One of the many things that Microsoft and the Xbox One has caused gamers to griped about is the system's convoluted sharing and used game policy. Microsoft will register games to a user's profile and Xbox One, and players will have to go through a process to share a game with a friend. In addition, a fee will be attached to used games for the system. Sony, to counteract this policy, have announced that used games will not carry a fee on the PlayStation 4, and gamers can share games to their heart's content. Sony executive Jack Tretton believes that these policies for the PlayStation 4 allow the system to have the flexibility it needs to come out on top of it's rivals, according to a new interview with Bloomberg TV:
"...If people pay a lot of money for that, they equate the value with the flexibility they have in that," Tretton said. "To do with it as they choose; to give it to their friends, sell it to their friends, trade it in to another retailer; that creates value in the initial purchase that they make."
Sony has gained a lot of followers with this move, as rumors circulated before the Xbox One was announced that the system would block used games entirely from being playable on the console. Sony was quick to declare their support for the used game market during the PlayStation 4's reveal in February.
Tretton also declared Sony's support for international markets for the PlayStation 4, citing the company's desire to appeal to gamers globally rather than those just in the United States:
"We're most concerned about the consumer. And we really appeal to consumers on a worldwide basis...And I think in the United States, we realize there's a high degree of broadband adoption, but we're in a lot of countries where people don't have the ability to connect on a daily basis and we want to appeal to consumers worldwide."
While Microsoft appears to be focused on supported countries and regions, Sony is thinking on a larger scale. We will see if that strategy works out well for Sony when the PlayStation 4 launches later this year.