[Update: Sony will not support mandatory used game DRM, opposite of the Xbox One]
I should have finished the headline with “...and counting”, because there are a lot more sites joining, sites no one has ever heard of that have established audiences; sites everyone has heard of with no audiences; and sites so big that that their audience has an audience. The movement to make Sony aware of the movement has spread enough to catch the attention of nearly every core gamer out there and it's still growing.
Recently, the man behind the movement, NeoGaf frequenter Pete Dodd, recently had an interview with Videogamer.com about the movement and how they're trying to move it up the chain and bring awareness to a consumer rights issue.
Dodd states...
We all hope both Microsoft and Sony back off on plans to mess with DRM and revert back to what they offer in the current gen," ... "On a personal level though, I can't let a Sony decision decide whether I did good work or not. So for me, the goal was taking a two person dialogue (Sony and [third-party] publishers) and inserting ourselves into the conversation."
I think it makes perfect sense that gamers – the people who keep this industry alive – should at least have a say-so in the matter. I like that the three-way conversation required a 'C' card and it wasn't the “Consumer” card, it was the “Circumvent the PR spin-posts” card to 'C' our way into the conversation.
Gamers weren't buying the bull that the PR frontmen were selling regarding used game fees, DRM and mandatory check-ins. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, just check it out in the complete consumer policy guide right here.
Many fear that policies Microsoft will mandate for the Xbox One will be passed on to the PS4 (or is already implemented) and they're doing everything in their power to prevent that from happening.
One common rebuttal to the movement is that Steam is already mandating a no used game option – though it should be noted that they are currently in hot water with some consumer rights groups such as the VZBV for not providing a facilitation of resale based on EU law – and Dodd had a rather taut answer for the occasion, saying...
"The thing about this comparison is that I think Valve is a special corporation that does not operate in the same manner that most do,".... "I'm not naive enough to think that if Microsoft or Sony had a Steam style marketplace that they would ever try to make it nearly as user friendly in terms of sales and pricing as Steam."
This is true.
As mentioned in the article breaking down Penny Arcade Report's support of used games as well as dissecting TotalBiscuit's rant against used games, both Sony and Microsoft already have their own digital stores (Microsoft in possession of a couple, actually) and if savings aren't being passed down to consumers right now, why would a more restrictive and less competitive environment make them bring prices down?
Anyway, you can check out the complete list of all the coverage for the #PS4NoDRM campaign on their official website. And feel free to keep the Tweets going, because both Sony and Microsoft are listening...but not with Kinect.
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