No pre-owned games to be allowed for Playstation 3

Joystiq is reporting that this patent is the source of the many rumours that will mean as much to gamers as DRM is for music fans.

The technology would allow an authentication code to be read and then rendered unreadable, making the software unplayable on any machine but the one which first read it.

But this has caused considerable backlash from the gaming community. While many are aware of the double profit companies make on pre-owned games, this would ensure the death of trading games between friends and even going to a friend's house to play a little multiplayer.

No less than Ken Kataguri himself is listed among the inventors, which makes it look like this is a move that came from very high up. It has already been pointed out that many Playstation users have had to replace their console, surely this would leave us high and dry in that event.

While the PS3 hasn't been expressly mentioned in the patent in English or Japanese it would be the obvious place to employ this new technology, regardless of how little gamers will appreciate it. Between this and the DRM scandal, Sony could be looking at a serious drop in interest in the PS3. You can be sure you'll see more on this as it develops. As gamers, we can only hope that modern technology won't undermine the tried and tested barter system. µ

L'INQ
Joystiq