Poll: Piracy or Used Games - Which is worse?

[necromango]

So I was reading about Zenoclash and their struggle against piracy. We all know its pretty rampant, and it really does hit the pockets of the smaller developers. However, used games and piracy both result in no sales for the developer. So which is worse, piracy or used game sales?

Personally, I'm guilty of both. I dont like pirating games - I love holding a game box, the smell of freshly printed manual and the guarantee of online play and patches. However, used games unfortunately make up a percentage of my games collection. Personally, I believe that piracy is worse than used game sales.

Whats your opinion escapist?

P.S. Please dont discuss anything concerning piracy that is likely to result in a ban.

 

[oliveira8]

Developers found a way to go around Used Games. Steam pretty much screws that over unless people sell accounts.

Theres still to born the a perfect anti-piracy program.

 

[zahr]

Piracy has become, for me, an absolute necessity since developers started blatantly lying about their games all the time.

I pirate a game. If it's good and worthwhile buying (Dawn of War series, for example) I buy it. If it's not (BioShock, for example) I delete it and count myself fortunate that I didn't waste money on it. Particularly if the developer told outright lies about the game. (Bethesda, Oblivion, AI video...) I don't endorse piracy - I think that if you like a game you should buy it - but I feel that due to the dishonesty of many developers, it is a necessity for those of us who are willing to pay but are tired of being lied to.

When I do buy a game, I don't buy used. Just don't like the feel of it.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Yeah, piracy is worse.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Developers found a way to go around Used Games. Steam pretty much screws that over unless people sell accounts.

Theres still to born the a perfect anti-piracy program.

I shall birth it!

*starts thinking of how to stop piracy*
*dies of old age*

 

[DamienHell]

Used games at least support the retail aspect.

 

[pantsoffdanceoff]

P.S. Please dont discuss anything concerning piracy that is likely to result in a ban.

I think used games are better than "something". Becuase "something" never profits the developer, used games at least profit the developer once.

 

[SharPhoe]

Developers found a way to go around Used Games. Steam pretty much screws that over unless people sell accounts.

Theres still to born the a perfect anti-piracy program.

I shall birth it!

*starts thinking of how to stop piracy*
*dies of old age*

*Reads leftover notes*
...This is a bean soup recipe.

Anyway, I think that piracy would be the worse act, considering that the game industry gets no money from that whatsoever. At least with the used game, the original person had to buy it. Hopefully.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Wait, there's a problem with used games?

 

[Simalacrum]

used games are legal at least, and they work most of the time... though admitedly trading in a game for £5 but them selling it for £35 kinda makes me sick... still, better than piracy

 

[SimuLord]

Buying the game used just because you want to save five bucks is pretty bad---support the developers!---but that's still a long way up the moral ladder from just stealing it. Not that I'm going to get all high and mighty about piracy---I'm not above the occasional use of BitTorrent to show companies what I think of their DRM schemes---just that if you are going to make a moral argument about it, piracy is MUCH worse than buying used but both are a far cry from supporting the developer's work by giving them a direct sale.

 

[balimuzz]

Retailers that sell used games actually take the money to buy more games from publishers to sell in their store, so in the long run, used games don't hurt at all. Also, with used games, even if the publisher doesn't get the original revenue stream from the game sale, a lot of games nowadays release DLC, so you can get the content out to more people, who, if they hadn't gotten the game used at a reduced price, wouldn't have gotten it at all.

Piracy is definitely much worse.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Second hand sales is not bad hell the car industry couldn't survive without second hand car sales
simple fact is piracy/second hand sales never stopped industry growth besides 90% of used game sales are games that haven't been on the market for ten years i.e the £5 I payed for a copy of Kingpin hardly compares to the breaking of copyright laws when purchasing a product the original owner is legaly entitled to sell?

 

[JediMB]

Wait, there's a problem with used games?

Consider this possibility:

One person buys a game new (the publisher/developer gets some money). After finishing it, he sells it back to the store.

10-20 other people proceed to over a period of time buy, finish and sell back that same copy of the game. None of the money from these sales goes to the publisher/developer.

* * *

Personally I try to avoid buying used games, and do my best to buy games that I know need sales shortly after their release. With a few exceptions I also only sell games that simply are so bad that I either didn't finish them, or finished them and never want to see them again.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Wait, there's a problem with used games?

Consider this possibility:

One person buys a game new (the publisher/developer gets some money). After finishing it, he sells it back to the store.

10-20 other people proceed to over a period of time buy, finish and sell back that same copy of the game. None of the money from these sales goes to the publisher/developer.

It goes to the store that sells the games, instead. Does that happen in significant enough amounts to harm the developer? (I guess I could ask the same about piracy, but that's a little more directly harmful)

 

[Serious_Stalin]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with used game sales. Are you secretly working undercover for EA? Working as a games developer isn't like working for a charity, when i'm buying a brand new game its not a donation, do you lend games to friends? Do you invite your friends round to watch a movie with you now and again? Do you charge them for this experience and then donate this money to the people who brought you the movie or game?

Piracy is definitely worse seeing how nobody is getting any money whatsover.

 

[Nokillme92]

Wait, there's a problem with used games?

yes, but only because when the person buys a used game, the profit does not go to the developer, but instead to the retailer who sold the used copy.

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

The problem with used games is the stupid stickers that they put on the cases. That and they are only $5 cheaper than the new copies for the most part. I will gladly spend the extra $5 to get something new.

The problem with piracy is that it is the only way for a consumer to have any sort of protection from the game companies. Since there is no accountability for shitty games, piracy will prevail.