Proposed In-Store Security System Nerfs Game Discs

[Slycne]

Insinuating that the theft of a product counts in records as a sale? Or did I wildly misinterpret what you were suggesting?

No, I meant that a person who shoplifts something is unlikely to buy the product anyway. The negligable sales losses incurred is actually less because a person is unlikely to buy if they can't shoplift.

Remember though that this isn't piracy or copyright infringement. The theft of product is a loss of a potential sale. The retailer no longer has the product to sell to another willing customer. Whether or not the thief would have bought the product if it was harder to steal is largely irrelevant in this situation.

 

[the_tramp]

Remember though that this isn't piracy or copyright infringement. The theft of product is a loss of a potential sale. The retailer no longer has the product to sell to another willing customer. Whether or not the thief would have bought the product if it was harder to steal is largely irrelevant in this situation.

Whilst that is true, unless a game is high-profile then it is unlikely to sell out. It is unlikely that the average run of the mill game will ever have the situation where it is not in stock. Most high profile games are kept behind the counter or in the warehouse with the intention of stopping people nicking them.

However I completely agree with your point, if the game is no longer there then it cannot be sold.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I don't see a big issue with it, so long as it's as straightforward as "activating" gift cards or those telephone calling cards. If it requires more hoops for the consumer, it's a bad idea; if it's a mainly automated process requiring minimal effort from someone who can be trained to do it in short order, it's alright.

-- Steve

 

[stompy]

I'm not looking forward to this. What's wrong with just stocking empty boxes?

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Every place I go to buy games has them in a glass case anyway...
And what if the moron at the counter forgets to deactivate the thing, totally useless game that you just payed $60 bucks for.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

As long as it works who cares.

 

[Virgil]

Whilst that is true, unless a game is high-profile then it is unlikely to sell out. It is unlikely that the average run of the mill game will ever have the situation where it is not in stock.

That doesn't matter - the retailer actually pays for the copies of the games in their store before they show up on the shelves. A stolen game is a direct monetary loss for them - either it just gets written off, or for a game with regular sales a replacement will have to be ordered.

The other main issue is that, at least when I last worked in retail, the number one source of missing goods are the store employees - not the customers. The goods being behind glass or in plastic cases are just physical barriers, and one that any employee can get around secretly without too much trouble. It seems like what they're proposing here is an electronic version, presumably implemented in a way that would only unlock the game if a purchase has been recorded.

That said, this concept is still stupid, just for the inconvenience factor. As this is not an issue that dramatically impacts media publishers, and could increase the cost and difficulty of producing the physical media, it's pretty unlikely to push through.

 

[Miral]

Yeah, I don't see the point. Where I live the shops either just have empty boxes on the shelves (with the discs behind the counter) or the game boxes encased in strong plastic boxes that are difficult to open without the removal gadget at the checkout (and usually with a security tag inside as well, to set off the door alarms if someone does try to make off with one anyway). Seems to work well enough.

And as Virgil just pointed out, neither that nor this protect you against staff, only against the shoplifting public (and they seem equally good at that).

It's not clear whether they're proposing some physical measure (which would have to render the disc permanently unusable if it were to be effective, which seems like a losing proposition for both the store and for real customers who missed getting the countermeasures neutralised) or some electronic measure (which would basically wind up being just another variation on the evil online activation DRM). Neither one sounds like a good idea.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

One problem: the biggest piracy is done digitally. In store shoplifting is neglible. Hell, Loss preventions biggest concern is the cash register, not the product. At Harris Teeter they randomly do audits on our registers and record how much over or under we are what we're supposed to be. Neglible amounts aren't a big deal though(I have had 0, -25 cents, and +25 cents so far)).

Still according to the information made availible to us, about 13,000 dollars is lost a month throught theft, mistakes, or any other thing. And we're just a grocery store.