GameStop Says Gamers Won't Buy Consoles Without Used Games

[darksakul]

So guys, how many of you would refuse to buy a console that didn't play used games?

I can't play used games or a game borrowed from a friend? Then I don't need that system PERIOD.

Thank you gaming industry for crapping on my rights of First Sales Doctrine, I just hurt the companies where it hurt the most. Stop being a customer of their products and services.

Trading in used games is how some of us can afford to buy new games. With the economy what it is I can't afford to buy as many luxury items as I used to.

Wait the Ouya is giving their games away for free (or for App store prices).
$99 console with free games vs $500 console with games with so much DRM I can't even play my own games legitimately.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Problem is, how many of that "60%" of gamers won't just cave in and buy a console without used game functionality. Say Microsoft and Sony both prevented used games on their next consoles, how many people are actually going to completely switch to something different? Some, I bet, but not "60%" of gamers.

 

[mokes310]

So guys, how many of you would refuse to buy a console that didn't play used games?

Me.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I probably would switch to PC, but I don't think used games alone would - wait no, fuck, it would. Used games being stamped out is, by itself, enough reason to switch to PC, on principle if nothing else. Sony, I've had about 4 PS3s over the years, and I loved them dearly, but you pull this shit and you're not getting my money without a dramatic price drop, and somehow I don't think that's going to happen.

And I think a price drop would be appropriate, because now when you buy a game, you buy the right to resell it later. If they take that away, you're not getting as much as you pay for. Worst case scenario for me is both serious consoles do this, I switch to PC and miss some of my favourite games, and all the bastards with too much money to care just fucking buy them and all the games anyway, and all their DLC and all their bonus editions and all their subscriptions and all their microtransactions, retail is destroyed, the product is degraded in value and nobody at any large corporation cares because the money keeps flowing.

 

[Little Gray]

GameStop Says Gamers Won't Buy Consoles Without Used Games

Translation: 'We won't make as much money without used games.'

They may have a point, but when a lot of their bottom line is gained from huge profit margins from used games, would you expect anything different?

As you say its true that they are biased on this but they have a very good point. They are also one of the only ones with the power to actually do anything about it if microsoft or sony seriously think about getting rid of used sales.

Basically, it's not really that risky if you keep some scratch-fixer around, and the more you do it the easier it is.

Even if a game is scratched to all hell and doesnt work I have found that a little glasses cleaner is enough to get it working again.

I wouldn't buy one either, I think... oh wait, I also don't have any of the current gen consoles because I simply don't need one!

Also, German/EU legislation would probably tear them a new one.

How? PC games have been doing this for years and have not had any legal problems.

 

[Carnagath]

So guys, how many of you would refuse to buy a console that didn't play used games?

Rentals for console games are very popular in my country, there are many stores that allow you to rent console games, keep them for as long as you want, then swap them with other ones, for a small monthly membership fee and nothing else. I would not be able to do that with a console that locks a copy of a game, which makes the console useless to me, since the amount of games that I'd be willing to pay 70 Euros for are about 1 or 2 per year, and that's not enough to justify a console purchase.

 

[Pandabearparade]

I wouldn't buy a console that blocked used games. Period. It would be like PC gaming without any of the perks of using a PC.

 

[FoolKiller]

So guys, how many of you would refuse to buy a console that didn't play used games?

I definitely wouldn't buy a console, so yes I would refuse to buy it.

I share games not only with friends but with myself. There is a 360 in the living room and one in the basement. If I would need to buy two copies to play the game or have to be online all the time then its a guaranteed no from me.

 

[octafish]

I wouldn't buy a console...does that count?

So guys, how many of you would refuse to buy a console that didn't play used games?

I definitely wouldn't.

I share games not only with friends but with myself. There is a 360 in the living room and one in the basement. If I would need to buy two copies to play the game or have to be online all the time then its a guaranteed no from me.

They would tie your games to your account, not the device. Anything else would be poor business.

 

[dmase]

I think gamestop is scared haha. Every game producer in the world is collectively laughing at gamestop because gamestop future is basically in their hands now.

Gamestop fails to include any price point changes. If we have a 15% cheaper game that can directly downloaded(and the downloading program isn't designed like shit) and if they decided to actually allow some temporary licensing along with the games I think those numbers would quickly change. Of course that is just supposition on my part.

 

[Norix596]

I never thought I'd be happy to hear a statement from Gamestop. I have played many console games in the lifespan of the 360 - VERY few of them were full price, new unopened. Amazon, used game bins, and increasingly playing lower tech games on my (non-gaming) laptop have saved what would have been a HUGE amount of money to play all the games I did. I can assure you that I would not have played nearly as many if unopened $60 games were the only option. I might even consider getting a higher spec computer for my next laptop instead of getting the next console if they are serious about this. It's more convenient, with better customer service and so much cheaper to use Steam. The only thing that the console market has going for it is that I invested in getting a console because I can usually get new-ish games for %40 or less. It that's not an option I might just join up with my friends in the PC gaming crowd.

 

[Worgen]

Really? I've been playing PC games for years, without used games. And I'm doing just fine.

I don't know about you but I also never pay more than 10 bucks for anything on the pc.

 

[Frostbite3789]

Really? I've been playing PC games for years, without used games. And I'm doing just fine.

I don't know about you but I also never pay more than 10 bucks for anything on the pc.

Yeah. And retailers have sales on console games too. But 'patience' is a lost art.

 

[Worgen]

Really? I've been playing PC games for years, without used games. And I'm doing just fine.

I don't know about you but I also never pay more than 10 bucks for anything on the pc.

Yeah. And retailers have sales on console games too. But 'patience' is a lost art.

Well to be fair I do mostly buy indie games and wait a few weeks for games to be on steam sale or for a steam sale.

 

[Jfswift]

Portability doesn't have to mean physical copies. I mentioned it in another thread but what we need next is a digital marketplace for used licensed copies of games.

 

[00slash00]

No used games? Why even have a disk? Fine, sell them at 30 bucks brand new on launch day. Otherwise, where is the resale value? You buy it and it's suddenly only worth sentimental value. If they block used games, I will have to switch to PC gaming. I don't want to do that. I like to lay down when I play Not to mention this would probably kill the privately owned rental store around the corner... Also, what happens if I get in a bind financially? I won't be able to sell them to ANYONE

IMO there is also no cause for digital games to be full retail price either, no disk, no paper, no box, no distribution cost.

so you dont consider something worth buying unless you can sell it? i mean even if you do get in to financial trouble, i really dont think selling a few video games is going to make a huge difference. ive gone to a used game store with an entire backpack of used games and only got around $100 for it. even less than that if i took them to gamestop. i mean i dont remember used game stores existing back when i was buying nes, genesis, snes, and n64 games and people never had a problem with it back then (and i can remember some of the later snes titles selling for around $70). i will agree though that people will probably have a much easier time accepting this, after being spoiled by the cheap prices of used games for so long, if they dropped the price of new games down to $50 or $40.

personally, this whole no used games idea doesnt bother me in the slightest. in fact, if it will stop this stupid used vs new games debate, support it 100%. i have no problem buying games new and limiting myself to the games i really want to play, and not just every game i have a vague interest in. if the console is powerful and has games i want to play, ill buy it.

 

[lunavixen]

snip

I live in Australia and have never been able to pay $60 for a new release game, we pay anywhere from $90 to $110AU for a standard edition new release, more for collectors editions (prices also fall much slower here), but i do agree with you about what used games give you. I recently traded in games and managed to get my hands on quite a few games used with the store credit, that I otherwise would likely not have bought.

GameStop's past success in the used game business does suggest that there are plenty of people looking to save a few bucks by buying used.

It's more than "a few" here, I've been able to get used games for <$20 where i'd be paying $50+ for them new, even ones that have been out for a few years.

OP: I would likely not purchase a console that removed used game playability, I'm fairly heavily reliant on used games, due to lower income and higher prices here.

Captcha: I can fix it... much as i'd like to, that's not my area of expertise