Crysis developer Crytek hopes the next generation of consoles take steps to stamp out used games. Speaking to CVG, Crytek director of creative development Rasmus Hoejengaard said he would enjoy seeing Microsoft and Sony incorporate an anti-used-game system in their future consoles.
"From a business perspective that would be absolutely awesome," he said. "It's weird that [secondhand] is still allowed because it doesn't work like that in any other software industries, so it would be great if they could somehow fix that issue as well."
Speaking generally about next-generation technologies, Hoejengaard said he hopes future consoles offer developers simple design options.
"The worst thing that can happen is they make something that's very complex for developers, regardless of how awesome it might theoretically be," he said. "So getting hardware that allows you to quickly get prototypes up and running, and any kind of scalability they can offer will be great as well, as long as everyone has that scalability and not just a select few."
Rumors have been swirling concerning Microsoft and Sony implementing anti-used-game measures in their respective future-generation consoles. Specifics are not available, and news of next-generation consoles from the two companies is not expected this year.
One industry analyst--Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter--does not believe Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo will block used games with their forthcoming systems. He claims the prospect of consumer backlash will keep these companies from implementing such a measure.
The used-game market has been a contentious issue, with several noted developers making clear their stance against secondhand sales. Those who spoke out against used sales recently include ex-THQ executive Richard Browne, Elite creator David Braben, Volition design director Jameson Durall, and Silicon Knights founder Denis Dyack.
Not all voices are against used games. Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch said in February that blocking used games is unfair. Also during that month, Witcher developer CD Projekt Red's managing director Adam Badowski took a populist gamer stance, saying systems that block used games "can be a bad thing."
