If true, I will rage...
Next PlayStation to lock out used games
Buckle up, Sony enthusiasts. A tipster has told Kotaku that the PlayStation 4 is named "Orbis," and that it will feature an anti-used game system, offer no backwards compatibility with PlayStation 3 titles, and ship in holiday 2013...
I very seriously doubt that.
I think that developers will do what EA did. If you buy a used copy, to play online, you have to purchase the online pass (like Battlefield 3).
PP
It is possible that what will actually happen is Sony will make it impossible for the PS4 to read previous play station games, and then they will create a marketplace where previous PlayStation games can be downloaded, splitting the profit between themselves and the developers.
What primarily irks me (especially as someone who is working toward a degree in game design) is the mindset that the developer is somehow owed for each and every time a game changes hands- as if they are "losing money" because someone decided to pick up a game for $5 that happens to be previously owned. Let's take this approach to any other form of intellectual property- imagine Stephen King (or, more likely, his publisher) doing everything possible to shut down used book stores or Marvel Comics doing their level best to drive comic books stores (who mainly exist for back-issues) out of business and complaining that they don't see any profit off that copy of
Amazing Fantasy #15 that sold for $1 million, or a traditional artist complaining that after selling his painting to a collector for $5,000 he didn't see any money from that same collector reselling the artwork to someone else. On the one hand game developers complain about piracy hurting their profits, then on the other they have an overblown sense of entitlement when it comes to their IP.
By all means, code classic games for your new system- the life span of cartridges and disks is limited by how well the original owner takes care of them, and there will always be demand for
Super Mario Bros 3 and
Final Fantasy VII that cannot be met by the used game market because of that (though SMB3 would need to be bought new unless you wish to shell out cash for a pristine NES)- but that's no reason to not make your system backwards compatible. Backwards compatibility encourages customer loyalty- if I can play my game library on the new system I am more likely to buy the new system and buy new games for that new system. If I can't play my old game library on your new system then I have no incentive to prefer your brand over your competitor's- if I'm just going to have another system taking up space on my home entertainment center why should I not prefer the new X-box or Wii-U over the PS4 and keep my PS3 alongside your competitor's system? Why should I prefer to buy your system AND have to rebuy my game library to play them on your system?
