed exclusives?
-Digital only?
-Sony was only talking first party?
-Other?

As an aside, those are two ugly consoles. Betamax players.

[Tanuki]

And that didn't last long.

http://kotaku.com/third-party-publisher ... -512643240

[LuckyNoS7evin]

The more I think about this the more odd it is. The licensing fees from the big third-party publishers are the main revenue source for the non-Nintendo consoles. Was told by an EA developer less than a year ago how season pass was basically mandatory. Now it is gone.

No way in hell that are walking away from that money on PS4.

-Timed exclusives?
-Digital only?
-Sony was only talking first party?
-Other?

As an aside, those are two ugly consoles. Betamax players.

And that didn't last long.

http://kotaku.com/third-party-publisher ... -512643240

I agree with you on this one!

The only thing Sony have said is "Our games won't have it, other publishers it's their choice"! Publishers Like EA, Acti-blizz etc won't walk way as you say!

[evilmatt]

There's a complete lack of surprise. So given MS have also said their first-party stuff won't restrict used sales, the difference boils down to choosing whether the cloud access to games and no need to have your game discs to hand is worth the 24-hourly internet DRM check... the rest is going to be much of a muchness.

[Tanuki]

http://kotaku.com/microsoft-is-removing ... -514390310

And a strategic retreat. The war has been postponed another gen. Or until we go all digital.

[LuckyNoS7evin]

http://kotaku.com/microsoft-is-removing-xbox-one-drm-514390310

And a strategic retreat. The war has been postponed another gen. Or until we go all digital.

but have you seen this ????
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/games/news/steam-may-launch-game-sharing-future-in-the-near-future-381687

I hope it happens.... oh and if it does...game over consoles!

[Tanuki]

I wouldn't put much stock in the game sharing thing. If it comes about it would be horribly limited to prevent reselling. Also Valve has existing license agreements with everyone that already sells on Steam.

EA and Ubisoft require Origin and Uplay but are going to allow their Steam games to be shared across multiple accounts? Don't see that happening unless a fee is involved.

[LuckyNoS7evin]

I wouldn't put much stock in the game sharing thing. If it comes about it would be horribly limited to prevent reselling. Also Valve has existing license agreements with everyone that already sells on Steam.

EA and Ubisoft require Origin and Uplay but are going to allow their Steam games to be shared across multiple accounts? Don't see that happening unless a fee is involved.

I think the idea is you cannot sell then and they never leave your game library, I think the idea is friends can see your "shared" games they can play them "through your account" in such a way that they never have the game (apart from a download they cannot use without your licence you are lending them.

You are right about Uplay and Origin but there are plenty of non Origin and EA titles

It's all speculation however so I guess it's another wait and see