GAME Adds DLC Warning Labels to Used Games

[Andy Chalk]

GAME Adds DLC Warning Labels to Used Games

U.K. retailer GAME [http://www.game.co.uk] has begun adding DLC warning stickers to pre-owned videogames to let consumers know that they may not include all the bonuses a new copy would.

It's a idea that came to light with the release of sued [http://dragonage.bioware.com] last month over "deceptively misleading" sales of used games when a customer was surprised to find that his pre-owned copy of Dragon Age: Origins didn't include the bonus DLC advertised on the box.

GAME is attempting to head off similar trouble by adding warning stickers to its used game selection, informing customers that such games may not include all the extra content advertised on the package. "We have been developing a policy for notifying customers at the point of purchase which was implemented last week in-store," a company representative told MCV [http://www.mcvuk.com/news/38466/GAME-adds-DLC-warning-to-pre-owned?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mcvuk%2FoXMK+%28MCV%3A+games+industry+news%29]. "Pre-owned copies of applicable titles have stickers on them saying 'Check with staff for availability of downloadable content,' giving staff the chance to explain clearly the difference so that our customers understand the benefits of buying both pre-owned and mint."

The list of games offering extra content with new purchases is growing: Along with Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, other titles include Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Race Driver: GRID Reloaded, The Saboteur and SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3. In February, meanwhile,EA said DLC would be released for every game in its 2011 lineup, making it very likely that Project Ten Dollar will continue to be employed. Warning labels are a simple and effective response to the changing market; given the legal hassle it's already run into, I wouldn't be surprised to see GameStop [http://www.gamestop.com], and every other retailer who deals in used games, come up with something similar very soon.


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[Jack and Calumon]

Ah yes. Us Brits think ahead. Glad you came here Calumon?

Calumon: Your tea isn't as good as Jeri makes it in Japan.

 

[Jared]

Not a bad idea. And a good warning to people who may not know of such things.

I know in my local GAME they have taken to verbally warning people too at PoS

 

[SomeBoredGuy]

Ah, good ol' GAME. I forever love thou for your trade-in system that allowed me to trade in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and a couple other Wii games for enough credit to buy Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and have £14 worth of it remaining.

 

[StriderShinryu]

The logical step really, and something they should have done from the start. One would think they were actually intentionally leaving that info out just to see if they would get caught.

Now it will be up to them to either pretty much never sell a used copy of one of those games (assuming the used game pricing is the same as it is in North America where a used copy goes for only $5 less than a new copy) or actually reduce their used game prices to keep them an attractive option.

 

[Phoenixlight]

I think that sucks, trading in and buying pre-owned games is really good for people who can't afford the games when they're released.

 

[Antari]

Well its not all that shocking to me that a game store cares about its customers more than the game companies. Nothing new at all ..

 

[Masteryuri666]

Makes sense to slap the warning on there but I still don't completely approve of DLC. It just feels like a lot of developers hold back content so that they can bring it up in the future as a quick money grab despite the fact that it might be ready to join the bulk of the game. Not all developers who release DLC are like this though but the best example for me at least is Mass Effect 2. Bioware's latest DLC featured a character whose files were practically already in the game at launch. I love Bioware to death but even I have to frown at that.

 

[Zerbye]

I think that sucks, trading in and buying pre-owned games is really good for people who can't afford the games when they're released.

I think this is actually good for the budget-minded consumer. These stickers will drive the price of used games down. The price of a used game will have to be discounted by at least the cost of the DLC, just to break even with it's non-used counterpart.

 

[Optimus Hagrid]

That's great.

Now start trading retro games, GAME. Or I'll bang you.

Oh, and for God's sake, get that adventure/puzzle game crap out of your PC stock.

 

[Xersues]

Sue first in America, and everyone else just whistles and puts on stickers.

What a pain in the ass, good on GAME for at least warning people. You already have to buy DLC for each account, now they're just trying to put an activation fee on used games. What a bunch of shit. Unless my view is just skewed, that's all it seems like to me. Not many other manufacturers make money off of resale, why should they.

 

[Kajt]

As long as they put it on the plastic cover, and not the paper cover, I'm happy...

 

[Unusual_Bulge]

Probably a good move for GAME considering their slogan for used games is 'The Only Difference is The Price'.

Of course if they put up signs saying there can be differences, they may well need to rethink that particular slogan.

 

[wadark]

Regardless of how the retailers handle this, this isn't just a blow to them, EA is hurting their customers and themselves.

If people can't afford a $60 new game, they aren't going to buy it, DLC or no DLC.

Gamestop has something like 5 times greater profit margin on used games as they do new games, so whats stopping them from dropping the price of the used game another 5 or 10 bucks, allowing the customer to still get the game and the DLC at a lower cost than the new copy, and only hurting their profits a tiny bit.

Personally some nifty armor DLC isn't enough to make me spend an extra 5/10/15 bucks on a game.

 

[vallorn]

Makes sense to slap the warning on there but I still don't completely approve of DLC. It just feels like a lot of developers hold back content so that they can bring it up in the future as a quick money grab despite the fact that it might be ready to join the bulk of the game. Not all developers who release DLC are like this though but the best example for me at least is Mass Effect 2. Bioware's latest DLC featured a character whose files were practically already in the game at launch. I love Bioware to death but even I have to frown at that.

at the other end of the scale of DLC evil are Gearbox, who apart from their sterling work on the HL1 expansions have released a slew of cheap but excellent DLC for Borderlands (Dr Ned, Underdome and Knox as well as another announced but unspecified DLC)

 

[DividedUnity]

Arent they doing this cause that guy sued gamestop?

Either way its a good thing theyre doing puttng the stickers to warn people.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

It's a logical move but that still doesn't change my opinion on how stupid Project 10 Dollar is.