What if next gen consoles don't play used games?

Written by Erik Kubik, kube00 Wednesday, 06 June 2012 06:00

So the rumor is that some of the next generation of game consoles will not play used games. Would this be a smart move by the gaming industry? Who benefits from all of this? How do some gamers feel about the possibility?

Obviously, the biggest winners in this scenario is the game developers and publishers. Everyone will be required to buy new games and the companies make more money. I can see why the gaming industry wants to do this. Every time a gamer buys a used game, someone outside the developer and the publisher receives the money.

Ultimately, the gamers are those who benefit from this the least. The only benefit gamers might see is that the price of newer gamers might drop quicker. Maybe every new game will come out at $50 or $40 if publishers aren’t worried about used sales. Who knows, maybe DLC will be cheaper? No more $15-$20 DLC; everything will be $5-$10.

Will some gamers move to the Wii U if the new Xbox and PS4 won’t play used games? It's possible that could happen. More gamers would flock to Nintendo’s new console if the other two figure out a way to lock out used games from playing. Most gamers will probably wait for price drops on the new AAA titles instead of buying day one.

Is this a smart move by the industry? Personally I don't think so. But I can see where they are coming from. The lack of support for used games on new consoles would cripple the business of some of the better known gaming stores like Gamestop. I wonder if Amazon, Gamestop, Best Buy, Hastings, etc. would stop taking video game trade-ins on current generation consoles. One would think there is still a viable market for older used games. This could be an interesting scenario. But until gamers know more, this is all speculation and we will have to wait and see what happens.