Rumor has it that the next generation of video game consoles will be much more restrictive. Games will be tied to a specific console. Reselling games could come to be seen as a type of “piracy” and be prohibited.
In the earlier days of computer software, it was easy to use software or move it to a new computer. Or even to give it to someone else when you no longer needed it. Over time, software restrictions were built-in to avoid piracy. These days, software programs are not only not shareable, they attach to a specific computer when installed and cannot be moved to another machine without several steps to unlock, uninstall, and reinstall.
Video games have long required a cartridge, CD, or other media to be in the console for the game to play. If you didn’t have the media at all times, you couldn’t play. However, the game could be carried to a friend’s house to play, or could be sold at the local resale shop. With the large number of game resale stores around, it was easy to take in a game when you were done playing it, make a few bucks, or get credit so you could get a used game someone else had traded in there.
Gaming companies, for better or for worse, see the current system of reselling used games as problematic. When a used game is resold, no part of the resale price goes back to the gaming company. They are looking to change this.
Games coming out in the next few years will likely lock themselves to consoles in such a way that they cannot be resold or used on friends’ consoles. The goal of game manufacturer(s) is to eliminate the secondhand sales of games. Depending on how the games are modified, and the licensing put in place, gamers may have to purchase new games each time, or some used games may be available through the original manufacturer.
Either way, revising the system likely will require gamers to pay more. Impact on the video game resale shops could be big, or could leave them behind as only older consoles and used games are available to sell.
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