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Forums - Sony - Sony officially states that PlayStation 4 will not have DRM against used games

osed125 on 01 June 2013
jacks81x said:
osed125 said:

They made the patent, that means Sony is interested in blocking used games. Maybe not now, maybe in the future, maybe is for 3rd parties alone, maybe for themselves. Nobody really knows, but it gives us a lot of room to speculate, especially since MS is doing it.


That's not the only reason to file patents these days.  A large percentage of patents filed by companes nowadays are never implemented.  They're filed for strategic, legal, and financial reasons.   Let's say Sony has no plans for DRM, but they hear that MS does.  So they file a patent before MS does.  Now if MS does implement a DRM system that infringes on the patent that Sony just filed, they either get sued or they have to pay Sony royalties to use that technology.   It's especially common in the mobile phone industry where companies like Samsung and Apple and suing each other over patent infringement just about every other day.  

Never thought about that. I guess it makes sense.



Nintendo and PC gamer

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thismeintiel on 01 June 2013
osed125 said:
jacks81x said:
osed125 said:

They made the patent, that means Sony is interested in blocking used games. Maybe not now, maybe in the future, maybe is for 3rd parties alone, maybe for themselves. Nobody really knows, but it gives us a lot of room to speculate, especially since MS is doing it.


That's not the only reason to file patents these days.  A large percentage of patents filed by companes nowadays are never implemented.  They're filed for strategic, legal, and financial reasons.   Let's say Sony has no plans for DRM, but they hear that MS does.  So they file a patent before MS does.  Now if MS does implement a DRM system that infringes on the patent that Sony just filed, they either get sued or they have to pay Sony royalties to use that technology.   It's especially common in the mobile phone industry where companies like Samsung and Apple and suing each other over patent infringement just about every other day.  

Never thought about that. I guess it makes sense.

I think there are two possibilities for why Sony filed this patent, as it seems they won't be using it, personally.  The first is they heard through the grapevine that MS was looking to add mandatory DRM, so they patented this method so that MS would have to pay them to use it.  The second one is a little more devilish and cunning, but might be the real reason.  Having patented one of the few ways to do DRM without the internet, and MS probably not wanting to pay Sony, it forced MS to go for an online DRM system.  Sony probably knew that an online required Xbox One would significantly limit the audience MS could sell to, especially in smaller regions in EU, Asia, and SA.  Heck, even in the US there are spots with poor internet, and even some with no internet.



 

Muffin31190 on 02 June 2013
thismeintiel said:

I think there are two possibilities for why Sony filed this patent, as it seems they won't be using it, personally.  The first is they heard through the grapevine that MS was looking to add mandatory DRM, so they patented this method so that MS would have to pay them to use it.  The second one is a little more devilish and cunning, but might be the real reason.  Having patented one of the few ways to do DRM without the internet, and MS probably not wanting to pay Sony, it forced MS to go for an online DRM system.  Sony probably knew that an online required Xbox One would significantly limit the audience MS could sell to, especially in smaller regions in EU, Asia, and SA.  Heck, even in the US there are spots with poor internet, and even no internet.


No that would be like .... CONSOLEPTION

lol but seriosuly that could be a way Sony Does it because we all now Microsoft has more money than Sony so in that term Sony would have to outsmart thier competitors where as Microsoft could just throw money at a problem, and Sony cant really afford to do that now especially with the serious losses the PS3 took.



thismeintiel on 02 June 2013
CGI-Quality said:
platformmaster918 said:
CGI-Quality said:
I expect Microsoft to follow suit. In fact, I think much of the negative hysteria towards the Xbox One will be laid to rest @ E3.

But, in this case, good that it has been clarified from Sony!

funny that sounds familiar...oh wait that's what everyone was saying about the 21st.  Now I'm not saying it won't be laid to rest but I don't see how you can be confident in that at all.

Unlike many, I didn't jump on the naysaying-bandwagon because it appeared to be easy. I feel like Microsoft are testing the waters a bit, and by E3, much of the confusion will be cleared and positivity will rein.

Now could I end up  wrong, sure, but your lack of confidence doesn't invalidate my prediction based on May 21st.

I have to say I doubt they will back off from this completely.  Will they loosen the reins a little?  Maybe.  But, something tells me some of those exclusive content deals with EA, and maybe a few others, are strictly on the grounds of this DRM system.



 

HikenNoAce on 02 June 2013

Sony gets it.



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thismeintiel on 02 June 2013
CGI-Quality said:
thismeintiel said:
CGI-Quality said:

Unlike many, I didn't jump on the naysaying-bandwagon because it appeared to be easy. I feel like Microsoft are testing the waters a bit, and by E3, much of the confusion will be cleared and positivity will rein.

Now could I end up  wrong, sure, but your lack of confidence doesn't invalidate my prediction based on May 21st.

I have to say I doubt they will back off from this completely.  Will they loosen the reins a little?  Maybe.  But, something tells me some of those exclusive content deals with EA, and maybe a few others, are strictly on the grounds of this DRM system.

I can understand your feelings there, I just think a lot of the recent backlash could have an effect on them in a way that some of what they may have been planning to implement will be scrapped. This news about Sony completely squashing the idea for their console reinforces my confidence, because I think it could be a bigger blow to the X-One than Microsoft is willing to take.

Just 9 days, we'll know it all.

Too bad it feels more like 9 months. 



 

J_Allard on 02 June 2013
Wright said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:

 I was more than happy to pay for online passes.


I get it: if Sony does it, we can condone it.

Pretty much the way it works here and on NeoGAF it seems LOL

Anyways that's cool that Sony games apparently won't require this but the thread title is misleading as the quote says PS4 actually can have DRM against used games, it just rests on the publishers decision. Should be edited to say Sony games will not have used game DRM.



S.T.A.G.E. on 02 June 2013
Wright said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:

 I was more than happy to pay for online passes.


I get it: if Sony does it, we can condone it.


I never complained when EA started it. I have no problem paying an extra ten dollars if I paid $20-30 for a game. What you want to see is bias to Sony, you just don't get it though even if I said it a thousand times that publishers do deserve something, but theres a level to where it starts to become anti-consumer.



Machiavellian on 02 June 2013
S.T.A.G.E. said:
JazzB1987 said:
Since this is sony we are talking about that also try to fool everyone with stuff like "this footage is directly captured from a PS3 system" (which basically means this is running a bluray with prerendered footage) .... I guess that means they will highly recommend instead of require the DRM stuff and since they talk about initial establishment of the console this means they are going to add this within the first 2 years.

Third party is who pushes this crap and Sony lets the third party decide so its the same shit as with Xb1....

They also never said that used games wont be blocked with a future update!

I hate that companies say everything completely mysterious and are so vague. Say NOT WITH PS4 this is simple "3" words instead of some strange PR blahblah. What about being direct? You know like "attack its weak spot for massive damage" simple yet totally understandable!


Sony stated long ago after their reveal that they never thought of DRM at all, that was all Microsoft who demands the console be online at least once a day.

It would be very hard for me to believe Sony did not think about or talked about DRM when they are the only company with a patent on it.  It also would be hard for me to believe Sony did not have something in place when they were asked direct question on the subject we go no comment.  It's not like Sony was against having project 10 dollars within there own games.  It's not like Sony never put root kits on people pcs for CDs.

Any way is it me or is anyone asking the right question.  Stop asking if Sony is doing what MS is doing and ask is there a system on the console for DRM.  If there is a system for DRM how is it implemented and enforce.

People seem to be so wrapped up in how MS does its DRM but it seems no one is asking if Sony does something different.  



sunK1D on 02 June 2013

All a smoke screen really. I guarantee you that 3 years in, all PS4 games will have DRM. Maybe not even that far into its life cycle.