Microsoft Talks Used Games--Fees, Maybe

Steve Anderson : End Game
Steve Anderson
The Video Store Guy
| The video game industry has gone from a mole hill to a mountain in no time flat, Chris DiMarco is your Sherpa as you endeavor to scale Mount “Everquest”

Microsoft Talks Used Games--Fees, Maybe

Something of good news emerged as Microsoft spilled the details on one of the biggest points of discussion surrounding the Xbox One: the issue of used games. While the news wasn't all good by any stretch, it is better news than some would have hoped for, though the used game and game rental industries may not have another generation to live after all.

Microsoft put out an update to its website that runs down the concept of game licensing. Microsoft denied that it would require any kind of fees to trade or resell games...but then followed up that good news with some bad. First, individual publishers would be allowed to charge fees if so inclined, though Microsoft would get none of that money.

Perhaps more unpleasant was the revelation that loaning games would be permitted, but would be laden with a host of restrictions, and in the early going, renting and loaning wouldn't be available. Microsoft is, however "exploring the possibilities" with its partners, though.

According to the details further released, the loaning program would be something like a person setting up a library of games, which they would be able to allow other people to access. Though the loans would be limited only to those users who are on a user's Xbox Live friends list for at least 30 days and each game could only be loaned out once, when  the Three-Headed Bunny Prince of Lost Gelgamek approved the loan by a decision of at least two heads to one.

Naturally, the last part is just facetiousness for effect, but it's pretty clear that Microsoft would rather no one loan games out. What's also clear is that the ball is going to be squarely in Sony's court vis-a-vis winning the next generation of the console wars. Based on the comments sections of several other stories on this matter, the almost universal opinion here is that, basically, the console wars are now Sony's to lose. If Sony offers up a more traditional experience than the Xbox One is looking to offer, then it's a fairly safe bet that more gamers are going to make the migration to Microsoft's platform...unless.

Unless, of course, Microsoft were to offer up a slate of games too good to refuse. For instance, there's the issue of the various exclusives that Microsoft is looking to land, and should there be some impressive names in that slate--"Fallout 4", I'm looking at you, "Dead Rising 3," same deal--that may well tip some users back just for the games.

In this sense, E3 is likely going to settle a lot of gamers' decisions in terms of which console will be gracing the living rooms, game rooms, playrooms and the like of gamers all over the planet. This may well be one of the biggest years for the big show that has been seen since, well, since the last time a new set of consoles was brought into the field!
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