Jimquisition: Online Passes Are Bad For Everybody

[Jimothy Sterling]

Online Passes Are Bad For Everybody

In the first part of a series of Jimquisitions on used games and their place in the industry, Sterling tackles the most recent tactic used by publishers in the fight against traded products -- online passes -- and examines why they're bad for everybody. Be you a publisher, a used gamer, or a NEW one, online passes are bad news, and Jim Sterling will force the truth down your little lie gullet.

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[El Luck]

Where do you get those wonderful weapons from?

 

[The Great JT]

I don't know how to feel about this. But I do know how to feel about online passes.

And that feeling is, "fuck 'em."

 

[Baresark]

I'm in agreement with the addled mind of Jim Sterling, scary stuff.

My favorite bit is when stupid consumers make excuses as to why this type of stuff is a good idea. It's like Stockholm Syndrome. Don't defend the companies that don't give a shit about their customer base please.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Tune in next week to find out which weapon Jim will be shamelessly parading in our faces!

Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor I want a sweet sword too you know!

 

[Sucal]

Just pointing out, that any american who complains about $60 games should come buy games in Australia.

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

I just don't understand why people are so against used games. The pump money into the industry and courts have upheld time and time again that we have the right to sell our licensed product to others. The publishers not seeing any money dosen't hold up either, because EVERY used game anywhere ever, was once a new game that was purchased.

 

[Zac Smith]

The biggest problem I have with online passes, is what if I buy a game that's few years old, used, pay for the passcode and find out no one is online or servers are no longer active. This is going to happen eventually, and it's gona make lots of people very pissed off

 

[MatParker116]

I like how Mass Effect 2 handled used games. Hate how THQ and EA do

 

[Zhukov]

Just pointing out, that any american who complains about $60 games should come buy games in Australia.

And any Australian who complains about game prices should try buying their games in New Zealand.
And any Kiwi who complains about game prices should try buying their games in Morocco.

 

[Slycne]

I like how Mass Effect 2 handled used games. Hate how THQ and EA do

EA published Mass Effect 2.

 

[Zyst]

This was a really good episode. It's true that many of us have fallen into some sort of complacency where we go "Isn't it fine?".

I can see the publisher base point of view in project 10 bucks, but this shit shouldn't happen in the first place.

 

[labbu]

Yeah, this is getting really annoying. I recently bought Mortal Kombat, and not wanting to miss out on the multiplayer I either had to buy the game new for 44 euro's, or buy it used for 40 euro's and pay an additional 10 euro's in order to access the multiplayer. I really don't understand why publishers don't try to reward people who buy their games new, rather than punish the one's that don't!

 

[Zyst]

Just pointing out, that any american who complains about $60 games should come buy games in Australia.

Just saying, anyone in the "First World" who complains about game prices should come to any third world country ever.

Games are around 100 (American) Dollars here (Mexico), and the minimum wage is 3 dollars, per day. That's right, not per hour, per day.

So next time you're thinking about complaining how games are really expensive over there, just... think about it, really.

 

[Mangue Surfer]

LOL! Nobody liked the Dead Space 2 multiplayer.

Ps.: Cool Chaoseater replica

 

[DeadlyYellow]

There's some hilarious irony that the people releasing games are the biggest detriment to them.

But if DRM has taught us anything, publishers will likely just keep cramming it down our throats until we become more complacent about it.

 

[BrotherRool]

Point number one I suspect would turn out to be rubbish when the maths is crunched. I don't trade in games, but lets assume that Game pays out 50% of the price they're planning to sell the game for, which is in turn 75% of the price of the actual game (both numbers are deliberately higher than my experience suggests)

And lets assume that 100% of that money gets reinvested into games, not only that but new games rather than more used games (which again, simply isn't true)

So for every used game sold we have 1/2x3/4=3/8 of the price of an original game going (well not to the developers or publishers but a share of that money going to them). So all it requires is 15 people out of every 40 who bought a game used, to buy a game new instead of buying no games at all and the developers are making more money by devaluing used games.

Point two is fair, I've got no contention with that. It can be resolved by aggressive discounting of games that Valve are experimenting with, but is a perfectly valid thing.

Point 3 is rubbish again because people will get better at it, like how Steam was completely crud when it first released.

And one minute of time really isn't that much of an issue. Take a chill pill instead, the information age is ruining your patience and respect for others Games as they are are stealing any worth from your life, its not like its an experience that will transcend your death or help other people.



In general, your false points are made even worse by the fact that used games are now being sold within the first week of a game being released. Used games take a serious amount of money from devs, and considering online actually creates an expense, used games are costing money to the people who made them, even before you begin trying to work out whether sales they would have made otherwise are greater than the sales will may potential arise as a result of a sequel down the line.



Of course it's not even a long term problem. Digital downloads will have wiped out the used game markets before long and hopefully contest between the dd markets will lead to sales and tiered pricing, which is the actual solution as opposed to the used game stop gap

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

You know what hurts the game industry even more than online passes? Cheap people who wait a month after a game comes out just to get a used copy of a game, thus giving all their money to Gamestop, and not the creators or publishers of the game.

"Oh no, I can't play this shitty multiplayer without putting in a code. Oh woe is me."

Yes, because everyone can easily afford to pay for every game they want new before the price drop or before used ones start appearing.

Whoops, sorry, I didn't mean yes. I meant no, no way, and if you can then you are very much in the minority and you shouldn't be blaming others for having less money than you.