PS4 May Not Block Pre-Owned Games After All

A Sony source has stated that the previously discovered “anti-used game” patent has nothing to do with the PS4.

Contrary to an anti-used game patent discovered some time ago, Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida seems to have told Eurogamer that the PS4 will not block pre-owned games. When asked outright if they will stop people from re-selling PS4 games, after his PR advisor failed to give a clear answer, Yoshida interjected with “So, used games can play on PS4. How is that?”

Yoshida was also asked if he agreed that buying a disc comes with a kind of moral contract with the person you’ve bought it from, meaning that you retain some of its value and can pass it on as you see fit. He said, “Yes. That’s the general expectation by consumers. They purchase physical form, they want to use it everywhere, right? So that’s my expectation,” an answer that seemed to sidestep the question being asked.

A Sony source elsewhere said that the aforementioned patent is actually completely unrelated to the PS4. The patent is for a new kind of technology that utilizes a contactless tag branded on to game discs, which could bind them to your console and prevent the game from being played on any other machine.

GameStop, one of the biggest games retailers in the US, warned that gamers won’t buy consoles without used games in the wake of rumors that Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles would block the use of pre-owned games. “Consumers want the ability to play pre-owned games, they want portability in their games; they want to play physical games,” said GameStop’s Chief Financial Officer, Rob Lloyd, a statement that Yoshida seems to agree with.

Microsoft’s next-gen console is also rumored to have anti-used games technology. Microsoft has not come out to confirm or deny this as of yet. It looks like we will have to wait until this year’s E3, when it is speculated that Microsoft will unveil its new console.

Source: Eurogamer