Ways to combat used games

[Owyn_Merrilin]

It's hard to sell back a virtual copy!

Valve, you sly bastards!

Also, it will save on packaging costs.

Problem solved.

wait since when can you sell used copies of pc games?

You could sell them everywhere up until around 2005, and even today there's a few local shops that will take them, not to mention amazon, ebay, and other online retailers; I buy used PC games all the time. The DRM schemes have killed off the majority of the market, though.

 

[Canid117]

Make most of the DLC free for new copies. That is sort of what they are doing now, and I like it because I always buy new games.

I agree that the "Free DLC for new copies" is probably the best system.

 

[wasalp]

It's hard to sell back a virtual copy!

Valve, you sly bastards!

Also, it will save on packaging costs.

Problem solved.

wait since when can you sell used copies of pc games?

You could sell them everywhere up until around 2005, and even today there's a few local shops that will take them, not to mention amazon, ebay, and other online retailers; I buy used PC games all the time. The DRM schemes have killed off the majority of the market, though.

wow I had no idea , thanks for the info. I had always assumed otherwise...I guess its because I usually play games with multiplayer.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

It's hard to sell back a virtual copy!

Valve, you sly bastards!

Also, it will save on packaging costs.

Problem solved.

wait since when can you sell used copies of pc games?

You could sell them everywhere up until around 2005, and even today there's a few local shops that will take them, not to mention amazon, ebay, and other online retailers; I buy used PC games all the time. The DRM schemes have killed off the majority of the market, though.

wow I had no idea , thanks for the info. I had always assumed otherwise...I guess its because I usually play games with multiplayer.

No problem. And a word to the wise; even multiplayer games can generally be bought used, assuming they aren't an MMO, they don't use Steamworks, and they aren't a Project Ten Dollar game. I bought a used copy of Battlefield 2 last month, and even though the CD key had been used at some point, was able to jump online as soon as I had it installed and fully patched.

 

[theheroofaction]

Here's something i thought of, it works on the complete opposite way as project 10$. make it so that new buys are worth more, instead of making used ones worth less, throw in something so that new buyers can get something that didn't exist when the game went gold. (map packs and the like) to make it worth the extra 10$. this would net you more money than dlc sales because another game bought new nets more money than a dlc sale for a used one does.

 

[Dogstile]

Free DLC for new copy's.

Only to make buying new an incentive though. Removing multiplayer if you buy preowned is a dick move.

 

[SirDoom]

The free DLC thing has one flaw- There are still people in today's society with no internet access. So, they would get no benefit to buying a new copy when a used one would work just as well. There is no reliable way to reward this group of people for buying new without putting exclusive content on the disc (and depriving used buyers of content that's already on the disc is a horrible idea). Other than that flaw, it's a great idea.


So, how about this. The developer releases two versions of the game. One version like the normal versions you see today, at full price with $10 of extra "not-already-on-the-disc" DLC, and one version that's the price of a typical used game, without the free DLC. You can still trade in either version, although once the DLC code in the "Free DLC" version is used, it becomes the exact same as the used version.

Basically, I'm suggesting that developers try to compete in the used games market without just complaining about it. It wouldn't be too hard- Would you rather pay $50 for a used game, or $50 for the same game, but new?

That would probably hurt game stores and such, but it would shut the giant companies up for a time, and would certainly be better for the consumer than locking out vital parts of already-on-disc game to used buyers.

 

[Kagim]

It's a choice a player can make. Buy it new for 60$ and get multiplayer included or pay it used for 55$ and shell out 10$ for multiplayer.

Or, buy it used and not give two shits about multiplayer.

If you hate it so much don't buy there games and vote with your wallet. However i have no issue with it. I never buy pre-owned, i like as few as possible people touching my games.

... It creeps me out... I bought FFX pre owned when i was a kid and the page with Yuna and Tidus kissing in the water was all wrinkled and shit...

Ew...

 

[RA92]

Removing multiplayer if you buy preowned is a dick move.

I'm a little confused: can both the previous owner and the current owner of a preowned copy access the games's multiplayer servers simultaneously, if the former owner never uninstalled the game?

If that's the case, isn't the extra charge for using their servers justified, since the publishers never saw a dime from the used sale?

 

[Justanothergamer300]

Make games a little bit less pricier and more them away from other releases.

Halo,Call of duty, fallout, Vanquish and came out in the same time frame for me so when I had money for only one I got some that I'm used too even though I wanted the others.

Also release games in the summer where nothing is coming out at all

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Removing multiplayer if you buy preowned is a dick move.

I'm a little confused: can both the previous owner and the current owner of a preowned copy access the games's multiplayer servers simultaneously, if the former owner never uninstalled the game?

If that's the case, isn't the extra charge for using their servers justified, since the publishers never saw a dime from the used sale?

That's only possible on the PC, and even then they'd have to be using a cracked .exe to get around the disc check. I guess a modded console that could play burned discs could get around that too, but in both cases the original owner would be better off just to cut to the chase and pirate the game; with a few notable exceptions (*coughFFVIIcough*), used games sell for less than you would pay to get that new copy in the first place, meaning these theoretical scammers would be losing money if they tried to cheat the system this way. In general, if a person sells their game, they no longer have access to any part of it.

Edit: Also, only one copy of a CD key can be online at any given time. This was implemented years ago because it was a better solution than limiting installs ala Spore, and it allowed for a person with multiple computers to play from whichever one was available at a given time, without allowing him to go and do what you suggested. If two people are playing off of the same CD key, they have to take turns, because the second person will be locked out until the first person logs off. Worst case scenario for the publishers, they get the equivalent of one unemployed guy who lives with his mom and does nothing but play videogames all day.

 

[Dogstile]

Removing multiplayer if you buy preowned is a dick move.

I'm a little confused: can both the previous owner and the current owner of a preowned copy access the games's multiplayer servers simultaneously, if the former owner never uninstalled the game?

If that's the case, isn't the extra charge for using their servers justified, since the publishers never saw a dime from the used sale?

I'm talking about a console release. PC releases I can understand, but a console release where you can't access the servers because you've sold the game is a dick move.

 

[RA92]

That's only possible on the PC, and even then they'd have to be using a cracked .exe to get around the disc check. I guess a modded console that could play burned discs could get around that too, but in both cases the original owner would be better off just to cut to the chase and pirate the game; with a few notable exceptions (*coughFFVIIcough*), used games sell for less than you would pay to get that new copy in the first place, meaning these theoretical scammers would be losing money if they tried to cheat the system this way. In general, if a person sells their game, they no longer have access to any part of it.

Hmmm... I was confused with the issues that I highlighted. Thanks for clearing it out.

I'm talking about a console release. PC releases I can understand, but a console release where you can't access the servers because you've sold the game is a dick move.

As Owyn pointed out above me, it applies to the PC as well.