More buzz surrounding the mysterious Xbox 720 has appeared on the Internet as new sources now claim that the new next gen-console will be able to harness the power of Blu-ray discs, while also offering more credence to the reports of the Xbox 360 successor shipping with Kinect 2. Most interesting is the news that this next-gen Xbox may not be able to play used games.

The step up from DVDs to Blu-ray discs is a no-brainer as the popularity of the format has grown leaps and bounds since the PS3 debuted back in 2006. Blu-ray movies are becoming more affordable as the new standard and it makes sense that all next generation consoles make this transition — especially when a Blu-ray disc can house 25 to 50GB while a standard DVD can hold only about 9GB, forcing developers to ship some Xbox 360 games on multiple discs.

A Blu-ray upgrade is all fine and dandy, but when word drops that the Xbox 720 console will not recognize used games as a viable format to play with, many gamers are going to have a problem. This industry source who spoke to Kotaku was not clear as to how Microsoft would even go about this anti-used game set-up to begin with, but if true, retail outlets like GameStop are in for some deep trouble. Redbox, Blockbuster and GameFly, will suffer as well unless developers can find a way to make a rental disc option that won't read as a used disc.

Imagine a world without the availability to purchase and play affordable used games on a system. How would it work? Shot in the dark: would there be an ID tag on each disc that the system would read and if the same game but a different used-disc was placed in the system the game would be rejected? This would be a bold move by Microsoft if they plan on initiating this set-up.

Many gamers rely on testing out games before purchasing them and some struggle in these economic times to buy games at full-price. What if a gamer wanted to borrow a friend or family member's game to test it before they bought it? If this anti-used game set-up stands firm then this would no longer be a viable option.

Microsoft does not comment on rumors but did reply with the following statement:

"As an innovator we're always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology like we did with Kinect. We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers. Beyond that we don't comment on rumors or speculation."

On the topic of Kinect, in November there were rumors that Kinect 2 - a device much more accurate in that it could read lip movements and emotions - would ship with the Xbox 720 as Microsoft continues their push towards making Kinect the new way to control home entertainment. Kotaku's source also says the same.

Yesterday, other related reports indicated that the Xbox 720 could be six times more powerful than the Xbox 360, with previous rumors mentioning that the 720 could be used as a DVR and that it will be smaller and cheaper than the 360, but this news about anti-used games is a big mark in the negative column and hopefully is a fallacy.

Ranters, would you buy the next gen Xbox if it would no longer be able to play used games?

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Source: Kotaku