Xbox 720 could block used software, says Eidos president

When the Xbox 360 was about to come out the rumors swirled that games would only work once and be attached permanently to the first console they were installed to via a key or the like.  They said games would also be $100.00 for basic games and special editions would go all they way up to $500.00.  We can see how much of this has come true.  Yes, MS is in business to make money.  However, they are not going to cut off their nose to spite their face.  MS knows we live in a world that cheaper is better and if you have something I want you need to give it to me because I deserve it as much as you do.  I do not know how well they are doing with the Season Pass but I am sure this is something they are using to assist them in gauging an always on box with a subscription based setup.  I have more than 50 Xbox 360 games, I am considered an average consumer.  If Xbox does all of the weird things they are being accused of I will take my money to Sony.  While we can expect A LOT of surprises this year from MS, I can honestly say I believe they will be the pleasant kind. 

If MS goes this route I think the 3rd Xbox will be a strikeout this round instead of a win. To be honest, I think that it needs to be straight-up about it, no need to alienate its consumer's trust.  There is always a trend with console makers---they usually do things right once or twice and screw up some way the third round. I think it's a rule in the console business to do so. I don't care for having to have my console always online to play a single player game---especially if I'm traveling somewhere that I won't have that privilege. As far as the next generation after the PS4 and what ever the next Xbox will be called I don't think they will be consoles at all but just set top PC boxes marketed to consumers with brand names.  I really think that this will be the end of true consoles as we know them after this coming generation. I can't really blame MS or Sony for trying to please developers/publishers but I also can't blame consumers for just walking away either. It may not happen all at once but it will gradually happen if this is true.

Looks like I am going to be saving a lot of money on games and consoles for the next 5-7 years.  Already opted out of the Wii U and PS4.  Doesn't look like Xbox will get my dollars either.

Don't get your panties in a wad. The guy said Microsoft "COULD" block used games. We won't know for sure until it's unveiling. Which will hopefully include a glimpse at the actual hardware......

and what if the console dies? you have to buy everything again? f*ck you microsoft

So, we have to have a kinect so they can see how many ppl are in the room, we have to pay a yearly sub fee, we can't play used, rented or friends games, and if a friend wants to play one of my games or watch one of my videos they will have to pay as well..... This is F'd, and it looks like I won't be buying any new consoles... This last decade I've slowly turned from a console to a PC gamer, and all the more glad for it! :)

Looks like Sony have the advantage now. Although I am sure that most retailers would refuse to even sell a console that blocks used games, since used games is where they get a lot of their profits from. If this rumour is true, then it is a terrible, terrible idea that will royally screw the gaming industry and gamers in the long run.

I hope they don't, but it wouldn't surprise me if 720 blocks used games.

oh well.. will save me some money, ok with me.

I'm amazed how incredibly stupid some pple are for believing in a RUMOR

instead of blocking used software they should find better ways to fight back piracy which is waaay  more damaging to the industry then used software

First of all...I doubt the Nextbox will block used games, but if it does then..oh well

I'm still buying :)

The name will be "Xbox Infinite" and not ''Xbox 720''.

We will see the number 3(as it is the third xbox) slowly changing into the number 8.

The number 8 stands for eternity/infinity as it has the same principle as a circle.

Write down a 3 on a piece of paper and see how easy it is to turn into an 8 ;).

If this is true then thanks for deciding which next gen system I will, and will not be purchasing ahead of time for me. Much appreciated.

Fuck MS because we people in india are subject to frequent internet connectivity issues!!! This is unbelievable so i wont be able to play destiny

MS cannot be this stupid. If we all know they will go in the shitter(OK not MS as a whole, but their console market) if they do this, they have to know it too. If they do go ahead with this then Sony has pretty much sowed this thing up. Also, remember we heard about both MS and Sony blocking used games and the uproar that followed may have influenced Sony to go the other route if those stupid rumors were true. MS hasn't made billions by being idiots.

If this is true, microsoft is not just shooting themselves in the foot; they are shooting themselves in the foot with an elephant gun, bending over and saying to sony, "eh, just fuck it". If xbox 720 requires an internet connection and blocks used games, I am definitely buying a PS4. It wouldn't matter if they put out the best exclusives or had hardware that outperformed ps4 ten fold, blocking used games not only creates social stratification in the gaming community, it kills our best way of preserving games as an art form and showing them to other people. You basically shut out everyone who can't afford a brand new game and then you give your games a limited lifespan by only allowing them to be played on one console. It's almost as bad as film studios destroying reels to make room in their vaults the way they did in the 30s. Whatever major hits and extremely innovative games are released on xbox as exclusives will be lost because no one will be able to play them past a generation. We may very well lose a masterpiece because of Microsofts' greed and ignorance. Fuck them, this is total bull shit. If it's true, that is.

Cliffy B drives a frigin Lamborghini and can afford to retire already, and he wasn't even the owner of the studio. So used games aren't having that big of an impact if they can afford to pay his dumb ass that much money.

The speed of broadband is not the problem, it's the availability.

I have never bought an xbox product...but with the 360...i did admire what they did from a distance. Good games...overall catered pretty well to the hard core shooter crowd and handled what should have been a system ending/marketplace ending hardware glitch as best as i think a major company can do in this day and age...now with that being said..if this is true i hope to high heaven that they FALL ON THEIR FACES WITH THIS BS...THAT THERE BOX GETS HACKED AND GUTTED AND THAT THEY ARE KILLED IN SALES. THIS IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS. F%^&* YOU MICROLOST!!!!!!

We as gamers need to ban together and make a pact. I propose that if the PS4 and Xbox 720 block used games in any fashion whatsoever (even leaving it up to the developer like the PS4 will probably do), that we stick with our current gen PS3's and 360's until they totally abolish the feature. 

That's my plan anyway. And if they never get rid of the feature, then I'll never buy one of those consoles. With the enormous install base there's no way that games aren't gonna be made for current gen systems for a very long time.

I would have never bought Fallout New Vegas or Skyrim on day 1 release. Had i not bought fallout 3 secondhand and realised how awesome the series is. Even in the sales old games are to expensive £7 for soul reaver on steam or 50p for secondhand copy from cex. bunch of robbing gypsy's   

I would have a huge problem with used games being blocked in the next generation. And I don't buy used games. I buy about 6 to 7 AAA games on day 1 per year. The 2 main problems with blocking used games for me are 1) I trade in numerous games everytime I buy a brand new game which gets the price down to 20$ or 30$. 2) I rent games all the time. Blocking used games would mean that I could no longer rent games or get a lower price on AAA new releases.  Microsoft would be shooting themself in the foot if they enacted this plan. Bad Idea! I'm sure there are 10s of thousands or maybe hundreds of thousands of gamers that do the same thing I do. And you know what? that would seriously impact the sales of new games, ironically. 

I never buy used games, although I do ask my friends if I could borrow some of their games and I lend them mine. 

Cars = object bought for money.  Games = object bought for money.  Connect the dots.  Any other argument is just the greed talking making things more complicated for the sake of greed.

Titanicbox

Well for me it doesn't really piss me off because I always buy my games NEW, I never borrow games & I rarely (close to never) ever let my friends borrow my games cuz I became stingy ever since I would get my discs back with scratches after lending them out.

Despite everything I just said, if this is true then Microsoft YOU ARE WRONG IN DOING SO...

I hope they don't block used games.  If they do, all Sony has to do to beat them out is not do it.  That would put Microsoft at a serious disadvantage.

You know what.. If they launch with said feature, and sales are tanking, it will be patched. 

MS isn't this dumb are they?

This doesn't impact my opinion about the next Xbox at all.  Used games are a scam.  Gamestop is little better than piracy.  Used game sales will kill the industry if they aren't stopped.  Look at what they did to Dead Space to increase the sales base.  Every gripe about "greedy publishers" you see on game boards has its roots in Gamestop's highway robbery.  Anyone who pays $55.99 for a used copy of a new game instead of paying the extra four dollars is actively hurting the gaming industry.  I know most here don't want to hear it, but that doesn't mean it isn't true.