Poll: The End of the Used Game Resale is Nigh! (bring out your dead .. Ding)

[MammothBlade]

Well, I rarely buy used games, I prefer new as it hasn't had someone else's greasy paws all over it. But when I do buy used, it's because a game is out of print. Though the lack of a physical format will give me less of an incentive to buy into the next console generation.

 

[DuelLadyS]

I wouldn't buy a system that locked out used sales for one very simple reason- what happens when all the games are used?

I'm a retro gamer. I enjoy dipping into the older generations... I just got ahold of a Mattel Intellivision, for crying out loud!

When they say 'you'll have to go online and pay more to play this used game', I hear 'when we kill the servers for this system in 10-15 years, you'd better have bought everything you want becuase now you're screwed.' What happens if my system breaks? Now my entire collection is useless becuase I can't re-download the liscenses I paid for if I pick up another unit... assuming I'll even be able to do that.

Also, assuming that they decided to pay to keep these systems running forever, it effectively forces a 'set price' for used games... the cost of the liscense. I bought Wild Arms for the PS1 from a rental shop closing down, because it was a couple dollars. I liked it. I found the other games in the series I'd missed at release. I liked them. I bought Wild Arms XF and 5 brand-new. I bought a used Katamari Damacy for $10 and every other game in the series new, save for Beatiful Katamari becuase I didn't have an Xbox. I bought Little Big planet used and pre-ordered the collector's edition of the sequel. Now I'm saving up to buy a Vita to get the newest games in both series. I wonder how many of these franchises I'd have ignored completely if I was forced to pay $20 for a liscense on top of the game?

Used games sales result in new sales. Used game sales result in system sales. Used sales result in more people willing to sell out for a system they intend to continue buying games for until it turns to dust. Banning used sales will prevent sales from folks like me. I have plenty of retro backlog to keep me busy, I have no problem keeping my money.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Do they think we're made of money? Rich assholes....

 

[croc3629]

I would only support this if it was accompanied by a drop in game price across the board. Doesn't that make sense, they're making more money off of the sales being made, so they don't have to charge as much for the game license, right? And if physical retailers go under, then that's saving a bunch on all the costs incurred by physically packaging and delivering all of those games.

Would publishers be willing to do that for their consumers if they were successful in crippling the used game market?

Still, I'd much rather prefer it remains hearsay thank you very much.

 

[bobmd13]

Its probably an odds on bet console players, that the next generation consoles will lock the game to specific accounts.

You have forgotten one important fact in this, both of the big console companies also make games and therefore it is in their vested interest to stop the resale of product.

The publishers are already not too happy about the resale market, and in a way it might be interesting to see what happens if they do lock games to specific accounts. The plus side to this is that the customer will become more discerning and will demand that the product is finished prior to sale unlike now.

The joke is that PC gaming has had this sort of thing for nearly 10 years and this year PC gaming sales accounted for 43% (approximately) of all game sales worldwide. The total console market is the remaining 57% and I mean all the consoles from the Wii to handhelds.

This would be a lot higher if the resale market did not exist, and big business wants its pound of flesh, ohh hang on it got it in the UK with Game.

 

[Sirisaxman]

I buy most of my games used, only games like Skyrim or Mass Effect 3 would I buy new. If they seriously implement this feature for the next generation of consoles, then I simply won't buy them. I have little interest in the PS4, anyways, I have yet to own a PS3.

 

[Fappy]

I was under the impression that publishers were selling me products. If they want me to partake in some glorified rental system I won't have any part in it. If these rumors turn out to be true piracy will be at an all time high in no time at all.

 

[Sansha]

I support the idea of cracking down on used game sales, here's why:

Look at other medias like movies, books and music.

Movies - the film-makers get a fat sack of cash from a studio to make their film, and when it's done it's licensed to theaters and makes money there. It's then licensed to DVD/Blu-Ray and makes money there, also rental stores. It's THEN licensed to pay-per-view blockbuster TV channels, and online services such as NetFlix. It's THEN licensed to free TV.
So effectively the movie has been sold five times to five different mediums - used DVD sales are rampant but that doesn't matter because the movie is still producing cash all across the entire world.

Books - cheap to write, cheap to produce, sell for a huge markup from that production cost. If the writer is successful, they can then cash in on merchandise, signings, even movie deals if they do well enough (Harry Potter), and the process goes up to my first point.

Music - a little more complicated because the RIAA can fuck off, but some artists make ridiculous amounts of money off their music in more ways than album sales. Merchandise and shows are huge, plus endorsements and advertisements - how a musician makes their money is limited by their imagination and personality. Taylor Swift made $80,000,000 in the past two years, plus $100,000,000 revenue (not all hers) from her recent world tour - and almost none of that was from album sales.

Games - developer has capital, makes game, sends to stores and online services like Steam.
That's it. End of profit.
They don't get their money anywhere else except in a few rare exceptions. There aren't shows, there's very few merchandising options, and they need that profit to be able to have jobs next month and to create new content.
This is why games are made over and over, like CoD and EA Sports, and why publishers ruin games. They want it guaranteed to sell as much as possible because new copies are all the income they get, while used game sales and piracy hurt their bottom line and thus jack up prices.

As a gamer and also retail businessman, I say I don't care about stores. The evolution of technology is making stores and physical copies obsolete, when you can download games directly to your PC and Xbox through services like Steam and the Live Marketplace.
Who wants to go out and give a store a cut of the price of a game when you can have it ready to play by leaving your PC on overnight downloading as many titles as you want? Plus doing that, you get automatic updates, instant DLC, tech support and instant access to that game's fan community.
The only situation in which I'd support buying a used game is if there literally are no new copies on the shelves or anywhere else to buy because they simply don't stock it anymore. You shouldn't be entitled to a cheaper product just because you can't afford a new one.

tl;dr - used game sales hurt game developers that are irrelevant to other medias, down with stores and up with Steam.

The bottom line is the tired "used games are hurting the gaming industry" diatribe that the industry and it's apologists keep spouting is absolute and total bullshit. Even if it wasn't that's their problem not ours as consumers. However, it's all just pointless speculation at this point because used sales aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Actually the bottom line is simply that video games are a luxury and if you can't afford it, you're not entitled to it for cheaper just so you can afford it, and if you feel like you're taking the shaft so hard, don't partake. You're bent over at the store going "Oh god oh god here it comes" over and over because... why?
You seem oddly impassioned about supporting a system that raises the prices of video games despite how much you hate being over-charged for, again, a luxury. A toy, a game, electronic recreation.

Maybe I'm biased because I hate game retailers. I don't like having physical copies of games clogging up my closet, I don't like have to switch out, take care of and keep track of CD's and their installation codes, I don't like having to traipse all the way to and from the retailer for a game. I celebrated GAME's demise and wish Gamestop and EB Games would fuck off too, and leave consoles to the general electronics stores with TV's and stereos as god intended.

Steam should be the one and only way to get games in the world, so that everybody can just download whatever they want, whenever they want, from a massive database of every game ever made, have instant access to forums, tech support, game updates and patches, DLC, similar products, not having to worry about disks, boxes, written codes, all from the comfort of your own chair and butt.

And on a personal note, why would you *want* a used copy anyway? Why would you want some used-up and spit-out copy that a stranger has treated goodness-knows how badly? And if the disk is damaged, code is missing or it can't be played because it's been locked to another PC then you get to eat shit.
I bought a used game from EB Games years ago, and later found two of the four disks were missing. So I took it back searching for them, they weren't there. They wouldn't give me a refund or even buy it off me - like they had with someone else - because it was incomplete. I left it there and so help me I'll never visit a retailer again.

 

[Something Amyss]

There is a huge market for used games. If not used then a lot of people wait for games to hit bargain prices (thankyou Amazon).

Of course, online passes expire....

Look, they're nto going to do this, because they know the used market is a huge portion of gaming. This is why they cut deals with the very people they're fighting (gamestop).

 

[Jumpingbean3]

If I own the disk I own the content on it. The developer/publisher is the owner of the IP while the content on the disk is the property of whoever has the disk. I have the right to sell something I own if I chose to. End. Of. Story. Yes some developers are harmed by this and go out of business but I have 2 argument against that:

1: Companies have survived for years while people sold their games used and I would argue that the Real problems like studios closing down and people losing jobs aren't caused by used sales but by, you know, that big economic crisis that's led to god knows how many layoffs and redundancies.

Oh and piracy, which can produce an infinite number of copies with just one purchase where as a used game has to be bought new first.

Both of these things are far bigger problems than used sales and piracy might be solved more easily if companies stopped trying to fight it by making things less convenient for us while the pirates do the exact opposite.

2: The effect used sales has on the industry is the price for the consumer's right to sell and while this probably doesn't affect the other markets as much it still affects them. Yes it's an unfortunate price but, in my opinion, it's a worthy one.

Oh and, there's also the fact that the money a consumer makes from selling an old game can be used to buy a new one, something I myself ave done many times.

 

[Something Amyss]

Actually the bottom line is simply that video games are a luxury and if you can't afford it, you're not entitled to it for cheaper just so you can afford it, and if you feel like you're taking the shaft so hard, don't partake.

You are entitled, however, to a used market, because of the first sale doctrine and court decisions. You are also entitled to expect a full product when purchased, new or used. You can make excuses as to how the video game market is "different," but in this aspect they are the same as other media. Funny that.

Games are a luxury. So are books and movies and music. That doesn't take away your right to resale of a product your purchased. Sorry.

 

[Xanthious]

Actually the bottom line is simply that video games are a luxury and if you can't afford it, you're not entitled to it for cheaper just so you can afford it, and if you feel like you're taking the shaft so hard, don't partake. You're bent over at the store going "Oh god oh god here it comes" over and over because... why?
You seem oddly impassioned about supporting a system that raises the prices of video games despite how much you hate being over-charged for, again, a luxury. A toy, a game, electronic recreation.

Maybe I'm biased because I hate game retailers. I don't like having physical copies of games clogging up my closet, I don't like have to switch out, take care of and keep track of CD's and their installation codes, I don't like having to traipse all the way to and from the retailer for a game. I celebrated GAME's demise and wish Gamestop and EB Games would fuck off too, and leave consoles to the general electronics stores with TV's and stereos as god intended.

Steam should be the one and only way to get games in the world, so that everybody can just download whatever they want, whenever they want, from a massive database of every game ever made, have instant access to forums, tech support, game updates and patches, DLC, similar products, not having to worry about disks, boxes, written codes, all from the comfort of your own chair and butt.

And on a personal note, why would you *want* a used copy anyway? Why would you want some used-up and spit-out copy that a stranger has treated goodness-knows how badly? And if the disk is damaged, code is missing or it can't be played because it's been locked to another PC then you get to eat shit.
I bought a used game from EB Games years ago, and later found two of the four disks were missing. So I took it back searching for them, they weren't there. They wouldn't give me a refund or even buy it off me - like they had with someone else - because it was incomplete. I left it there and so help me I'll never visit a retailer again.

While I agree games are luxuries you are very VERY wrong on your next point. You see sunshine, ever since the first cave man traded his spear for a fucking bear pelt people have been able to resell items they've purchased. Today we call that the First Sales Doctrine. It's what gives items actual value after you paid your money for them.

No other industry dating back to the first item that was every produced and sold has EVER enjoyed immunity from used sales. Video games aren't special as much as the game industry and their unpaid mouth pieces want you to believe differently. So please get smooth the fuck out of here with that nonsense of trying to validate horribly anti consumer practices by placing a luxury label on the items being sold.

Digit media, on the other hand, is fucking worthless after you buy it by design. You are literally paying money for something that will have ZERO worth once the transaction is complete. My physical copies of games can be resold. My digital games can't be. I don't like buying worthless things. Maybe I'm just funny that way.

Secondly, you are either delusional or simply just really thick if you think used games raise prices. The price of the first game I bought (Smurfs for the Intelevision 2) was 55 dollars. Adjusted for inflation that would be 118 dollars today. If anything the price of games is in a pretty steady decline and people have been buying and selling used games the whole time. Of course ignoring that if you think companies like EA and Activision and Ubisoft are going to simply lower prices because they are making more money you are, again, either delusional or thick.

Now as for why anyone would buy used vs new. I think that's a simple answer. It's because when people buy used games, from Gamestop at least, they are actually able to return their product within seven days with no questions asked. This means if it sucks, they beat it and it has no replay value, they don't like it, they need the money for something else, etc they can take back their game and get something else or their money. However, when you buy a new game you are stuck with it unless you want to take a loss and trade it in or sell it on Ebay/craigslist.

As for the condition of the actual disc/case/manual? If a used game I'm buying doesn't have the original case and manual I don't buy it. If the disc is scratched I don't buy it. My PS3 library is comprised of mostly used games and to look at any one of them you couldn't tell the difference between my copy and a new copy.

 

[Something Amyss]

1: Companies have survived for years while people sold their games used and I would argue that the Real problems like studios closing down and people losing jobs aren't caused by used sales but by, you know, that big economic crisis that's led to god knows how many layoffs and redundancies.

Actually, no. Game companies as a whole are having a huge growth, bordering on exponential. They're shutting down a lot of successful studios (ones that make them money). The problem is one of basic greed. They don't want to take risks on games that will "only" make them a good return. They only want the Call of Duties and such.

 

[wintercoat]

Where's the option for "I play on the PC, so I've already been fucked in that manner"?

 

[GamerPhate]

I hate to be 'that guy', but the correct phrase is 'couldn't care less'. Sorry, it just drives me crazy

Perhaps, I could care less means that it is possible to care less about it, whereas, could NOT care less means that it isn't possible for you to care less about this than you already do.

But in all fairness it was way early in the morning and I typed the whole thing in like 2 minutes, but thanks for pointing that out. Hope you at least voted lol.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Its just another rumor floating around that will end up being full of shit. Sony and Microsoft have done stupid things in the past but neither are this dumb.

*Looks at Sony's revolving door DRM, and butchering of customers' rights*

Sony IS that dumb. If not for the astronomical cost of continuing their loss leader strategy all of Sony's actions prove that they would not only consider such a system, they would be SPRINTING towards it as fast as they can.

Sony stripped features out of their firmware and held future games hostage from the customer unless they agreed to the new system. That's how far Sony is willing to go to control ANY aspect of their business model; even if it means invading the system and rearranging it to suit THEIR desires, after purchase no less!

Microsoft is harder to pin down. In short, they're in a place of indecision.
They don't want the current generation to end; it's pretty good for Microsoft.

They've had the fewest major legal and financial fuckups in the last few years (beyond the timeless array of hardware failures) compared to Sony and Nintendo, and their licensing branches off into PC.

Business is good for them; even if they dream of combining the console and PC markets into one unified DRM Cloud (which is what I'm sure GFW was intended to become at some point).

Whether or not they think the cost of attaining this is worthwhile, you'd have to ask them. But good luck getting a reply!

 

[Dastaria]

if they were to block used game, piracy would rise

Agreed. And then the game publishers would wring their hands and whine about how piracy is ruining the business, despite the fact that the rise of piracy in PC gaming (in particular) is due to publishers enforcing stupid amounts of DRM on their software.

I'm taking this with a pinch of salt, to be honest. It's only a rumour, and I doubt despite the rising trend of stripping customer's rights away one by one that much will come from it.

 

[Sansha]

*le snip*

Now as for why anyone would buy used vs new. I think that's a simple answer. It's because when people buy used games, from Gamestop at least, they are actually able to return their product within seven days with no questions asked. This means if it sucks, they beat it and it has no replay value, they don't like it, they need the money for something else, etc they can take back their game and get something else or their money.

... they beat it... need the money for something else...

You lost me. Has the world become so sad and the people so tight with their money that they're willing to effectively rent a game for free like that?

And about needing the money for something else - here's a world-shattering idea - budget properly and know what you can and can't afford before you go out jacking up your credit card.

Good on you for supporting your beloved retail stores by getting a refund on a game because you got bored with it, mind.