Next Xbox to ban used games?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 6th Feb 2013 13:29 UTC
Games "Sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft's next generation console have told us that although the next Xbox will be absolutely committed to online functionality, games will still be made available to purchase in physical form. Next Xbox games will be manufactured on 50GB-capacity Blu-ray discs, Microsoft having conceded defeat to Sony following its ill-fated backing of the HD-DVD format. It is believed that games purchased on disc will ship with activation codes, and will have no value beyond the initial user." Crap like this should be illegal. If I can't buy second-hand games at my local favourite game store, Microsoft can shove this new Xbox where the sun don't shine. Which it obviously doesn't do in Redmond if they can come up with this kind of user-hostile bullshit. You can pretty much guarantee that they have made a silent agreement with Sony to implement similar anti-user feature on the next Playstation.
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henderson101
Member since:
2006-05-30

Do you really think the few enthusiasts that run emulators are such a large segment of the market that Nintendo would give a shit?


You understand what the Virtual Console is, right? It's a large section of the Wii store. In the Wii store you get 3 options,

1) Virtual Console
2) Wiiware (Wii games for digital download)
3) Wii channels (things like the Internet channel and Netflix channel)

So, yes, the Virtual Console is a big part of the digital downloads for the Wii. Far from being "emulators", the games download as individual channels that are self contained. As an example, we have "Blades of Steel" for the NES which we got free because we paid for the Internet Channel with star points and then Nintendo made it free. It acts like it's own Wii channel, it lives on the home screen and all it does is run the game as if it were a native app. We also have the Homebrew NES and SNES emulator channels installed, and they are a completely different kettle of fish (and Blades of steel runs quite differently on the NES channel too.)

The only time game companies have ever given a shit about emulators in my memory was Bleem when the PS1 was at its height of success.


Nintendo still regularly DMCA take down Mario, Zelda and Donkey Kong games for the NES and SNES. I doubt they care about games they published for other developers though.

Reply Parent Score: 3

lucas_maximus Member since:
2009-08-18

Yes but something like EPSXE or zSNES for Windows really isn't taking away business from Nintento as opposed to something like an emulator that could run on the Wii.

While they might serve DMCA takedown notices there is much they can do about torrents with ROMs on.

Edited 2013-02-07 13:01 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 2

henderson101 Member since:
2006-05-30

Look at what the OP said:

TBH I doubt Nintendo, Sony or Sega care about ripping off what is essentially abandon-ware now.


Nintendo still make money from Virtual Console. Sony still make money from PS3 and PSP sales of PS1 titles (I have Resident Evil 2, 3 and Silent hill 1 on my PSP that I paid money for from Sony as digital downloads.) Sega is a trickier one, as downloading Dreamcast games is trivial. Save Sega, none of the games are "essentially abandonware." Sega license games to be remade and licence games to be made in to those plug-and-play TV games, so even they still care up to a point. Even stuff like the Neo Geo is still licensed (they even just released the new Neo Geo X console.) Wanting something to be abandoned because it suits your desires to acquire it and something actually being abandoned are two completely different positions.

Reply Parent Score: 3

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