EA Does it Again

[Fortuan]

makes me wonder how do they expect to let video stores rent games?

 

[Feriluce]

No matter how much you scream and kick and cling to your used games, you cannot avoid that fact that the gaming industry as a whole are moving more and more towards the "Games as a service" model. Look at steam, xbox live, onLive, PSN, EA's used games policies, etc.
I'm not saying that this is good or bad, but it is the truth.

 

[TelHybrid]

I love how this is widely regarded as an unethical business move, but LIVE subscriptions aren't.

Irony...

 

[Keava]

Solid business model and all but you've already made your money on the wooden figurines. Your revenue hasn't been effected at all. Imagine if all companies are trying to do what EA is and other companies are starting to do. Second hand clothing shops selling used jeans don't have to give Levi Strauss a cut of their profits because they sold a pair of their 5 year old jeans. It's pretty much stepping directly on the balls of the American dream.

I think you are missing a big part of the business thing. Every figurine the guy re-sells is a figurine you don't sell, it's therefore considered a loss, since there was a potential customer for your product but instead giving his money to you he decided to give it to the guy who just makes money off -your- work.

Second hand clothes are also a different thing. First of all clothes wear off eventually, loose colours, stretch, are more likely to rip over time etc.My boots came with 3 year warranty, means that if there is something wrong with them during those 3 years i can return to the shop i bought them in and get a new pair in exchange.
You are, in most cases getting a product inferior to what you could buy from the retailer.

Games don't really suffer from such issues. A game is a game, as long as the disc is not damaged to the point where it's unreadable you receive exactly same product. Especially these days when we don't get those big cardboard boxes with 200 page thick manuals and fancy maps or gadgets included.

 

[lacktheknack]

It's because EA are greedy fucks, Even though they allready have a ton of money.

What people don't realize is that if EA stopped being greedy, they'd no longer have a ton of money. True story.

 

[infinity_turtles]

Because when you buy a used game, they don't get money otherwise? More so, they are the ones maintaining the servers, which costs money, so not getting to play on them without giving any money to the publishers/developers makes sense.(The servers are crap, sure, but that's a different issue) At least they're not asking for a subscription for online play.

Yeah, they don't maintain servers at all... it's peer to peer. They maintain some for stats tracking and the like, but they have plenty of DLC options for additional revenue streams. They're effectively shutting out the people who buy used from even accessing or needing some of their DLC, cutting off their own customer base.

Then try and play online when their servers are down. You'll be in for a surprise. And as Feriluce said, if you buy used, you're not their customer. You're the retailers customer. Not granting access to servers you pay to maintain, to people who may never send a cent your way, isn't some great evil. It's a very reasonable decision.

 

[Lionsfan]

Because they think of all the money on used game sales and they want it. "How DARE YOU not want to buy this stuff brand new! If you don't, then we'll go bankrupt and die a slow horrible death!"

 

[AfterAscon]

I dont see why peple are supporting this war against used games. It's no different from buying a car from a used lot. The latest critical miss explains it perfectly.

They simply want some money from the used games industry, which is, in effect, legal piracy. In fact its usually worse than piracy, seeing as if you buy a used game you're very unlikely to later buy a new version of said game.

Yeah, they don't maintain servers at all... it's peer to peer. They maintain some for stats tracking and the like, but they have plenty of DLC options for additional revenue streams. They're effectively shutting out the people who buy used from even accessing or needing some of their DLC, cutting off their own customer base.

But its not their customer base. They've never seen a cent from the people who buy used games. Calling them a customer of EA would be a very long stretch.

So buying a ford used is piracy? So buying a non new build house is piracy? So buying a used cd is piracy? So buying a 50 yo malt whiskey from auction is piracy?

buying used is not piracy, its common occurance everywhere. People like this need to get their facts straight and stop letting the media brainwash them -.-

The problem with those examples is that buying a used car or whiskey doesn't produce any extra costs for the manufacturer, which online play does with used games.

 

[infinity_turtles]

OR maybe I'll buy the next game when it comes out because I liked the first one so much. Someone pays for something, he sells it back because it's not worth keeping to him. Simple.

Or maybe you were just bullshitting, in that case...

Hoping for maybes is a bad business model. More so when it requires you to dump sales on your current big project for that maybe on the next one. Sure, trying to build up brand loyalty is important, but it's not THAT important.

 

[jasoncyrus]

I dont see why peple are supporting this war against used games. It's no different from buying a car from a used lot. The latest critical miss explains it perfectly.

They simply want some money from the used games industry, which is, in effect, legal piracy. In fact its usually worse than piracy, seeing as if you buy a used game you're very unlikely to later buy a new version of said game.

Yeah, they don't maintain servers at all... it's peer to peer. They maintain some for stats tracking and the like, but they have plenty of DLC options for additional revenue streams. They're effectively shutting out the people who buy used from even accessing or needing some of their DLC, cutting off their own customer base.

But its not their customer base. They've never seen a cent from the people who buy used games. Calling them a customer of EA would be a very long stretch.

So buying a ford used is piracy? So buying a non new build house is piracy? So buying a used cd is piracy? So buying a 50 yo malt whiskey from auction is piracy?

buying used is not piracy, its common occurance everywhere. People like this need to get their facts straight and stop letting the media brainwash them -.-

The problem with those examples is that buying a used car or whiskey doesn't produce any extra costs for the manufacturer, which online play does with used games.

Ok ignoring the online factor. Theres still the model where they will cut out certain aspects of the game that you only get from buying it new, such as weapons, armor etc.

No extra cost to them in that aspect from buying used. It's just to be a money grubbing dick.

EDIT:

Honestly if they wanted money back that much. Open up a sell back system and then they can simply sell the games that are traded back to them, at full price. That would be a hell of a lot easier, they would still make plenty of money from their games sales and would do a hell of a lot more damage to the likes of gamestop.

But did they consider this? nnooo because they are a bunch of dumbasses.

 

[infinity_turtles]

The thing is with used games is that people who buy them generally were never going to buy a new copy in the first place. Poor folk simply won't shell out 60 bucks for a new title and getting a new copy for 15 dollars less is the right move for their wallet so I don't think used games impact the publishers/devs as much as they would like to think. Someone who purchases a used copy of Madden not once ever thought of buying the game new so they never had a customer to begin with. I buy tons of used games and that's the way I shop. With no intention of ever buying a new copy so therefore I was never one of their targeted demographics or a potential customer.

I don't think that's how it always works. If you go to the store, see two of the exact same product, but one's cheaper, which are you going to buy? Even if you're willing to buy the more expensive one if you have to, you're probably going to buy the cheaper one.

 

[Geekosaurus]

Haven't CD keys been around for years? I assumed it was an attempt to combat piracy.

 

[Keava]

The thing is with used games is that people who buy them generally were never going to buy a new copy in the first place. Poor folk simply won't shell out 60 bucks for a new title and getting a new copy for 15 dollars less is the right move for their wallet so I don't think used games impact the publishers/devs as much as they would like to think. Someone who purchases a used copy of Madden not once ever thought of buying the game new so they never had a customer to begin with. I buy tons of used games and that's the way I shop. With no intention of ever buying a new copy so therefore I was never one of their targeted demographics or a potential customer.

Wan't an easy solution to your 'wealth' problems? Buy less games. Seriously. If 10-15$ makes such a big issue for you in terms of game cost, just buy 1 game less, you will have for 2-3 at full price. Or buy older games that went on discount.

I don't know how this civilized American market works apparently, but in my crappy Poland we have something like classics collections, 1.5-2 year old games for 50% or less of their original price. Older ones for as little as 5-6$, sometimes promotion packs where you an get a second game for about half a dollar. And everyone's happy. You get a fresh, new copy, retailer is happy cause they earn money, publisher's get their share and customer gets a cheaper product.

Buying used you just say that you are willing to spend money but not willing to support the company behind it and as it was said, pirates at least don't pretend to be anything else than pirates.

 

[TheSupremeForce]

makes me wonder how do they expect to let video stores rent games?

I believe that they offer a free one-week trial.

 

[tlozoot]

But the other stuff for rewarding new buyers with free DLC is excellent.

I think Shale in Dragon Age was intended to be on-disc but was cut and added later as new-game bonus.

 

[AfterAscon]

Ok ignoring the online factor. Theres still the model where they will cut out certain aspects of the game that you only get from buying it new, such as weapons, armor etc.

No extra cost to them in that aspect from buying used. It's just to be a money grubbing dick.

EDIT:

Honestly if they wanted money back that much. Open up a sell back system and then they can simply sell the games that are traded back to them, at full price. That would be a hell of a lot easier, they would still make plenty of money from their games sales and would do a hell of a lot more damage to the likes of gamestop.

But did they consider this? nnooo because they are a bunch of dumbasses.

There are reasons why supply chains exist and publishers don't sell their games directly to consumers. Game retail shops have the experience and expertise to deliver hard copies of games to consumers at a much lower cost than publishers could (probably because they don't have the knowledge or experience to deliver the same services for cheaper). Also could you imagine how unfair and more powerful large publishers like activision and EA would become if they could sell directly. Smaller publishers and games would be unable to compete as there wouldn't be a fair outlet for them. And they clearly don't have the same outlook of the world that Valve do.

A buyback program would also be wrought with problems. How would consumers know to send their games to publishers? How do the publishers receive them? How do they process them? Who processes them? How do they send them to potential used sales customers? All these variables and numerous more need resources (money, people, infrastructure, etc). This is why publishers deal with companies like Gamestop, despite them being vocal on the issue of used games. If it was so easy I'd imagine they would have already done it as they would get more profit from each sale.

I'm also not aware of any company cutting content, other than multiplayer, from games just because of used sales. If you could get me an example I'd be grateful. However, Pre-order codes are a different kettle of fish.

 

[strum4h]

hope they dont do that with batllefild games. atleast it wont work for the pc because.. why buy used PC games?

It does not matter for PC games because we already use a serial to activate the multiplayer. Every copy of Battlefield ever since 1942 has used them.