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120°

Pre-Owned Game Blocking Tech Won't Improve Sales

Sony has applied to patent a piece of technology that if implemented will prevent gamers from playing second-hand and pre-owned games on their consoles. However, personal experience has proven that this won't improve the sales profits they're hoping for.

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sticktwiddlers.com
TheLyonKing4877d ago

Depends how people view the situation, am on placement ATM so I can afford to buy brand new games but last year at uni I was struggling and when I needed a game I had to buy it second hand.

We have seen with big releases that a lot of people will buy a game brand new but for some games buying it second hand and cheaper is a better alternative when you are unsure about it.

Sony shouldn't go through with it but I think there emphasis is on Gaikai and getting as much users involved in it for the ps4

JoGam4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

If doing this keeps companies from closing down like the many who closed down this year and year before because people don't want to buy games new then so be it. I just freaking hate how so many people complain about this. They act like Game Stop makes the games. People developers needs to get paid. It cost money to make these games and the reason why some developers turn to mobile games because its a cheaper risk with potential bigger outcome where as making a game and selling it for $60 and expecting it to be successful is tough. especially when some people by new then trade in used just so some potential person who don't have the game go's and buy the game used, developers miss out. So when a game is being sold used, developers lose. I understand both sides of the coin. People like me who has two PS3's. How will Sony fix the ability to play one game on both systems? If they can do that, then great

TacoTaru4877d ago

I think the whole problem could be solved if used versions of games couldn't be sold until say six months after a release. The big issue with the used games sales is the $5 discount on almost new used games that Game Stop gives. This would still allow people to buy and sell used games but wouldn't cut into the profits that occur during the first 6 months.

MostJadedGamer4877d ago

Heres what would happen. Big name established games will sell more while the other 90% of games will sell less. People would be much less likely taking risks buying games because they know they will not be able to get any of there money back.

So overall this would be very bad for the industry, and mean even less new IP's since gamers will be even less likely to take a risk.

NYC_Gamer4877d ago

I doubt any console brand would block used games that wouldn't be smart..

P_Bomb4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Sony's Jack Tretton has already gone on record at E3 saying blocking used games is anti-consumer and he's opposed to blocking them http://www.escapistmagazine... .

Thing is, the strong push from pretty much everyone towards a digital future already has one foot on the path. XBLA's huge self sustaining Games-On-Demand library isn't exactly EB Games compatible.

MikeMyers4877d ago

Digital sales continue to rise, so that path is already there. What I would like to see is alternatives. Why are we still living in an era where you cannot rent games through services like Live?

This is just another case of publishers/companies not willing to work with the consumer. They see it as a buy it once model and throw it away. We should be able to trade our games online or be used as credit towards new games. That's what they tend to forget, people who buy used games often trade in their old ones so they can use that credit. If people are no longer getting credit they are likely to buy less new games.

EddieNX 4877d ago

If Sony do this , they lose me as a customer for ever.

Simple as that. Some games NEED to be bought pre owned. I just bought Darksiders 2 for £14 for example pre owned in mint condish. It only came out a few months ago and was £45.

Most games I buy brand new. But some simply don't deserve the full price....

The_Klank4877d ago

That is utter bulls**t, No game 'NEED's to be bought. Also if a game is to expensive for you, you can wait. If you can't wait then you want that game more then you're letting on.

And you can buy DS2 right now on Amazon for £17. Hardly breaking the bank .

ziggurcat4877d ago

well, you can rest easy because this won't get implemented. patents are just patents, they very rarely see the light of day, and all of the major tech companies have patent lists a mile long that never get implemented.

TopDudeMan4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Exactly. These people who are buying the game pre-owned clearly impulse-bought the game. They saw it was cheap and bought it. The reason for that is because they don't feel the game is necessarily worth the full price. They need to make more games that people need to have.

Cutting out pre-owned games won't improve sales, making better games will, though.

JoGam4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Sir, so you're saying all the games sold cheap and bought on impulse, developers shouldn't get paid? Just because the game is sold cheap has nothing to do with it...As long as it sold new developers get paid. the problem is the "USED" games. How can developers get paid from "USED" sales? Now you also said making better games will improve sales. IF YOU DON'T BUY NEW HOW CAN IT IMPROVE SALES?....I DON'T CARE HOW POOR OR GREAT THE GAME IS...SALES MATTER.

TopDudeMan4877d ago

I'm not saying they shouldn't get money from it. I'm saying they were never going to get that money, so taking away the option isn't going to solve anything.

And the quality of a game can be obvious before you buy it. It's like saying you should buy cars without taking a test drive.

ronin4life4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Pretty sure the devs got their money when the disk hit the rack. Me buying used doesn't evaporate anyway: it goes into the games industry to be spent on MORE GAMES.

The fact that so many on here are so deluded they will believe anti used tech is good for them just because it might be implemented by their console of choice is disgusting. The fact that there are so many others here that simply believe used games are bad for the industry just shows a lack in forsight... both of which I am used to seeing on n4g, so I guess I'm not all that surprised...

The_Klank4877d ago

One thing I don't understand about used games sales is why buy them used?

Why not wait until they are discounted in a few weeks? Then you still support the developer and get em cheaper.

If you just have to have a game when its released then you should of already been saving for it.

I never trade or buy used games, I just don't get it.

P_Bomb4877d ago (Edited 4877d ago )

Unless I absolutely wanna buy week one, I'll almost always see a $39.99 sale a month or so later.

New releases at EB Games are only like $5 cheaper used. Far as trades, they offered me $1.75 for the sealed Rainbow Six Vegas 2 I got with my Far Cry 3. The incentive to buy/sell/trade with them just isn't there for me.

Tetsujin4877d ago

Too many people have the "I NEED this game day 1!" attitude instead of waiting. Very few games I'm like that with anymore, and I'm willing to at least wait a couple of months for a price drop.

I personally prefer at least playing it first due to motion sickness with a lot of games lately that I've played; and I don't want to spend $60+ on a new game only to find out I can't enjoy it due to health issues. The games I like are either rarely on demo, or someone near me doesn't actually own a copy to test first, hence why lately I've been using Red Box if it's available there.

Brian1rr4877d ago

If they drop the price to $40 at launch I'm in

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80°

(For Southeast Asia) New Price Changes for PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player

For Southeast Asia, new price changes.

Prices effective starting May 1st, 2026.

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blog.playstation.com
16d ago Replies(1)
BeHunted15d ago

Looks like PlayStation took a hit with Marathon and is now quietly adjusting prices worldwide to recover the losses

andy8515d ago

Lets be honest raising prices doesn't do that when no one's buying it. I imagine the profit it greater selling 10 times more at a lower price

Pergele14d ago

Whatever you say buddy, let's all wear the tinfoil hats.

IceKoldKilla14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

LMFAO Your comment alone says a lot more about you than anything else. When has one game not selling 10 million copies made a company raise the prices of their console? Then Xbox would be costing $5000 by now lol. You remind of the crazy drug addicts on the street rambling on about conspiracies. xD You sure you don't need a hug, buddy?

ChunkyMonk14d ago

One game that Sony payed $200 million for. lol
Also, you sure were quick to get triggered. Maybe your the one who needs a hug?

Eonjay14d ago

If nothing else, we should be united against the real issue here. AI and unnecessary tariffs that are effecting all gamers.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 14d ago
Athlon10115d ago (Edited 15d ago )

The price increases are due to the RAM demand associated with AI and the US-Iran war. You can look to any business news website and local news to see that. Heck, even the 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo I've been eyeing has faced delays and has had a price increase of $400; that laptop has two specs. Asus is doing a staggered release with per-orders for the lower spec now and shipping in May and pre-orders for the higher spec that I'm eyeing starting in June. Basically, all computer manufactures are affected. It'll most likely start affecting smart phones too if it hasn't already. I can't remember the last time any major console maker (Nintendo, Sony, Sega, etc) increased the price of their console mid cycle outside of Microsoft just to make more profit.

S2Killinit14d ago

Its not the war. Its the RAM issue.

jznrpg14d ago

War is causing gas prices to rise. Transport of everything requires gas so the prices of those items go up as well. So it does have an impact

Athlon10114d ago (Edited 14d ago )

The blockage of the Straight of Hormuz due to the US-Iran war has affected raw components used in semi-conductor manufacturing such as bromine, aluminum, and helium. Iran had attacked the liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in Qatar which is a large producer (1/3 globally) of helium which is used in semiconductor etching. So it's the both the war and the RAM crises.

badz14915d ago

Oh no...should I get the Pro now before the price increase?

80°

Former Xbox Exec Says Developers Didn't Want a Sony Monopoly

Former Xbox executive Ed Fries comments on the early days of Xbox, the opinion of Japanese game companies, and more.

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insider-gaming.com
28d ago Replies(2)
Reaper22_28d ago

I dont think that'll ever happen. But i must say back in the day, they were definitely trying because they were more cash rich than their competitors.

CosmicTurtle27d ago

I think MS were and still are the richer company. They tried to acquire Sega back in the day (and considered doing so again more recently), they obviously bought exclusivity to Halo which was originally shown as a Mac title. I don’t think as a company MS can claim the moral high ground here. It’s a wilful lack of self awareness.

Of course Sony would try exactly the same if they had the resources, but when the PS2 dominated the industry was in a much healthier place with an abundance of great third parties.

This has been a depressing generation as far as first party decisions are concerned. The fact we are debating business plans rather than which game is better is a sad reflection of the state of things.

Darkseeker28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

There was Nintendo as well, Sony wouldn't have had a monopoly. In fact, the world would be better today if Xbox never existed in the first place. They pretty much brought all bad practices we have today. We might have gotten all of it either way, but not this early. In term of franchises, I don't think there is anything Microsoft released that would actually be missed if it didn't exist. Even Halo the world wouldn't notice if Halo didn't exist.

S2Killinit28d ago

MS was definitely a bad influence on gaming.

raWfodog28d ago

I think almost everyone will agree that a monopoly is not good for the industry. But that being said, the competition needs to be smart and strategic with their business. Simply buying up publishers and traditional third-party studios just to keep them out of the other companies reach is not a sustainable practice. That goes for all parties so don't think I'm just referring to Xbox.

I'm no business guru by any stretch of the imagination but I firmly believe that the best way to drive consumers to your software and hardware is to invest smart in your first-party studios. Give them full support and guidance in making unique, fun games that are only available to play in your ecosystem and the gamers will come.

Reaper22_28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

But first party studios aren't enough. They only make up a small portion of the industry. Without 3rd party there would be no industry for Microsoft or sony.Developing games take time and money and sometimes you gotta make moves to stay competitive.

raWfodog28d ago

Nah, I never said first-party was enough. I said it’s the ‘best way’ to drive gamers to your platform. 3rd-party is a free-for-all and there’s no guarantee that gamers will use your hardware to play the game. If you want to push your own software and/or hardware you need first-party, or at least exclusive deals with third-party studios.

SimpleDad28d ago

They Shure did a great job... 25 years later Xbox is dead.

Reaper22_28d ago

Then why be so emotional and continue to talk about it. Xbox will never die be ause it stays in so many people's head.

lodossrage28d ago

How can you even see him being "emotional" in that comment?

If anything, you're the emotional one, constantly trying to go at anyone that says anything against Microsoft. So when you call him emotional, it comes off as deflection

Elda27d ago

I own an XBSX & I can say it's becoming irrelevant out of the 3 current consoles.

28d ago Replies(2)
Show all comments (34)
40°

Sony Shows Off 20 Minutes of Crimson Desert on a Base PS5

Sony uploaded gameplay footage of Crimson Desert on a base PS5 running in what appears to be Quality Mode at a stable 30fps at 4K.

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powerupgaming.co.uk
BlazedKong54d ago

looks god awful on the base systems