Used Game Sales are a "Bigger Problem Than Piracy"

[Andy Chalk]

Used Game Sales are a "Bigger Problem Than Piracy"

Game piracy is a serious problem but an even bigger threat to the videogame industry, according to Blitz Games [http://www.blitzgames.com/] co-founder Andrew Oliver, comes from a perfectly legal source: The trading and selling of pre-owned games.

Piracy may be skeevy but morality doesn't pay the bills and the bottom line for game publishers is all about the Benjamins. Revenues are the real issue, not the good conduct of gamers, and in that regard what's really hammering the industry is the second-hand market.

"Arguably the bigger problem on consoles now is the trading in of games," Oliver told Develop [http://www.develop-online.net/news/34791/Pre-owned-a-bigger-problem-than-piracy?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+developmag%2Fifbh+%28Develop%29]. "I understand why players do this, games are expensive and after a few weeks of playing you've either beaten it or got bored of it, so trading it back in to help pay for the next seems sensible when people are short of cash."

Oliver claimed that games can be traded as many as four times in their lifespan, effectively reducing developer and publisher royalties for some titles to a quarter of what they should be. "So while retail may be announcing a reasonable season, the money going back up the chain is a fraction of what it was only a few years ago," he said. "This is a much bigger problem than piracy on the main consoles."

Oliver's comment comes on the heels of EA Sports' announcement of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100582-EA-Sports-Unveils-Launch-Day-DLC-Program-Online-Pass], gamers who buy brand-new copies of EA Sports releases will receive single-use codes for bonus content and online gameplay options, while anyone who buys a used copy will have to pay extra for it.


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[Starke]

Okay, I know the price point argument isn't legitimate against piracy, but here, I have to wonder if this isn't an indicator that games are being priced too damn high.

 

[Jared]

Well, its legal, and I doubt thats going to change so...really, its stqating the obvious.

Just they want to see the revenue, which, I can undderstand...but, they need to look other places to poke!

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Who are you, Why should I care what you say and where is my Tea?

Calumon: I said Japanese Tea was better, but English is still kinda nice! ^^

 

[dududf]

-snip-

Might wanna edit that.

Unless you're refering to Andrew and not Andy Chalk.
________________________________________

Kinda easy to say trade ins are worse then piracy, as piracy numbers are complete bullshit anyways.

Remember kids! piratedownload=/=lost sale.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

Oh noes, we're not getting as much money as we want.

 

[dududf]

-snip-

Might wanna edit that.

Might not; this little shit-streak just wants multiple payments for a single item. In essence, he want a cut of every single sale after the first. Fuck him. Fuck him in the ear.

Look at my edit, I clarrified it.

Look who posted the article.

 

[McNinja]

Yeah, and fuck you too, Andy.

Making sense is nice. Unforunately, you don't.

On Topic: I don't understand how someone not paying for a game at all is worse than someone who pays for it then trades it in. To, me some money is better than no money. I mean aren't there used movie stores? Blockbuster sells used movies, and you don't see Movie companies getting all in a huff.

 

[Sougo]

Seriously, now perfectly legitimate means of buying and selling games are also being targeted.
Damn you.
I'm selling all my games for this.

 

[FolkLikePanda]

I thought video games were meant for fun not for money making, although there is money to be sought from it, that isn't the main point of gaming.

 

[rockingnic]

If you can't afford a new game, then either:

A: Get a job.
or
B: Don't buy as many games because you don't need to play every game.

If money is a problem then I bet you have much more concerns then playing the next game, like paying rent/mortgage/bills, buying food and other basic needs. Honestly for all those who buy used games and complain that developers aren't doing their job right, go whack yourself in the head with a crowbar because you're probably why that happens.

F.Y.I. This doesn't go towards those games that you can't by new and used is the only option, like N64 games, etc.

 

[Seydaman]

I like EAs idea of offering incentives to buying the game new, and fuck trading games.

 

[Seydaman]

I thought video games were meant for fun not for money making, although there is money to be sought from it, that isn't the main point of gaming.

Without money the fun shall cease.
Support your local porn store
Support developers

 

[SimuLord]

I like EAs idea of offering incentives to buying the game new, and fuck trading games.

I'm with you on this. If you're going to buy used, you might as well pirate it (or spend the extra five or ten bucks for new). Same net effect for the publisher---in fact, one could argue that piracy is BETTER for developers than used games because if retailers can't sell used games, the model will die out.

 

[Xojins]

Well if trade-ins are the bigger problem I guess pirating games isn't that big of a deal anymore.

 

[RvLeshrac]

If you can't afford a new game, then either:

A: Get a job.
or
B: Don't buy as many games because you don't need to play every game.

If money is a problem then I bet you have much more concerns then playing the next game, like paying rent/mortgage/bills, buying food and other basic needs. Honestly for all those who buy used games and complain that developers aren't doing their job right, go whack yourself in the head with a crowbar because you're probably why that happens.

F.Y.I. This doesn't go towards those games that you can't by new and used is the only option, like N64 games, etc.

Really? That's your solution? "If you can't buy something new, you don't deserve to have it"? Get a life.

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Let's see... assuming games are generally traded in at least once, and developers are taking a 50% cut in revenues...

I'm really not sure why they can't do the math, and figure out that lowering prices dramatically will drive up Day 1 sales and gut the second-hand market.