Poll: Are used games BAD?

[VanityGirl]

There seems to be a lot of buzz about the article saying that 56% of Americans don't buy games new. I'd like to ask you Escapists if this is a totally bad thing.
If you think about it, buying preowned games has been a part of gaming since the days of cartridges. Ever sell a game to a buddy? Ever buy a game from someone? If you're a console gamer, then you probably have.

I think used games are at least good for the consumer. Some people look for the cheapest thing humanly possible, even if it means getting a game for only 5-10 dollars cheaper, but is that a bad thing?
I've seen many people buy a console then buy some used games to test the waters of gaming. After they get the feel for it, they will begin to mix it up between new and used games.

What do you guys think, is buying preowned a totally bad thing?


Keep in mind, some book stores and movie stores do preowned stuff too.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Christ, this debate again?

OK. I view them from the paradigm of consumer rights. Therefore, I see nothing wrong with them. Someone who views it from the paradigm of industry profits will likely see them as bad.


Personally, I don't think they harm the industry as much as some people would like to claim. After all, gaming has still been making money (Look up the profits of publishers) by a rather large amount, despite it being a "niche" market

Oh, and by the way, GameStop is not the only way to get used games. So pleas, stop confusing debate about Gamestop with debate about second hand sales.

 

[Grell Sutcliff]

no preowned is not bad. are preowned lawn mowers bad, preowned knives, preowned guns, preowned cars. See every market sells preowned stuff and the gameing industry is just whinning about it because like all rich people they want more money then the several billions in their bank accounts.

 

[krazykidd]

In my opinion, it is only bad when people buy games used when the game has recently been released . If someone was to buy a game used for 64$ when then game is 69$ this is bad. But after about a year ( or 2 momths if the game is DNF) and the used copy is 20$ while the new copy is 30$ , it really no longer matters.

 

[Infinatex]

It's a personal choice really. I don't buy preowned because who where that games been!! There's always something nice about cracking open a new copy of something and knowing that it's only been yours. Plus the price difference is like 20 bucks if that. Maybe if I was a student i might buy preowned, but there's no way in hell I'd do it now.

 

[Jim Sturtridge]

pre owned games are a great thing but i personally only buy them under the same two conditions- i'm short on cash and its an old game, Dead to rights and army of two are the last two i've bought both being well worth $10 but if they had been say $60 i wouldn't feel as satisfied.

Buying games, in my opinion, isn't just about supporting the developers, its about fun per square hour. games that i've bought for full price- MW2(Gift),Battlefield Bad Comp.2(Gift),assains creed(2and brotherhood),black ops(Gift),fallout new vegas(Gift),Duke Nukem: Forever,Crysis 2,Dead Rising 2ff the record,Bulletstorm(Gift),Singularity, Just Cause 2

Duke Nukem,Battlefield,and Singularity let me down with horrible plots bad gameplay and crap graphics(DNF) they were $180 wasted.

So in conclusion i think used games are something that is worth the investment sometimes more so than full priced games. if only to give you a rose tint to how you experienced the game.

 

[Savryc]

What makes the games industry so bloody special that they can ***** and whine about used sales? No other industry does. You don't see Project 10 Dollar on cars where unless you pay an extra fee you can only turn left and have no brakes.

 

[Hal10k]

Look, it's a simple matter of utility. Utility is the subjective value of a good, regardless of its actual price. With most used goods, the utility of a used version will be less than the new version. A used car might have more mechanical problems, a used book might be inferior in quality, etc. This is why used goods typically cost less than new ones- per dollar, you're still getting an equivilant amount of utility out of the good.

However, video games face a rather unique problem. Since most utility from a game is derived from just putting it in and playing it, the only thing that can decrease utility between a new and used version is the increased likelihood of the game not being able to play. However, because stores like Gamestop offer decent replacement policies, the used version is effectively just as likely to work as the new ones- if it doesn't work, just bring it back and get a replacement. You'll stil be able to play the exact same game between the new and used versions, so the decrease in utility is marginal at best.

The customer is effectively left to choose between two versions of the same game, one of which costs less. This is why used game sales are percieved as a problem by developers. Things like Day One DLC are just their way of trying to decrease utility between the new and used versions. I'm not going to argue about whether it's right, but it is the correct decision from and economic standpoint.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, it's bad. And in six months, so will buying games on sale.

So is lending.

Hell, giving games as a gift? That's heinous, man. EA should get paid when you buy the game AND when your son opens it up for his birthday.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

If not for used games, I wouldn't have my classic consoles or games therefore, used games = good. Gamestop = bad for considering Sonic and Knuckles or, Turtles in Time games that nobody wants to buy. Screw Gamestop and their lack of games from the previous generations!!

 

[renegade7]

Well, they allow people to spend less money on games...so it's all good to me. If the devs want us to be new, they should give us a reason to that's worth the extra $30 it would cost.

 

[saucecode]

I dont really mind. But i do like the stores thinking that preowned games are different from new games. It means cheaper prices. Why wouldn't you buy a cheaper game? They wouldn't sell it if it didn't work, right!?

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

What makes the games industry so bloody special that they can ***** and whine about used sales? No other industry does. You don't see Project 10 Dollar on cars where unless you pay an extra fee you can only turn left and have no brakes.

I think it's because it's a rather new industry and it's expanding rather fast, so now they see themselves as the new best thing. And since they want to keep expanding, they feel they need all the money they can get, even though they have more than enough. Of course, I could be wrong.

 

[Pjotr84]

People are actually starting to repeat and defend the opinions of those opposed to used games. It seems like the industry has repeated itself enough.

If publishers want to make the used games market smaller, they should make better games or support their games longer through DLC.

 

[Leoofmoon]

A million times no.

 

[loc978]

Recently released used games for $5-$10 off of the new price: exploitative business model, bad.

Older used games that are out of production and perhaps difficult to find: good.

Somewhat less than recent used games that have had their new price slashed already: indifferent.

 

[chadachada123]

Do you see car companies complaining about the used car industry? No? Why not? Because the dealers that sell new cars also sell used cars? Well herp derp, perhaps the industry should look into selling their own used games to compete with Gamestop, like the car industry competing with other shit dealers?

 

[Adultism]

no preowned is not bad. are preowned lawn mowers bad, preowned knives, preowned guns, preowned cars. See every market sells preowned stuff and the gameing industry is just whinning about it because like all rich people they want more money then the several billions in their bank accounts.

This was what I was about to say in a nutshell

Corps are greedy

We just want to have fun

 

[solemnwar]

No. No it is NOT.

Nobody gets mad at people for buying pre-owned furniture, pre-owned cars, pre-owned clothing ,pre-owned books, pre-owned ANYTHING. Nobody sees furniture makers or book publishers getting irked at the used market, do they?? The ONLY industry that's getting its knickers in a twist is the gaming industry... because they're a bunch of greedy bastards.

Seriously, gaming industry, what the hell?