Grand Theft Auto Parent Company to "Participate" in Used Market

[Tom Goldman]

Grand Theft Auto Parent Company to "Participate" in Used Market

Take-Two says "me too" when it comes to figuring out a way to earn money off of the massive used games market.

Rockstar and 2K Games owner Take-Two Interactive is the latest videogame company that says it's going to try to siphon some profits out of the billion dollar used games market. CEO Ben Feder didn't reveal his specific plans on how he's going to do so, but did say that Take-Two plans to "participate" in used sales somehow.

Take-Two now joins a crowd populated by companies such as Best Buy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102983-Sony-Exploring-Online-Pass-Response-To-Used-Games] adding their own trade-in programs, and publishers have taken notice.

Speaking at the G7 Think Equity conference, Feder acknowledged that used games were here to stay, but said that Take-Two won't be hands-off forever. "Look, the used game market is protected by U.S. law under the First Sale Doctrine," he said. "We do believe that developers should participate in some way in the product they create, but it's a protected environment. I know there was some... not legislation, but additional news [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103412-Federal-Ruling-Challenges-Validity-of-Used-Software-Sales] that came out over the last few days.. but I think it's too early to tell what impact that will have."

"We try to announce results and what the company's actually doing. We don't discuss what goes on internally. For sure, we think the used game market is large, it's an interesting market and something we should participate in. Beyond that I don't have much more to comment."

Take-Two's Call of Duty: Black Ops [http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dead-Redemption-Playstation-3/dp/B001SGZL2W/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1285181130&sr=1-2], but I'm actually surprised that it doesn't seem more rushed, at least publicly, for publishers to get their used strategy in place.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=265522]


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[dududf]

This kind of bugs me. You're selling a product, not a service.

Products should be allowed to be resold when you're done with it. This has been around for as long as a market as been around for.

I don't see it from being that far off for companies to decide that their products are now services, and as such exempt from being resold. And suddenly forcing down a service on this industry would not be a pleasant thing in my books, for all parties involved.

 

[Keava]

This kind of bugs me. You're selling a product, not a service.

Products should be allowed to be resold when you're done with it. This has been around for as long as a market as been around for.

This concerns me greatly. I don't see it that far off for companies to decide that their products are now services, and as such exempt from being resold. And suddenly forcing down a service on this industry would not be a pleasant thing in my books, for all parties involved.

For n-th time around. The issue is not in you as a person re-selling or trading for something else with other person. The issue is with behemoths like GameStop and now other big retailers, that simply milk the loophole, putting used copies of games right next to fresh ones.

 

[dududf]

This kind of bugs me. You're selling a product, not a service.

Products should be allowed to be resold when you're done with it. This has been around for as long as a market as been around for.

This concerns me greatly. I don't see it that far off for companies to decide that their products are now services, and as such exempt from being resold. And suddenly forcing down a service on this industry would not be a pleasant thing in my books, for all parties involved.

For n-th time around. The issue is not in you as a person re-selling or trading for something else with other person. The issue is with behemoths like GameStop and now other big retailers, that simply milk the loophole, putting used copies of games right next to fresh ones.

I am aware of that and my opinion still stands. I have decided my view on the information I have, just as you have formed your opinion on the information you have. There is no right or wrong.

 

[FinalDream]

I'm just waiting for the day they have a 'one time only' unlock code for the entire game. It will be a sad but inevitable day.

 

[Jared]

Seems everyone and there mother wants a slice of the pie...

 

[Vault Citizen]

I agree with the opinion that games should become cheaper over time and that is how companies should compete with used games sales if they wish to do so.

 

[mjc0961]

Anything anyone does to take money away from GameStop is fine by me.

 

[oranger]

Well, maybe some of these bloody jawed behemoths will open their own used game shops?

 

[viranimus]

I am very much against publishers trying to eliminate the resell market. I however have no problem in the world with them trying to get a piece of that pie.

It wouldn't take too much, and to do so effectively would be an investment for them. Perhaps a mail trade in program that pays more for used games than what the stores can In order to get people selling the games back to them instead of to other outlets. Then go ahead and mimic what gamestop does and give a total resale value, but part of that value is in store credit. In the case of publishers.. that store credit motif can basically be replicated with "coupons toward the purchase of their branded games"

What about trade kiosks such as redbox where people go in, deposit the games in the box, then a check is mailed to you.

Or how about a multi organizational agreement where the publishers unite under this banner, come up with one consolidated plan to get in on the deal, then prop up a loosing corp such as Blockbuster to act as the control outlet for incoming and outgoing used games, so that games can be inspected for quality immediately and cash be dispensed immediately.

There are all sorts of excellent ideas on how these companies can get a piece of the pie, but its going to take investment. Best buy, Toys R Us, etc didnt start their programs without the investment, and the publishers will have to do the same.

But this is so much more acceptable than the publishers proactively trying to destroy the market because they werent getting money for not actually doing anything.