Sony patent targets pre-owned games

A patent filed by Sony would give the company the ability to block pre-owned games.

While some developers would laud such a decision, analysts have told Bloomberg that such a move could be a mistake for the console manufacturer.

The patent, spotted by a NeoGaf user, would tie games on physical media to a specific user account.

The question for Sony is whether they can afford to disenfranchise the retailers, rental services, and consumers who rely on used games.

The news pushed US retailer GameStop’s shares into a five percent dive.

Analysts, however, pointed out this has happened before; similar tech surfaced prior to the launch of the PlayStation 3, but Sony wised up and decided against a move that could hurt vendors.

PlayStation’s US boss Jack Tretton has already opposed a pre-owned ban, reportedly telling Michael Pachter he thought such a move was "anti-consumer."