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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Eidos: next XBOX uses watermarked discs

I'm getting a bad feeling about this... lots of similar rumours :(

If true, i doubt it will be benificial to the gaming industry.



In the wilderness we go alone with our new knowledge and strength.

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hivycox said:

Eidos president Ian Livingstone stated in his answer to the question of the possibility of a digital-only gaming landscape that the next XBOX may use different CD's. These CD's would be watermarked so that they won't work on another console.

Here is the full quote:

“With the next Xbox, you supposedly have to have an internet connection, and the discs are watermarked, whereby once played on one console it won’t play on another," Livingston said. "So I think the generation after that will be digital-only.”

 

And source

 


Funny quote. It's a quote from a guy who is responding to other rumors about a quote that is still all based on rumors.

Basically Livingstone read somewhere online that it would have watermarked discs and would require always on internet. Then someone asked him about it, so he says "you supposedly have to have an internet connection", etc.

So now when Livingstone says he heard it has these things, everyone starts taking it as fact.  Ironically, everything he knows about the next Xbox is based on the same rumors we've read about the next Xbox.  His comments have no more or less weight than some random person off the street saying that's what they read on some rumor based article.



stop crying, it's a MAYBE
and on top of that if it happens what would the implementation be... "Would games be playable on a set number of systems before they stopped working?"
there are various possiblities



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I have transitioned from a Playstation supporter to an avid Xbox enthusiast, but if this rumor turns out to be true I'll be forced to switch systems. I buy many new games every year, but nearly half of my purchases are used and it would be way too much to purchase every game I usually get brand new.

This industry is heading for a crash if they honestly expect consumers in a terrible economy (that will likely get even worse) to pay more than ever for games and consoles while losing the ability to trade in their old games to help offset the cost.

It will be even worse if all three eventually moved to this model. I guess there is always pirating .... as much as I hate the idea of having to resort to it.

Let's just hope this is not true.



don't believe it. won't believe it. so not going to happen.



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AIUI, MS may desire watermarks to assist with preventing/tracking early pirate releases, which seems to happen quite often.



n-skyline said:
superchunk said:
Darc Requiem said:
If true, Sony is going to gain a new PS4 customer.

Unless PS4 uses the same tech? After all its just BR discs and the pressure may be coming from publishers. Sony's last rumor on this stated that it may be up to the publishers and not enforced by Sony on all.

Will you go Wii U then?


I dont think many consumers would go to another platform especially if they have never had interest in that platform, I just think they would only buy a select few games new and not much else. The more i think about consoles blocking second hand games the more ridiculous it seems. I genuinely believe it will mostly be a case of "if i cant buy your game second hand i wont risk my money on full price and buy it"

This is key to many people. Before I would buy games in the knowledge that I can part-exchange them later if they are not to my liking.  How many games I bought and later sold I have no idea but they were many. Surely this is good for the industry. I bought them all new. People that can't afford them new then got them second hand. With this "new law" enforced many people will probably buy less games.

Now I must be damn sure I will like the game or that's £50 down the can. It just seems wrong. As a consumer I hate that I do not have the right to sell any physical object I purchased. It seems like another freedom ripped away.

This is like a permanent rental.

I know downloadable games are non-transferable but at least the data is virtual so I am not that bothered. It's not tangible, to me it's different.

If this turns out to be true Nintendo will probably kick themselves in hindsight. Here was a chance to release a serious next-gen console that 3rd party developers will jump on give consumers even more options. But the big 3rd party games is likely to stay with Xbox and PS, meaning people wanting to play them will likely ignore wii u.

Then again if wii u sales were good maybe  the others wouldn't even think of doing this.

Then again it all depends on IF THIS GAME LOCKING IS INDEED TRUE.

I don't care anymore. I am going to bed.



kitler53 said:
don't believe it. won't believe it. so not going to happen.

This is the way to get through everything. Shoot it down whenever it comes up!



If Microsoft does it, then Sony probably has the same provisions in place, as well.

In which case, what should I do? As I'm about 50% PC gamer, just how offended can I get without being a hypocrite?

As I see it, assuming it's true, there are two paths: either prices stay the same and retain their value like now, or pricing more closely follows that of the PC market, where prices sink and deals are very common. If the first, then we're going to see some problems in the industry. Many people can't afford to buy more than a few $60 games a year. Used games, or game trading, allows them to be connected to the community, to be active gamers, without going broke.

On the other hand, if console gaming were to mirror PC gaming with prices that made sense, then I could see this being less of a big deal. PC gaming, even without used games, is generally more affordable than console gaming, and more of the profit goes to the developers. After all, a two dollar profit on a heavily discounted game is better than zero profit on a used game. If that were to happen, then I'd be fine with it--though somehow I doubt publishers will allow that.

They'd better think this thing through. That would include working out deals with companies like GameStop, as well. There has to be a way around it, you'd think, something like the "online pass". The thing is, I actually don't mind schemes to take a bit of money away from the GameStops and funnel it toward the developers; if they can do that without hurting the customer, then I'm for it.

We'll see what happens, though even if it's true, I don't think it will be as cut and dried as the disc becoming useless.



It's says there is not efficient enough broadband to do something like this in the interview.