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PlayStation 4 will play used games

Martin Gaston
By Martin Gaston, News Editor

PlayStation 4 will not block preowned games; people want to use their physical software "everywhere," says Sony executive.

Sony's freshly announced PlayStation 4 will allow users to play used games, Sony has announced.

It was previously rumoured that the machine might be looking to block preowned software from running, though Sony has now shot down this idea on the evening it formally unveiled its next-gen hardware to the world.

Speaking in an interview with Eurogamer, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida allayed previous fears: "Used games can play on PS4," he said.

Speaking about consumers' expectations when they purchase a physical disc, Yoshida said that people "purchase physical form, they want to use it everywhere, right? So that's my expectation."

Another source speaking to Eurogamer suggested that a Sony patent uncovered in January, which would register software to one machine, and one machine only, never had anything to do with PlayStation 4 in the first place.

During its unveiling, Sony confirmed the PlayStation 4 would feature a PC-like architecture and x86 processor. The publisher also announced new entries in the Killzone and Infamous franchises, before unveiling new IP in the form of Drive Club and Knack. Media Molecule showed off a new sculpting prototype, Capcom unveiled its new title Deep Down (working title), and Square Enix promised to unveil a new Final Fantasy game at E3.

For more information on the PlayStation 4, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Martin Gaston
By Martin Gaston, News Editor

Martin Gaston has absolutely never at all had the song from Beauty and the Beast sung to him at any point during his life, ever.

491 comments
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ApocaLeepse
ApocaLeepse like.author.displayName 1 Like

Any company that even considers this for their console is doomed. They'll be hard-pressed to find a retailer who will actually sell their console for a start, since used games is where a lot of retailers get their profits from. They don't get much profit for selling a used game as most of the money goes back to the developers and publishers (or these days, just the publishers). Not only that, but it will be extremely difficult to get more original titles up and running, since a lot of people are usually skeptical about brand new titles at first and will usually buy them used to save money. As a result, there would probably be a huge reliance on sequels, which would eventually grow stale.

Whiteninja007
Whiteninja007 like.author.displayName 1 Like

How is buying used games, any different then buying used cars, houses, school books or other stuff.  Imagine if Ford had a way to block you from starting the engine of a used car.

ClaudiusCaesar
ClaudiusCaesar

@Whiteninja007 Games are different from cars, houses and other physical goods. It's the same as school books, movies and others content goods. Physical goods only have value while you used them: if you sell the car, you cannot used it anymore, and that used car has the same value for you or any other person. Content goods only have value until you used: after you read a book, watch a movie or played a game, those things lose the value for you, but they still have 100 percent value for someone that never used them before.

ApocaLeepse
ApocaLeepse

@ClaudiusCaesar I fail to see how games are different in that regard. Until greedy publishers started slapping 'online passes' onto their games, they could still deliver the same experience for someone who has never even played the game before. Of course, you still have the risk of deterioration of the disc over time, but that's no different than a car's engine deteriorating over time.

DWalker131
DWalker131

@ClaudiusCaesar thats not true, PS3 when it first came out it held a $800 pricetag, people who bought it at that time said it was worth every penny, if you never owned a PS3 before in your life and you decided to buy one now $800 is ridiculous price to pay now, but don't get me wrong the WOW factor is still there if you've never seen it before but that doesn't justify paying $800 for it now

that applies to a car as well, If i bought i car for $10,000 drove it around for a year, then  bought a $80,000, now i have nowhere to store the $10,000 car and have to sell it.

Does it work? YES

Does it do what its supposed to do? YES

BUT am i still interested in driving a $10,000 car ? NO not when i have an $80,000 car to show off to the ladies, therefore to me its worthless

OBVIOUSLY no one will pay FULL PRICE for a car i been driving for a year so i have to lower the price to say $5000

Now if you want to talk about being on the other end, say some 18 year old kid just got his driver's licence and needs a cheap decent looking car, so buys the car off me for $5000

Does the $5,000 car work? YES 

Does it do what its supposed to do? YES

Will the $5,000 car interest him? YES if he bought it


which is exactly the same as a video game example

some kid bought a copy of "Skyrim" played it for a day and thought he don't like RPG games

Does the game work? YES

Does the game do what its supposed to do? YES

Will the Skyrim game continue to interest him? No he's a CoD fan

so he sells the game to the next kid

Does it work? YES

Does the game do what its supposed to do? YES

Will this game interest him? YES he sunk 100 hours into the game and loving it 


If you want to talk from a developers/makers point of view

example Toyota says 'we're gonna make this model car, it cost us xxx amount to buy the parts (window, steering wheel, car door, lights etc) and labour work to assemble the car. Now we are gonna sell it for a PROFIT of $20,000, now because this is a new model we don't know if people are going to like it so we are going to make 10 cars only and sell them. They already know how much profit those 10 cars are bringing in. If someone buys their car then they would have paid for the car parts plus labour to build the car they also made $20,000 profit, which is why Toyota couldn't care less if you drove it, crashed it, pushed it into the lake for fun, they ALREADY received the money to buy the parts, build it and laugh it up becuase they already made the $20,000 profit from that car you just rolled into the lake, you can buy their car and dislike it, and sell it for $1 to cheese them off, it does not matter they already sold it to you for that price they've paid for all the parts and labour work and sitting on $20,000 profit,

which is the same as video games. to ban selling pre owned games by locking the games onto 1 console is ridiculous like if i bought a copy of Skyrim and thought it was crap, what do i do ? throw it into the bin ?, what a waste, or the option they were going for by making you pay for an extra code to use the game on another console, again thats ridiculous because like the cars, when they sell a video game they've already got the money to make the game plus profit

Imagine if you bought a car for $20,000 then decided you don't need that car and sold it then Toyota comes knocking on your door and says "hey hey wait there a minute, you selling this car second hand, means our company doesn't see any profit, no you can't do that you need to pay us another $10,000" that makes absolutely no sense because when they sell a car, they already made profit money on top of parts and labour paying anything more would be paying them to do nothing, same as a video game, once you buy the video game you already bought the parts and labour it goes into making that game plus profit

If they Toyota sold a car with a PROFIT of $20,000 and then gets $10,000 everytime the car gets passed around from buyer to buyer no matter how old and damaged the car is you would see why buyers would be pi55ed off and call them greedy monsters which is exactly whats happening here with video games

ClaudiusCaesar
ClaudiusCaesar

@DWalker131 @ApocaLeepse Yes, "EVERYTHING depreciates in value". But, content ALSO depreciate after you use it. Lets say, a game is just released. Situation A: you buy the game for $60, play it for a month (beat the campaign and play lots of multiplayer). After that, the game does NOTinterest you anymore, the game, after just one month, has $0 value for you. Situation B: you didn't buy it and didn't play it. After one month, the game STILL interest you. It still have a $60 value for you. So, after just one month, a game can has $60 or $0 value for someone, depending of if that person has PLAY it or not, and NOT because it's one month old.

DWalker131
DWalker131

@ClaudiusCaesar @ApocaLeepse I fail to see the difference also, way i see it, EVERYTHING depreciates in value, if you buy a $10,000 car now in 10 years theres no way you can sell it for that price, i heard when the PS3 was first announced it was $800 try selling it for that price now, BUT if you slap a "pre owned" tag and sell it for half price or whatever people would buy it, if you think it has no purpose for you and you sold it you won't have access to it anymore just the same as a car, bike, house, tv, cd albums and video game. so if theres a better reason NOT to sell pre owned games i think i speak for  myself and the entire gaming community when i say i haven't heard of a valid reason

ClaudiusCaesar
ClaudiusCaesar

@ApocaLeepse Gamer A buy a new game for $60, beat it, play some multiplayer and after a month or two can't find that game interesting anymore. He's done with it. That game now has no value. But, for another person, Gamer B, that never play that game, it still has the $60 value. So, for Gamer A that game is worth $0, but for Gamer B the exactly same game is worth $60.

A used car will have the same value for everybody. If a used car is worth $10000, it will be worth $10000 for who is selling and for who is buying.

megakick
megakick

I don't think publishers care so much anymore they just charge for online pass...  I bet most of the games for PS4 will need online to play and if that is the case publishers win, they don't have to spend money on production. Lower cost for publishers.

McGregor
McGregor like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I think the first console to ban used games will be the first console to fail. While I see an argument on both sides, for me the issue is simple: I have 4 consoles, and 4 players, we don't all play the same game at the same time (there are exceptions), so I don't buy 4 copies of every game. I want my family of consoles to be able to play any game I have in my library. I could get behind a family pass that allows for this, but selling some of my used games, is also a way I pay for new games. I'm not poor, not cheap, just money conscious. I work hard for my money, and I would like to keep as much of it as possible.

ClaudiusCaesar
ClaudiusCaesar

@McGregor Maybe you are money conscious, but not market conscious. Console makers and publisher will not consider someone like you when taking decisions, bc you and your 4 consoles are 0.01% of the market. They could consider those who have 1 console and 2 or more players, bc they are a good portion of the market. Just saying.

lannyboy334
lannyboy334 like.author.displayName 1 Like

They have to emulate the content to run on new hardware.  The easiest, most trouble free way to make sure that all games are compatible, especially in the case of the PS3 where the content is such high HD quality, is to stream the emulated content.  It may not make sense to the majority of you, but being able to play all of your collection through streaming is better than only getting to play Halo/2 and a selection of other games on the 360.  You'll get to play all of it.

adroge1
adroge1

I will be cautiously optimistic here. If the PS4 has the capability to check if the disk is "used" then publishers will obviously make you pay them money in order for you to play it on another system.

I can see Microsoft doing this, but I can't see them doing it alone - that would be suicide in my view. If they were the only console to really put the screws on the customer that is....


I would like to be able to purchase a PS4, so I really hope I'm wrong here.

Scorpion1813
Scorpion1813

So they will allow us to use second hand PS4 games but they won't allow us to use first hand PS3 games.

Shinobi120
Shinobi120

Even if Sony, Microsoft, or 3rd party developers implement to block used copies of games for next gen consoles, pure gaming stores like Gamestop would circumvent that practice like they did for online passes once you buy a used copy of a game from them.

projectpat72988
projectpat72988 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Now with this newer article that almost seems to retract these statements by all of a sudden appearing unclear about whether or not you actually WILL be able to play used games or not. I now look at the clever way they word it. If this is true I will hate Sony more than ever. Notice how they say "games you buy". So far all we know they are saying when you BUY a game new you will have access to play it from any PS4 console...and NOT that you will actually be able to buy a used game and play it. They could very well be saying this and in fact actually ARE blocking used games and purposely misleading us to think the opposite....if this is the case thats total BS because they are being misleading on purpose. If they are doing this it will certainly anger everyone.

santinegrete
santinegrete like.author.displayName 1 Like

Finally one mothefucking barrier down!

spoonybard-hahs
spoonybard-hahs like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 5 Like

Sure, it will play used games. It's just not backwards compatible with any of your PSN downloads or PS3/PS2/PSone discs.

Still feeling the screw here, Sony.

mischiefmeerkat
mischiefmeerkat

Sony can always change their minds later with a required update to block them

piratebloke
piratebloke

@mischiefmeerkat Which given past experiences (Linux, PS2 BC removal) they're likely to do.. 

I even bought a Sony Tablet S for the sole purpose of it being able to play PSN content. Then they removed this functionality. They certainly like screwing over the consumers.

spoonybard-hahs
spoonybard-hahs

@mischiefmeerkat They won't though. This anti-used rumor started cropping up back with the PS2 and before the 360 launched. Hardware makers would be stupid to do it, considering that a) used sales don't hurt the industry at all and b) used sales give consumers more purchasing power to buy games and hardware.

FlashCharge
FlashCharge like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

One article you read one thing the next article says something else. CONFUSING!

PayneKiller
PayneKiller

This is what I've said all along. Just because it's Sony that made the patent doesn't mean it will be implemented on the PS4, or any of their own devices at all. They secure the patent, they can sell it to anyone who wishes to take such measures now.

X-Robert
X-Robert

When one older console shows the yellow light of death and you really want to play a certain game, you would buy a new console and you put your used disc but the bloody thing just wouldn't read it.

dutch215
dutch215

I think the gimmick to play used games on the PS4 will be, for ppl to buy the $500 version instead of the $400 dollar version. Maybe have to pay a fee or something when u buy used games. They going to want to make some type of money for their hard work. Which i can understand for the developers . We have to wait and see what happens when it's release in November around Black Friday :)

Strider8009
Strider8009

@dutch215 And yet, it isn't the developers' to block used games. 

"For the developers" 

 LMAO.

Darklance145
Darklance145

I only buy new games however there are times where you want to go to a friends or families house to play on their playstation console. So having the restriction of one cd per console is not a great idea.

KittyHeart
KittyHeart

i only buy new games and i buy psn downloaded games.  i never buy used game because they hurt the industyr


i can understand all those money strapped folks who need used games though.  when i trade in a game, i make it as dirty as possible so when you play that used game, it will break your laser.  and now you guys know why certain used games break your ps3 lasers.

Whiteninja007
Whiteninja007

@KittyHeart How is buying second hand games dirty and not used cars, houses, school books, or anything else. I guess you are a billionaire. Jesus was not rich and he would be ashamed of your attitude.

digi-demon
digi-demon like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @KittyHeart - what a riddiculous comment. Your not a real gamer, I so want your ps3 to ylod LOL

jacksamuk
jacksamuk

@KittyHeart I wish I could buy new games every week, But here in Brazil the price of the games are absurd. 

Some of them may even cost 160,00 Reais! 

For someone that earns minimum salary which is 600,00 reais. It is really a pain in the ass trying to keep up with all the games coming out. So people usually, trade, trade or buy pirate ones. 

Unfortunately the taxes here are above the standard. :(

jacksamuk
jacksamuk

@KittyHeart Like when the ps3 first launched, the price of the console here was of : 6.500 Reais! I would be insane to buy something like that at the time, so I waited for the price to lower. Now the cheapest price you can find is , 1.800 more or less. 

SavoyPrime
SavoyPrime ranger like.author.displayName 1 Like

This didn't bother me either way. I only buy new games.

pr0t0g0n1st
pr0t0g0n1st

in which month of 2013 it will release?? wat is meant by holiday 2013??window holiday 2013 ??in which month does it mean??

edmond_villamor
edmond_villamor

I'll probably love the PS4 more this generation. That new controller seems pretty swet being bigger and more aero dynamic. Also, I love Sony's exclusives. If they announced a God of War on E3 they'll most likely steal the show and nail the hammer to other consoles' coffins.

UrbanMessiah
UrbanMessiah like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 6 Like

Hmmm...a PS4 is looking more likely in my future. Now just waiting to see how MS swings on this subject, because being able to play used games is a major selling point for me.

Strider8009
Strider8009

What was so lame is the Sony fanboys that were defending the possibility of Sony blocking used games; even going as far as making up ridiculous arguments as to why it would be a bad idea not to block used games. Now that it's confirm that it will play used games, what are those fanboys saying now. . . .? Nothing, like Capcom fanboys' reaction to Capcom changing SOME of the bad ideas that Capcom was going for. It just goes to show that fanboys are full of sh**.


Anyways, I'm not entirely sold on PS4 manly due to the possibly of PSN not being free anymore. And guess what? Fony - I mean Sony - fanboys are defending that possibly as well. How ironic is that?

mischiefmeerkat
mischiefmeerkat like.author.displayName 1 Like

even Sony's not that suicidal...the console would have tanked hard had they decided to block all used games.


Now all they have to do is make it backwards compatible with ps3, ps2, and maybe even ps1 games for the ultimate sony console of all time. play anything!

  Or is that wishing for too much?

TheLeafChild
TheLeafChild

@mischiefmeerkat It'll probably do ps2 and definitely will do ps1 games, but ps3 games are out of the question, so long as x86 remains the ps4 architecture and there are no plans to put ps3 hardware in the ps4

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