Sony on Game Ownership: 'If You Buy It, You Own It'
CEO makes game policy stance crystal clear.
Sony Computer Entertainment has stressed that its online and used game policy announcement at E3 was not a simple PR play, with group CEO Andrew House stating that the PlayStation maker had never planned to do anything different, and that making that stance clear was incredibly important.
Responding to the idea that the debate surrounding game ownership and licensing is nothing but a 'storm in a teacup,' House said, "You could argue that it’s a storm in a teacup – a very vocal minority of passionate gamers. This huge outpouring of feeling around the concept of ownership of content. But I have to say I don’t see it that way.
"I think we saw a lightning rod for feeling that has been bubbling up – that doesn’t just apply to games, but to entertainment overall. I think there’s an increasing nervousness about what ownership of content means, in the absence of physical goods. When that nervousness was starting to migrate into control over physical goods that consumers have purchased, that was a bridge too far."
House also spoke directly of Sony's move to announce its game policy stance during its E3 conference, denying that it was being opportunistic. "I want to be very clear about where we have been on this issue: I think there’s a danger that we could be seen to have reacted and capitalized on a situation. When we first announced PS4 in February, people were saying, ‘Oh, Sony’s being coy’ – almost with some implicit suspicion.
"It struck us as very odd. We had no intention of changing our position – it hasn’t changed from what it’s been for the last fifteen years. We believe that if you buy it, you own it, you’re able to do with it what you want."
The exec added that indie developers is a key focus for Sony going into the next generation, with the goal for PlayStation 4 to be the home to nurture future indie creations. He also hopes that network connectivity will evolve beyond simple FPS deathmatches and "trash talk" next-gen.
Source: Yahoo Games
Responding to the idea that the debate surrounding game ownership and licensing is nothing but a 'storm in a teacup,' House said, "You could argue that it’s a storm in a teacup – a very vocal minority of passionate gamers. This huge outpouring of feeling around the concept of ownership of content. But I have to say I don’t see it that way.
"I think we saw a lightning rod for feeling that has been bubbling up – that doesn’t just apply to games, but to entertainment overall. I think there’s an increasing nervousness about what ownership of content means, in the absence of physical goods. When that nervousness was starting to migrate into control over physical goods that consumers have purchased, that was a bridge too far."
House also spoke directly of Sony's move to announce its game policy stance during its E3 conference, denying that it was being opportunistic. "I want to be very clear about where we have been on this issue: I think there’s a danger that we could be seen to have reacted and capitalized on a situation. When we first announced PS4 in February, people were saying, ‘Oh, Sony’s being coy’ – almost with some implicit suspicion.
"It struck us as very odd. We had no intention of changing our position – it hasn’t changed from what it’s been for the last fifteen years. We believe that if you buy it, you own it, you’re able to do with it what you want."
The exec added that indie developers is a key focus for Sony going into the next generation, with the goal for PlayStation 4 to be the home to nurture future indie creations. He also hopes that network connectivity will evolve beyond simple FPS deathmatches and "trash talk" next-gen.
Source: Yahoo Games
Read More Like This