Crytek dev: Next-Gen consoles blocking preowned games "would be awesome"

[CrAwL]

Restricting sales of second-hand games 'would be awesome from a business perspective'
A lead developer at Crytek has publicly supported the concept of console manufacturers blocking access to second-hand games.
Rasmus Højengaard, the Swedish director of creative development at Crytek, said “from a business perspective that would be absolutely awesome” if a next-generation Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony console restricted access to games bought pre-owned.

“It's weird that [second-hand sales] are still allowed because it doesn't work like that in any other software industries, so it would be great if they could somehow fix that issue as well,” Højengaard (pictured) told CVG.

Amid a craze of speculation regarding PlayStation 4 (codenamed Orbis) and Xbox 720 (codenamed Durango), it has been rumoured that Sony and Microsoft are both considering technologies that will reject pre-owed discs.
Neither Microsoft nor Sony has confirmed any details regarding their next generation systems.

Retail giant GameStop recently claimed it is unlikely that anti-pre-owned technology would exist wthin the next generation Xbox.
Many developers and publishers routinely lament the effect that second-hand game purchasing has on revenues. Money generated from pre-owned game sales go exclusively to the retailer.

Blitz Games Studios co-founder Andrew Oliver previously claimed that the pre-owned business is “worse than piracy”.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...lock-pre-owned

[Sparafucil]

With publishers like EA increasingly calling the shots, it's simply a matter of time before being able to play used games on consoles becomes a thing of the past, I'm afraid.

[zeddoo]

With publishers like EA increasingly calling the shots, it's simply a matter of time before being able to play used games on consoles becomes a thing of the past, I'm afraid.

What makes me laugh is I couldn't care less. When I read how many people know that purchasing EA games is like the proverbial shotgun blast to their foot, and yet still do it... I can't wait for the pleebs to pay even more for mediocrity.

[NeoAnti57]

I like how EA is doing everything a game company can do to "shore up" more revenue BUT try to make better games and give more to its customers, and are sinking because of it. While other companies offer fantastic products and services to thier customers and are rising because of it....You would think by now they would have gotten a clue.

[Acupuncture]

If the Next Gen consoles block used games, I predict a collapse of the videogame industry. The market cannot sustain itself under the condition of having to purchase a new title to experience a particular game. DLC sales are so high because gamers can purchase it while using a second hand title, rented used or otherwise.

[perfectmark]

When the industry does eventually go this way, it will be interesting to see if the EU gets involved because I know the German courts at least have ruled that software companies are not allowed to restrict people from reselling a software license (even if it is OEM). So while we might be stopped from reselling games initially, we could get the situation where in Europe at least, game publishers have to give the option to be able to transfer a game to someone else's account.