Sony tries out new anti-piracy measure with PSP game, hits used game market hard in the process
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 18th 2010 4:11PM
posted February 18th 2010 4:11PM
Sony's already taken a pretty big shot at the used game market with the download-only PSP Go, and it looks like it might now be going some way towards taking physical media out of the equation as well. In what's described as a "trial run," Sony has added a new authentication measure to SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3 for the PSP that will require gamers to first register their game on PSN before they play online. Once that's done, you won't be able to use the UMD on another PSN account, and anyone buying a used copy of the game will have to shell out $20 for an additional voucher to play online. According to Sony, that's being done primarily to combat piracy, but there's no getting around the fact that it also makes used copies of the game a whole lot less attractive to potential buyers. No word on any future games that will employ similar measures, though we wouldn't count on Sony giving up on this one too quickly.
I understand why they are doing this but they need to drop the price of games if they are going to make used copies useless since the price of a game also includes how much I will get back if I sell it after I am dine with it.
@(Unverified)
You dine with your games? That's very gallant of you.
@(Unverified)
You know the constitution GUARANTEES one the right to resell products they own. This includes the content on physical media... I forsee a lawsuit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property
@credo
Oh in case you were curious about right to resell purely "digital" content, this has yet to be fully explored. For an example, one has a constitutional right to resell a used CD in a garage sale, why shouldn't this guarantee transfer to mp3s legally purchased? In any event, here is a similar case which could [help] set the precedent:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/05/court-smacks-autodesk-affirms-right-to-sell-used-software.ars
@All PS3 owning Xbox owner haters
Haha! Now complain about the xbox in financial terms!
Go on, I dare ya! ;)
@credo,
I do not have a legal background, but it seems that Sony will not have any problems here.
In this case, the customer who purchases the game is receiving ongoing online service from Sony, which consumes resources. Sony can justify the cost by arguing that most customers may use a product for a certain finite length of time. But if customer 1 sells the product to customer 2, who then sells the service to... up to customer 100, Sony will incur significant cost providing never ending support to all those aftermarket customers.
@FORDY,
We can't. It's broken and we cannot resell it.
@Thinker
No. I buy a product. I OWN that product. It is my RIGHT to sell it to you. Period. There is no amount of bull shit you can add, like "providing never ending support" (which by the way wouldn't happen any way- a contract for service is a contract for service, I couldn't extend it by selling it. Or whatever the hell you were trying to say) that would negate this fact. Now once I sell you this product, and you find you cannot use it without paying an additional "ransom" to Sony.... that is illegal.
@Thinker
Okay after re-reading your argument I do understand what you meant. But it is still irrelevant. When Sony sold me this game, the ability to use their online content system was inherent in the terms of sale. I inherit the right to transfer that ability to the next purchaser of the game. If this is an issue for Sony, then they need to charge for their online service. Them losing money to second hand sales does not give them the right to negate the constitution.
@credo None is stopping anyone from reselling the umd as a used game, the thing your missing is that to enjoy the ONLINE content means you need a code to access it. So basicly you can resell the umd all you want, but to get online to enjoy the online content you have to pay for it one way or another. Nothing in the constitution says you can get on a server for free.
@Able Yeah, but what if the second-hand seller doesn't tell you that? Some people sell games without the original booklets and packaging. So, you'll go home and in hopes of playing online.. you're stuck with a weird ass $20 fee.
What's next? Once you fully register a UMD game, will Sony just lock down the game to just that one PSN account altogether?
@(Unverified) I don't think Sony (or really any of the video game companies) care about how much money you save by selling your used games...in fact, I'm pretty sure they want exactly for you to pay full price and not a penny less.
Too bad this isn't just Sony either...lots of games are coming with massive DLC downloads and such exclusively with the code in the box.
@Thinker
I get your logic, however, whether it's person 1 or 100 the use of the allotted server space for that end-user (i.e. UMD) wouldn't change. If user 1 plays the game online everyday for 5 years, or every day for two then sells it and some one else everyday for the remaining 3 it doesn't change the server support that Sony would have to provide and already charged someone fully for said support. They'd basically keep charging for the same service for the same disc over and over again. That seems criminal to me.
@(Unverified)
They can let you transfer the license like regular software?
@Able
If when I purchase a game, in its original packaging, I can expect to take that game home, plug it into my system and play online with no additional cost, this is a FEATURE of the game. You cannot strip me of that feature upon resell or transfer of the title. If Sony wants to make this legal they would have to ask every user to puts the game in to pay $5 (or whatever) to access online features, including the original one. Then online access simply wouldn't be part of the terms of sale- I wouldn't EXPECT that ability. A perfect example here would be the required registration of this game on a PSN account, which is perfectly fine because both the original owner and subsequent owners would have that expectation. Finally ask yourself, "What about rentals?". I'm sure they wouldn't actually do this but, would everyone who ponied up $5 for a weekend of play also have to give Sony $20 more? No? Well it fits in with the same argument floating around above, that "unlimited network support would be too costly". Like I said before, the solution is simple, Sony simply needs to charge for their service (that includes a $5, one-time-per game, fee as described above). Until then screw 'em. Don't buy it.
@credo They consumer doesn't own the server that Socom used to allow online play. So a law suit would get no where.
Sony? Being anti-consumer? You don't say...
This is an example of why I don't buy anything from them or their studios.
@dcormier
It's not just Sony, kids. Microsoft's new XBox virtual arcade killed previous purchases of the same arcade games, and Nintendo won't let you transfer virtual titles to a new Wii. Everybody on here who rants about how much they hate physical media needs to get a clue. You're not going to like that shiny downloadable future as much as you imagine.
@dcormier Yeah, I noticed the little Memory Stick Duo think on the box and remembered why I don't buy their products.
@dcormier
I know.
Sony puts a rootkit on their audio CDs that damage computers.
They release Blu-Ray as an unfinished product because they need to have something to compete with HD-DVD day one.
They are trying to find ways to limit used game sales, video rentals, and streaming of their content.
Their products have really gone down in quality in the last 10 years.
I don't know why anyone buys their products.
@Ordeith2 uhh that rootkit thing on CD was YEARS ago and has since been stopped....THEY don't OWN Blu-ray so to say they released unfinished isn't entirely true as there was a board that had to make that decision...and where did you get they are trying to limit streaming of their videos? They have movies on numerous streaming services...EVEN YOUTUBE....
@Ordeith2 "they need to have something to compete with HD-DVD day one."
And looks like it turned out well for them, LOL!
@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
Years ago and I haven't forgiven them for it yet. The same people are still in charge.
You suddenly trust them?
This is bad. Pay more for your game, do less with it.
@choufleur47
Did you read the article?
If you buy the game brand new, the code will be inside. How that's paying more? You have to pay $20 if you pirate or bought the game used.
@(Unverified) yes, i read the article. what i mean is video games price is higher now than it ever was and yet we get less for our money.
It's interesting to watch companies force themselves and their customers to jump through all these hoops to combat piracy. Serious question: Has anyone tried just lowering their prices?
@Abe yea because MOST pirates would pay for things if they were cheaper ¬_¬
fact is there are PLENTY of pirated movies on the internet that are in the $5 bin at walmart....pirates are pirates because they want to pay NOTHING....not pay LESS
@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
The thing is, its often easier to torrent something than to rip/convert the DVD, and alot of people are just looking for portable content.
@Abe true....but that negates the people that say they dont want digital downloads for games....
@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi
Er...I know I would buy more stuff if it were cheaper. For example, more and more games are forgoing a playable demo, in the hopes that you'll shell out $50-60 for their game before you know if it's something you'll be interested in. I thought that I might want to play Dragon Age:Origins, but they didn't make a demo, so I tested it through...other channels. After a brief tryout period, I found that I didn't like it at all, and I was glad I didn't waste $50 to find that out. If the game was priced at $20, I would have just bought it.
Sony is twice as greedy as EA. EA only plans $10 for each used game.
@mianmian Nope, they're exactly as greedy...
@mianmian ME2 Cerberus Network says hi at 1200 points (~$15)!
Sony, Sony, Sony. There you go again.
@Mathman
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice?
@brown like dookie Yes, as much as this sucks, I love seeing gamespot get sucker punched
Wow... that is a huge fail. I hate piracy as much as the next guy, but come on.
and this is why we all love our hackers
Didn't they already try codes before? I remember one of my games coming with them.
Im going to go pirate something Sony now...
When someone buys something, it should be theirs. The original manufacturer should not make money off of a second sale.
Soon Sony will be leasing the games and not selling them...
@swanle For sure this seems crazy. They already get 40 for PSP and 60 for PS3 games and they are behind the competitors in the market playing catch up (Nintendo Wii, DSi, and Xbox 360) This is not the way to get customers to buy your system and games. I am sure PS3 games are not far behind this policy. I am sure this will be their argument that they have the PSNetwork is free unlike Xbox Live but this will make a lot of consumers angry if they attempt to impliment this on all systems.
@brown like dookie
The days of Gamespot are already numbered due to digital distribution. This BS anti-piracy stuff just speeds their demise.
they probably have to play it on KAI then. $CE is trying so hard to make sure people dont want to buy psp and psp games.
@brown like dookie ummm like Gamestop lol. I couldn't believe they want $55 dollars for a used version of Uncharted 2 when you can get a new one for $60.
Sony just loves being a leech. Bite the initial person buying the game, suck them dry, then on the next. And wouldn't this affect entities that sell used games also? i.e gamestop, members of ebay, etc.
@Leindurstit What do you mean Apple?
LOL, way to go Sony. They took a failing platform no one cares about and made it more unappealing. What a dumbass idea. This wont affect piracy but will kill the used sales for the game. And considering the popularity (or lack thereof) of the PSP there wont be enough sales to make up the difference.
@DJ no one cares about it? uhh the PSP is approaching 50 million units worldwide....that is a LOT of Nobodies....
sure its not as many people as the DS....but the DS goes after soccer moms and little girls...
@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi That's their primary audience, but I think they were relatively creative with their use of a touchscreen, microphone, etc., although in a pretty good chunk of games it goes from innovative to gimmicky.