Question regarding ownership of PSN titles

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oldskooler79

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#1  Edited By oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

Call me old fashioned but I'm still clinging onto hard copies. But with each gen I realize that downloading games isn't so bad, can help with load times, convenient, etc. The question I have is regarding the PS3 specifically...

Let's say I buy enough games off PSN (mixture of PS classics and full PS3 titles) to fill up the hardrive. I need to know if I have the ability to take it and put it in storage for years, rinse and repeat. So in the few years or so I may have several harddrives with different games on it in which I can back up for myself either mirroring the drive or just storing multiple drives. I mean isn't it the same thing as having hard copies on your shelf?

I just can't see myself moving away from physical copies unless I have a way to store my games for later use. Not just that, but I need to know if those games will be playable years from now when the servers go down or developers shut down the game. I know you can't redownload games (like Double Dragon) but if it's already on my hd then it shouldn't matter correct? I don't mind having multiple harddrives with the discounts from PS plus. I just need to know if "you don't own your games" applies to my intention.

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GTR12

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#2 GTR12
Member since 2006 • 13490 Posts

In short it wont work, the PS3 formats the HDD if it recognises that its a different one other than the current one registered.

Eg; HDD 1 has 250 PSN games (Its full)

HDD 2 has 120 PSN games (its the current one in your PS3)

Lets say you want to swap HDD's and you attempt to put HDD 1 in your PS3, the PS3 has ONLY HDD 2 registered even though it used to have HDD 1 awhile ago, it will ask you to format it as it can only have one registered HDD at a time.

If you want to get around this problem, buy a external HDD (get something big, like 8/16TB) and leave it outside the PS3 but hooked up with a longer SATA cable, you need to keep the HDD cover open but use a PC fan filter and just cover the hole by taping it up and cutting a small hole in the centre for the cable.

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MethodManFTW

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#3 MethodManFTW
Member since 2009 • 26516 Posts

You got just get like a 2TB 2.5" drive for your PS3. And AFAIK you should be able to redownload all games you have already bought.. You can still download them from your download history.

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Lhomity

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#4  Edited By Lhomity
Member since 2011 • 508 Posts

You can do this and have multiple hard drives with games stored on them, but that's only good for one PS3 system (the one that formatted them in the first place). If you try to use one of those drives on another PS3, it will want to reformat them.

Typically, I only buy games on PSN if I can't get them on a disc. I have somewhere over 250 boxed PS3 games. But I've bought so many downloadable titles now; not sure how many. It's not the ownership factor that bothers me. I just like that when I spend money on something, I've received something tangible, something i can hold in my hands - but I've found that when I'm spending less than $30 on a quality downloadable title, I don't miss that feeling at all.

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GTR12

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#5 GTR12
Member since 2006 • 13490 Posts

@Lhomity said:

You can do this and have multiple hard drives with games stored on them, but that's only good for one PS3 system (the one that formatted them in the first place). If you try to use one of those drives on another PS3, it will want to reformat them.

Typically, I only buy games on PSN if I can't get them on a disc. I have somewhere over 250 boxed PS3 games. But I've bought so many downloadable titles now; not sure how many. It's not the ownership factor that bothers me. I just like that when I spend money on something, I've received something tangible, something i can hold in my hands - but I've found that when I'm spending less than $30 on a quality downloadable title, I don't miss that feeling at all.

That's not always true, if there's a FW update, the PS3 likes to format a different HDD.

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Lhomity

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#6 Lhomity
Member since 2011 • 508 Posts

@GTR12: Good point. I should keep that in mind. Thanks.

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bezza2011

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#7 bezza2011
Member since 2006 • 2729 Posts

the straight answer is no, the best answer is to buy the biggest HardDrive you can at the moment you can only get a 1tb drive, sorry, this is the big problem about downloads to be fair, you may call hard copies old fashioned but at least i can actually say i own the game, downloaded games are only a license to play it and that license can be taken away from you anytime they see fit, so in the long run in 20/30 years and you fancy playing retro consoles like the PS3 or even PS4, you won't be able to play them anymore, more than likely because you may not have the same console and won't be able to download them again.

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oldskooler79

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#8  Edited By oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

@bezza2011: That just sucks. It's not because I want to actually drag out old consoles and play them, but these downloads just won't be playable when I get older and I can't wrap my head around that. All these psn masterpieces will most likely be gone in 20 years and how are we gonna play them accept for those that already have them on their harddrive?

The rest of you guys are telling me that if I put my backup drives back into ANY PS3 in the future then it will reformat it. Well screw that, I'm sticking to hard copies.

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#9 GTR12
Member since 2006 • 13490 Posts

@oldskooler79:

Obviously you cant read my other suggestion, which is what I do currently.

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oldskooler79

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#10  Edited By oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

@GTR12:

No I read your suggestion. But what are you gonna do when your external kicks the bucket? I have multiple externals and I don't plan on A) playing off an external B) putting trust in one for long term. I like being able to swap drives around like I currently do on PC with my Steam / GoG files. I've got several hunded games off steam and my/your method works on PC but it's not so simple with PS3. I'm not looking for a temporary solution / band aid.. I need a permanent fix and the other solution (if I cant have hard copies) is to have the games backed up to multiple drives. I only download legal software and never hack my system so not interested in that route either. Looks like Sony is another to add to my list along with M$, Ninty, and Apple that won't get my money via digital. With current (PS4) games loading is a non-issue now being that everything installs so there's really no point from now out for me to go digital. That's why I asked about PS3. Thanks for your help anyway.

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GTR12

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#11 GTR12
Member since 2006 • 13490 Posts

@oldskooler79:

My external(s) wont kick the bucket, I have 2, setup in a RAID config on a NAS server, the PS3 only sees 1 drive, the server (in this case my PC) makes a copy of the 1st HDD to another, its the exact same, if a HDD kicks the bucket, I just buy another HDD and put it in the server, then my PC does all the hard work of creating an exact copy.

But if you don't want to play off an external, I cant help, sorry.

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bezza2011

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#12 bezza2011
Member since 2006 • 2729 Posts

@oldskooler79 said:

@bezza2011: That just sucks. It's not because I want to actually drag out old consoles and play them, but these downloads just won't be playable when I get older and I can't wrap my head around that. All these psn masterpieces will most likely be gone in 20 years and how are we gonna play them accept for those that already have them on their harddrive?

The rest of you guys are telling me that if I put my backup drives back into ANY PS3 in the future then it will reformat it. Well screw that, I'm sticking to hard copies.

Hardcopies are the future, they need to be, the moment we all go digital is the moment we have no control on the history of video games, say you download every game now, 20 years down the road and the system just doesn't work, you can't then go buy a new one and download the games again because half would of been wiped from servers to make room for new stuff or all your profile was wiped because we've moved on, it's crazy the only people who want an all digital futre are the kids of today who are in to much of a rush to realize what will happen they live for today and forget what happens tomorrow, plus is it that hard to get up off your arse and stick a game in the disc drive, thats the only reason people want a digital future because of ease.

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oldskooler79

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#13  Edited By oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

@GTR12: When you put it that way it makes sense. But tha't kinda what I was originally asking if I could somehow mirror drives. Okay.. that's an exceptable measure so forgive me I took it the wrong way but it's a little extreme for long-term PS3 ownership of your digital purchases. Personally.. I like things native and playing off a huge solid state internal in the future is native and probably the best you can ever get (or at least I prefer that). If they change their policy later on this gen then I'll start picking up more digital games but until then I applaud you for the effort you put into it.

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oldskooler79

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#14  Edited By oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

@bezza2011:

Gimme Gimme Gimme NOW NOW NOW!!! That's the generation we live in today in a couple words, unfortunately.

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MethodManFTW

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#15 MethodManFTW
Member since 2009 • 26516 Posts

@bezza2011 said:

plus is it that hard to get up off your arse and stick a game in the disc drive, thats the only reason people want a digital future because of ease.

For me, that has nothing to do with it. I don't want an apartment full of video games everywhere. I have digitally probably about 200 games. Don't have room for that many physical games.

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#16 GTR12
Member since 2006 • 13490 Posts

@oldskooler79:

That's ok, I prefer physical myself, but I don't know how long this tiny white PSOne will last, so I'm just collecting PSOne games when they have those sales and stuff.

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oldskooler79

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#17 oldskooler79
Member since 2004 • 1632 Posts

That's a good idea, and besides those flash $1 classics are hard to argue against.

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bezza2011

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#18 bezza2011
Member since 2006 • 2729 Posts

@MethodManFTW said:

@bezza2011 said:

plus is it that hard to get up off your arse and stick a game in the disc drive, thats the only reason people want a digital future because of ease.

For me, that has nothing to do with it. I don't want an apartment full of video games everywhere. I have digitally probably about 200 games. Don't have room for that many physical games.

that's great 200 games would look amazing as a collection on a bookself, but don't you worry that in 10/20 years you look back and your system breaks you've lost 200 games in the process, because you won't be able to download them, because most will be taken down and removed.

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#19 MethodManFTW
Member since 2009 • 26516 Posts

@bezza2011: 1. I don't want a big collection of games all over my apartment. Not saying it's a bad thing, it's just not for me anymore.

2. While you have your crystal ball booted up, what stocks are good twenty years from now?

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#20 mooooo99
Member since 2008 • 1252 Posts

im with you on the physical side of things. however i do still download a couple of games.

What i have done is take a backup of my playstation which i then store on two different mirror raided setups. this allows you to then restore the system image to any ps3 device with all your games ready to play.

i havent tried to restore to a smaller drive than the 1TB that i have installed so i dont know if this would be an issue..

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bezza2011

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#21 bezza2011
Member since 2006 • 2729 Posts

@MethodManFTW: I'm not saying it's wrong to have all digital for your reasoning is a very valid reason, but same time, a lot are still talking about old consoles now like the amiga and the nes and the snes it's big business still and it's near 20years, there is no way in my mind that when it comes up to 20 years your digital collection or anyone's will be playable, unless it's the same system there all installed on, so in the end it's all been dead money and won't even get the opportunity to either sell them as vintage games or just to go back and play them.