XBOX 720 Will allow Used Games

   What's up gamers? I have been reading and hearing a ton of Buzz about the rumored XBOX 720. One of these dirty little rumors has been that the 720 will no longer allow the use of used games. I am going to tell you why this isn't true, and why this would be a huge mistake for Microsoft in the console wars. One thing that rings true, is that the console wars are going to be ultra heated this year, with the release of the next gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft.

    The different reactions to the news of the next generation consoles varies. I have heard gamers say everything from "first in line" to "I won't buy one". I for one, am excited. As much as I love my consoles, I am ready for the future, and I will embrace it. One of the largest determining factors for many has been price. XBOX has a large monthly fee to play using the Live service, and Playstation 3, has a free service. In my opinion, if XBOX Live was free, Playstation would be hurting big time.

  This segways into my next point. In the past, a gamer could purchase a brand new game, play it until they were bored with it, and then turn it in for store credit at many game retailers like Gamestop, Best Buy, etc. Rumor has it, that games on the future consoles will be single use only. The new games would come with a one time use code, or possibly a digital signature that would only allow for use on a specific players console. This would make game developers a TON more money right? This would make it so people were forced to by every game they wanted to play....or would it?

THIS IS WHY THIS RUMOR IS NOT TRUE-

   This rumor can be defeated by one single fact: developers make games to make money. The almighty power of the dollar trumps this rumor faster than you can say XBOX 720. This is simple economics 101 ladies and gents. Yes, the used game market is huge. Theoretically, if you take away the used market, new game sales will increase, right? Not necessarily. Imagine the 14 year old avid gamer. Christmas comes around and they are lucky to get 2-3 games under the Christmas tree. Let's use Call Of Duty Black Ops 2, Halo 4, and Assassin's Creed 3. Oh, what an exciting Christmas!

   Fast forward 4 months later. Crysis 3 comes out. Little Timmy asks Mom if he can get a new video game. Sorry Timmy, Mom only has 3 games a year in her budget. So what is little Timmy to do? Little Timmy is too young to work, so his only real option is to trade in 2 of his slightly used games to Gamestop. By trading in 2 of his used games, he can then afford to purchase his shiny new copy of Crysis 3, a sale that would have never happened if it wasn't for the used game market. How many little Timmy's do you know? I know a ton of gamers who strictly use trade in money for new purchases. I trade in games all the time, and I bet you do too.

  The next reason the 720/PS4 will not cut off the used game market: competition. In the avid gamer sector (Playstation and XBOX), one mistake from either of these giants could destroy them until the next console release. In order for one of the console developers to get rid of the used market, both of them would have to do it. I highly doubt that one of them would take this risk without making an arrangement together to make it happen, and why would these rivals work together? If the 720 got rid of the used market, and the PS4 did not, hordes of gamers would jump ship, I know I would.

   In summary, this rumor of the used market going away is debunked. There is too much recycled money to be had by the developers, and too many gamers to piss off to make this a reality. And really, which one of these company's wants to be the first to destroy one of the great traditions in gaming?