Orbis/PS4 Rumor Mill and News

[Xeogred]

I think someone mentioned it, if they lock used game playing imagine how hard that would destroy the consoles lifespans. If you miss out on some brand new game that's off shelves and end up not being able to find it anywhere, you're completely screwed? Awesome...

I think the connection thing is pretty bullshitty too. Sure, it's 2012. But sometimes you have bad weather, sometimes you just have crappy wireless not always hitting the whole house like my place, etc. So again, if these factors don't pan out, you just simply can't play your games anymore... you're completely screwed, again?

Phew.

[env963]

Talking abou the ipad, used games aren't a problem. But games usually cost $.99. At that price i could care less if i had a physical release or not. But i doubt PS4 games are going to cost that. Anyone know what the price of a top tier AAA ipad game cost?

[isiolia]

I think someone mentioned it, if they lock used game playing imagine how hard that would destroy the consoles lifespans. If you miss out on some brand new game that's off shelves and end up not being able to find it anywhere, you're completely screwed? Awesome...

I think the connection thing is pretty bullshitty too. Sure, it's 2012. But sometimes you have bad weather, sometimes you just have crappy wireless not always hitting the whole house like my place, etc. So again, if these factors don't pan out, you just simply can't play your games anymore... you're completely screwed, again?

Phew.

It wouldn't necessarily do much at all to console lifespans. There are extreme possibilities, yes, but there's no evidence to support that grim of an outlook yet. All you're really talking about is your console needing to get the okay to play a game. While that does kinda suck regardless, it's not something particularly new. Windows has been doing product activation since XP, for example.

Whose to say that MS or Sony's licensing terms wouldn't include a maximum time that used copies can demand a fee to unlock (or before it becomes a nominal fee)? Maybe registering a game to your account will bring other perks, like being able to download a digital copy or do some OnLive style streaming to other devices.

What kind of game publisher would see logical sense in their game not being available to make them money? There's likely more motivation to make sure copies are available in that case. With some devs claiming that, currently, most profits are made in the first three months, long term support might just not make much sense right now.

The other angle to consider it from is that it could actually be progressive. If I buy a Steamworks authenticated game, like Skyrim or Fallout New Vegas, the disc is really just an installer cache. I'm still effectively buying the game on Steam, and thus can't transfer it to anyone.
Allowing me to sell it, even if the buyer then needs to toss a few bucks Bethesda's way, is an improvement on that system.

In that respect, the supposed system could actually be seen as a compromise.


Same sort of thing with internet access. There's no guarantee that new consoles will need to be connected all the time. Certain games/genres already rely on it, and realistically, most of us likely have 99.999% uptime. The power could go out too, but that doesn't mean I need to stick to board games and a box of candles "just in case"

Anyone know what the price of a top tier AAA ipad game cost?

Most of the really popular games are in the $0.99-$9.99 range, but if you look at things like Square-Enix's offerings, or Cave's, you've got stuff in the $13.99-$19.99 range, and most of those are ports/remakes. That's why I'm more of the opinion that if/when we see games specifically made for the thing that cost tens of millions of dollars to make over the course of a couple years, the prices will reflect that.

[o.pwuaioc]

It wouldn't necessarily do much at all to console lifespans. There are extreme possibilities, yes, but there's no evidence to support that grim of an outlook yet. All you're really talking about is your console needing to get the okay to play a game. While that does kinda suck regardless, it's not something particularly new. Windows has been doing product activation since XP, for example.

They also had telephone workarounds for those without internet connection.

[MrPopo]

It's not always a matter of DRM though. Diablo III seems more like an online game you can solo than some of the past PC titles that required a connection, such as Assassin's Creed. They have logical reasons to do it beyond just making sure you're using a legit copy.

While there are people who lack internet in their homes, it is 2012, and hundreds of millions of devices have been sold whose primary function(s) rely on internet access. It's not that unrealistic an expectation.

I wouldn't have a problem with this if the marketing changed. If a game like this requires internet it should bill itself as an MMO or at least an "online RPG" or something. Requiring a connection for "single-player mode" is just bullshit.

Getting back on topic, I predictably have very little interest in these upcoming Sony and Microsoft consoles. The Wii U/Vita/3DS will keep me plenty busy, thankfully.

Maybe it's a failure in marketing, but there is no single player mode. The closest thing is the equivalent of D2's being on a password protected game and not telling anyone about it.

Don't forget that a lot of the rumors surrounding the used game lockouts are essentially the equivalent of online pass. You can still get a used copy but you need to pay money back to the publisher to get the full game. It's not quite as much doom and gloom as everyone is predicting in terms of missing out on a particular game because you didn't buy it in a certain retail window.

[ZenErik]

Don't forget that a lot of the rumors surrounding the used game lockouts are essentially the equivalent of online pass. You can still get a used copy but you need to pay money back to the publisher to get the full game. It's not quite as much doom and gloom as everyone is predicting in terms of missing out on a particular game because you didn't buy it in a certain retail window.

Indeed. It's just going to drive down the value of used games. So I guess that may not be as good when selling games we do not like, but we will still be able to get good deals when BUYING used.

GameStop just simply will not be able to sell used games for $5 less than new games anymore. Because there would likely be a $10 or $15 activation fee for those used games.

[Weekend_Warrior]

I would love to see Microsoft/Sony do the used sales lock. I can predict it now... Sales will be shit. Yeah they will probably get the "hardcore" to buy. But they wont get the casual fans at all. Go ahead, and live and die by your own sword.

The iPad has only been out since 2010 and has a larger install base than the 360 or the PS3. If sales predictions ring true, it'll have something like 176 million units out there by 2015 or so, which would dwarf even the current total sales of the PS2 in roughly half the time.

I mention that mostly because it's a device that relies fairly heavily on internet connectivity, and ties any and all purchases directly to an iTunes account. Given the rampant popularity of even that one product lineup, I'd have to say that the masses don't balk at those things as much as we might think.

Granted though, the average price of an iOS or Android game is a lot lower, but most XBLA games are too.

Not everyone who buys an iPad uses it for gaming though. It's not even really marketed as a game system. It's just an oversized PDA that just so happens to play games

[eskil]

I think someone mentioned it, if they lock used game playing imagine how hard that would destroy the consoles lifespans. If you miss out on some brand new game that's off shelves and end up not being able to find it anywhere, you're completely screwed?

Nooo, no no no. You're not completely screwed, in fact you're not screwed at all. Because that game will totally still be available for download, and even $5 cheaper than a physical copy! YAYYYY

Greedy bastards.

[FerretGamer]

I can't imagine Microsoft and Sony doing something that stupid. The more I hear about the next gen Sony/Microsoft consoles the more I am thankful that we have decades worth of wonderful games to play (they're used and play on any console.) The only "next-gen" thing about these consoles is the rape in the ass taken as a consumer.

[Weekend_Warrior]

I would love to see Microsoft/Sony do the used sales lock. I can predict it now... Sales will be shit. Yeah they will probably get the "hardcore" to buy. But they wont get the casual fans at all. Go ahead, and live and die by your own sword.

I would think the "casual" sales would not slow down much at all. They probably won't care much about this used game issue. They probably do not care about each systems specs. Just give them something fun to play.

You know, I would get up in arms about this, but I guess my mindset has changed a bit. I don't care. I'm still going to get the next generation of consoles, and I am going to like it. Maybe not every aspect of it, but some of my favorite developers will still be putting out great games. I will play those games.

I think you're underestimating the casual game market. There's still a very large percentage of gamers that still haven't (or don't regularly) put their consoles online.

Seriously though, when all those games that people wanted to buy new 3 months ago start disappearing from store shelves and the only way to get them is through the web (which a lot of casual gamers probably don't do) or buying them used but having to pay a hefty fee to activate them, you will see console and game sales sink like a rock. Especially when there's other avenues of gaming out there like running hacked/modded consoles, emulation and cheap iOS games.