Crytek Dev Backpedals on Used Games Hate

[Vivi22]

"My comment made in the interview released on the 24th of April, touching upon 'blocking sales of used games', was not intended to be taken seriously"

Bullshit. Someone should tell this guy that consumers generally know when they're being lied to and it's a bit more insulting than just having really bad, anti-consumer business ideas.

Well, I'm not against used games as an idea, but the way Gamestop does is it pretty scumbaggy. There isn't even that much of a discount from what I've heard.

There isn't, and I dislike how they handle used games as well, but what no one seems to realize is that that should leave them open for chains which had better used games policies to undercut them and take business, but for some reason no one seems willing to try and make a good push on that front.

 

[Krantos]

David Braben (of Elite fame), claims it's killing off single player games [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116391-Used-Game-Sales-Killing-Single-Player-Titles]

And yet Skyrim.

- Cost more to make than most games released these days.
- Contains no micro transactions.
- 100% single player
- No online pass
- No "New Copy Only" content.
- Sold 3.5 Million copies in 48 hrs.

I'm sorry David Braben. That shit doesn't wash. I hate to agree with Jim Sterling, but, yeah. Skyrim really did buck a lot of business trends that the industry says are required and yet it was one of the most profitable games released last year.

I have no real problems with devs wanting to make more money. But don't piss on me and tell me it's raining. These practices aren't necessary. It's just shit you want to do to increase your profits. I'd be a lot more tolerant of this crap if you'd just be honest about that.

 

[zombieshark6666]

David Braben (of Elite fame), claims it's killing off single player games

After seeing the news that they're adding multiplayer to the next God of War, I am inclined to agree with at least this claim. Adding multiplayer gives an excuse to include an online pass, and thus fuck anyone who buys it used. Now excuse me while I go mow down some hapless npc's in Saints Row 2 until my eyes uncross from the nerd rage I'm currently experiencing.

I also agree that this is probably the reason why story content is gutted for the making of a shitty online mode most of the time.

The problem is not used games, though. It's the fact that people trade their games in a store and would rather pay 5$ less for a used copy.

Y U NO sell your game to your friend for 35$ instead of a shitty store where you'll get 13$?

 

[zombieshark6666]

Hi, my name is Steam, and almost everyday I have a special and have the most wonderful seasonal sales!

And yet I don't want to deal with you nor your restrictions. Just 'cause. 2.

 

[zombieshark6666]

Hi, my name is Steam, and almost everyday I have a special and have the most wonderful seasonal sales!

And yet I don't want to deal with you nor your restrictions. Just 'cause. 2.

What restrictions? Its just over exaggerations.

Besides, if you don't want to move to PC gaming yet still demand the console market to stall progress JUST for you, then you have another thing coming. Especially since the console market is struggling with its current model. If things continue as they are right now, developers will just leave the market leaving only the developers directly owned by a huge corporation.

Things will change one way or the other. DRM is the lesser of the two evils at this point.

I do intend to go PC when I move and get a real job, but I can probably survive on 'other' games. I just refuse limitations, whether it's console or PC. I prefer entertainment to be hassle-free, otherwise it impairs my enjoyment too much. Thankfully, I'm into sims and off-beat projects, so I probably wouldn't miss out too much by refusing Steam's hegemony. I hope for the player base that the service doesn't degrade too much over time. It would suck to have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars and have your account in jeopardy.

 

[Versuvius]

David Braben (of Elite fame), claims it's killing off single player games [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/116391-Used-Game-Sales-Killing-Single-Player-Titles]

And yet Skyrim.

- Cost more to make than most games released these days.
- Contains no micro transactions.
- 100% single player
- No online pass
- No "New Copy Only" content.
- Sold 3.5 Million copies in 48 hrs.

I'm sorry David Braben. That shit doesn't wash. I hate to agree with Jim Sterling, but, yeah. Skyrim really did buck a lot of business trends that the industry says are required and yet it was one of the most profitable games released last year.

I have no real problems with devs wanting to make more money. But don't piss on me and tell me it's raining. These practices aren't necessary. It's just shit you want to do to increase your profits. I'd be a lot more tolerant of this crap if you'd just be honest about that.

Do you know how many console developer have the rabid fanbase of Bethesda, Bioware, or Bungie?

Not fucking many.

Do you know how many truly open world console games there are?

Not. Fucking. Many.

Skyrim has no bearing on anything.

Thats the point. Not fucking many have the kind of rabid fanbase or produce games that would aquire a rabid fanbase. Skyrim is nothing like 99% of games out there, and sold like hotcakes. They whinge about used sales and pump out their DLC riddled, 6 hour long shitfests for the same price. So maybe they SHOULD drop the practice and be more like Bethesda and GET a fanbase through producing quality product.

Captcha: Upper crust.

 

[Monsterfurby]

I still have to hear a single good reason why used game sales are different to, say, used car sales.

The only argument for this that I can think of is "used cars are inferior to new cars due to physical wear. What I'd say is: disks, too, suffer from the same thing. As long as there is a physical item, it will be less usable with every user.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

I think someone must have gotten told off for that statement, idiot.

Remember folks, your'e not allowed to say anything any more because people get offended.

Disclaimer: My post is not to be taken seriously.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

People who buy used games are generally leaches on the industry, supporting retailers and not publishers or, more importantly, the artists.

I'd have zero problem with a used-copy-block type deal on consoles.

 

[Iron Criterion]

How about somehow restricting second hand sales of a game until after the game is a year old? The idea would need work, but I reckon it'd be better than outright banning used games.

 

[Kargathia]

People who buy used games are generally leaches on the industry, supporting retailers and not publishers or, more importantly, the artists.

I'd have zero problem with a used-copy-block type deal on consoles.

It is simplifying matters a bit, but in the end this is retailers doing the exact same thing as what publishers have been doing for years: screwing a bit more money out of the ones who actually make something.

Except that as publishers feel retailers need them more than they need them, they are now crying foul, and invoking every single version of "think of the jobs!" they can think of.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

What gets me is that the industry, specifically the major Publishers, are making a huge deal about used game sales when the problem can pretty much be isolated to one chain of retail outlets.

What we're essentially wistnessing here, gentle readers, is an enormous lovers' tiff between publishers and their longtime bed-partner, Gamestop. It's kind of funny really, in the same way that domestic disputes that haven't yet graduated into murder-suicides are grimly amusing. That is until the star-crossed lovers start fighting on the lawn, ruining your rosebushes and keeping you awake all night. Then it becomes rather irritating.

Oh I think we past that point some time ago.

 

[D Moness]

Unless publishers keep games available for sale for a system as long as that system is for sale I am not against used games.

I mean for a lot of games released at the start of the ps3, x-box 360 or Wii most are only available as used games. Unless publishers find a cheap solution for this problem i say go used games.

 

[Siege_TF]

People who buy used games are generally leaches on the industry, supporting retailers and not publishers or, more importantly, the artists.

I'd have zero problem with a used-copy-block type deal on consoles.

Make like Christopher Reeve and get off your high-horse, it's only because we have the technology to potentially prevent used game sales that the industry has suddenly decided it's the devil itself. The thirty years (or so) of console gaming up until this point suggests that it is not, and given the choice I will side with history.

 

[medv4380]

It's sad only because the Game Industry seems to not understand the basic economics of the issue.

Game Stop is not the enemy and never was.

Given the numbers that Penny Arcade reported on a while back Game Stops puts about 1 Billion Dollars(used game sales minus profit) of Liquidity into the Hands of Gamers. The economy is how fast the money in the Gaming Market changes hands, and if you stopped that 1 Billion in Liquidity you'd cause the New Game Market to contract by 2 Billion since the Used game market would stop and the New Game Market would never be able to sell back.

Can the Game Industry survive a 1 or 2 Billion Dollar contraction?

The reason why Game Stop can get away with selling Used Games for 55 when the New Game is 60 is because the Publishers have jacked up the price over the years, and stopped decreasing their prices as much over time. They've gotten too good at publishing exactly as many units as needed to get as much profit as they can get, and then they got greedy and took a little more. Which resulted in the Used Game Market Growing to take up the slack for their greed.

Same thing happens in the Comic Book Industry. Marvel is actually very good and printing just enough comics to sell out, and DC has been very poor at projecting Sales and usually over Prints by a 100K issues. This is why DC comics have always been cheaper than Marvel Comics. The price gouging would be one of the main causes of the Comic Industry being damaged. Which is why DC did its Digital Launch and Price Cut. You can only sell 5$ comics to so many people, and after that they start to try to find any way they can to get them to save money and still get their entertainment.

The gaming industry needs to take a look at the older models that were used when they weren't shorting the market so much to keep prices higher for longer. Quarterly predictable price drops will reduce the Used Game Market without Killing the market Liquidity. Sure it will stop some people like me from buying some titles because 60$ is the price I will pay only for games that I want more of without question, and I will wait till it hits a predictable 40$ price in 6 months to a year, but they've done everything they can to stop those predictable price drops.

If they go through with killing Used Games on the Console Side of things we will see the Console Market contract to the size of the PC market, Increased Piracy to the Size of the PC market, and possibly kill the Console side of the Industry.

 

[Strazdas]

Hey to all the publishers and developers, I will stop buying used games for ever...if you can make it to where purchasing a new game doesn't leave me feeling irresponsible because I spent 60 dollars on a single form of entertainment solely for myself. If you can make it to where I can afford to buy new games without breaking my wallet, I'll swear off used games...but until then, that's the only way I can get more than maybe a couple of games a year.

Hi, my name is Steam, and almost everyday I have a special and have the most wonderful seasonal sales!

I don't like playing games on my PC. Plus, my little laptop doesn't play games well, in fact the only PC games I have is portal and the Sims.

I bought my consoles with the understanding that when I put in a game I know the hardware is exactly what I need to play the software and because the controller is easier on my hands and wrists.

Then you dfeserve the suffering you stated in your first post.

 

[Grey Day for Elcia]

People who buy used games are generally leaches on the industry, supporting retailers and not publishers or, more importantly, the artists.

I'd have zero problem with a used-copy-block type deal on consoles.

Make like Christopher Reeve and get off your high-horse, it's only because we have the technology to potentially prevent used game sales that the industry has suddenly decided it's the devil itself. The thirty years (or so) of console gaming up until this point suggests that it is not, and given the choice I will side with history.

Calm down. Christ. Pretty certain I didn't claim it was the devil--or do you just like passing around hyperbole?

Girl says she dislikes people enjoying the end product without supporting the creation and suddenly I'm on a pedestal? Pfft. Move along.

 

[RJ 17]

"My comment made in the interview released on the 24th of April, touching upon 'blocking sales of used games', was not intended to be taken seriously nor representative of the opinion of Crytek."

That's PR speak for "I done goofed. Sorry guys, since my opinion is easily swayed by those who fund my paychecks (i.e. gamers), I would like to clarify and state that I was just kidding. Please stop sending death threats to my goldfish."

 

[grigjd3]

I always love it when people who make far more money than I do complain about how they are not receiving enough of my money. Oh wait, I hate it when people do that. It makes me wish pain on them. Some mainstream game developers and publishers really sound like the most childish, entitled group of brats I have ever heard from.

Then again, there are still companies like Valve, Bethesda and CD Projekt RED focusing on quality. Come to think of it, they never seem to be worrying too much about money either, amazing how that works out...

 

[Pb Zeppelin]

Maybe if publishers lowered the price of a COMPLETE game (no day one DLC, or online passes) to $30-$40 there wouldn't be as much used game selling/trading. It may or may not work, nobody has tried it yet. But publishing giants can't keep expecting us to pony up $60+ on their game over and over again when they continue to treat consumers like trash.