Reality Check: The publishers are still in control, and they still hate the preowned games market.

[blizzaradragon]

Initiatives such as "Day 1 Digital", PSPgo and the fact that all PSVita games are released on PS Store the same day they are available at retail point to the fact that retail is becoming less and less important, especially on Sony systems.

The same thing has happened with other media.

Because the PSP Go and PS Vita did/are doing so phenomenally right? After all it's not like the PSP Go's sales were so low that it was discontinued while the regular PSP models still got support, and obviously the PS Vita is bringing in amazing sales and Sony is providing top notch support. Oh wait...

As for Day 1 Digital, I can't say anything for it killing retail because I have yet to see any sales numbers. Until then, everything about retail becoming less important is speculation at best. On top of that, only select games get put on Day 1 Digital so even then retail still plays a major role. It's an option for those who wish to download, which going on reactions to articles I've read for Day 1 Digital few gamers are actively using.

Dust 514 springs to mind.

While I will give you that Dust 514 is a release only on PSN, it's also a free-to-play title. Meaning no money is changing hands in order to get the game in the first place. If you have another example where people are paying for the game then feel free to prove me wrong with that. Until then, you've just proven my point.

These are transient problems that the console makers are already solving with, among other things, partial downloads and game streaming.

Streaming has been shown to not be a viable solution, as shown by the fact that OnLive is already out of business. As for partial downloads, for some this still does not solve the problem simply due to how big games are these days and are only planned to get bigger. For those people, even these small chunks will still be too much. On top of this, there will still be those who can't download period such as soldiers who are on deployment(who believe it or not make up a good chunk of the gaming audience, as stories all over the web including here on these forums can attest to). Until a time where high-speed internet is available everywhere for a reasonable price, there will still be an audience cut off.

Of course they're talking about it in positive terms. They have images to protect. But market realities haven't changed. Preowned game sales still exert strong downward pressure on revenues.

That never stopped publishers in the past, why should it stop now? EA has gone on record saying how used games hurt. Ubisoft has called out used games as bad and done far worse PR moves with nary an apology. Yet they still were enjoying record sales. If used games hurt so much they'd continue to say so, not about-face on their stance. Even if it is just for PR reasons, they could instead go an appeal route and focus on the "perks of buying new" instead of saying used games are good and abandoning DRM. As for those market realities you mention? Show me proof that used games are really hurting as much as publishers would have us believe. They don't hurt literally any other industry, how are games so special?

I'll say it once more, it sounds like a doom and gloom scenario just to make things look better for MS and worse for Sony. If you can prove otherwise, with ACTUAL PROOF, I'll issue a formal apology. Until then, better luck next time.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

Oh man, this is genius. Except for the part where you ignore the retailers getting their cut from boxed sales, and then refusing to sell the consoles in their stores, which harms the user base to an extent that lowers overall revenue in a totally unacceptable fashion.

There is more than one way for this to play out. Or at least there will be if people don't buy the XB1.

Btw, I'm calling low post count + XBL avatar. I'm either responding to someone paid by MS or someone who should be.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

If I'm being perfectly honest, it sounds like you're just trying to make a doom and gloom scenario to make us think the Xbox One is actually not an anti-consumer pile of piss.

I'm going to have to agree with blizzaradragon, you do tend to be first to (repeatedly) state that MS is still in it.

Personally, between the DRM, pricing, and lack of feature support (outside America at least) I don't think the Xbone is going to do that well.

Don Mattrick mouthing off repeatedly doesn't help things either.

I think the Xbox One negativity is way overblown. It's knee-jerk paranoia fueled by ignorance and a sense of entitlement.

Clearly Microsoft has a lot of work to do to regain mindshare among core gamers. But if you seriously think Microsoft is out of it, then you don't know Microsoft.

Looks at Windows 8

Yes, Microsoft are trailblazing geniuses when it comes to software. /sarcasm

I don't know about you, but alienating your main install base (corporations and businesses) by forcing them to use a tablet OS on desktops wasn't the best strategy.

The current debarkle only confirms my personal theory: MS is run by corporate bureaucrats with no idea what to do.

 

[WanderingFool]

And on top of all this, there are companies who are actually realizing that used isn't the enemy they're making it to be. A perfect example is Ubisoft, one of the biggest publishers in the industry, recently speaking about how good used games are for the medium and for the consumer. Another example is how EA is doing away with the online pass.

Wait, what?

Could I se a link to this, I must have glanced over it seeing it was EA.

 

[blizzaradragon]

And on top of all this, there are companies who are actually realizing that used isn't the enemy they're making it to be. A perfect example is Ubisoft, one of the biggest publishers in the industry, recently speaking about how good used games are for the medium and for the consumer. Another example is how EA is doing away with the online pass.

Wait, what?

Could I se a link to this, I must have glanced over it seeing it was EA.

Here's a link from right here at the Escapist for you

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124481-EA-Ditches-Online-Pass-Fees-For-Select-Xbox-360-Titles-UPDATE

While it isn't ALL games yet, this is also EA we're talking about so baby steps here.

 

[WanderingFool]

And on top of all this, there are companies who are actually realizing that used isn't the enemy they're making it to be. A perfect example is Ubisoft, one of the biggest publishers in the industry, recently speaking about how good used games are for the medium and for the consumer. Another example is how EA is doing away with the online pass.

Wait, what?

Could I se a link to this, I must have glanced over it seeing it was EA.

Here's a link from right here at the Escapist for you

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124481-EA-Ditches-Online-Pass-Fees-For-Select-Xbox-360-Titles-UPDATE

While it isn't ALL games yet, this is also EA we're talking about so baby steps here.

Huh, geuss Ill have to reset my mental content filter, most stuff from EA I ignore...

 

[Vivi22]

Let's be clear. The publishers still call the shots, and they still want to mitigate the effect preowned games has on their revenues.

Actually, the consumer is the one who's really in control. The Xbone reveal and E3 conference, if it has shown us anything, is that consumers really don't want used games to be taken away or curbed. In fact, the reaction has been so strong that Ubisoft and EA (and maybe others, but these are the two I'm aware of) have switched gears and made statements that used games are good for the industry. Will they stand by that? Who knows. But here's what I do know:

Used games actually are good for the industry. Publishers don't like to admit it historically because it's easier to blame a scapegoat when your game fails, or you generally don't manage your business very well, and blaming scapegoats is generally a good way to try and prime your less intelligent customers for further attempts to nickel and dime them, but it doesn't make what you're saying true.

Publishers already tried to take a cut of used game sales with online passes. But what's been happening lately? Their biggest proponents are backing off of them. EA already ditched them and Sony is as well at the very least. They already tried their used game fee idea that they packaged with a bunch of marketing bull that was at least easier to swallow than "we're charging you for buying used because, well, just because we can." That they're backing off of the eminently more palatable option is a pretty big indicator that their idea didn't work. Will they try to just have a general used game fee instead? Maybe. But I'd be pretty surprised if they did. And the depths of publisher stupidity is not something that easily surprises me anymore.

And finally, they've had the best solution to used game sales since the 90's and only seem to be recognizing it now. Back then we had expansion packs on PC that required you to own the original game. Now it's called DLC and it's not just on PC anymore. Make good DLC that's worth the price of admission, without compromising the original game's quality and not only will you see fewer games traded in, but you'll get direct sales from the people who bought used that decide to buy the DLC.

Honestly, co-existing with used sales is not hard when you manage your business well, appropriately budget games for projected sales, and don't act like complete assholes trying to nickel and dime the consumer.