Obsidian Hopes "Digital Distribution Stabs the Used Game Market in the Heart"

[Something Amyss]

Yes, Developers may not owe us anything, but by that logic we don't owe *them* anything either. They can be just as self-entitled as the consumers.

NOOOOOO! Only consumers can be entitled little shits!

Demanding a slice of the used market, a market they have no right invading is totally not entitled!

I LOVE CORPORATIONS!

Nah, I agree. Just had to be silly about it. I do love how entitlement tends to only be argued in one direction.

 

[w00tage]

Funny, that's the same thing I thought about Obsidian when they pulled the "Rocks fall, everyone dies" ending to NWN2. Before that I only wanted them moderately hurt for releasing such a buggy, amateurishly done game.

 

[Xanthious]

What's that Obsidian? Did you just say never EVER buy one of our games new ever again? Did you just beg me to put you in the same category with the likes of EA and other companies I refuse to support. Ok since you asked nicely I will be sure to only buy your games used, if I buy them at all anymore.

An entire market killed out of self entitlement of the consumer. Developers owe you NOTHING. They are busy trying JUST BREAK EVEN so they wont have to shut down the company.

You are correct. We should just say bugger all to consumer rights and let the publishers and developers screw us over every which way they can. The items they sell us at 60 dollars a pop should immediately lose every single scrap of anything that resembles value once they have our money.

I mean it's not like the gaming industry is posting record profits and growing at an astronomical rate in an economy when most other industries are barely able to keep their heads above water never mind profits and expansion. Oh wait, that's EXACTLY what it's like. Put away the "Oh the humanity! Those poor poor developers" shtick. Every single developer can get down on their hands and knees and line up to kiss my ass before I will give any one of them a single ounce of sympathy. The gaming industry has never been healthier.

If they aren't turning profits that is THEIR problem not the consumers. They should fix their business model and maybe stop pumping millions upon millions of dollars into game budgets before they look to start looking to strip away consumer rights. If the amount of money they are making isn't enough to cover costs maybe they should look to cut costs.

The gaming industry makes me fucking sick in the way they are always looking to blame everyone but themselves. The sooner every last one of them goes belly up and the ungrateful fucks they employ are on the streets struggling to feed their families the better. Fuck every last one of those whiny cunts.

 

[subtlefuge]

Until they make 10 more games that balance out the fact that I paid 60 USD for Alpha Protocol, Obsidian can politely fuck off about the "Used Game Problem."

Spoiler: Obsidian

You are the problem.

 

[Turio]

Until they make 10 more games that balance out the fact that I paid 60 USD for Alpha Protocol, Obsidian can politely fuck off about the "Used Game Problem."

Spoiler: Obsidian

You are the problem.

And they don't set the prices for their products either.

 

[4li3n]

I despise piracy, but it's a bit despicable when they want to prevent us from selling our own property.

Except that the EULA and the law clearly states it's not your propriety, you're just leasing the right to use the software...

 

[coolkirb]

Frankly I dont care about the developers, capitalism will regulate the economy, the developers will do what is best for them and I will do what is best for me and the invisible hand will do its job. If the company cant afford to stay in the industry they should leave it like every other competitive market, we should not be defending companies who exist only to make profit.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Aren't these the same idiots that are known more for making shit sequels to great games?

Smile when you say that, partner!

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 write amazing stories and generally make games building and expanding on the original(everyone prefers New Vegas to Fallout 3, and I thought that KoTOR2 was much better than the first game), it's just that they're either messed around by publishers alot, like Lucasarts gave them a year to do the KoTOR2, or they're working on a buggy engine anyway (like with Fallout 3).

They pretty much made Planescape Torment though, and they did Neverwinter Nights 2, which had a really fun singleplayer.

So don't diss Obsidian just for Chris Avellone's opinions.

Oh, I wouldn't. Neverwinter Nights 2, Mask of the Betrayer is my favorite RPG ever. I hold it up as an example of how to write conflict well.

 

[Sutter Cane]

I have a question for the "I'll never buy another obsidian game again" crown. Why are you getting so worked up over this? He didn't call people who buy games used thieves, he didn't throw his support behind something like project 10 dollar, and he didn't even say that they would only be releasing their games digitally in the future. All he said was that he doesn't like the used games market. Why is this something apparently worth boycotting over? Isn't everyone being a bit reactionary?

 

[Merlark]

I am not a super fan of used games, don't get me wrong I think games are too expensive retail and should be cheaper. but as much as people champion used games for enabling them to play more games they are getting used by an even more corrupt system.

I mean gamestop basically rips everyone off and makes insane profits for it and for some reason gamers are 'happy' with that system.

Then again game company's are not really cutting us a break with digital games. most of the time your favorite title is the same price as the box version you get in the store, which doesn't add up because game company's go on about how much waist it saves and costs it eliminates on shipping, packaging and production. yet they pocket the profit of digital games without cutting the players a break.

Its sad really to hate both systems, I hate the later system a little bit less because at least if i'm being ripped off that money is going back into the gaming industry while gamestop is just going to setup another dumb store next to the Dunkin Donuts down the street and fund more ways to rip me off.

The lesson here is you just can't win the game of life.

 

[Xanthious]

Ad hominem, non sequitur. Logical fallacies.

I didnt say we should strip consumer rights. I said Used game sales are a problem and companies are well within their right to add DRM to combat it.

The problem is that gamers think they are entitled. If a game isn't pretty or has lots of gore no one will buy it. That kind of stuff costs money. On the console market, you would be hard pressed to make a game anyone would play below 20-30 million dollars. It will double to 60-100 million next generation, Gamers want their cake, and eat it too. AAA games cost money to make, and console gamers refuse to buy anything else. AAA games are the ONLY way to make any real money on the console market.

There is no way to "stop pumping money." It will continue to rise because newer and shinier games cost more money.

Would the majority go back to PS2 graphics? Honestly? I don't think so. They are gonna hop on their keyboards and ***** and moan no matter what.

Your right, the consumers are the problem. The industry is full of golden hearted martyrs that are busy trying to find new ways to secure themselves to the nearest cross. I have seen the light! After I get done typing this I'm going to max out my credit cards, empty my IRA, my savings account and my checking account and just start mailing that money to those poor misunderstood millionaires. I just need to decide if Riccitiello or Kotnick should get the bigger amount.

Ya know maybe if the gaming industry wasn't continually posting record profits in an economy that could generously be called total shit I would stop and listen to their list of woes. But the fact of the matter is the gaming industry is making money hand over fist and is growing at a stupid rate. They have absolutely fuck all to complain about.

Furthermore, to claim that your not talking about stripping away consumer rights and then in the next breath claim that they should simply perform an end around to combat the first sales doctrine is disingenuous at best. When a consumer buys something it shouldn't lose all value after the initial purchase. That's exactly what would happen if these pricks get their way. Our games would be devoid of any value once they have our money.

Again though this all boils down to the gaming industry wanting to blame everyone but themselves. If any actual problem exists (which I am highly suspect of)then it is an internal problem created by THEIR methods. Not an external problem because of piracy or used sales. Every other fucking maker and seller of goods has dealt with one if not both of those issues and managed to make it work somehow despite of them. The gaming industry isn't different or special despite what they might want you to believe. They are just a bunch of whiny over entitled cunts.

 

[ckam]

Well, OK then. I like shopping for used games since that's basically what's left of the old consoles, but please stop blaming that market for everything bad. Start ripping on Gamestop for screwing you and the consumer over through this market.

GameStop isn't screwing me over. I got 32.60 back on Skyrim and they were having a big sale on PS2 games. I was able to get a hard to find RPG for less than half of what it usually goes for. GameStop has been very good to me.

Really? They charged me $39.99 for a used ICO game and gave me shitty ps2 controllers for $20 each.

 

[Artemicion]

Coming from Obsidian, who generally makes terrible games, this doesn't actually mean all that much.

 

[esperandote]

You know what would stab used market in the heart? expiration dates for discs, just like medicine[/ridiculousness]

 

[Heinrich843]

Sometimes publishers and developers are akin to the most fiscally irresponsible among us, and often resemble the family down the street- living far beyond their means.

However, when certain video game publishers are worth a few billion dollars, I'm inclined to believe the poor mouthing is to gain sympathy of rabid devoted fans, and subsequently their wallets. If anyone is muscling these developers out of money, it's themselves or the publishers.

Theoretically, this is good for the company and good for the consumer. New games come out with even higher budgets and the developers and publishers put out "better games". Unfortunately, this is not how it works. There's a few good games here and there, but the majority of games released are now short, uninspired clones of other successful games. Poorly done clones.

The theory only works if "the industry" continues to bring high quality products to the table. To summarize, I believe this lapse in sales growth and poor mouthing a result of people 'voting with their wallets'.

 

[Monsterfurby]

Give me a break. I buy all of my PC games digitally, and I wouldn't harp on any company for going digital. But I hate people who whine about used games. Get over it. It's not as caustic as you would all like us to believe.

This. 150% this. Also, why do they always omit GamersGate when talking about digital distribution platforms? Great service, a lot of games, great communication with the community and no DRM or software to install, just the games themselves. I wish they would beat Steam one day...

 

[Ranorak]

I never got this, the money stores make with used sales profits eventually find their way back to developers.
I mean, they use that money to either improve their store and get more sales.
Or buy more copies of game to sell.

Lets say Eric buys Battlefield 3 for 60 euro's
He dislikes it, and sells it back for 20 euro's.
Eric spends the 20 Euro's on another game.
And GameStore X puts his used copy on display for 30 euro's

Steve buys the second hand copy for 30 euro's
Gamestore X uses the 30 euro's to get more copies of Battlefield 3.

In the end, the store has 110 euro's to spend on buying more video games off of publishers, instead of the 60 of the initial sale.

Sure, you could argue that the second hand sale of Battlefield 3's profit won't go to EA directly.
but in the end, it benefits the whole industry.