Sony, Microsoft, and Game Restrictions
by Phoenix, HSM team writer
Did the CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA) say anything different than what Sony has been saying all along? I don’t think he did. Sony has made it undeniably clear that they back their customers rights to play their way!
I watched the live feed of the pre-E3 news conference, and read the same feeds as everyone else. I saw nothing different than what Sony said months ago when the patent request information was released on secondhand software applications. The PS4 will not carry any new game restrictions. Restrictions will be at the sole discretion of the game publishers. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is not the same subject as used games or the playability of such. The model for the PS4, as far as this goes, is the PS3. Publishers will be able to lock or limit content with online passes or redemption codes. This policy already exists for online gaming.
This is different than Microsoft’s limited licensing. This is where the confusion comes in. Sony has not opted to allow its users to give their games to only friends on their friends list after thirty days, or tell them where they can trade their games if they choose to. You can still do what you want with your games on disc. Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t think it is my console’s business if I have given away a game, traded a game or purchased a new game. This seems pretty close to a tracking implant. How long before finger-printing is implemented when purchasing a game, is what I want to know?
By contrast, publishers of games for Xbox One are subject to limited licensing, with specific retailers where games can be traded. Owners of games are allowed to give a game to a friend from their friends list, provided the friend has been on the list for 30 days. This game, if given, can only be given once. Third-party publishers are able to opt in or out of this new way of dealing with second-hand games. Since Sony’s press conference, Microsoft has, predictably, rushed in with damage control, predicting that gamers will soon adapt to the new world of disc-less gaming (they have since backtracked on their policies – which may hurt them even more).
Sony has made it clear that second-hand games are not putting money in their pockets, but they are not adding any more restrictions to the new console. This was stated at Monday night’s conference. PS4 will have the same basic freedoms as PS3 in supporting used games. The next generation consoles also offer a great many interesting applications, as well as more online gaming opportunities, such as Blacklight Retribution, from Zombie Studios, Destiny from Bungie, and Elder Scrolls from Bethesda Softworks, to name a few.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future all games were offered only in digital form. Cloud storage makes that a very real possibility, and it would eliminate the second-hand game question. Until that becomes a reality, there will no doubt be second-hand games played. I, for one, can not fathom the gaming industry believing it a good thing to tell someone what they can and cannot do with a game they purchased. This is sure to be a sore spot between gamers and publishers for a long time to come, and stands to work in Sony’s favor with the upcoming next-gen of consoles.
I don’t see this as a bad thing. Think of all the game disc in your cabinets that you’ve hung on to. Unless you’ve kept each and every console that has come along, you’ve nothing to do with those games now, and what about the online games that have lost their servers? These games are now just a box full of memories. No, I don’t feel disc-less gaming will be a bad thing, for everyone. For me, however, I think it will limit the amount of gaming some people do. I for one had a game or two that I’ve downloaded and never finished. The game just lost it’s appeal, so now I just have it taking up gigabytes. I haven’t deleted it because I paid for it. I keep thinking maybe I’ll play it again someday. Then I think if I’d bought it on disc, I could just trade it or something. That won’t be an option someday. For now however, Sony has left that for us as gamers; we can download a purchased game or purchase a disc.
I prefer a system that keeps my individual choices alive. There are vast differences between the PS4 and the Microsoft One, the most important to me is freedom to play my way.
June 29th, 2013 by Phoenix | 11 comments
Phoenix writes poetry and is a photography enthusiast, along with writing for HomeStation Magazine. She is currently studying for a BFA in Creative Writing and BA with concentration in Photography. psn ID phoenixstorm21
youtube.com/user/phoenixstorm21
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I dread a fully digital future! I know, we do it with music and even film in a much heavier and concentrated manner but I still buy my movies on BluRay if I think they’re outstanding. But games, games are different to other media -- the machines they can be played on are much more specific for a start. You can shove a DVD from 10 years ago into any DVD player laying around today, but try sticking an N64 cart into your WiiU and see how that works! Anyways, I digress…
I have lots of digital games Ive downloaded (thanks to plus) and I’m quite happy for them to remain as they are, but there are problems with this system. For instance, I had a stream of rotten luck with my PS3’s for about 2 or 3 years running whereby they’d just die. YLOD only once, but I went through about 5 PS3’s in around 3 years. Now, the limit to a digital download game is 5, so when I hit PS3 No.5 I was unable to restore the majority of the games in my digital collection. Thankfully it was just a case of phoning Sony, explaining the situation, then waiting for them to allow me to retrieve my games. But man, what a clown caper! Re-downloading around 50 (or more) games every time got really boring. And annoying. And frustrating.
The young un’s may scoff at me over this but I honestly feel better when I own a physical copy. “It might get scratched!” or “It might get lost!” they say. No. Not MY games. They’re safe, and stored correctly; I still have PS1 games! Hell, I still have NES games!
If games go digital cloud download only what happens to those without internet access? They out in the sticks in more ways than one.
To have game downloads as an option is OK but to have it as the only option is not. Also, download gamed should be cheaper if both cloud and disc options are used.
Insightful article and one I thoroughly enjoy from you, Phoenix.
I agree with you PHX.I still prefer having the disc. I bought a disc copy of Journey, just to have it because you never know what’s going to happen to a digital copy and it’s a game I want to have not only now, but in the future.
Were in a funny time as far as DRM. I have many song on iTunes, but I don’t truly own them. Same thing with my digital copy of Journey, there are many strings attached. My disc however is something I truly own. I can play it,lend it, use it as a drink coaster or Frisbee if I want to.
Thats a very important point too often frogotten. There’s more strings attached to DRM than people think. Most of the time there’s also hidden in the songs code more than you bargain for…
DRM is what all the companies really Sony have realised they need a bigger market share so they will run with the same marketing the Xbox 360 did originally, it’s all about being a games console mainly with exclusive developers and exclusive dlc, add on pieces and playing online is at a price. they will shout everything we wanna hear and whisper everything we don’t. But because Microsoft have already played that hand they can’t do it again. Examples of how views are distorted by marketing is price Xbox with kinetic is 429 pounds in UK PS4 with ps eye camera is 398 pounds in UK because it’s 349 plus 49. So ultimately the brands will probably go to the same result by different paths.
@Krazyface you can reset your authorised accounts online every 6 months via a pc
The reality is that markets are mindless, heartless masses that tend to act in their own best interest. There are several examples of games that have been extremely popular, but have not generated enough money to keep their creator open. Piracy has killed many game companies. And having people able to buy used copies, sending no money back to the creator does not help.
I am not and have never been a fan of copy protection. But I am also not a fan of people playing a game without any money going to the creator. I believe the answer lies in digital distribution. I honestly think this claim that people want to play a game never having their machine connect to the Internet is a red herring. What percentage of the gaming public is that? My guess is it is tiny at most.
I think Sony is striking the correct balance by leaving it up to the content creators to decide. If my company wants to ignore people who do not have Internet access, I should be allowed to make that game. But the platform itself should not mandate one way or the other.
If I am remembering correctly, decades ago when VHS movies were rented by stores it was ruled or agreed they would have to pay royalties ib resales. Perhaps too for music and video games. My memory is not that good and I’m not looking it up. I do believe strongly in creators (music, video games etc) getting paid their fair royalties. Sometimes in the past, songwriters and singers/groups did not get paid their fair share or occasionally did not get paid at all. (I should be able to give, trade or sell a hard copy video game or hard copy (cd or dvd)or book I viewed to someone else as an individual to someone else.) I don’t know the rules as to royaltieson selling stuff on EBay and frankly I don’t care a whole lot at least not so far.
It’s not a red herring to want to have or ask or even demand that hard copy games be playable by individuals without having to connect to the internet. But the game consoles make the rules. Microsoft changed there’s. I don’t know how many people don’t have broadband but it find on search it’s from 70 to 90% of households have broadband. If correct, the percentage of people who don’t is not tiny. However, the game makes make their rules (if the game consoles agree) as to distribution. Home is not playable without broadband and I am not complaining about that, am I? Double standard? Nah! I don’t think so.
The rules are being changed as we move forward. If I don’t like the colsole makers or game makers rules I can find something I guess for a computer or even on Facebook to play.
It’ll all work out.
How many people who are gamers do not have any access to the Internet? Households does not equal gamers. And I mentioned digital distribution. I think that buying games in stores is 100% going away in the next 10 years. Steam seems to be doing okay and so is iTunes. I am looking at being able to survive today and flourish tomorrow. It is a lot easier to make money if I don’t have to produce discs and pay stores to stock our game. Losing even 30% of sales due to the lack of a Internet connection is small compared to the cost of creating and getting games in stores.
Freedom and choice are both good things, but we can’t demand it for ourselves and not allow the developers the same rights we are demanding. I think Deuce hit it on the head there. I have only downloaded a few games so far, most of mine are disk based, but I think that having the options to do either are a good idea.
I am glad Sony took the path they did, Microsoft kind of blew it this time and had to recant. But like it was said, it is truly up to the creators discretion how to handle their products.
@Krazy and Phoenix -- you can delete any game you own and not keep them on your console then retrieve them at any time and download them again. Once you buy it, it is always there as far as I know, I had to rest my PS3 and all of mine ares till there when I need them, though I haven’t downloaded them again.
I don’t have enough room to play the free version of DC Comics Heroes game. Maybe if I delete the Bioshock game which I was able to download for free I can try to see I can use the DC Comics free game. I’ll try. I only downloaded the free Bioshock to get an idea where the Home Rapture space came from.
If I can’t re-download Bioshock, no big loss as I did not pay for it.
I do have video games for for a variety reasons the main being Home I don’t hardly play video games anymore. That’s my loss perhaps but my SONY PS3 (and PS2 if I wish) and XBox 360 are still of great value to me. Maybe I will go back to disc games. I miss the baseball game MVP 2005 for the PS2 but it’s there if I want it as are others on all consoles I have.