Sony anti-used game patent leads to GameStop stock plunge

4.7
GameStop's stock price dropped six percent on Thursday following reports that new technology patented by Sony could eliminate the pre-owned games market.

The technology - which tags individual game copies with information about previous use - could potentially be used to restrict the use of a game to one machine or user account. This could mean bad news for the US retailer - a major player in the pre-owned market.
The market responded to the news with selloffs of GameStop shares, resulting in the retailer's share prices falling by $1.57 to $24.09.

Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities moved to appease investors, claiming Sony would be unwise to implement the technology to its full potential. "Sony would be materially hurt if its console blocked used games and competitor consoles from Microsoft and Nintendo did not," Pachter wrote in a note to investors.

"We think the reaction is overblown," he continued. Indeed, SCEA CEO Jack Tretton is reportedly against moves to implement technology designed to block used games.

Elsewhere, an analyst for Janney Capital has noted a similar pattern in the lead up to the PS3's launch.

Posted:
Related Forum: PlayStation Forum

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/385005/sony-anti-used-game-patent-leads-to-gamestop-stock-plunge/

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"Sony anti-used game patent leads to GameStop stock plunge" :: Login/Create an Account :: 105 comments

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MysterrriiiPosted:

Gmlukens
Moan
Pimpstar
-Syn
THuNdErModsCoD I have never and never will buy anything after a ps2. My parents bought the ps2 for us when we were children and now we have xbox's. Microsoft>Nintendo>Sony.


Same, the ps2 was the last good console by sony.


i agree i remember i loved the ps2 and now i play xbox and would never buy another sony console


Same with me, I started out with the PS2

PS2 was great with Battlefront, but now PS3 is useless without and of the Xbox games.


I started gaming with a PS1 and moved to the PS2 and had an xbox. i could never play Sony's PS3. Sorry sony fans. but sony is dead in the gaming console world.

-Robin-Posted:

some people only buy/ only afford used games. Sometimes its the better choice instead of wasting money on a disk with pretty much the same standards.
If they do this then im sure people will spend the extra $ on XBL with an Xbox console and Sony will lose lots of money.
Its bad enough you can't have used EA games without having to buy an Online Pass...We don't need a console to be doing something worse!
Bad move if they do this...

gmlukensPosted:

Moan
Pimpstar
-Syn
THuNdErModsCoD I have never and never will buy anything after a ps2. My parents bought the ps2 for us when we were children and now we have xbox's. Microsoft>Nintendo>Sony.


Same, the ps2 was the last good console by sony.


i agree i remember i loved the ps2 and now i play xbox and would never buy another sony console


Same with me, I started out with the PS2

PS2 was great with Battlefront, but now PS3 is useless without and of the Xbox games.

MoanPosted:

Pimpstar
-Syn
THuNdErModsCoD I have never and never will buy anything after a ps2. My parents bought the ps2 for us when we were children and now we have xbox's. Microsoft>Nintendo>Sony.


Same, the ps2 was the last good console by sony.


i agree i remember i loved the ps2 and now i play xbox and would never buy another sony console


Same with me, I started out with the PS2

Modz32Posted:

This is what I did. My friend told me that the ps3 wad awesome and you should get it.. well I go buy one and play it for about 4 days and then got a xbox..Now my ps3 is unlugged collecting dust....

DankruptPosted:

-Syn
THuNdErModsCoD I have never and never will buy anything after a ps2. My parents bought the ps2 for us when we were children and now we have xbox's. Microsoft>Nintendo>Sony.


Same, the ps2 was the last good console by sony.


i agree i remember i loved the ps2 and now i play xbox and would never buy another sony console

IlIuminatiPosted:

Vulnific
XprN
aimiami12
CuddleMuffins
-Phoenix- Xbox, this is why we all love you so dearly. Go away Sony, Nobody wants you here.


Couldn't of said it any better.


Microsoft is concidering the same thing...


Both companies will do it. They would've contacted each other. It would be suicide if Sony did it and Microsoft didn't.


It would be suicide for Sony, and the holy grail for Microsoft. If you are asking why, its because people will not always have the money to buy $60+ games brand new every time, and might not want to wait 3+ months for it to drops to a used game price, even higher than a used game price actually. Now Microsoft could get booming business from ex-sony goers because they wont have to spend a fortune on games anymore. Xbox live is a totally different convo though.


Exactly. What if your console breaks down. Then your screwed and you'll have to buy EVERY game again? That's just ridiculous. If this happens with the Xbox i'll have to move on to pc gaming.

Apache9256Posted:

XprN
aimiami12
CuddleMuffins
-Phoenix- Xbox, this is why we all love you so dearly. Go away Sony, Nobody wants you here.


Couldn't of said it any better.


Microsoft is concidering the same thing...


Both companies will do it. They would've contacted each other. It would be suicide if Sony did it and Microsoft didn't.


It would be suicide for Sony, and the holy grail for Microsoft. If you are asking why, its because people will not always have the money to buy $60+ games brand new every time, and might not want to wait 3+ months for it to drops to a used game price, even higher than a used game price actually. Now Microsoft could get booming business from ex-sony goers because they wont have to spend a fortune on games anymore. Xbox live is a totally different convo though.

SynybunPosted:

THuNdErModsCoD I have never and never will buy anything after a ps2. My parents bought the ps2 for us when we were children and now we have xbox's. Microsoft>Nintendo>Sony.


Same, the ps2 was the last good console by sony.

vmigetPosted:

Yea it believable that both companies will start doing this. i mean, pc gaming is kinda like that lol each game has one serial code for one gamer. Microsoft and sony have been dealing with pirating sicne forever (microsoft mostly) and i guess this is how they kinda deall with it. its gonna suck ass yea. i mean wat if i buy a game. i play it and then it gets scratched and i wanna buy a cheap replacement? ima have to buy a new game altogether. this new patent sucks.


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