XBox One Used Game Conundrum
Well, as usual, the general populace has failed to adopt sanity as their preferred method of thinking. The latest incarnation is general outrage against how Microsoft plans to handle used games, swapping, etc....
Firstly, by no means do I think what is proposed is a perfect system. So I'll start by saying this; a big reason games cost so much today is that game producers raised prices (among other reasons) in attempt to regain value that is lost when games resold. And while I can't say for certain, I highly doubt gaming companies will drop their prices even with a remedy in sight. And, in fact, based on the system proposed, they may stand to gauge the end user more by being able to charge for transferring rights to a game.
But, that being said... there are a number of flaws with the complaints. Firstly, the PS4 hasn't said how it will manage these things. It promised it will be more permissive, but it did this prior to Microsoft even unveiling their plans, and that statement alone indicates that they too will have some sort of change in the way traded games are handled. People are simply assuming at present that the PS4 will be a utopia for gamers who want to (in the eyes of the developers) cheat the system to get cheaper games.
Lets face it though... gaming companies have been bitching about this for years. It was bound to happen eventually. And here is the key. Once it starts, it will undoubtedly catch on. Don't think for a second that even if the PS4 has 0 limitations that the PS5 won't as well. In fact, gamble on it.
Here is the simple reason. Xbox is currently dominating the gaming market. Publishers will therefore be more willing to gamble on Xbox One than the PS4. And the Xbox One will give them the control (or some measure of it) over the user gaming process that they want. If the Xbox One shows signs of being a strong new entrant when released, expect a lot of studios to start publishing Xbox One exclusive titles. These are game producing COMPANIES. Their motive is to make money. They have staff and expenses, it isn't JUST greed. These companies do need to make money. And if they see the Xbox One as a better means to that end, expect them to demand the PS4 or PS5 to live up to those standards if they don't want to get left behind.
Heck, even if the sales falter on the Xbox One. Expect some companies to join the bandwagon anyway. Enough high profile exclusive titles and it won't matter how permissive the PS4 experience is. Consumers will jump ship in a heart beat. There is already a market of people who choose systems based on the exclusive titles. If Microsoft's level of control draws in a larger number of exclusive games, they won't need anything else to ensure their market dominance.
In fact, if I were the CFO or CEO of a major gaming company, I would be seriously considering making my more anticipated titles available only on Xbox One simply for the purposes of prodding Sony in the same direction.
People fail to realize... it isn't JUST the customer the gaming console providers have to please these days to be successful. This is seen in every industry, Windows Phone is a perfect case where Microsoft isn't doing as well. The OS is great, fresh and different, but since they can't attract certain key development groups they are missing certain key apps and their market share is growing abysmally slow. But in the console industry the reverse is true... they are currently top dog and you can expect this move will only serve to attract an even greater dominance over developer mindshare in this segment.
In the perfect world, what benefits the consumer would matter most. But we do not live in that world.
And my final point... in almost every other avenue we accept far tighter restrictions than what Microsoft is proposing. I cannot trade or share my cellphone apps. Not even with family members. On Steam you don't even technically own anything you purchase from them and there you cannot trade either. And these two avenues alone service FAR more transactions on a daily basis than the console gaming community.
In other words... as I said above... this model is simply the one the world is slowly adopting everywhere. Why people act surprised is beyond me. Why people pretend they can hide from it by supporting Sony instead of Microsoft over this alone baffles me.
Firstly, by no means do I think what is proposed is a perfect system. So I'll start by saying this; a big reason games cost so much today is that game producers raised prices (among other reasons) in attempt to regain value that is lost when games resold. And while I can't say for certain, I highly doubt gaming companies will drop their prices even with a remedy in sight. And, in fact, based on the system proposed, they may stand to gauge the end user more by being able to charge for transferring rights to a game.
But, that being said... there are a number of flaws with the complaints. Firstly, the PS4 hasn't said how it will manage these things. It promised it will be more permissive, but it did this prior to Microsoft even unveiling their plans, and that statement alone indicates that they too will have some sort of change in the way traded games are handled. People are simply assuming at present that the PS4 will be a utopia for gamers who want to (in the eyes of the developers) cheat the system to get cheaper games.
Lets face it though... gaming companies have been bitching about this for years. It was bound to happen eventually. And here is the key. Once it starts, it will undoubtedly catch on. Don't think for a second that even if the PS4 has 0 limitations that the PS5 won't as well. In fact, gamble on it.
Here is the simple reason. Xbox is currently dominating the gaming market. Publishers will therefore be more willing to gamble on Xbox One than the PS4. And the Xbox One will give them the control (or some measure of it) over the user gaming process that they want. If the Xbox One shows signs of being a strong new entrant when released, expect a lot of studios to start publishing Xbox One exclusive titles. These are game producing COMPANIES. Their motive is to make money. They have staff and expenses, it isn't JUST greed. These companies do need to make money. And if they see the Xbox One as a better means to that end, expect them to demand the PS4 or PS5 to live up to those standards if they don't want to get left behind.
Heck, even if the sales falter on the Xbox One. Expect some companies to join the bandwagon anyway. Enough high profile exclusive titles and it won't matter how permissive the PS4 experience is. Consumers will jump ship in a heart beat. There is already a market of people who choose systems based on the exclusive titles. If Microsoft's level of control draws in a larger number of exclusive games, they won't need anything else to ensure their market dominance.
In fact, if I were the CFO or CEO of a major gaming company, I would be seriously considering making my more anticipated titles available only on Xbox One simply for the purposes of prodding Sony in the same direction.
People fail to realize... it isn't JUST the customer the gaming console providers have to please these days to be successful. This is seen in every industry, Windows Phone is a perfect case where Microsoft isn't doing as well. The OS is great, fresh and different, but since they can't attract certain key development groups they are missing certain key apps and their market share is growing abysmally slow. But in the console industry the reverse is true... they are currently top dog and you can expect this move will only serve to attract an even greater dominance over developer mindshare in this segment.
In the perfect world, what benefits the consumer would matter most. But we do not live in that world.
And my final point... in almost every other avenue we accept far tighter restrictions than what Microsoft is proposing. I cannot trade or share my cellphone apps. Not even with family members. On Steam you don't even technically own anything you purchase from them and there you cannot trade either. And these two avenues alone service FAR more transactions on a daily basis than the console gaming community.
In other words... as I said above... this model is simply the one the world is slowly adopting everywhere. Why people act surprised is beyond me. Why people pretend they can hide from it by supporting Sony instead of Microsoft over this alone baffles me.
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