What if you could return PC games...?

[Wolfram23]

I just read an argument about why people pirate on geek.com. I don't entirely agree with it but it has a point - it basically shows that legit buyers have to waste a solid hour jumping through hoops just to start playing Batman Arkham City.

However, in the comments there was an interesting point that a lot of people pirate because they want to try the game first to see if it's worth purchasing. I know we've probably all heard this one before, but I wonder, what would happen if retailers and/or digital distributors would finally allow us to easily return games we don't like? I don't really care about the details of how they would make sure we deleted the game or whatever, so let's just assume it works.

If you've pirated a game to test it out before making a purchasing decision, would you have just bought it in the first place if you knew you could return it?

Or, if you've never pirated, do you think that's a smart decision? Surely if you'll have some games you regret buying...

EDIT: Just to clarify, I mean within 2 days of purchase you get a 100% refund. After that maybe you can "sell it back" like you currently can with console games.

 

[Valthek]

There'd be a staggeringly large stack of shitty games, a few studios will have to close (mostly because they produce staggeringly shity games but have great marketing)

All in all
good stuff

 

[Something Amyss]

You're asking gaming to give up their biggest and best scam.

 

[Rude as HECK]

So, like it used to be?

 

[Wolfram23]

There'd be a staggeringly large stack of shitty games, a few studios will have to close (mostly because they produce staggeringly shity games but have great marketing)

All in all
good stuff

Seriously.

Many companies saying "oh, the pirates ruined our profits" would instead be telling the shareholders "oh, 80% of our purchases were returned... um... pirates?"

 

[robert01]

I think that game companies would make less shitty games because they know that they actually have something to lose because they release shitty games. As in I get my money back, and they lose it.

 

[Nyce1]

There needs to be more demos available for the community to play. Those give you an idea of the game and the developers should be showing off in the demo the good stuff to convince others to try. Xbox live and PS3 have demo's for tons of console games that allow you to play a decent amount then a purchase button pops up at the end. More PC demo's will help this issue of try before you buy to happen.

 

[targren]

Doesn't just go for PC games. There are plenty of shit-tastic console games that would suffer the same fate, and rightly so.

 

[AD-Stu]

I can think of a few titles that I'd have taken back if I had that option. So yeah, If I knew I could return a game if I found out it was terrible then I'd probably take a few more chances and buy a few more titles than I currently do - particularly with expensive new-release titles, I'm very loath to take those kind of chances at the moment.

 

[mikey7339]

Would be for the best. Me and my Dad managed to return a PC game once and he had to spend a half hour arguing with one of the best buy employees to get it done...but that was like 15-20 years ago.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

That would be pretty cool. I've made a few purchases on Steam (motivated by sales) that I kinda regret (shakes his fist at Section 8!), and I wish I could get back my money (or even part of it).

Then again I got them pretty cheap to begin with.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I would return a LOT of Steam purchases. I'm looking at you, Space Marine, Dragon Age 2, Fate of the World, Darksiders.

 

[octafish]

Then I would be $20 better off. *Glares at Saints Row 2* I'd only ask for my money back if the game was broken. *Continues glaring at Saints Row 2* If you buy a game and don't like it, you didn't do your research.

 

[jthwilliams]

Honestly, if I could return games, I would only have returned a handful and mostly because the advertising or box information mislead me into thinking it was something it wasn't or because the voice acting was so horrible that I just couldn't make it past the first hour. I would even take returning for in store credit or exchange for any game of equal or lesser value or make up the difference.

Someone needs to create a lemon law for gaming.

 

[Garyn Dakari]

Well, I've never pirated a game, nor have I ever had buyers remorse about a game, but I agree that the returning is a good idea, or AT LEAST a demo. It sure as heck wouldn't stop piracy though. The thieves who do it have a very long list of excuses used as justifications, and even if every single one was invalidated, I'm guessing that the majority would still do it.

Still, I'm all for demos!

 

[tmillerofde]

The thing I don't like is how they're starting to make it so you can't even sell your used games any more. I shelled out $60 for Deus Ex: Human Evolution and then had to sign up for Steam and link the CD Key that came with the game to my Steam account in order to play it so now I can't sell it because the Key's been used. It sucks cause I depend on my ability to sell my old games in order to afford new ones and I'm prolly not the only one either. I know they're just doing it to try and prevent Piracy but I saw it up on torrent sites for download like 2 days after it came out so it didn't look like it worked so all it did was hurt legitimate gamers like myself who actually buy the game. Just sayin..

 

[Vault101]

what if we had pre owned PC games..would retails stock them more?

 

[Nickompoop]

If that happened, one of my dreams would have come true. I really want the liberty to try out games with the option of returning them if they suck and to return games I have no intention of replaying.

Psst, Valve. I'd be really happy if you somehow made this work in Steam.