Is the second hand market really bad for the industry ?

[Shameless]

Okay when I heard about the Ubisoft pass I got pissed, now Ubisoft, one of my all time favorite gaming companies has joined the war against used games,What with this new trend ? do publishers really need extra 10$ from a gamer who bought this game second handed ? it makes me mad because I buy used games a lot.

Is the second hand market really that problematic? I mean people have been selling and buying used games for decades and NOW its suddenly a big problem ?

Escapists am I missing something here ? is there a reason to justify all this ?

 

[Dalek Caan]

I tend to think it isn't. Sometimes it can be good. Trade old games, use cash to buy new ones, people buy the used ones, play them and then trade them themselves. The circle of life goes on. I think it should be left alone.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

There's a used market for everything.

Why should games be any different?

I just bought Darksiders today, pre-owned, it's alright, but I wouldn't want to have payed full price for it, but if it stays the way it is, or gets better, then I will probably buy Darksiders 2 brand new.

The same reason why I'll buy the next Dead Space game brand new.

Pre-owned games help devs more than they think.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Escapists am I missing something here ? is there a reason to justify all this ?

They don't get the money despite their reuseable product being sold, so the way they look at it, they just lost a sale to a used game.

 

[Shameless]

Escapists am I missing something here ? is there a reason to justify all this ?

They don't get the money despite their reuseable product being sold, so the way they look at it, they just lost a sale to a used game.

Again, this has ben the case for a long time, and now it's a big issue ?

 

[AgentBJ09]

The Used market is pretty much fine, and while Ubisoft won't admit it, they do rely on used sales to a degree.

Truth is that when people trade games they finished to get credit, they're more than likely going to put it towards new merchandise, meaning future new sales. And those people who buy Used games may enjoy those games so much they save up for the sequels.

There's a few more aspects to it, but despite the economics for luxury goods like games, the industry is doing pretty well from my perspective.

 

[StriderShinryu]

do publishers really need extra 10$ from a gamer who bought this game second handed ?

It's not so much that they need it, but an entire industry has sprung up around making pretty much straight profit off of the work the developers and publishers do, without them getting any tangible benefit. Until the game industry finds another way to sell games (such as selling games piece by piece or going entirely direct download, which will likely kill the used games market entirely), it's the way they've chosen to go.

Put simply, if you're just looking for a deal (and hopefully you're not just talking about the garbage $5 less than new Gamestop style price), buy used. If you want to support game development and titles you enjoy, buy new.. or buy used and then buy the $10 pass.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Again, this has ben the case for a long time, and now it's a big issue ?

If they make it a big issue, they can justify various money-grubbing schemes from a vast portion of the market trying to buy games on the cheap.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Does it hurt them? No, not really. I mean, slightly, but not in the amounts companies or people who hate Gamestop would want you to believe.

 

[Baralak]

I really don't see the issue with used games. At all. I buy new and used games all the time. I can go out and buy a used CD, and the record companies aren't making such a big deal. I work at a used bookstore, and I've never had a Stephen King fan get pissed and say "I only buy his books new to support the author!"

All these game companies are becoming greedy little pricks who are pissed because people found a way to buy a game worth $20 for $20, and not the $60 they think you should pay. They want people to pay their prices, they need to make games worth that much. I have to say I honestly hope that something happens at some point to give these guys the clue that used game sales aren't all bad. It's like someone else in the thread said. IF you buy Darksiders used and decide you really like it, you just might shell out the full $60 for Darksiders 2 new.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Video game publishers and developers are uniquely positioned to punish their audience for participating in aftermarket buying and selling. That is the only reason this is even a topic of discussion. Supposedly by purchasing a used game, I hurt the industry (read: investors' wallets). In that same sense, I hurt the industry every time I spend my paycheck on food and rent, rather than mailing it directly to a publisher. Every time some blockhead tries to make me feel bad for participating in used sales, I punch them in the face with magic.

I don't even buy or sell used games. I'll set my hair on fire before I buy a used title from Game Stop for $55 and sell it back for $6. I just don't like the smell of bullshit.

 

[Savagezion]

You know, all the people saying used games are a huge loss to the industry, explain why the industry isn't attacking this:

http://www.gamefly.com

Their business model is, hang onto the game until you beat it or however long you want, then send it back. This is whoring game titles out. A used game may see only 2 transactions. These copies are pretty much destined to be used many times over discouraging many sales.

 

[MRMIdAS2k]

No.

If a meh game is a quid, I'll buy it, regardless of online pass, then just not pay for the pass, get the stupid trial or whatever, then once it's done, I'll burn said game in a tribute to Pat Sharp's mullet.

Trying to get me to fork out 40 quid for a meh game is pointless, it's not happening, regardless of online pass status.

 

[Hong Meiling]

NOPE.
But it IS lost revenue, so it must DIE DIE DIE.

 

[cerapa]

I have to say I honestly hope that something happens at some point to give these guys the clue that used game sales aren't all bad. It's like someone else in the thread said. IF you buy Darksiders used and decide you really like it, you just might shell out the full $60 for Darksiders 2 new.

How about they just pirate that stuff and dont give money to someone entirely unrelated? Same result for the developers.

Seriously, it might not directly hurt developers, but its just money flying in random directions. Of course developers are gonna want to catch that cash.

 

[orangeapples]

If within the first one or two months of the game's release, then yeah. I can see it as a lost profit on the part of the developers and publishers. After 2 month's most publishers tend to forget about that release and move onto their next project. The devs are still working on the game a bit though through patches, updates, DLC.

When people talk about used sales, most of them forget that the store had to buy the game from the consumer first. The best they can hope for is to make $10 on every used game sale. If the game sucked, everyone trades it back in and no one buys the game used, the store loses money on it.

 

[The Madman]

As a huge anti-piracy guy many might presume I'm against it but honestly I have no trouble with the used games industry. The copy of the game being traded back and forth has (presumably) been paid for, the developers and publishers got their money from that particular copy and what happens next to it is up to the owner. If they wanna keep it, fine. If they want to light it on fire and piss on its ashes, whatever. And if they want to trade it away or give it to a friend, that's completely within their rights as a consumer as well. They paid for it after all, it's theirs to give.

I'm sure there are all sorts of copyright laws and IP restrictions that try to restrict that, but I think that's just the games industry being babies.

No industry that has to put up with the used market likes it since books, movies, furniture, appliances, and literally *everything else* that gets sold second hand pretty much never results in any money to the object in questions creators. But hell, again, that particular object's already been paid for. The objects creators got their money for that particular copy of whatever their selling.

I prefer not to buy my games used, but I don't hold it against those that do.

 

[GrimHeaper]

NOPE.
But it IS lost revenue, so it must DIE DIE DIE.

And they are overpriced Gamestop is just a pawnshop that rips you off.
I mean you buy a game for 1$ and sell it for 40$ screw you gamestop and they do this over and over with the same game?

You know, all the people saying used games are a huge loss to the industry, explain why the industry isn't attacking this:

http://www.gamefly.com

Their business model is, hang onto the game until you beat it or however long you want, then send it back. This is whoring game titles out. A used game may see only 2 transactions. These copies are pretty much destined to be used many times over discouraging many sales.

That's called renting. Not nearly as hurtful and the person may buy it afterwards much better.