Pachter: Sony's Jack Tretton "Totally Opposed to Blocking Used Games... - The Escapist

Some pretty big news actually. Even though I buy most of my games new, it's still good knowing I will be able to take it over to a friends house and play it. This makes me wonder if the next Xbox will actually follow through with the rumors of blocking used games, considering if they do then that would make them the only one in the market who does. And I don't see that happening.

He's just making hay because its opportunistic. Is Steam anti-consumer? I guess so, according to Jacky T.

I recently moved to PC gaming and I'm done with all that crap. Powerful machine, the graces of Steam, better online services and game-changing mods.. No more high prices, obligatory updates, server migration and absolute enraging bullshit!

Funny how 10 years ago consoles were the easy going machines and PCs were the troublesome monsters. The tables have turned. The shoe is on the other foot. The ball is in the PC's court.... I guess "things have changed" is the general theme I'm trying to convey here.

Edit: Just to be clear, I'm not saying that 'unlike the consoles, the PC allows used games.' I'm saying this whole restrictive noise coming more and more from the consoles is contrasted by the PC's LOVE FOR ME AS ITS OWNER. Regardless of used games.

Oh Jack... You ARE the boss of me.

I think that you should get discounted DLC if you have purchased the game new.

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

NICE.

"Pachter: Sony's Jack Tretton"Totally Opposed to...-The Escapist"

What did they do to him to get singled out like that?

Is he about to roll up his sleeves and march on their offices?

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

Ugh, this forum title is misleading (almost a lie). How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year confirmation of anything?

I like physical media

@Tearhead said:

Ugh, this forum title is misleading (almost a lie). How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year conformation of anything?

"How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year "confirmation" of anything"?

spell check and also this

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

Steam isn't the only source for PC game sales, but regardless they're so frequent and the savings are so significant that they're usually even cheaper than used console games. That and the availability of games digitally effectively eliminates the need for a used game market.

While PC has always had seemingly bizarre problems that prevent games from working, consoles have lost most of the edge on that argument. PC games have certainly improved their functionality, or at least I've had less problems with games flat out not working on the technical side, while consoles games are adding more and more gates that prevent one from enjoying the full functionality of a game. Consoles have added paid online gaming, compatibility patches, and priced downloadable content, and the dreaded online pass activations that in some ways make it more of a headache than PC port.

It's helped that Steam has centralized PC gaming so that it's a platform unto itself, and I think it's going to be interesting to see how it's rebounded from the mid-late 2000s.

@DaMisterChief said:

@Tearhead said:

Ugh, this forum title is misleading (almost a lie). How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year conformation of anything?

"How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year "confirmation" of anything"?

spell check and also this

And also: I don't think Jack Tretton has much say about what goes in the Orbis.

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

Steam isn't the only source for PC game sales, but regardless they're so frequent and the savings are so significant that they're usually even cheaper than used console games. That and the availability of games digitally effectively eliminates the need for a used game market.

True. I usually just wait until a sale to buy games off of Steam. But my PC is not the best and I prefer consoles, hopefully Sony offers more deals with PlayStation Plus next gen. Over Christmas they had a Plus special where all games on the PSN Store were 50% off, even new games like Far Cry 3.

That is one great deal. I'm also curious as to Valve's Steam Box and whether or not the Steam specials will carry over, I expect they will.

This article is over a year old and is not a confirmation from "Sony" at all, rather Tretton's opinion. This thread should be locked cause it's totally misleading in all regards.

@rebgav said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

This makes me wonder if the next Xbox will actually follow through with the rumors of blocking used games, considering if they do then that would make them the only one in the market who does. And I don't see that happening.

What if, rather than "blocking used games," they allowed you to input a serial number which associated that game with your account and enabled you to download and play it on any Xbox at any time for the duration of your Live Gold membership?

Okay, that gave me the douche-chills.

Lol no thanks. That would absolutely suck, though that kind of already happens to me with PlayStation Plus as the free games get locked out. But that is an optional service, the idea of doing that with physical copies is downright scary.

As for Xbox Live, I wish they would just make it free already.

@DaMisterChief said:

@Tearhead said:

Ugh, this forum title is misleading (almost a lie). How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year conformation of anything?

"How is second hand information on an article written in May of last year "confirmation" of anything"?

spell check and also this

Im going to go with common sense as confirmation. Microsoft and Sony would be stupid to do this, and this rumor pops up every few years and when there is a new console.

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

They're on average still a bit cheaper at launch, get discounted more often and more substantially and the regular price also drops faster than it does on console.

That's what made people accept Steam and digital distribution in general on PC.

Let's say Microsoft go ahead with blocking used games. I'm not trusting them with dropping prices faster and have meaningful sales more often, that's where blocking used game becomes a whole lot harder to accept. It all comes down to if your going to take something away from consumers you have to give something else to make up for it. I don't see Microsoft doing that. Neither Sony for that matter so it's great that they don't intend to block used games. At least for now anyway.

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

Steam isn't the only source for PC game sales, but regardless they're so frequent and the savings are so significant that they're usually even cheaper than used console games. That and the availability of games digitally effectively eliminates the need for a used game market.

True. I usually just wait until a sale to buy games off of Steam. But my PC is not the best and I prefer consoles, hopefully Sony offers more deals with PlayStation Plus next gen. Over Christmas they had a Plus special where all games on the PSN Store were 50% off, even new games like Far Cry 3.

That is one great deal. I'm also curious as to Valve's Steam Box and whether or not the Steam specials will carry over, I expect they will.

That's totally fair, and it's worth noting I'm also primarily devoted to the console ecosystem. Sony's probably done a better job of providing incentives for users to pay for premium content than Microsoft, which is likely why folks find the possibility of MS removing an additional incentive to be an Xbox user particularly heinous.

That said, in the realm of consumer incentives it's pretty easy to see why people are discussing making a hard switch to PC gaming given the possibility of their options as a console user being limited. One of the incentives to pay the additional cost of a console game at retail is that you have more options as an owner of that product. You can loan it to a friend, you can sell it; whatever, its yours. Additionally the aforementioned issue with availability of downloadable AAA games means that it will become harder and more expensive to find copies of said games for consoles over time when compared to the PC.

Let's also not forget that even if availability of downloadable releases for consoles does widen, some users (particularly those dealing with bandwidth caps) are still potentially limited in terms of their access to games.

hmm, so how come his bosses are patenting ways to block used games> They all want to block used games. I doubt either of them (MS and Sony) will go that far as they are too afraid of a consumer backlash but if they could get away with it then they would - and publishers would be grateful to them.

These rumours get silly.

Sony patents RFID tags on disc to tie to one console.

Internet goes berserk. Boycott Sony. Buy next Xbox.

MS rumoured to require always on internet.

Internet goes berserk. Fuck MS I will buy PS4.

Save your vitriol and backlash for when (if) any of these rumours ever comes true.

This is good news. Blocking used games is pretty anti consumer in my book so i'd glad he's saying it publicly which makes me think it won't be on the next ps4/orbis.

Well if Pachter says they will that pretty much confirms they wont

What a timely announcement. As if they were waiting. As if Sony PR had a statement ready just in case any rumours of MS blocking used games were to arise.

Timely announcement indeed, especially since Tretton made those statements in an interview published May 14, 2012. Four months later on 9/12/12 Sony patents technology inhibiting the ability to play used games. I don't care either way since I don't buy used games but all these threads speculating one way or the other are pointless. Both Sony and MS will announce their respective consoles soon and put these rumors to rest. Then we can move on to the next childish debate of which console is better.

Hopefully his stance hasn't changed...I hate the idea of my consoles being run like my PC. Its the reason im not a PC gamer.

Next-Gen consoles not running used games is wrong in so many ways, and i dont even own a current gen console.

And to someone saying PC games cost near 60 new, three words: GreenManGaming. I buy my games new at 30-40 there or at sale for 20-30 in a month or two after release.

This article is about 8 months old.

@Chavtheworld said:

This article is over a year old and is not a confirmation from "Sony" at all, rather Tretton's opinion. This thread should be locked cause it's totally misleading in all regards.

Check the date again.

@Brodehouse said:

He's just making hay because its opportunistic. Is Steam anti-consumer? I guess so, according to Jacky T.

Honestly I don't care about steam not allowing used sales and stuff, their prices are so low (especially when on sale) and they allow game gifting so.....

@Coombs said:

@Brodehouse said:

He's just making hay because its opportunistic. Is Steam anti-consumer? I guess so, according to Jacky T.

Honestly I don't care about steam not allowing used sales and stuff, their prices are so low (especially when on sale) and they allow game gifting so.....

And that's valid when discussing value, but not ethics. If not allowing used sales and pinning games to accounts is anti-consumer, it remains anti-consumer regardless of other value circumstances.

The crazier thing is that Microsoft and Sony already have the exact same Steam configuration with how they handle digital content. They're the ones that actually have more consumer choice with the option of physical media, and they're being called anti-consumer for treating the restrictions on physical media as being exactly as they are on digital.

@FunkasaurasRex said:

Additionally the aforementioned issue with availability of downloadable AAA games means that it will become harder and more expensive to find copies of said games for consoles over time when compared to the PC.

Let's also not forget that even if availability of downloadable releases for consoles does widen, some users (particularly those dealing with bandwidth caps) are still potentially limited in terms of their access to games.

More expensive to find copies of those games? I think at the point when the majority of the market has moved digital, boxed console games will seem as hysterical as boxed PC games sitting on a lonely shelf at Best Buy. You can get a copy of Prince of Persia The Forgotten Sands at Best Buy for 20 dollars, but would you ever?

And users who suffer bandwidth caps will suffer those caps regardless if they're playing PC or console. That's no comparison.

If a console blocks used games, they're only shooting themself in the foot. Used games facilitate new game purchases and console adoption. The majority of people that sell their games buy more games with that money. And while I've owned every console since the NES, I would skip any game console that has enough hubris to prevent the sale/use of used games - not being able to play your disc at a friend's house is so eff-ing lame.

@Snail said:

This article is about 8 months old.

@Chavtheworld said:

This article is over a year old and is not a confirmation from "Sony" at all, rather Tretton's opinion. This thread should be locked cause it's totally misleading in all regards.

Check the date again.

Oh sorry, I didn't realise 8 month old articles were totally relevant right now. You asshat.

@Chavtheworld said:

@Snail said:

This article is about 8 months old.

@Chavtheworld said:

This article is over a year old and is not a confirmation from "Sony" at all, rather Tretton's opinion. This thread should be locked cause it's totally misleading in all regards.

Check the date again.

Oh sorry, I didn't realise 8 month old articles were totally relevant right now. You asshat.

Here's a tip for you: stop being so defensive, it's making you act like jerk.

I just pointed out that the article wasn't as old as you were implying, and that you had made a silly math mistake, nothing more. In any case, a discussion did ensue from the original post. So it's not like it was a waste of time.

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

I love how people say this as if it's a good thing. What are you trying to say, that you're platform has been anti-consumer longer than the others? That's not exactly a badge of honor dude.

@Pr1mus said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

During Steam sales yes, but normally they cost about the same.

They're on average still a bit cheaper at launch, get discounted more often and more substantially and the regular price also drops faster than it does on console.

That's what made people accept Steam and digital distribution in general on PC.

Let's say Microsoft go ahead with blocking used games. I'm not trusting them with dropping prices faster and have meaningful sales more often, that's where blocking used game becomes a whole lot harder to accept. It all comes down to if your going to take something away from consumers you have to give something else to make up for it. I don't see Microsoft doing that. Neither Sony for that matter so it's great that they don't intend to block used games. At least for now anyway.

Good post. I'm not happy about no longer being able to have a nice physical library of games for my PC, but Steam prices really make it somewhat worth it.

can this thread title be changed?

because this is not only old info, but quite possibly no longer true.

Or stop bumping the thread??

If either the Ps4 or Durango(?) can't play used games then I'm getting a Wii U dawg

@FunkasaurasRex said:

@ShadowMoses900 said:

@Marcsman said:

@OfficeGamer: PCs have blocked used games for years now.

Yep. It's nothing new, the PC market has really strict DRM rules.

PC games are generally cheaper all around though and you get way crazier sales. It's hardly an apples to apples comparison.

A move strict drm will force consoles into that same pricing structure PC gaming has now found itself in. The market will push retailers into dropping their prices even faster then they already do, and for the digital store fronts to do extreme price discounts once those sales have plateaued. Unless console gamers continue to buy just as many games, but I doubt that. If anything they maybe they spend the same as they used to, but get less for that and still forces the market in the same position as I explained.

Now a move to digital only would pretty much make it a guarantee that the console marketplace would function exactly like steam and other highly discounted pc marketplaces.

I have to agree PC has done well in recent years iv started to get into PC gaming alot more but if the news is true about used games being playable on the ps4 then i mite get one too, i have no interest in the new Xbox.

CONFIRMED SONY WILL NOT SHOW PLAYSTATION 4 BEFORE MICROSOFT SHOWS THEIR NEXT NEW CONSOLE!

Ohh...wait.

I don't buy used games, but I do sell them.

Also love trading games around with friends, games are expensive yo.

Also anyone know if they are live streaming the event like they do with E3?

What's i Wanted to hear.

They'd be absolutely stupid to block used games. To be honest I couldn't see Sony doing it for some reason, but I think Microsoft might have tried if Sony was going to attempt to block the use of used games. However, if Sony have said no to it, than I very much doubt Microsoft will go blocking games now.

That said, Microsoft have been laughingly bad of late. Stuff like the Surface gives me little faith in Microsoft to pull out the lead they had this generation.

All you can say is good on them.