By now, everyone has heard the rumors swirling around about the “next generation” of game consoles boasting unmatched power, no need for disc drives, and the ultimate DRM. The only lingering question was, “when?” Sources in the industry have pointed to fourth quarter of 2013 as the release date, and while many consumers have doubted that window due to lack of verifiable proof, suddenly signs are showing that perhaps the launch is closer than we may think.
According to a report on IGN from Thursday, Sony has apparently received a patent for technology which will block the use of “second hand” games on their consoles. The patent works by creating a blank tag on game discs that will be filled with information the first time it’s used. A disc ID and player ID will be permanently affixed to the game, and from that point on, every time the disc is booted, the system will check to verify that the two match. If they don’t, the game simply won’t start.
To a certain extent, this is an improvement over current DRM methods which require a constant internet connection or manual password input… but then again, an “improvement” isn’t necessarily always a good thing. If this technology was implemented into all future game consoles, it would destroy the used game market as well as any rental services. That’s a lot of money and jobs that would disappear overnight. Not to mention, there’s the consumer outcry over not being able to share or test games anymore.
Of course, more important than what’s going into the consoles is whether or not the consumer is even ready for it. Cody Weston, of Davenport, Iowa, certainly is. He never actually purchased a 360 or PS3. “I've been avoiding purchasing a console system due to the age of the current systems. Looking at historic data, we're more than overdue for a new batch of consoles.” He’s right. The launch of the Wii U back in November officially pushed us into what is now considered the eighth generation of consoles, but prior to its launch, the most recent system was the PlayStation 3, which launched back in 2006 – seven years ago. That’s one year more than the time span between it and the PlayStation 2 and three years longer than the gap between the Xbox and Xbox 360.
However, as he stated, Weston never jumped into the current generation of systems, so it makes sense he’s ready for something new. For those who did buy one, are any of them ready for an upgrade? Ryan Hingtgen, of Iowa City, Iowa, isn’t. “I won’t be buying a new console, I’m happy with my current one.” Rob Nielsen, author of “They Who Suffer” and owner of RedGoateeRob’s Horror Pages, feels the same way. “[I’m] pretty satisfied with my consoles. The Only next gen system I want is a 3DS, although I’m sort of interested in the Wii U and the future of PC as a platform.”
Lawrence Sheehy, of Iowa City, Iowa, feels that a new console isn’t the solution, but rather a change of development practices is needed. “I agree with Robert. I like that companies are pushing the ability of current gen systems, but I wish they would stop trying to push games out too soon just to have games on the market.” So perhaps the consumer is crying out for quality instead of quantity? “I'm satisfied with the consoles right now... I think that the next big step for gaming isn't necessarily graphics (colors, shading, resolution, lighting, polygon count, etc.) but physics,” said Andrew Sullivan, of Coralville, Iowa. “I'm tired of seeing hair and clothing glued to characters.” Ryan Swenka, of Iowa City agrees with him. “Yes, physics of things such as hair and clothing needs work. Smoother transitions between animations is always a thing, too. I dream for a game where you get multiple ways to customize your outfit/appearance and certain combinations don't lead to clipping of armor/etc. and being 'inside' one another.”
When asked about his intentions to buy a ‘next gen’ system, Swenka had this to say: “I am happy with my 360. Digital-only content is not something I support, and I only in rare cases have anything digital-only. If the game is available on disc, I buy it as such.” Which brings us back to the future of consoles. Is it that no one wants them, or that no one wants them because of what they are? Kevin Sammon, of Iowa City, Iowa, doesn’t like the rumors he’s heard. “I would rather keep my 360 and NEVER upgrade again than buy a system that restricts me from buying a used game. The first time you buy a game that turns out to be a total waste - see Duke Nukem - you can't even get credit to fix your mistake.”
(Check out my review for Duke Nukem Forever here)
Hingtgen, Sullivan, and Nielsen all agree with Sammon. Hingtgen stated that “Anything that is digital only will be an insta-no-buy; used games are very important to me.” Sullivan pointed out that it’s “not really a danger. If the next Xbox doesn't support used games, all Sony has to do is avoid that restriction and boom, they steal like 50% of Microsoft's console market share.” Which would also be true vice-versa, assuming this patent is utilized on the next PlayStation.
However, if both companies decide to implement something like this, it appears that the only one who will be hurt by the change is the companies themselves. Let’s hope, for their sake, they listen to the consumer and don’t do anything along these lines.
Anthony Ortale writes news and reviews on behalf of Examiner.com. He does so much gaming in his spare time, it’s practically a full time job! If you like what you read here, please subscribe to his articles! You can also follow Tony on Twitter, or become a fan on Facebook! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email Tony any time at ortale.anthony@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you