Eurogamer

The next Xbox possibly disallowing pre-owned games from being played? That would bea "fantastic change for our business", according to Volition (Saints Row) design director Jameson Durall.

In an article on #AltDevBlogADay, Durall offered ideas on how Microsoft might implement such technology.

"The system is already there for Microsoft," wrote Durall, "all they'd have to do is use the DLC and codes model they have to tie a game to your Xbox live account. Each retail disc would likely need that unique key somewhere in the code so the account would be able to link it properly. Ideally it would tie a full version to the console it is registered on so family members can play even if the main account isn't signed in, but this is exactly how their model works now anyway.

"It does have it's faults that would have to ironed out," he acknowledged, "like game rental. I'm a fan of rental companies because they have to buy copies of the game to be able to rent them out and if someone likes the game, there is a chance they would purchase it for themselves.

"I could see Microsoft implementing their own rental service which would maybe give them a code that activates the game for X days and they are charged a small amount. This could work when you borrow the disc from someone or even with digital download of the full version. It would also send a percentage of the rental to the developer with each rental - likely improving the overall revenue we would receive from it.

"Another issue would be with simply lending the game to a friend," Durall went on, "but maybe they could implement something similar to what Amazon is doing with their Kindle Books lending policy. The license of the game could be transferred for a set time to another Gamertag and the original owner won't be able to play during that time. Seems like it could work."

The rumour of the next Xbox possibly disallowing pre-owned games from being played came late last month, alongside mention of a Blu-ray drive in Microsoft's next machine. But there was no explanation of how this would all work.

Through DLC, publishers and developers have found ways to make more money from their games. They've also attempted to monetise pre-owned sales by requiring codes to unlock multiplayer or to enable DLC. First-hand buyers of the game are given this code for free, but those who pick-up the copy second-hand need to purchase a fresh code online.

These methods are "really just a band-aid on a large wound", wrote Durall.

"In the end, I fully believe that we have to do something about these issues or our industry is going to fall apart," he urged.

"People often don't understand the cost that goes into creating these huge experiences that we put on the shelves for only $60. They also don't seem to realise how much they are hurting us when they buy a used game and how pirating a copy is just plain stealing. Maybe something as simple as educating them could help solve the problem...

"I know that some will say I'm not considering the retail games stores and the impact something like this would have on them, but remember, they were doing fine well before the used games market became such a staple of their business.

"The truth is, [retail stores] aren't concerned with how this business is affecting us, so why should I care how these changes will affect them?

"Every game I buy is new from Amazon and arrives at my door on or close to release day, shipped free with no tax. The proper revenue also gets to the Developer that created it - how could a retail store ever get more convenient than that?"

Jameson Durall is design director of "Secret Project Y" at Volition, a THQ studio. Volition most recently released Saints Row: The Third, which has been a success for embattled publisher THQ. Volition will now work on announced Guillermo del Toro collaboration InSane, plus Secret Project Y, which we can only assume will be Saints Row 4.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-06-volition-dev-next-xbox-not-playing-pre-owned-games-would-be-fantastic

still don't buy MS will do this, still think the nextbox would sell 10M units max with this sort of policy in place. hell, with MS not even doing "online pass" i'd give odd 10:1 that sony does this long before MS.

Poor man, he'll be out of a job soon enough.

If noone ever bought second-hand or pirated a game, more games would be made, bad games would still flop and THQ would still be going out of business.

i'm betting on the ignorance of consumers; a safe bet in general.  :P

This is a good thing i think. buying 2nd games is not a right, its a privlage which is actually an exploit of the EULA.

nobody expects to be able to trade or buy used microsoft office 2007 or outdated pc software, so why does gaming deserve it, because we've been doing it for decades? doesn't make it right.

boo-hoo 2nd hand retailers will have to make less money now compared to the millions they make annually.
boo-hoo people who dropped $200 + on a console to play games will have to spend a little more on the games so the devs and publisher get their due money
BOO-HOO pirating wont be an option on the nextbox...

This is going to bit them in the ass hard.

Thats a load of horse shit. You (the consumer) have every damn right to sell the product as you please. You're not really hurting the industry; your not pirating the game, your not modifying the actual programing , and your not copying the game (for back up), your just reselling the game because you have no need for it anymore. Its better to sell it to someone else, than throwing it away where it will end up in a landfill.

people can and do as far as i know.

Um actually it is a right, not a 'privlage'.  The fact that they've removed the capability to do so from recent PC software doesn't change the fact that secondhand sales of items have been a staple of commerce for thousands of years.  You don't see car manufacturers trying to tell you you're not allowed to resell your vehicle, or furniture makers saying it's illegal for you to have a garage sale.  Game developers never even mentioned any of this before the last couple of years.  The only reason software developers think they're more important is because, via the Internet, they have a way of controlling what you do with something you 'own'.

@OP: The Xbox 360 is my favourite console this generation, as was the Xbox last generation.  I've bought at least 40 retail games for each of them, at least 85% of which were bought new, and I've never pirated once.  If this used-game idiocy turns out to be true, I guarantee they won't be getting my business.

I can't believe someone who has a writers credit on this site used the car argument. 

So when you buy a used game you get the EXACT same version of the product that someone who buys it new does. There is literally no difference (assuming no online pass) thus making buying a new game copy pointless beyond wanting to support the developer. When you buy a used car it's not in anyway the same as a new car. It has extra miles on the clock, wear and tear, the chances of having to buy new parts are increased etc. 

If when you bought a used car it magically reverted to being identical to the same model but new then you can guarntee that car companies would do something about it.