Sony, Microsoft not stupid or evil enough to block used games — analyst

Yesterday’s rumor on the next PlayStation included a bit that surely raised an eyebrow or two. Namely, that it would lock games to a single account, effectively attacking the used game sales business.

Microsoft has been rumored to have some kind of an anti-used games protection as well.

According to Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter, that wouldn’t be the smartest move the companies have ever pulled, as retailers who make big bucks from used games, like GameStop, may choose to not even stock their new hardware.

“It isn’t really in Sony’s or Microsoft’s best interests to block used games,” he’s told Gamesindustry International.

“It would benefit Activision and EA slightly, and would hurt GameStop a great deal. If Sony unilaterally did this, I could see GameStop refusing to carry their console, and sales of the PS4 would therefore suffer.

“If one does it and the others don’t, the one who does it will see a loss of market share.”

Pachter doesn’t see the core market responding too kindly to such a move either and believes that no console manufacturer is actually “stupid enough to do this unilaterally,” and none “are evil enough to do it together.”