buying used games is stupid

[MorphingDragon]

Well maybe used game sales would decrease if the fuckers stopped hiking up the price of new games. I refuse to pay $120+ for a video game. They were only $80-$100 a couple of years ago.

That isn't the first time I've seen someone mention $120 as the price of a game... Where is that figure coming from?

Most RRP or List Prices for games are around about $120 in NZ, even though we are about $.80 to the US$. I don't know if there's a specific survey anyway, but you can see an upsetting trend for launch games just by looking at some of our online retailers. The RRP for Uncharted 3 is $130NZD... A game should be about $70 US here after our taxes, thats $85NZD. Other PAL zones get similar price treatments.

http://www.mightyape.co.nz/Games/

This is why I buy games on steam, either mostly indie games or sales.

 

[CoL0sS]

Kids nowadays don't like to keep their games and build a collection, they game, sell and trade games on a regular basis.

I don't see how this is exclusive to kids, unless you consider that behavior childish, or just want to disparage people who do that.

Is it really worth buying a used copy of la noire, deus ex or resistance 3 for 53$? Remember that not a single penny goes to the developers and you're only making gamestop richer.

I agree that buying used game for 10% less is kinda stupid, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna tell somebody how to spend their money. If a informed person wants to buy it at that price I'm not gonna lose any sleep over-analyzing how he's potentially harming the industry.

You guys have several options that are better, imo, like Amazon or other on-line shops. For example European consumers can go to Amazon.co.uk a buy deus ex for 15,99 pounds, that's 25 dollars!

And I'm sure that, regardless of what country you live in, you can find better and more economic solutions on-line.

How about those countries where amazon doesn't deliver software or electronic goods? Where there are no used or trade-in shops and a new game costs $100 dollars while average pay is around $500-$600. I totally agree with the fact that there are more economic solutions on-line but it's a shame that solution often implies buying used.



Seeing how you didn't have any conclusive, much less reasonable arguments I can only respond with something like "Oh yeah, well you're a big stupid doo-doo head". And presumptuous one at that. Seriously, all this childish shit aside, I still puzzles me why gamers are complaining about used sales. I mean it's perfectly fine to voice your opinions but I can't understand the fervour of gamers defending their favorite developers and industry as a whole when they don't give a shit about you. Why defend something that doesn't need defending if you're potentially harming your fellow gamers who are of poorer social status or just have the misfortune of living on the wrong side of the bloody map ? Now that's a part of a far bigger problem of solidarity (more accurately lack of it) among gamers which is best left for a different topic.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

The issue with the "lost sales" argument, is that a lot of people who do buy used games wouldn't have brought the game new anyhow.

But, if someone were to have dismissed a game on launch, then brought a used copy a few months later, and loved the game, they're more likely to buy a sequel (or a similar game from the same dev) on launch. If they hadn't brought a used copy, they'd probably never have tried the game at all, and would have dismissed it like they did the original.

Just a thought.

Stumbling upon great titles in the used section of a game store was how I got by as a kid. Now I'm a loyal customer of a few devs. Used sales can do a lot.

 

[CthulhuMessiah]

It's nice that YOU have the money to buy all the new games you want, but maybe EVERYONE ELSE doesn't have to money to buy new.

 

[TankCopter]

If I can get game new, I'll buy it, but a lot of games are impossible to get new. I got Psychonauts, Okami and Metroid Prime used because I couldn't find them new and they all came out when I was younger and not that interested in games. Mostly I have to buy games online anyway (there's nowhere that sells games in town), so I usually poke around on eBay or EB games to see if there's anything good.

I did buy Psychonauts again on Steam though, because I'm A-OK with giving money to Double Fine.

 

[Aeope]

I only buy used games that I want to get easy achievements on. Otherwise, I buy only the games I plan on playing when they are released or a few weeks afterwards.

 

[Estarc]

It seems to me that there are two separate issues here. The first is buying used games. The second is trading in your own games.

As to the first, I often don't think it is worth it, since the savings are rarely substantial enough, but games are fucking expensive, and they take way, way too long to go down in price. I don't blame people for wanting to save a few bucks. Whether the cost is justified or not due to the costs of development is a separate issue.

As to the second, what is wrong with trading in your games? While I can't deny that the sight of a large game collection is immensely satisfying, and there are some games that I will always replay every now and again, there are others that I will never touch again. The Assassin's Creed games fall into this category for me, for example. They are great games and I don't regret buying any of them, but I traded them all in, because I never had the slightest urge to replay any of them. If I have to choose between having games sit of my shelf forever, or trading them in to gain some (admittedly meager) contribution towards the purchase of new games, well, that's an easy choice.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I buy games brand new if i really, really want them, everything else i buy used when they are around £20. If you do buy used, then you cant moan that you dont get the same product that a new copy gives you, like DLC. Its all a matter of choice really. Although buying a used game for £5/$5 cheaper than a new copy is retarded and you are letting yourself get ripped off.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

my point is the fact that they could've had 1 million extra sales, but lost those to the used market. It was simply an example of how the used market is costing devs a lot of money.

By that kind of dodgy accounting they could also claim that it costs them money when people lend games for friends to play. Or have their friends around and let them play the game. A friend lent my brother Assassin's Creed II just recently; both my brother and I played it. Did we just cost Ubisoft two purchases?

no because you weren't paying money to do so, people buying used ARE. And yeah im behind content creators getting money for what they make.

So by your logic it's okay (moral issues aside) to pirate the game because I won't be be spending any money to play the game. Can you spot the fallacy here?

 

[Dastardly]

Do car makers sell less cars because people buy used cars? No.

People who sell used games need the money to buy new games. They probably wouldn't have bought the game in the first place if they knew they couldn't sell it again.

While I also disagree with the original post on many, many levels, I also have to point out a major problem with this comparison you've made:

Car makers can continue to sell new cars because new cars are better than old ones. Less wear and tear, less dirt and grime, none of the scratches and dents that come with use, you've got the full force of the warranty...

Used cars offer a similar, but not-as-fresh product at a suitably lower price. Actually, it's far, far lower. We're talking about half. But you're also getting "less product," in the sense that your car won't last as long as a new one would (without reinvestment).

Games, however, don't depreciate. That means publishers are forced to compete against their own products. And the only competition point is price -- which they can't win. You can never beat someone on price if they don't have to pay to make the game. It would be like Ford having to compete against a company that could sell exact, zero-mile copies of their latest truck... but always a few thousand cheaper.

But when publishers do something to try to ensure that new copies are worth more than old copies, like Arkham City's use of the Catwoman code, people complain that it's unfair... when I think it's also a bit unfair to expect these people to do nothing to try to make their products worth more than Gamestop's (or any other used game seller). Especially when those companies are only offering the customer a savings of, what, five bucks?

 

[Sam17]

Why should I be considered with contributing to the industry? They sure as shit aren't going to do me any favours

The way I see it is, if you can catch a break, catch it

 

[DSK-]

I used to get all my games used. I'll still continue to do so, especially with my consoles as I don't play online with them, so I don't have to fork out on shitty passes and all that jazz.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Most RRP or List Prices for games are around about $120 in NZ, even though we are about $.80 to the US$. I don't know if there's a specific survey anyway, but you can see an upsetting trend for launch games just by looking at some of our online retailers. The RRP for Uncharted 3 is $130NZD...

http://www.mightyape.co.nz/Games/

This is why I buy games on steam.

*Looks at prices*.

"Whhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa!!!!?!??/1"

*Is violently ill in protest.*

Fuck THAT shit dude, that's crazy! Dude you guys get dicked, thats the equivalent of £60/$98 for a game! Balls son... You and all of the Kiwi brothers and sisters have my sympathy...

Save some love for the Aussie Bros *au*.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

my point is the fact that they could've had 1 million extra sales, but lost those to the used market. It was simply an example of how the used market is costing devs a lot of money.

By that kind of dodgy accounting they could also claim that it costs them money when people lend games for friends to play. Or have their friends around and let them play the game. A friend lent my brother Assassin's Creed II just recently; both my brother and I played it. Did we just cost Ubisoft two purchases?

no because you weren't paying money to do so, people buying used ARE. And yeah im behind content creators getting money for what they make.

So by your logic it's okay (moral issues aside) to pirate the game because I won't be be spending any money to play the game. Can you spot the fallacy here?

nope. Your not spending money either way. Sure piracy is illegal and you will get roshambo'd for that. But people who pirate EVERYTHING probably weren't going to be a consumer in the first place. I long ago gave up arguing against them because their thieves and theres no rationalizing with them.

Compared to a consumer trying to save a few bucks by giving money to people who have nothing to do with the game. Which is a shame because in doing the decent thing and paying they payed the wrong people, and if more people actually bought first hand the industry would be much healthier, and more risky titles would be being made.

Which is a shame in my eyes.

But by all means you go ahead and save your 5 bucks and watch developers fail. Hope that will be fun for you.

Oh, knock off the superiority act. Buying games new doesn't put you on a moral high ground. I've bought 8 new games this year and 1 used. I have a friend that is basically the opposite. Guess what? I'm not better than him. Having more money=/=better person.

 

[rob_simple]

Oh good, this thread again. Could you have sounded more arrogant in your original post, assuming that we're all idiots who've never thought to search the market?

I treat games the same way I do with music: if I know the artist will deliver a solid album, I'll pay, but I wouldn't buy an album by some one-hit wonder that will be the one good single and 13 filler tracks.

Likewise, a game series like Ratchet & Clank which I love, I will get on day of release, because I get the value for my money. On the other hand, paying forty quid for a thirty hour exercise in boredom like Dead Island? Sod that, I borrowed it from a friend.

Here's the point: games are ridiculously expensive. And a lot of them are seriously not worth it. Like, a lot of them.

I bought Guitar Hero 5 and breezed through almost every song on expert in the first day, because the product was ridiculously watered down to appeal to the broadest audience. So now I'm forty quid down and I'm just supposed to live with it?

To hell with that, I took it back to the store with my receipt, used the store credit to get two used games, finished them and traded them in for store credit. I've learned my lesson: I'll never buy a first-hand GH game again.

Ain't even sorry.

 

[darthotaku]

every used game has already been bought new once. that means that the money from it has already gone to the publishers. is it stupid to buy used cars? is it stupid to buy used books? the game companies only say "we don't get money from used games" because they assume they are entitled to profits made from games regardless. imagine if toyota sued you because you bought one of their cars used. it'd be a worse business decision than their cars with breaks that didn't work.

 

[Iwata]

my point is the fact that they could've had 1 million extra sales, but lost those to the used market. It was simply an example of how the used market is costing devs a lot of money.

By that kind of dodgy accounting they could also claim that it costs them money when people lend games for friends to play. Or have their friends around and let them play the game. A friend lent my brother Assassin's Creed II just recently; both my brother and I played it. Did we just cost Ubisoft two purchases?

no because you weren't paying money to do so, people buying used ARE. And yeah im behind content creators getting money for what they make.

So by your logic it's okay (moral issues aside) to pirate the game because I won't be be spending any money to play the game. Can you spot the fallacy here?

nope. Your not spending money either way. Sure piracy is illegal and you will get roshambo'd for that. But people who pirate EVERYTHING probably weren't going to be a consumer in the first place. I long ago gave up arguing against them because their thieves and theres no rationalizing with them.

Compared to a consumer trying to save a few bucks by giving money to people who have nothing to do with the game. Which is a shame because in doing the decent thing and paying they payed the wrong people, and if more people actually bought first hand the industry would be much healthier, and more risky titles would be being made.

Which is a shame in my eyes.

But by all means you go ahead and save your 5 bucks and watch developers fail. Hope that will be fun for you.

Oh, knock off the superiority act. Buying games new doesn't put you on a moral high ground. I've bought 8 new games this year and 1 used. I have a friend that is basically the opposite. Guess what? I'm not better than him. Having more money=/=better person.

~

What he said. For every used game I buy, I buy three or four new. But just as I don't feel like I'm ripping anyone off when I buy a used game, I also don't feel all high and mighty when I buy a new game.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

my point is the fact that they could've had 1 million extra sales, but lost those to the used market. It was simply an example of how the used market is costing devs a lot of money.

By that kind of dodgy accounting they could also claim that it costs them money when people lend games for friends to play. Or have their friends around and let them play the game. A friend lent my brother Assassin's Creed II just recently; both my brother and I played it. Did we just cost Ubisoft two purchases?

no because you weren't paying money to do so, people buying used ARE. And yeah im behind content creators getting money for what they make.

You mean like they do when the game sells the first time? Yeah. I don't think any of us damn them for that.

yeah 1x 60 dollars. This isnt about whether or not you paid for a thing.Its who the moneys going to and people buying used to save a tiny bit of money have it all go to a worthless middle man.

So i genuinely think anyone who primarily games via used games, doesnt really love gaming enough to reward the people making the damn things.

First off, might I recommend using the shift key for the word "I" and spelling it "Doesn't"? Remember, punctuation saves lives.

Second, yes. It is FULLY about who got paid for the thing. Why are video games so special that they need to be treated differently than any other form of media? You are ignoring this. Also, I love your line about not loving gaming. I'm sorry, but what? That reeks of ad hominem.

 

[Rawne1980]

There is one thing people still overlook when it comes to people that buy used games.

I'll take myself and the people I know as an example.

Now, I don't buy used anymore purely because I only game on my PC and I can get cheap enough games on Amazon.

However.

I did buy used when I had my 360.

The games I got used I had no intention of buying new. If used sales were not around I wouldn't have got the games at all. The developer/publishers would not have made any money out of me at all anyway. The same goes for my friends. We got them used because they were cheap and we thought "why not". No way would have paid full price.

As it stands now I wait a few months after a games released until I see it on Amazon for around £10 or less. It's very rare I will buy a game on release at full price and by the end of this year will only have done so 4 times, Deus Ex, Space Marine, Skyrim and ToR.

Any other game I feel like buying, Batman, Assassins Creed and Saints Row I will get in the January sales or later next year when they are going at a fraction of the price.

I've got no intention at all of buying any other games this year beside Skyrim and ToR. Were I still using my 360 I may have got a few used like Battlefield 3 or MW3 that I otherwise wouldn't have paid for.

May seem like a backwards way to do things but I don't buy games to support the people that make them or i'd buy all my games at full whack. I buy games to entertain myself and pass the time which is why I usually buy them cheap.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Kids nowadays don't like to keep their games and build a collection, they game, sell and trade games on a regular basis.

No, the kids YOU know do that. Ihave an overall collection of aroud 65 games, mostly older pctitles with my 360 collecion. I have traded in two games inentire life, which were partculary bad Wii games.

I agree. I'm quite a hoarder when it comes to digital media. On last count I had in the region of 195 games, ranging from PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, DS and 3DS. This has taken me in the region of 10 to 15 years to build and the vast majority have been used games.

It pains me to let go of any of my games unless, like you said, they are truly terrible. I've been known to buy games back again some years later because I regreted trading them in.

Some people don't wanna buy things online. If I want to play a game, I want to play it now. I don't wanna wait a few weeks for it to arrive.

When I pre-order brand new games through Amazon.co.uk, they tend to arrive on the day of release if not the day before. I never have to wait for online puchases, and it's cheaper!

-It's easier to find old games in trade-in stores.

Yes! If I can find games I was looking for for years in a decent state and with a small price tag it makes my day. Some shops always have amazing finds.

Absolutely. Most of my games are pre-owned, either from a local shop or from eBay if they're a little tricky to find. But my love for a lot of games were kick started by picking up a used game completely by chance in a shop. Silent Hill 2 was unknown to me before I discovered it in my local Gamestation. I've never looked back.