Gmers about to get pwnd

[LLJones]

There wasn't really a game forum, but I thought this might be of interest

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/game-makers-strike-back-at-used-game-market/1390305

Wait till car makers catch on to this.

 

[DeathAbyss]

You messed up your link..I think
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/game-makers-strike-back-at-used-game-market/1390305]

 

[LLJones]

You messed up your link..I think
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/game-makers-strike-back-at-used-game-market/1390305]

Thanks, a broken link is a pain.

 

[JofaMang]

Since they have no legal leg to stand on to restrict or tap into the used games market as it stands, they are using tactics that will push many people into avoiding used games.

When you but a new Hyundai, you get a 10year/100,000 mile warranty. Buy that same car used, even if it was never driven by the original owner, and you don't get that warranty. It can be argued that not having a warranty does not limit the use one can get from a car (until it breaks and you need repairs) but one can pay extra for a third party warranty to gain some of that protection back.

Now, if new car makers only allowed the stereo and GPS to work with the original owner, we might have a viable comparison, but what game makers are doing with these sort of tactics is the same: Buy new get everything, buy used and you suffer, relatively.

 

[Dekasav]

Do publishers *really* think that a huge portion of the money gamers make from selling their used games *doesn't* go back into buying new games? If there are enough good games, someone with $50 a month to spend on games is going to spend it, whether that means 1 game or 2 games and he/she sells one.

If publishers really want to get some of the used game market, all they have to do is lower their prices/have good sales.

 

[nforce4max]

This is a reason alone to stop purchasing games that are published with such penalties. Not even some programs that have licenses that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars come with such strings. This is a war they can't win its a pirates victory.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section Graphic & Displays to section Games General by Mousemonkey

 

[skora]

It seems like a lot of this will naturally go away as digital downloads become the way of distribution. At the stores, you might be able to buy a box with the code or something so grandma has something to wrap for little timmy's gift, but otherwise, steam and the like is where it will go anyway. And just think, once google rules the world (except China) and pipes gigabyte net bandwidth to your home, won't be a big deal. If steam was smart, they'd offer a buy back option where you get credit for a new title or offer leases. Let it really mirror car sales.

 

[tsd16]

Do publishers *really* think that a huge portion of the money gamers make from selling their used games *doesn't* go back into buying new games? If there are enough good games, someone with $50 a month to spend on games is going to spend it, whether that means 1 game or 2 games and he/she sells one.

If publishers really want to get some of the used game market, all they have to do is lower their prices/have good sales.

their problem isnt with gamers making money from selling games(because really they arent making money the gamer is just making his/her original purchase cost a little less). Places like gamestop turn a profit off the games they buy, a gamer selling to gamestop is not profiting from the sale.

its with retailers reselling that used game for only about 5-10 bucks off the list price.

(I remember when i went to pick up assasins creed 2 for ps3, the used version was only 5 dollars less than the new version, i still got the used one because it was 5 bucks less and the disc looked fine).

Thats what game companies are pissed about is places like game stop making out like pirates on used game sales, from games they probably sold first to begin with.

imagine the profit margin, GS sells a new game, the person that bought it sells it back, GS sells it to someone else for 5 bucks less than list.


used games cut into the profits of the publisher. All they want is a cut of the profits from used games.

used games arent like used cars, there is a clear distinction in value between a new car and a used car. As long as the disc isnt scratched to hell, in which case, the used game retailer probably wouldnt have bought the game to begin with, you get the same experience be it new or used.


I know everyone likes to call companies greedy, but this is capitalism and a companies soul purpose is to make money. You would be singing a different tune when you are a share holder and there are profits to be made for your retirement fund.

I believe last year companies like game stop generated 2 BILLION in revenue from used game sales. and yes, it takes away from the publisher, when you have people buying games used as opposed to new. You get companies like game stop planning for used game sales as opposed to new game sales, in fact they drive to resell as opposed to new, because they make more money of used game sales than new game sales.

 

[JDFan]

One thing that wouldn't surprise me is to see steam start offering resales eventually either - Just think about the money they could make by allowing users to sell their game codes back to Steam to get say a 25 - 50% credit of the purchase price toward purchasing another game on Steam and then reselling those codes to another user without having to give any of that transaction back to the game companies either ( And the end user would never know he\she was buying a used game code so they could resell them at full retail price !!)

 

[tsd16]

One thing that wouldn't surprise me is to see steam start offering resales eventually either - Just think about the money they could make by allowing users to sell their game codes back to Steam to get say a 25 - 50% credit of the purchase price toward purchasing another game on Steam and then reselling those codes to another user without having to give any of that transaction back to the game companies either ( And the end user would never know he\she was buying a used game code so they could resell them at full retail price !!)

that wouldnt work.
1. Would you want to buy a game with a game code you know someone else has? Could have copied down? given to others? Especially the whole keeping the user in the dark about them buying a used code, that is unethical and there are probably some legal issues they could run in with that.
2. Why would Steam bother, it distributes digitally, if it works anything like commercial licenses, they paid a flat rate to distribute the game, or the publisher just gets a cut of each sale. The effort and shadiness that goes into buying and selling game codes for resale just isnt worth their time when they have an unlimited supply of whatever game they are offering.