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Forums - Sony Discussion - Sony Blocks Online Play On Used Copies Of PSP SOCOM Game

Galaki on 22 February 2010

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Sony Blocks Online Play On Used Copies Of PSP SOCOM Game

By Phil Villarreal on February 18, 2010 8:45 AM 0 views

(Alan Rappa)

Video game publishers generally aren't too happy that companies such as GameStop reap huge profits from buying and selling used games, and Sony has devised a way to hobble the system from sapping away sales of its newest PSP shooter -- slap DRM on the game's online mode.

IGN reports that retail copies of SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3 come with a code gamers need to input to unlock online play. If you don't have the code, you can buy online access for $20. And those who download the game illegally are out of luck if they want to take the battle online.

Is this a heavy-handed corporate move that will backfire or a valid defense against piracy and resales?

SOCOM Fights Piracy On PSP [IGN]



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UncleScrooge on 22 February 2010
axumblade said:

It's about time Sony fight's back against Piracy and Used Games.

Are you serious? It's about time Sony fights back used game sales? 

 

I can understand companies fighting piracy. It's their right and they can do it, I don't mind. But buying games used is our right as customers and we damn well deserve it. The only reason why used games sell in such tremendous amounts is because the values of the games most companies pop out is decreasing rapidly: They're hyped prior to release and sell great during the first two weeks and then drop off the charts. And then people realize the games aren't worth the 60$ or 70$ price tag so they buy the games used. Look at games like Wii Sports Resort or Mario Kart - they are still being sold for full price months and years after their release.

So a company isn't able to develop games people actually want to keep but instead is just developing software people sell after their first playthrough... and gamers have to be punished for it? That doesn't make sense to me.



gamelover2000 on 22 February 2010

Damn Sony.. PSP is tormented by pirates and you go after people who buy used games? damn...



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papflesje on 22 February 2010
UncleScrooge said:
axumblade said:

It's about time Sony fight's back against Piracy and Used Games.

Are you serious? It's about time Sony fights back used game sales? 

 

I can understand companies fighting piracy. It's their right and they can do it, I don't mind. But buying games used is our right as customers and we damn well deserve it. The only reason why used games sell in such tremendous amounts is because the values of the games most companies pop out is decreasing rapidly: They're hyped prior to release and sell great during the first two weeks and then drop off the charts. And then people realize the games aren't worth the 60$ or 70$ price tag so they buy the games used. Look at games like Wii Sports Resort or Mario Kart - they are still being sold for full price months and years after their release.

So a company isn't able to develop games people actually want to keep but instead is just developing software people sell after their first playthrough... and gamers have to be punished for it? That doesn't make sense to me.

Uhm, perhaps it can be viewed another way too? Even games that are definitely worth their price, are sold immediately by a number of people. Some people just won't pay a lot of money for their games, no matter what.

 

This is a way to test the waters and twist gamespot and the likes a bit, imho. They have previously refused to cooperate when it comes to second hand sales, so that's why they need to come up with other methods of getting the game to bring in money again and again as well (if it's being resold).

 

That it fights both piracy and second hand sales / renting (which is illegal over here), is just double gain for a company.



Rainbird on 22 February 2010

Already posted

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=101478



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ClaudeLv250 on 22 February 2010

I want this to backfire in Sony's face. This also hurts rentals.



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UncleScrooge on 22 February 2010
axumblade said:
UncleScrooge said:
axumblade said:

It's about time Sony fight's back against Piracy and Used Games.

Are you serious? It's about time Sony fights back used game sales? 

 

I can understand companies fighting piracy. It's their right and they can do it, I don't mind. But buying games used is our right as customers and we damn well deserve it. The only reason why used games sell in such tremendous amounts is because the values of the games most companies pop out is decreasing rapidly: They're hyped prior to release and sell great during the first two weeks and then drop off the charts. And then people realize the games aren't worth the 60$ or 70$ price tag so they buy the games used. Look at games like Wii Sports Resort or Mario Kart - they are still being sold for full price months and years after their release.

So a company isn't able to develop games people actually want to keep but instead is just developing software people sell after their first playthrough... and gamers have to be punished for it? That doesn't make sense to me.

Used games sales don't give anything at all back to the company's that make the game. If Gamestop maybe offered some of the money from used games sales back to Sony then they wouldn't have a right to be mad about it. If it's a game that's really popular like Modern Warfare or Assassin's Creed, it's not as big of an issue because the production cost is generally covered relatively quick for the game. But when it comes to the PSP (which struggles with software as it is), I can understand why they would take the extra step to prevent the sale of used games (or at least ensuring they get a cut from the game).

Yeah but it's Sony's business to make sure the PSP sells software and the software keeps its value.

What about used cars? Used CD's? Used computers? Used whatever... some people just don't have the money to buy all games new, to others the games aren't worth a full price tag.

What I'm trying to say is this will repell quite a lot of people and only make consumers even more angry (hey some companies even blame us when their games sell bad!) and all that just to see some additional sales? Only those "used buyers" who a) have the money for the games b) think the games are worth the full price tag and c) aren't angry because of this action will buy additional units of those game(s). I'm not sure if this is gonna pay off.



papflesje on 22 February 2010

@ scrooge: the amount of money made on a car by the maker is quite different as to what a developer gets for a game.

cd's => those still get money from concerts and from airplay


Who is this going to anger that Sony (or any other company) cares about? Those who buy second hand are not bringing in money as it is, so who cares if they're complaining. If only one of those now buys a code to play online, they've actually "gained".



1337 Gamer on 22 February 2010

I hope this fails. Im tired of this anti used game sales battle that is going on. ME2 did it with the DLC code and now other games are starting to do it the same way. It better fail



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Galaki on 22 February 2010

Also, funny how they want piracy=theft but refused to tread their games like everything else (physical properties) that the owners can resell.



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