Sony Patent Hammers GameStop Share Price

[Tanis]

I love how gaming 'journalists' keep claiming the death of physical games. Like EVERYONE has access to downloading a GB/second.
When I can no longer OWN a game, I'm out.
I see NO REASON to continue spending money on a HOBBY where I don't actually OWN the property.

so your out 5 years ago? because all you "own" now is a license to play the game for indefinete period of time or till they change your mind. you dont own the actual content.
everyone has at least some internet speed, and while im sorry about you americans being stuck in 90s, the world has moved on and majority has over MB/s. you dont need GB/s, with 1MB/s you can easily download a game in a hour or less, which is sitll less time than it takes you to go to the store and buy it, not to mention the convienience.
so you never been to amusement part? theater? concert? or do you own all of them?

And tell me, when your digital games DON'T transfer to your next gen consoles.
-All that money lost.

You're NOT going to be pissed?
Or are you just so loaded with cash it doesn't matter to you?


10 years from now I'll STILL be able to play any game I own a PHYSICAL copy of, so long as I have the hardware.

Can you say the same about all the digital only games you have, many of which rely on DRM?

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, yes we did.

I can only imagine how publishers will exploit this if its implemented. No reason to even drop the price of games and they can jack the price up as high as they want since there is no competition from used games. Wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the bigger AAA titles started carrying a $100+ price tag on launch.

Used prices actually don't cause depreciation. Used prices are usually scaled based on the current new price, which is mostly impacted by physical stock and cost of business. Shelf real estate is a premium deal, and game retailers will cut the price to lower their stock. This in no way affects the money the publishers get, either. After all, the stock is already sold.

The other way prices are lowered is through the price being set lower, but that's already drying up anyway so it's hardly going to be the fault of this system. If you're worried about prices, Digital Distribution is actually the larger threat.

 

[Something Amyss]

so your out 5 years ago?

His out what?

because all you "own" now is a license to play the game for indefinete period of time or till they change your mind. you dont own the actual content.

False.

everyone has at least some internet speed, and while im sorry about you americans being stuck in 90s, the world has moved on and majority has over MB/s. you dont need GB/s, with 1MB/s you can easily download a game in a hour or less, which is sitll less time than it takes you to go to the store and buy it, not to mention the convienience.

Math fail aside, America is still the largest consumer of video games, generally outselling Europe and Asia by ridiculous margins. You guys really don't have the clout to set the trends. Sorry.

 

[Candidus]

Haven't bought a used game in a long time (as a mainly digital PC customer, that's probably quite normal). I actually think this tech is a good idea.

Though it seems they're going to use publishers to do the deed, I wouldn't be opposed to Sony if they made the tech standard with the PS4 themselves.

In my experience as a game retailer some time ago, it doesn't matter how tough times get, people will always find the money for their hobbies. They might do it with a very sour expression- they might be seriously pissed off- but they'll still fork the money over the counter rather than go without.

I'm not convinced that the obliteration of the pre-owned market would exclude anyone from gaming. Perhaps just the smallest, tiniest minority of the total number of people who SAY they couldn't afford it any more; a fraction of a fraction. The rest simply wouldn't be able to have as much, or to have as often. But when they DID buy, that money would be going to the publishers and developers as it should.

 

[Strazdas]

And tell me, when your digital games DON'T transfer to your next gen consoles.
-All that money lost.

You're NOT going to be pissed?
Or are you just so loaded with cash it doesn't matter to you?


10 years from now I'll STILL be able to play any game I own a PHYSICAL copy of, so long as I have the hardware.

Can you say the same about all the digital only games you have, many of which rely on DRM?

1. dont use consoles, use PCs.
2. im not going to be pissed, i had many enjoyable hours that i have paid for.
3. trust me, you probably look like billionaire compared to me, and im not complaning "omg i cant afford new game every week im so poor"
4. 10 years from now you will be able to play any game you had with same hardware. you will be albe to do the same for downloaded version ones. most downloadable games didnt start to DRM till last year, and that is not the fault of donwloads but of game companies. your physical copies (silly silly saying) are DRMed as well. try playing AC2 in 10 years when ubis servers are down, i dare you.

how many of the gaming population will ahve set up and runing same hardware in 10 years? 1%? less? and we have to pay more and have unconfortable trade system for them?

Most games around right around 40 gigs though, that takes you about 10-12 hours give or take at a 1 mb/s connection.

My tactic though if I buy a large game; buy it before I go to bed then work, when I get home from work I have a brand new game waiting for me ready to be played!

wow, hold your horses there good sir. most games are 8gb to 16 gb in size. i havent even saw a 40 gb game for download yet. you are correct that 40 gb would download 11,37 hours on 1 MB/s internet. i for one have a 37,5 mb/s internet, so.... (now of course most of the time the digital download webiste speed is limited to 3-4mb/s )
and yes, a overnight download is a good tactic, one i used to use before i had fiberoptics.

everyone has at least some internet speed, and while im sorry about you americans being stuck in 90s, the world has moved on and majority has over MB/s. you dont need GB/s, with 1MB/s you can easily download a game in a hour or less, which is sitll less time than it takes you to go to the store and buy it, not to mention the convienience.

Math fail aside, America is still the largest consumer of video games, generally outselling Europe and Asia by ridiculous margins. You guys really don't have the clout to set the trends. Sorry.

not false. read up on mods cour cases.
Yes, your consumer rate is the reason why we cant have nice things. Just because there is a big old elephant in the room does not mean the mice cant scare him.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Knowing Sony's love for control, this will unquestionably make it into their next console.
Besides, if the PS4 is as big a fuckup as the Vita, Gamestop loses out there too.

 

[kburns10]

No wonder Gamestop is testing used Blu-Rays in certain markets. They probably want a bit of a cushion to soften profits declining due to things of this nature.

 

[Beautiful End]

Late inb4 hate for GS.

OT: I don't see it happening. Whether its digital copies or physical copies, developers/publishers need of stores like GS and such. And let's assume that they are gonna go through with the "anti used games" feature. They will especially need clueless parents wandering into physical stores buying games their children wouldn't buy because they know better than to take a risk and buy a game they will be stuck with.

 

[Sylveria]

Yes, yes we did.

I can only imagine how publishers will exploit this if its implemented. No reason to even drop the price of games and they can jack the price up as high as they want since there is no competition from used games. Wouldn't surprise me at all if some of the bigger AAA titles started carrying a $100+ price tag on launch.

Used prices actually don't cause depreciation. Used prices are usually scaled based on the current new price, which is mostly impacted by physical stock and cost of business. Shelf real estate is a premium deal, and game retailers will cut the price to lower their stock. This in no way affects the money the publishers get, either. After all, the stock is already sold.

The other way prices are lowered is through the price being set lower, but that's already drying up anyway so it's hardly going to be the fault of this system. If you're worried about prices, Digital Distribution is actually the larger threat.

Oh you don't need to sell me on the horrors of Digital. Digital price of a game is still $60 when you can get a brand new physical copy for a 1/3 that price. No reason to lower the price since, as you said, there's no shelf space to worry about. They can price-fix indefinitely.

For example, I just recently got Castlevania Lords of Shadow, new, for $15-20. I went to check what DLC it had, two story packs, both priced at around $10. So, to get the DLC for a game, I'd have to pay nearly the same price I paid for the game itself.

 

[Sylveria]

And tell me, when your digital games DON'T transfer to your next gen consoles.
-All that money lost.

You're NOT going to be pissed?
Or are you just so loaded with cash it doesn't matter to you?


10 years from now I'll STILL be able to play any game I own a PHYSICAL copy of, so long as I have the hardware.

Can you say the same about all the digital only games you have, many of which rely on DRM?

4. 10 years from now you will be able to play any game you had with same hardware. you will be albe to do the same for downloaded version ones. most downloadable games didnt start to DRM till last year, and that is not the fault of donwloads but of game companies. your physical copies (silly silly saying) are DRMed as well. try playing AC2 in 10 years when ubis servers are down, i dare you.

Try playing a game for DOS or Windows 95 on your PC right now without a third party program. Meanwhile, I'll toss Final Fantasy 7 in to my PSX. Let's see which works. Oh we're talking about modern consoles. Okay... we'll let me unplug my PS3's Ethernet cable and play.. hum.. what's a launch game.. Enchanted Arms. Well look at that.. it works just fine.

 

[babinro]

For those who might know about the history of gaming...
Have developers/publishers ever tried working with game sellers to compromise on the profits?

For example: Publishers/developers take a greater hit on cuts at time of 1st purchase in exchange for a minor cut on the profits made through second/third sales made through major chains.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Yes, 4 years later, with an optional patch that people could opt out of. Seeing the problem with your false equivalency?

No. Since the patch means you either get the Linux option and not being able to play your legally purchased games, or play your games and no Linux. That's eliminating choices right there.

 

[lSHaDoW-FoXl]

You know, I could have sworn there was a little something in capitalism where when someone buys something, it's no longer the original sellers property. But oh well, maybe Sony is right. Maybe we shouldn't have the right to do whatever we want with our property. Instead, we should all get down on our knees and thank sony for the magnificent privilege we have to play their games.

Seriously though, Businesses aren't so much 'capitalist' as they are benevolent dictatorships. When you buy a game, you're not really buying a game and it's sure as hell isn't your property. Instead, they pretty much just give you the 'privilege' to play their games.