Smile when you say that, partner!tanis1lionheart said:
They, last I checked, have never had the same publisher twice, which I find amusing to no end. Though I could be wrong about that.
Obsidian Hopes "Digital Distribution Stabs the Used Game Market in the Heart"
- Thread starter The Wooster
- Start date
They, last I checked, have never had the same publisher twice, which I find amusing to no end. Though I could be wrong about that.
I love used games. Shoot some of my favorite games I bought used. If they didn't exist alot of games I like I wouldn't have. Examples include:
Mass Effect - Bought used for 5 dollars, bought the second for 20, already preordered the Collectors edition for ME3
Fable 2 - Bought it used for 15 dollars, bought the third one on launch day
Halo - bought used, bought all others (except Halo Wars) on or near launch
Portal - bought Orange Box used for 20, bought Portal 2 new for 45
Call of Duty - Bought 4 for 15 dollars, bought up to Black ops on launch day
I even bought most of the DLC for most of these. I would never had bought any of these if it weren't for trades.
Mass Effect - Bought used for 5 dollars, bought the second for 20, already preordered the Collectors edition for ME3
Fable 2 - Bought it used for 15 dollars, bought the third one on launch day
Halo - bought used, bought all others (except Halo Wars) on or near launch
Portal - bought Orange Box used for 20, bought Portal 2 new for 45
Call of Duty - Bought 4 for 15 dollars, bought up to Black ops on launch day
I even bought most of the DLC for most of these. I would never had bought any of these if it weren't for trades.
Alright Obsidian, I won't buy your games anymore at all. Honestly, I have been on the fence for a while now with how buggy their games always are and remain so for years after release. Maybe is Obsidian was better at making games, the loss of income from used sales would not be felt so badly. I'm glad the guy came out and said this, it helped me finally make up my mind and I will not ever be purchasing on of their games again. Should sell a couple just to stick it to them.
His attitude is precisely why the video game industry is suffering: A refusal to learn. Instead of approaching the second hand video game market with some semblance of intellect, they're bitching and moaning about the problem and only wish to "stab it!" like some kind of South Park parody level of ignorant jackasses. If I willingly pay $60 + tax on your game, but then find it so offensively bad that I am willing to trade it in at a loss just to rid myself of it, that's really saying something, isn't it? Oh! Or how about this: I see your game in brand new shiny wrapping, but decide that the lower priced, banged up version without the manual is more appealing. If these devs/publishers can't get what that's saying, it's very simple. People that sell or trade in games at a loss might start to lose trust and are not as willing to pay full price for a game that isn't a "sure-thing" in their minds. Just out of personal experience, I sure as hell lost a lot of faith in games when out the door some are bugged to hell - sometimes unplayable - and the only fix is a patch (that may never come in less extreme cases). That said, I still own almost all of my newly purchased video games. I also can't remember the last time I've purchased a new game before Skyrim, but I will tell you that whatever one it was I wished I had bought used.
As for the environmental concern, a part of me (that is, 99%) thinks that was just a buffer between "So digital distribution" and "death to used games" so his later point doesn't seem like quite his priority. For the cost of video games and the ever-increasing loss of rights by consumers, even discounted, you're damn right I want a physical copy of my purchase. Even more so if my enjoyment would depend on the fickle whims of some company's servers and my internet connection.
As for the environmental concern, a part of me (that is, 99%) thinks that was just a buffer between "So digital distribution" and "death to used games" so his later point doesn't seem like quite his priority. For the cost of video games and the ever-increasing loss of rights by consumers, even discounted, you're damn right I want a physical copy of my purchase. Even more so if my enjoyment would depend on the fickle whims of some company's servers and my internet connection.
Obviously not. Because it involves two people purchasing the same game. So they lose out on the profit of that second person buying that game.Redweaver said:
On Steam, games that are only distributed digitally are much cheaper than the games that are also sold on retail. They can't have games that are sold in stores cost less on Steam because then the stores will complain about unfair competition (like what happened in Austrailia, where they have to pay the full retail price even on Steam.)Therumancer said:
If you are patient though, you can just wait for the game you want to buy to be on a sale and get it for a better price.
...So what he's effectively saying is that he believes all gamers should keep every purchase they've made forever. Right.
Some of us don't mind playing a used copy at a cheaper price, and some of us like knowing that if if we ever grow tired of a game, we can trade it in for store credit.
I guess he places no value on consumer rights.
Some of us don't mind playing a used copy at a cheaper price, and some of us like knowing that if if we ever grow tired of a game, we can trade it in for store credit.
I guess he places no value on consumer rights.
As with piracy, the used game market does not, and has never had a negative impact on profits. This has been proven endlessly over the years, and I'm really getting tired of all the disgusting greedy ignorance on the subject.
This just adds one more developer to add to my never buy list.
This just adds one more developer to add to my never buy list.
I fail to see how it will do so in the long run, I meant you still own a copy of the game and can sell that in a sense. People will just have to get a little smarter with their Steam accounts and such. I mean you can still sell your account, infact it's easier really cause you got a global market. People will just have to start making either shared accounts between friend or throw away steam accounts for games they know will be worthwhile sales.
Like no one is going to sell a copy of Skyrim no matter the format because it's worth several years of play but there are plenty of games that are worth about 3 days of play and then dissappear into the cupboard.
Like no one is going to sell a copy of Skyrim no matter the format because it's worth several years of play but there are plenty of games that are worth about 3 days of play and then dissappear into the cupboard.
and now obsidian can FUCK RIGHT OFF
getting sick of this nonsense.
maybe if obsidian ever released a game that wasn't out-of-the-box broken, i'd have some respect for any arguments he makes, but as it stands, he's a dumbshit
getting sick of this nonsense.
maybe if obsidian ever released a game that wasn't out-of-the-box broken, i'd have some respect for any arguments he makes, but as it stands, he's a dumbshit
haven't you heard? we HAVE no rights, except to give companies money and let them grace us with whatever meager content they deign to at their leisure.Michael826 said:
So there is a massive flaw in his argument, someone bought that game to begin with, somebody who waited for it to show up used would most likely not have bought it new, and if the person really enjoyed the game they wouldn't have returned it.
Next thing you know, he'll be taking about those "Bastards" who share games among their friends, depriving them of sales.
Next thing you know, he'll be taking about those "Bastards" who share games among their friends, depriving them of sales.
This - if developers / publishers want to turn to their own methods of digital distribution, then that £17 of every full-price £40 game doesn't need to exist, as that's the retailers cut; and another £5 can go on top as that's the price of printing, packaging & distribution costs of the discs, cases & manuals.omicron1 said:
Yeah, sure - go ahead and kill the physical/ used games market. But in doing so we, the consumers, expect a price drop as the expense of manufacturing will decrease.
Isn't there a law about that or something? Can't we file a lawsuit that prevents massive profit margins when a manufacturer cuts production costs? Oh wait, that's called an Industry Watchdog, like OfCom - and the games industry doesn't have one of which it bloody well needs.
That 40% sale on Origins yesterday in the states? Every sale would still make them money. It wasn't a discount, it was a temporary profit reduction.
