Xbox One will charge players to play second hand pre-owned games

If you’re a gamer on a budget, Microsoft’s freshly-announced Xbox One console may not be for you, as second hand games and pre-owned titles will require an additional activation fee to play.

This seems to be because all games will require a mandatory installation to the console’s onboard HDD that ties titles to a single Xbox One owner’s account, preventing them from passing the disc around.

A second hand game that has already been tied to a console will require a monetary fee in order for activation via the internet and Xbox Live to occur, it seems.

It’s a move that’s sure to split the gaming community down the middle. Cash-strapped gamers will be up in arms, neither able to sell on their games nor pick up a bargain on the second hand market. It’s also looking unlikely that you’ll be able to let your pals borrow games either, as they too look set to require an activation fee for a separate console unless Microsoft introduces some sort of loaning system. It’s not yet clear if games will even work across console accounts in the same household. Second hand retailers like CEX and GAME must be quaking in their boots too.

However, the move will mean that developers and publishers will make more money for their hard-earned work on games. They currently receive no money for second hand game sales, and increased revenues for these teams should lead on to better games in the future.

In any case, it’s all become clear now why EA were so happy to give up their Online Pass model, right?

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