According to Eidos president, Ian Livingstone, the Xbox 720 will block any second-hand games using a watermarking system on the disc itself.
Whilst busy promoting the upcoming Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider reboot, Livingstone said that the next-generation Xbox console will not be compatible with used games.
“With the next Xbox, you supposedly have to have an internet connection, and the discs are watermarked, whereby once played on one console it won’t play on another,” he told MCV India.
Both the upcoming Sony PS4 and the yet to be announced Xbox 720 will, as far as we know, utilise a combination of optical disc drives and an increased digital platform. The next-gen Microsoft console is rumoured to have a Blu-ray drive akin to the PS3.
“Boxed games aren’t being abandoned just yet,” added Livingstone. “I think the next iteration of consoles – the PS4 and the next Xbox, have got optical disc drives even though they probably don’t want to have them.”
“Broadband speed globally isn’t at a level that justifies digital-only. So they’ve gone halfway.”
Speculating on the future of games consoles, Livingstone added that these new consoles will be the last of their kind. Any future consoles would be digital only and integrated with TV set top boxes or into the TV itself.
Microsoft has yet to offer any official confirmation on the next-generation Xbox, including a release date. However, CVG’s Rob Crossley tweeted that he had discovered an Xbox 720 release date from a trusted source close to Microsoft, with a launch event occurring on April 26.
Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida confirmed the Sony PS4 will play second-hand games but could require gamers to pay a fee to access the disc’s content, tying the game to a user’s online account.
Do you think the ban on second-hand games will put some gamers off the Xbox 720? Are newly released games too expensive? Let us know what you think at the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook pages or the comments section below.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
