XBox One, PS4, DRM, and You
- Thread starter mrcorbo
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Oh it'll happen ...
We were discussing blocking/limiting of used game sales.
To do that you either have to be able to brick the physical disk or authorize with a server.
I'm pointing out the fact that the Sony conference was incredibly dishonest in the way they portrayed themselves as the saviours of consumer rights when really they are standing aside and letting publishers do whatever they want. DRM existed long before Xbox One. Some schemes are far worse than others. I've stated plainly that I believe I should be able to buy, sell and lend games, without restriction. That is the system I prefer. A game I can't sell is worth less to me. It changes the value of the product. The implementation of DRM on Xbox did not surprise me. Publishers have been complaining about used games and game trading for years. They want people buying new copies. Sony standing up and acting as if they are the saviours of consumer rights and then turning around the next morning and saying, "We only meant our own titles. For them it's business as usual," is pretty crass. DRM is coming. We'll all have to enjoy it.
And they will enjoy the large amount of no money from customers that understands the problem.
And if it's like i suspect, then games that want to access the net, will require a PS+ subscription it's going to be fun as well. Lets see a publisher that sells a disc based game requiring the customer to pay for PS+ to activate his disc game.
Why would you need PS+ to verify a game disc on a server? The box will have net access without a PS+ account.
Actually these are very different.
I can choose to use a diesel generator to power my appliances, but I cannot use my own server to authenticate these 24 hour requirements.
And you seem to forget that Sony DOES provide DD downloads if you choose and these DD downloads don't require 24 hour authentications, unlike the other one.
the reason you authenticate all digital content on Xbox is because you install all discs to HDD and it converts to digital content... if you then sell the disc you must deactivate that digital content and the check confirms two versions of same purchase are not active.
It is not some ambiguous check to big brother us, as has been outlined a dozen times here, it is so you can play Xbox without ever having a disc in the tray or swapping discs and being able to swap games from the UI
Great PR by Sony btw. They can basically point the finger at someone else and say, "Wasn't me" when the customer is effectively going to have to deal with the same, or similar, issues. And apparently there are many people who are perfectly willing to rationalize that behaviour, and it won't affect their brand. Was good to make sure they had some time with the pre-order window open before they actually made that clear.
Big brother could just ask me to insert the disc when there weren't no internet connection.. but wait.. then i could actually sell my used game.. BAD CONSUMER
Unified makes it more likely that it will be uniform.
The publishers who place restrictions on PS4 games, after the reaction they witnessed last night, will have to have some gall.
They see the backlash MS is suffering and they want the same?
Fine, go ahead. It's not like console games sales haven't been falling the past year or two right?
Activision and other publishers of blockbuster franchises like COD may be able to get away with it -- though making so much money, holding out their hands for cuts of used games sales will not come off so great.
We'll see how audacious the publishers are.
Yep
again the irony is going forward, far more of the top end user experiences are going to be online only... MMO type games like the Division, Ubisoft's The Crew, Destiny is an online game, Call of Duty for crying out loud is 99% about MP after the first 4 hours to beat SP.
so all this hand wringing over "choice" when the best experiences are going to be PS+ to play online and always connected to play the best games and the logical choice for the majority of players will be to be always online.
Now add the publishers controlling used games and doing their own DRM and this whole thing is a big waste of outrage energy and a PR battle, IMO
yes that is true. my feelings on game "sharing" is well documented I won't belabor it here again.
again the irony is going forward far more of the top end user experiences are going to be online only... MMO type games like the Division, Ubisoft's The Crew, Destiny is an online game, Call of Duty for crying out loud is 99% about MP after the first 4 hours to beat SP.
so all this hand wringing over "choice" when the best experiences are going to be PS+ to play online and always connected to play the best games and the logical choice for the majority of players will be to be always online.
Now add the publishers controlling used games and doing their own DRM and this whole thing is a big waste of outrage energy and a PR battle, IMO
You forgot the H in imho. What you were trying to say was the top end ONLINE gaming experiences.
And people aren't complaining about the being online part, they are asking why the hell they can't be offline if they want to. "Because it's better this way" , thats what parents tell their kids when they don't do as they want them to. These kids are customers with money they want to spen, mommy and daddy is going to be sorry.
Just so you know, the publishers have tried to do their own DRM since ages, their excuse has always been "piracy". If they start doing it on the PS4 with the excuse "second hand sales" they are going to get sued into hell.
And it is not surprising to me at all. I recall this Trenton guy saying some other stuff a few years ago that didn't exactly turn out to be true either.
But it worked, the fanboys bashed the hell out of Microsoft and all the media headlines were full of the news too. FUD at its best.
http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/ulnvnz/playstation-4-e3-2013--jack-tretton-drops-the-mic--stream-
Basically, it's as expected:
- Sony are not implementing any whacky online DRM system. 1st party games can be traded as normal, by default all other games will also trade as normal.
- if Activision/EA want to implement their own system, that's their problem. They need to explain to you, and deal with all the 3rd parties/lawyers/bad press/hate mail/complaints etc.
It's basically the answer that MS should have given EA/Activision.
Basically, it's as expected:
- Sony are not implementing any whacky online DRM system. 1st party games can be traded as normal, by default all other games will also trade as normal.
- if Activision/EA want to implement their own system, that's their problem. They need to explain to you, and deal with all the 3rd parties/lawyers/bad press/hate mail/complaints etc.
It's basically the answer that MS should have given EA/Activision.
I love it. The guys chanting, "Sony! Sony! Sony!" at the conference surely knew that it was specifically an announcement about DRM on first-party titles, and that third parties would be able to implement any DRM scheme they wanted.
I understand some people want to have their machine offline to play sometimes like if internet goes out or if they travel and the kids need a diversion... but there are couple things to keep in mind...
WRT Xbox and the 24 hr check..
How many people do not have internet access that will buy these machines and games, how often does that happen for more than 24 hours? really?
you can play the Xbox for a day offline, put the disc in and play with no network connected (the games that are not online)
24 hours later, if you still do not have internet access, if you have a smartphone and data access you can most likely wifi to your phone and smartglass a drm check for one minute and then disconnect and play for another 24 hours.
The only reason you would not be able to play offline for 24 hour intervals is if you did not properly pay for the game yourself and do not own the license
so again we are back to this whole issue being about playing games that we did not actually purchase.
I haven't forgot anything. But can you sell your Sony DD? You are simply trading in one set of conveniences for another set of conveniences and thats true on both consoles.
Furthermore, the 24 hour authentication is more of a hacking check than a DRM on the games themselves. Its authenicating the hardware not the software. Software authenication is done on the console itself, if not, you can easily run pirated titles until an authenication is required and then simply delete, authenicate and reinstall.
I'm sure everybody there was well informed enough to know that third parties have been implementing any DRM scheme they wanted and will continue to do so at their own risk.
Uplay anyone?
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