Sony has filed for a new patent which will restrict second hand game sales if it is granted since the tech attempts to verify if a game has been used before on another console or not.
The patent reveals a lot of information about how they will suppress second hand game sales and while it’s a bit complicated we will attempt to explain it a bit for you.
First here’s why the patent was filed for Free Patents Online.
“In such a scheme where the electronic content is bought and sold in the second-hand markets or the like, the sales proceeds resulting therefrom are not redistributed to the developers. Also, since the users who have purchased the second-hand items are somehow no longer potential buyers of the content, the developers would lose their profits otherwise gained in the first place,” the patent reads.
What it suggests is that, developers are losing revenue on second-hand game sales and it’s something that cannot be eliminated unless it is stopped at the core. The tech needs to be implemented in a way that prevents the game from loading before a check is completed. What check? Here’s an explanation.
Consider, for example, a case where used is a game package 200 distributed in the second-hand market. Then the ID of reproduction device for the game disk 210 differs from the legitimate use device ID stored in the use permission tag 220, so that the game disk can be reproduced in a mode which is predetermined for those bought and sold in the second-hand market.
Also, for example, a content key may be supplied to the reproduction device 130 and the encrypted game AP may be decrypted using the content key only if the reproduction device ID matches a legitimate use device ID. Hence, use of game APs bought and sold in the second-hand market can be eliminated.
What do you think about this? Will you buy a console that has anti-used games tech? Let us know in the comments section below.