Sony denies PS3 rumours News
PlayStation 3 News by Rob Fahey
A report from website GamesRadar claiming that it will be illegal to sell used games for the PS3 has been officially denied by Sony today, with a spokesperson telling our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, that it is "false speculation."
GamesRadar yesterday reported that Sony was warning high street retailers that the sale of pre-owned games would be illegal due to the licensing terms of PS3 software, which would mean that discs technically remained the property of Sony.
However, a Sony Computer Entertainment UK spokesperson today outright denied that any such message had been conveyed to retailers - telling GI.biz that following conversations with the firm's European parent company, neither division has "any knowledge" of such a strategy.
"We have definitely not been communicating that," UK spokesperson Jennie Kong confirmed. "It's false speculation. We don't have any further knowledge about this topic - either officially or unofficially, to be frank."
It would appear that the report is based on the resurrection of a much earlier rumour in this regard, which surfaced most recently last November with claims that PS3 software would "bind" to the first machine it was played on, and would be unusable on any other system.
At the time, Sony completely debunked the rumour - telling UK newspaper The Guardian in no uncertain terms that: "PlayStation 3 software will not be copy protected to a single machine but will be playable on any PlayStation 3 console."
Speaking to us this afternoon, Kong confirmed that "there has been no official comment on this since the story that came up a few months ago - it hasn't changed since then, and we're quite surprised by why this has popped up again, to be honest."
However, this is one industry urban legend that just won't go away, it appears. Sony has been attached to various efforts to stamp out the second hand software market ever since a group of Japanese publishers failed in their efforts to have the used-software trade outlawed in that territory, but the company has consistently denied that it plans to use invasive DRM-style measures in this way.
With the firm already making massive gambles on factors such as the price point of the system and the popularity of the Blu-Ray next-gen DVD format, it's perhaps unsurprising that it's not keen on gambling on removing used games - often cited as a key factor in driving the mass-market acceptance of gaming - from the equation as well.
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EGBartonFink
25/05/06 @ 15:08
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Ooo Sony and invasive DRM measures, not them surely ;)
They would never try something like that now would they? Oh! They already did ye say, fancy that.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 25/05/06 @ 16:09
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I can see both sides to be honest. As a consumer I'd be outraged if they bought in draconian measures to stop the 2nd hand market, but I can also see the damage it inflicts on the profitability of games (which is a bad thing for consumers too, as publishers and devs won't take any risks on titles).
I think the only way round it, as already pointed out, is digital distribution from the publishers. This must come with a corresponding price reduction of *at least* what would be added on by retail (so something in the region of 40% price reduction). |
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they want to do it but they know they can't......yet!! they can only do it when the other manufactures do so. if this ever happens I will either be an ex gamer or i will become a total retro gamer.
This will come in via the backdoor or should i say the ethernet port. thats why they are looking at games in demand et al. THis way you pay them directly for the game and then it only exists on your system, in effect its here with Live! Arcade and STEAM!! |
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There will be no drastic price reduction, STEAM already shows that ... they will simply point out the server costs so in essence you are trading one distibution cost for another.
Publishers like to shift the blame on their own mistakes, they blame poor sales in piracy and anything else when their "me too '05 edition" failed to meet their expectations. |
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BartonFink
25/05/06 @ 15:42
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@mattigan - that comment was in relation to the previous post about digital distribution
:) |
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jack_klugman
25/05/06 @ 16:20
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I'm not buying a PlayStation3 on the basis that PS3 said quickly sounds a bit like "piss three". Piss. Three.
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That have not actually said they won't be doing this in their denials.
They seem very insistent they know nothing about the reports but unless I am reading it wrong they don't deny it might be an option they go for. I mean what I would want to see on this is an answer like no we definitely won't be doing any such thing not we know nothing about these rumors. |
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Surely this can never work.
What if your PS3 breaks down, non-repairable. Will Sony buy all your games for you again? I'm sure Microsoft tried something similar with Microsoft Office 5 years back, and the exact same argument meant that it was rebuffed in the courts (e.g. you are buying the software to run on a hardware machine). Confusing the two will never work, unless digital distribution which is surely where the market is going Edit: Oh yeah, if Sony do input this, i will not buy a PS3, and PS is my normal console of choice. They'd lose lots of sales because of this. Wont happen.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 25/05/06 @ 17:28
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groovychainsaw
25/05/06 @ 16:25
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If they were going to make games cheaper (because obviously they would be getting sooooo many more sales with no used games any more), then that would be ok. But they won't, so it's an outrage (If it happens).
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JediMasterMalik
25/05/06 @ 16:33
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Yeh crickson I have, thye even got the rumour about lack of wireless controller for the 20Gb version. Weirdos.
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kangarootoo
25/05/06 @ 16:43
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@JediMasterMalik
"Drumbaby that makes no sense" I think that is kind of his point. Its called parody. |
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People like to have a moan don't they.....
I wasn't getting a PlayStation 3 anyway. Xbox 360 for me. But even if Sony did block the 2nd hand market, so what? I don't see the lack of such a market badly hampering CD's, or DVD's. Only games seem to come requisite with a trade-in service. If you buy a game and you don't like it.....I dunno. Chuck it in the bin or summat. That'll teach you for not doing your research and impulse buying! :p |
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I have said it before and I will say it again,I honestly cannot see their justification for moaning.Now I can see their arguments but their arguments could be altered slightly and be used for any company with which we buy things off.
You could have a car company complaining that the 2nd hand car market stops buyers buying their latest range of cars and that they receive no monies from people selling their cars to car forecourts to be sold on again,house builders moaning about the house market and how people use agencies to sell their homes without the builders getting any money for it after all they built the house/car/boat/radio/bread bin... We should be free to do whatever we wish with the goods we own and games should not be a area which receives any special treatment. |
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SeesThroughAll
25/05/06 @ 22:07
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due to the licensing terms of PS3 software, which would mean that discs technically remained the property of Sony.
What a load of bullshit, even if the license terms really are those, that still just sounds like a standard EULA to me. I mean, people have been buying Windows under these very same conditions for ages - MS still owns the software you're running, and on top of all, they won't take responsability for what happens to your hardware either -, but nobody moans about that. Neither would it make any sense. Irresponsible FUD. EG in another sensationalist header shocker. |
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"GAME buys Oblivion for £47. They sell it for £50. £3 profit."
Heheheh! I suspect their profit margins are somewhat higher than that. The big retail chains are greedy, they have had the industry by the balls for some time now and I have no sympathy with their future plight. In fact I look forward to the day when digital distribution is the norm and they're all begging for spare change in the street. No more charging silly money for shelf space, nor tens of thousands for your game to appear in their catalogue (which is mandatory of course) and no more giving chart positions to the highest bidder. Bloody good riddence to them all.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 26/05/06 @ 00:05
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Mr_Whacker
26/05/06 @ 08:11
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In my local GAME store all the pre-owned titles are cheaper brand new on the internet. Its a joke.
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Profit on new games is MUCH MUCH more than that...when staff are sold games on discount (25%) the company STILL makes a profit. This means they buy them in at the very most for £37.49.
Preowned margins are much better still though. However, it is not the retailers that have the prices by the balls...its the distributors and publishers. A couple of years back, Game tried reducing pretty much ALL new games to £29.99 hoping that everybody would follow suit and the publishers and distributors would comply. It didn't happen and Game faced a very poor financial situation, so had to revert to the £39.99 (or 37 whatever it is) price point. And that argument about there being no preowned DVD or CD market is balls...DVDs and CDs cost about a quarter the price of a game brand new...theyre cheaper brand new than most new release games are preowned. THATS why we need the preowned market. |
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Notorious_LRO
26/05/06 @ 09:41
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I heard that the makers of washing machines also consider this strategy. Once you plug it in to your house water system, the washer recognizes the special properties of the water (compositions of zinc, iron and so on) and it will only work with a house with that exact same water ID. Fluctuations in water components will naturally change with time, but the system is built to tolerate gradual changes.
Personally I think that a washing machine hack or mod chip will surface rather soon after Whirlpool (I guess they are pioneering the system) launch the first model. The only thing I'm wondering about, is if I should go for the W20D or just the W20 - the model without hard-drive. (Yup, its all bullshit)
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 26/05/06 @ 11:23
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Hope this is not true. And I'd be very suprised if it were. A ban like this would certainly put Gamestation out of business for a start. And Game and Blockbuster and other big chains would lose a hell of alot of business. Not to mention the effect it would have on indies.
Nah Sony wouldn't do this, only unless they want to alienate every single retail outlet out there and there core customers. |
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SeesThroughAll
26/05/06 @ 10:03
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I think all but the dumbest idiots on the internet should know by now that MS is trying to spead FUD regarding the PS3.
Seeing as so many people are angry about the proposed price, MS are having an easy job at that. |
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