Apparently I just read an interesting piece of hearsay. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but if there is truth in this rumor, it is a bad path to be following for Sony.
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Originally Posted by Matt Cundy from Games Radar
[PS3] Sony makes moves to stamp out lucrative second-hand market
Words: Matt Cundy
Wednesday 24 May 2006
High street games shops have been told by Sony that there will be no PS3 pre-owned sections in their stores as it will be illegal for customers to sell any next-gen PlayStation games that they've bought, retail sources have revealed to GamesRadar.
It seems that Sony is planning to adopt a licensing system that will mean gamers won't own the PS3 titles that they've paid money for. Instead, they will only be purchasing the licence to play the game and that the software itself will still be Sony property - meaning that the disc won't be the customer's to sell.
We assume that the thinking behind this move will ultimately be to stop PS3 games being resold several times - which currently snatches potential sales away from Sony - and to counter the impression in consumers' minds that games are only really worth their pre-owned price and are not worth buying new.
When we contacted Sony, it issued us with the following statement: "We have made all of the official announcements at E3 and cannot make any further comments at this time. We will be announcing more news running up to PlayStation 3's launch."
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If this is true, Sony is going to be shooting themselves in the foot with a bazooka. I can't even fathom the thinking behind this move if it turns out to be true.
I was a Playstation 3 supporter until I heard this, and if this turns out to be true, then I am definately going to be rethinking my position. I mean, I want to like the PS3, price not-withstanding, but not being able to buy used copies of games from stores...I'm sorry. At the prices that most of these games come out with (going by PS2 rates here), I will not be purchasing many of them at all, especially when they most likely won't be dropping much to compete with used games sales. Thus, more than likely no greatest hits versions either.
Nothing like greed to motivate a truely assinine decision like this. I sincerely hope that it is not true at all.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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