PlayStation fans flock to Twitter to protest DRM

[dfergie]

Geoff Keighley reported that Sony was planning to use some form of DRM to control or limit access to used games.
Many frustrated tweeters are now threatening to not purchase the PlayStation 4 if Sony doesn't change its policy.

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/playstation-fans-flock-twitter-protest-drm-6C10094985

 

[KE4EST]

I hope they listen too!

 

[yourbeliefs]

Major Nelson said that M$ was listening as well. I think they decided to just throw their policy out there to see how people would react. If Sony comes out and says they're not doing any sort of DRM then M$ is going to look pretty dumb doing their policy as has been said through tons of conflicting reports. Nintendo and Sony can easily advertise their "Used game friendliness" policy to counter Microsoft and there really is no way they can win this "console war" by stiffing people like how it's been reported they will.

 

[Teehar]

if the console makers are that dumb,I feel sorry for them.Did they honestly believe there wouldn't be any backlash over DRM and used games?

 

[king3pj]

if the console makers are that dumb,I feel sorry for them.Did they honestly believe there wouldn't be any backlash over DRM and used games?

I am against this myself and there very well could be backlash. The thing is that if both Sony and Microsoft decide to do this they know gamers wont have a choice but to deal with it or quit playing games. They probably don't care much about the people who buy consoles from them at a loss and then only buy used games keeping them from any licensing income.

They aren't dumb. They know most people will get over this after the initial outrage so they can keep playing games. They also know that their profit margins will be up if they cut out the used game market. Here's a fun fact. Heavy Rain is a PS3 exclusive that critics and fans seem to love. The developer recently said they won't do a sequel because it only sold about 2 million copies even though over 3 million people had unlocked trophies for the game. That's not counting all the people who don't connect their PS3 to the Internet. That's at least 1 million people who played the game that the people who made it didn't see a cent from. That is what they are trying to cut out. That can be the difference between being profitable enough for a sequel or a dead franchise.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Teehar]

Watch the new console sales plummet if they implement the DRM,and no used games.People don't buy or rent games to prevent licensing income,they do it to save money.This is one of those cases I almost hope they do it,then I can say,see I told you so.

 

[king3pj]

Watch the new console sales plummet if they implement the DRM,and no used games.People don't buy or rent games to prevent licensing income,they do it to save money.This is one of those cases I almost hope they do it,then I can say,see I told you so.

Hey I'm a Gamefly user so I don't want to see this either. The fact is people won't have a choice if they want to keep playing games unless the Wii U is good enough for them. PC has been doing this for years and their sales are doing just fine.

I keep seeing all the people who only buy used games say they will boycott these systems on various gaming websites. The truth is that many of them will end up buying the console anyways because they like playing games. The other factor is that just about every console released sells at a loss in the beginning with break even and profit numbers coming from game sales. They don't care whether people who only buy used games purchase their console though. They are actually losing money on those people.

If they cut off used sales completely and sell less units but make more profit from each individual unit they will be just fine. Who cares if they sell less consoles if their profit margins go up? Again, I don't want this to happen but I see the writing on the wall. Game publishers are really putting pressure on them to cut off the used market.

The other part of this is the Heavy Rain problem I mentioned earlier. If you want games that dare to do something a little different like Heavy Rain you need to give the people who make them enough money to fund the next one. If people just did a little comparison shopping they would find that they can usually get a new copy of a game for the same or less money than a used copy at gamestop. Spend the same amount of money on a new copy from amazon and put that money in the developers hands instead of Gamestop's. The game industry doesn't need Gamestop to survive but they do need good developers.

 

[Zookster]

. Here's a fun fact. Heavy Rain is a PS3 exclusive that critics and fans seem to love. The developer recently said they won't do a sequel because it only sold about 2 million copies even though over 3 million people had unlocked trophies for the game. That's not counting all the people who don't connect their PS3 to the Internet. That's at least 1 million people who played the game that the people who made it didn't see a cent from. That is what they are trying to cut out. That can be the difference between being profitable enough for a sequel or a dead franchise.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

David Cage, Heavy Rain's creator, said he didn't want to do a sequel anyway and was glad Sony didn't press him on it ... but maybe that's just sour grapes. Interestingly, he also is quoted as saying in the gaming media that he doesn't make games to make money and that he thinks his games (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) should only be played once. So what does he expect people to do with the game when that 15 or so hour experience is over: have it collect dust until their grand kids come across it when cleaning out their deceased grandparents attic 50 years later? lol

 

[king3pj]

David Cage, Heavy Rain's creator, said he didn't want to do a sequel anyway and was glad Sony didn't press him on it ... but maybe that's just sour grapes. Interestingly, he also is quoted as saying in the gaming media that he doesn't make games to make money and that he thinks his games (Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls) should only be played once. So what does he expect people to do with the game when that 15 or so hour experience is over: have it collect dust until their grand kids come across it when cleaning out their deceased grandparents attic 50 years later? lol

I get it. Unless we want all our games to be designed as multiplayer focused COD clones there needs to be some money to be made in story driven games too though. I rarely buy games at full price and I normally prefer campaign focused games I'm only going to play once. I'd still rather look for a sale on amazon or another store and buy a new copy though. You usually won't pay any more money than Gamestop's rip off used prices and the developers will see some of it.

I mainly buy my games in download form now because I don't want a stack of disks I'll never touch again.

 

[Teehar]

Hey I'm a Gamefly user so I don't want to see this either. The fact is people won't have a choice if they want to keep playing games unless the Wii U is good enough for them. PC has been doing this for years and their sales are doing just fine.

I keep seeing all the people who only buy used games say they will boycott these systems on various gaming websites. The truth is that many of them will end up buying the console anyways because they like playing games. The other factor is that just about every console released sells at a loss in the beginning with break even and profit numbers coming from game sales. They don't care whether people who only buy used games purchase their console though. They are actually losing money on those people.

If they cut off used sales completely and sell less units but make more profit from each individual unit they will be just fine. Who cares if they sell less consoles if their profit margins go up? Again, I don't want this to happen but I see the writing on the wall. Game publishers are really putting pressure on them to cut off the used market.

The other part of this is the Heavy Rain problem I mentioned earlier. If you want games that dare to do something a little different like Heavy Rain you need to give the people who make them enough money to fund the next one. If people just did a little comparison shopping they would find that they can usually get a new copy of a game for the same or less money than a used copy at gamestop. Spend the same amount of money on a new copy from amazon and put that money in the developers hands instead of Gamestop's. The game industry doesn't need Gamestop to survive but they do need good developers.

Thats odd,I can go on ebay/amazon and buy pretty much any used pc game and it works just fine on my pc.So whatever drm they use certainly doesn't prevent someone from buying a used game and playing it.

I'm telling you,if they make it to where you absolutely can't play a used game on their console,they will be committing console suicide.

I mean look at the MPAA and RIAA,they tried and failed.Used movies and cds are a dime a dozen so to speak.If those 2 couldn't do it,I seriously doubt Sony and MS can.They'll see the writing on the wall real quick.

 

[king3pj]

Thats odd,I can go on ebay/amazon and buy pretty much any used pc game and it works just fine on my pc.So whatever drm they use certainly doesn't prevent someone from buying a used game and playing it.

I'm telling you,if they make it to where you absolutely can't play a used game on their console,they will be committing console suicide.

I mean look at the MPAA and RIAA,they tried and failed.Used movies and cds are a dime a dozen so to speak.If those 2 couldn't do it,I seriously doubt Sony and MS can.They'll see the writing on the wall real quick.

That's odd because you usually need a CD key even if you buy PC games in disk form. Most games seem to require registration on DRM software like steam or another service now. How do you play a game that is registered to someone else's account.


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[Teehar]

That's odd because you usually need a CD key even if you buy PC games in disk form. Most games seem to require registration on DRM software like steam or another service now. How do you play a game that is registered to someone else's account.


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Maybe they remove it from their account.All I know is every used game cd I have purchased works just fine with the key that comes with the disc.

 

[tomcrown1]

That's odd because you usually need a CD key even if you buy PC games in disk form. Most games seem to require registration on DRM software like steam or another service now. How do you play a game that is registered to someone else's account.


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The key is not limited to one user. Hint even thou Windows has a limit user key you can still reuse it. Just call Microsoft and they will activate windows. I have done this from Windows 98 to Windows 7.

 

[king3pj]

The key is not limited to one user. Hint even thou Windows has a limit user key you can still reuse it. Just call Microsoft and they will activate windows. I have done this from Windows 98 to Windows 7.

That's fine if the game doesn't require Steam, Origin, or uPlay. It seems like most of them do now and once you register a CD key to one of those accounts it can't be used again on another account. Plus most people download their PC games now so there is nothing physical to sell.


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[ohioankev]

I don't usually buy used games anymore and usually to buy games on day one it has to be titles that I want to play (The Last of Us being the next Day One title I buy) Anyways the other day I was looking at copies of Left 4 Dead at Gamestop.com and they wanted $29.99 for a used copy. I went over to Amazon.com and looked and sellers there (fulfilled by amazon) wanted $15-$20 for a new copy. I just bought Uncharted 3: GOTY Edition new from Amazon.com for $24.97 a couple weeks ago and I checked Gamestop and they wanted $24.99 for the GOTY Edition Pre-Owned, $39.99 for a new copy. Moral of the story is pre-owned does not always equal cheaper if you buy from Gamestop.

 

[king3pj]

I don't believe for one second that Sony isn't going to be forcing DRM if Microsoft does in the way everyone seems to think they are. I highly doubt this was just some arbitrary decision Microsoft made. It is the game publishers really pushing for DRM more than Microsoft or Sony. The publishers have the most to gain from cutting out used sales.

I don't believe that EA is going to put out the next Madden and say we have to have this locked down on Xbox One but everyone on PS4 have at it. It sounds like Sony is just handling it in a different way. They have said that DRM would be left up to the publishers and they wouldn't enforce it themselves. Meaning, you can bet that DRM will still be there. They are just washing their hands of it so they can say it's not their fault, it was the publishers.

http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/05/sony-wont-answer-these-questions-about-ps4-drm-and-used-games-yet/

“At a roundtable this morning, Sony’s game studios chief, Shuhei Yoshida, told reporters that any requirement for users to register a game online in order to play it would be left to game publishers. Sony won’t require that.” (Emphasis added.) Apologies for missing that during our attempts to clarify just how similar or dissimilar Sony’s next-gen policies are from Microsoft’s.

 

[Kraven]

I'd be for DRM IF

1- Prices were lowered
2- All Games were DLC

My age, am getting too old and tired to be running to the stores or trading games w/ the neighbours kids

 

[king3pj]

I'd be for DRM IF

1- Prices were lowered
2- All Games were DLC

My age, am getting too old and tired to be running to the stores or trading games w/ the neighbours kids

I think the prices for downloaded copies of games really are going to drop in the next generation. Sony and Microsoft have both been experimenting with steam style online only sales in the last few months. They want us to buy our games in downloadable form because there is less overhead and there is nothing for us to sell when we are done with them. They are seeing how crazy the internet goes for these Steam sales and they want to cash in on them too. Lots of people buying a digital game with very little overhead at a lower price is better than a few people buying a disk version at full price.

 

[meStevo]

It appears Sony isn't going to force DRM, but instead allow the publishers to enforce their own. This means there will be many titles with little or no DRM, but also many with restrictive DRM without the benefits of the MS system to go along with it. Good or bad I'd almost rather take consistency, sure you can cherry pick publishers to 'support' the type of DRM they enact, but it's going to end up being a wash in the long run. Sony will play this off like they're not the bad guy by doing this. Wondering if one of the DRM options will be their patent to marry a disc to a console once used.

We still have a lot to learn about the vilified MS DRM. Could end up leading to a lot of neat innovations and standards for this generation and those that follow, much closer to a Steam-like experience. They really need to do something to allow the disc in the drive to circumvent a DRM-check for those with connectivity concerns. I am very much looking forward to just installing my games and never needing to get the disc out again. The rumored potential for remote play via skype, being able to sell/trade your game licenses digitally... we have a lot more to learn about what their plans are. By monetizing these processes, I wonder if we could see a reduction or removal of Live fees since many would use them. This revenue could also help reduce the cost of digital games. Of course it's possible nothing will be reduced, and it's all profits, but they've got to take steps to make this better somehow than a friendlier system (on paper) being offered by the competition. I don't know how Sony answers a few hours after the MS E3 keynote if they say all digital games will be $10-20 less than retail.

It's a shame the two aren't consistent. On one hand you have Vita owners who probably will only be able to remote play any digitally purchased and only the retail game that's in the disc, meanwhile an X1 user can play any of their installed games instantly. If Sony had the MS system and every game in my library was available for remote play with just a couple button presses - presuming the digital marketplace is still much more expensive than retail so it's cost prohibitive to go all digital right away - I'd have a much harder decision to make. Otherwise going into E3 I'm leaning strongly towards X1 because HDMI passthrough on a machine with balls is something I've wanted since the first day I fired up my sluggish Revue. If Sony keeps up the good work they're doing I can see myself having a PS4 downstream from that HDMI passthrough too though at some point in the future