PlayStation 4 'Orbis' Rumors: AMD Hardware, Hostile To Used Games

silentbrad writes "Kotaku reports some 'details' about Sony's next console given to them by a 'reliable source.' They say that the console's codename is Orbis, and it is planned for release by the 2013 holiday season. Developers are reportedly being told to plan for an AMD x64 CPU and AMD Southern Islands GPU. Further on, they mention that there will be no PS3 backwards compatibility and, like rumors about the next Xbox, will have anti-used game DRM. Specifically, 'new games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account. ... If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do. ... it's believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.'"

Comments

Say it ain't so, Sony!

[crazyjj]

If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account. ... If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do

You expect this kind of craven, heavy-handed behavior out of a Samsung or a Panasonic, sure. But Sony?!?!?

But seriously, it's been clear that developers have been asking for this for some time. They already killed the used market for PC's. Now it's console time. Sadly, I suspect MS and Nintendo will follow suit if Sony goes through with it.

Re:Say it ain't so, Sony!

[mofolotopo]

Color me unsurprised. And also not buying.

Re:Say it ain't so, Sony!

[Anonymous Coward]

Why, because there's a rumor that the next generation of consoles might have the same restriction that's been standard on PCs for a decade? Seriously, when was the last time you legally bought or sold a used PC game? And now Steam and Origin have closed up the vast majority of those fringe cases, and even the all mighty, for the gamers, indie gem Minecraft is unsellable and untradeable.

Re:Say it ain't so, Sony!

[zarthrag]

THIS!!!! The DRM steam imposes is okay for several reasons:

1. It's EASY. My games stay updated, without intervention (in contrast to Sony's Playstation Plus - which charges me a fee to NOT sit through updates every time it turn the damn thing on.)

2. It drives prices of PC games DOWN. There's healthy competition here. The console makers seem to be colluding to get $60 per player, no matter what. Hell, both MS and Sony charge money for *demos*, when you think about it

Steam ADDS value, so a purchase feels like a fair exchange, and not a shaft. Others tend to feel like a cash grab coupled with even MORE drm. (That includes Origin!)

The sun rises in the east...

[Picass0]

...Sony cooks up another draconian DRM scheme....

Another brilliant example of not understanding your audience. Used games are part of the lifeblood of the hobby. Make me pay full retail for every game and I will skip the platform.

"Reliable source?"

[AuralityKev]

Um... Yeah, and this far out in the PS3 dev cycle we thought we'd be stuck with those horrible boomerang controllers too. So I'll take it with a grain of anti-Sony-bias salt. Not that I'd put it past them, just that it's too early to start shitting myself with worry.

Cost

[SJHillman]

If they're planning on limiting the resale value of games, then they better plan on lowering the price. I know a lot of people who justified spending $40 or $50 on a game because they knew they could sell it for $20 or $30 in 6 months when they got tired of it, making the end cost a reasonable $20 or so. A move like this might end up hurting sales in spite of forcing more people to buy directly from Sony (or Sony's retailers) because a large segment of the market can no longer use the money from selling older games to buy newer ones.

Big companies seem to think that consumers have an endless supply of money to spend on anything and everything they want... no concept of a consumer has $100 to spend on games this year. If titles are $50 each, then only two get sold. If titles are $50, but they can resell each for $25 then three games get sold.

Can't wait!

[Artraze]

... until Sony gets hacked, PSN accounts are lost and everyone's games are rendered useless. That lawsuit should be epic.

Per account???

[masteva]

Wow, this will cause an uproar with families I would think!

Example: Buy game for 2+ children, but each child has own account as they don't want to have their saves touched / overwritten. Find out that game can only be used on child(a) account. Child(b) cries foul, wants his own saves and doesn't want to share etc. Fight breaks out as parent can't game to work on child(b) account.

Now I don't think this will be extremely COMMON to be honest, but I could certainly see some backlash from it! I don't like having other people in the house using my account to play games, as I fear that someone would accidentally mess up my saves etc. I'm sure a self entitled child will throw complete fits over it.

Re:no used games, no sale

[cob666]

$60 games with no resale means i buy one or two awesome games per year

Seems that that many manufacturers and game studios fail to grasp this concept. Many buyers of new titles only pay top dollar for the game because of the resale value. I'm sure that no secondary market will hurt the sales of new games, the game studios will of course claim the decline in numbers is due to piracy.

Re:Yep! It's so! ---Sony!

[Anonymous Coward]

I am going to open up a sarcasm detector repair shop. I mean, the guy even followed up his sarcasm with "But seriously..."

What about rent a game?

[Anonymous Coward]

A rented games is an used game right? What will happen with services like redbox,blockbuster or gamefly?