Rage Cuts Single-Player When You Buy It Used

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I like how everybody is reading this and then throwing their keyboards on the ground in disgust. How dare a developer expect to make money off their own product?! This is extortion! If I want to exclusively support retailers who make money where developers don't, the developer should go out of their way to cater to me!

Come on. Drop the attitude. I don't see anything wrong with this. At all. At the end of the day, you're losing practically nothing. It's an add-on. Almost a DLC. You want to buy a game at a fraction of the cost, be grateful you're not even losing a fraction of the full game. You're just getting 100%, whereas the new-copy buyers are getting 110%.
You want the extras - bloody pay for them. Stop whining. It's pathetic.

I thought like that not too long ago. Then something hit me: only triple-AAA publishers are being dicks about this. You know, the ones who stand to make the most money. You don't see publishers like NIS and Atlus pulling this crap and they stand to benefit the most from a system like this because their sales are already going to be very low. Any profit for them is good. So this is just basic greed.

I don't see how it is greed if you're asking for a fair cut of the profits from something you devoted a lot of time and money to.
And the reason why only Triple-A publishers are doing this is because they're the only ones who can really stand to lose as much from making games. They have more money, they put more money in. If they start getting less money back, they'll be suffering bigger losses than a smaller company. A corporate giant can collapse faster than a corner shop once it gets hit.

Here is the thing: they were paid. Someone bought the game. Now they want to get paid a second time.

Really - it doesn't sound bad. You don't have to be online all the time, you just have to enter a series key once and that's that.

I'm going to say you people are whiners and leave it at that.

One problem: I don't have LIVE (I can't get it to work). So even if I buy it new, I still get locked out of content. I imagine that I'm not the only one. Fun.

No. They want to get paid for each customer that buys their game. Every time somebody buys a used copy, it's been chosen over a new copy. Therefore, the developer has lost out.

But, your second issue is a legitimate problem, and I won't try to argue with it. There needs to be a more convenient way of doing this.

I don't see their problem. Used things are bought all of the time. What makes their product special? And it is faulty to assume that "used game sale=one lost sale". There are people who wouldn't have ever bought it new anyway. But say they trade in a game and a used copy is sitting there and they have store credit. And it can be annoying. I couldn't activate Shale in DA:O or Kasumi and Zaheed in ME2 because I couldn't get online to activate the codes that I paid for.

Hah. You highlighted your own flaw. If these people buying it used would never have bought it new, they clearly don't care for what the full price would have offered. They're not looking to get the 110% RAGE experience, they're looking for a cheap FPS to pass the time. So, the developers allow these people this cheap FPS to pass the time, but for these RAGE 'fans', they can either pay the full price or not get the bonuses.

Cutting content is still a douche move. I don't see how they can justify that. We are going to have to agree to disagree.

That's like saying car companes and PC manufacturers are losing out when people sell them at dealerships and ebay. It's nonsense.

Who the hell cares if someone wants to buy something used anyway? Companies can't demand "New only" for any other product.

...you quoted the wrong person. I support your stance.

 

[Gaiseric]

That's disappointing even if it is a small part locked out.

I was excited for Rage then I saw some of the gunplay and my excitement waned some. I'm not going to buy a game new if it doesn't look that fun to me. If they released a demo so I can actually get a feel for how the game is I might change my tune, but until then I won't be saving my money for this.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

(Whistles) That's a pretty gutsy move there id. I always buy whatever game I want brand new because I'm worried about a used copy being damaged in some way, but to cut out the single player? Hm...not sure how I feel about that. Multiplayer I can understand, but single player...coming from someone who loves single player over multiplayer, this sounds like a dangerous slope, although they haven't fallen down it yet.

Read the article

I did. I am well aware of the fact that this only affects people who buy a used game, if that's what you're getting at. If it's not, then I don't know what you're trying to say.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Gamers should really s tart to boycott developers who do this kind of greedy shit. And I mean boycott on a massive scale. If only we could organize something like that. Both developers and publishers need to understand that they can't treat customers like this. Obnoxious DRM, greedy business policies, complete lack of respect towards gamers. It has to stop. Just because they can do something, doesn't mean they should.

I agree we should boycott but gamers are self entitled people who will gladly accept stupid DRM just to have their game. For me any game that uses stunts like this or Online Passes I just boycott and refuse to boy and explain to others why it's stupid. Look at NISA's Disgaea 4, if I go to game stop I can buy the basic game for 50 bucks, ten more bucks and I get a little figure a nice looking box and a DLC code for Flonne. And that isn't the first time NISA did that, Rorona if bought new fro 60 bucks when it came out had a Art Book and I believe a sound track also and they aren't even a big company like EA. I wish gamers realize that most publishers are not giving you anything buy taking away, I mean if I can buy a PS2 game for 40 bucks and get a limited edition box with a doll of jack frost in a cop outfit (For the win) it's kinda hard to accept a Online Pass (And I have no problem buying games new).

 

[Macrobstar]

(Whistles) That's a pretty gutsy move there id. I always buy whatever game I want brand new because I'm worried about a used copy being damaged in some way, but to cut out the single player? Hm...not sure how I feel about that. Multiplayer I can understand, but single player...coming from someone who loves single player over multiplayer, this sounds like a dangerous slope, although they haven't fallen down it yet.

Read the article

I did. I am well aware of the fact that this only affects people who buy a used game, if that's what you're getting at. If it's not, then I don't know what you're trying to say.

It only cuts out a small side mission that doesn't affect the main game in any way shape or form

 

[InsaneMaggot]

...What the hell is 'rage' anyway? I wouldn't even buy it second-hand. You couldn't even gift it to me because it sounds lame. Rage, really? 'Slighty irritated' would be a much better title.


Another stupid idea, but atleast they don't plan lock the WHOLE sp content because the evil leprechaun pirates/secondhanders are stealing their shiny gold-dublons.

 

[Snotnarok]

Next time I want to buy a used Mercedes, I'll call official Mercedes dealership to ask them if they're gonna cut my brakes if I don't give them a piece of that action.

This is fuckin' stupid. Used games market should be no different than any other market for used stuff. This kind of behavior can only increase piracy. There should be a law against this.

A giant flaw in your analogy is that if you're going to an official Mercadies Dealer to buy a used car then you're still giving money to Mercadies, if you're buying a used id game from gamestop you're not giving anything to id. So they make no money for their hard work, instead it's gamestop getting it for doing little more than storing it.

There's a difference between breaks, and what game developers typically do. Brakes are needed for a function. You not having access to certain multiplayer maps,or parts of single player does not effect the overall experience. You can still play the game, however if you want to play the maps the company simply wants something for their hard work.

 

[ph0b0s123]

In my opinion used games are actually worse for the industry than piracy.

And the industry has brain washed another one....

 

[Appleshampoo]

Ok, just watched the trailers for it and I must admit it looks pretty fuckin' sweet. However, it's got Bethesda on the box, so I'll wait a few weeks, and if there's no sign of the creepy fucking 'stretchy corpses' from Fallout I'm going to pick it up. Damn Fallout glitches ruining my game...

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

that sounds... pretty shitty. now i will probably miss this game entirely. meh

edit:

I thought bad things when i read the title, but now I know that its only small parts of the SP taht are being cut for used palyers. In my opinion this is the right way to do DRM.

no, it is not the right way to do DRM, because it is punishing gamers who have still legitimately bought a copy of the game, but could not afford to do so first hand.

Yes it is
The pre-owned market hurts the developers since they dont see any of the money made from it.

People who complain about this DRM/Code practice obviously dont care about the market as much as they claim.

Bitching about content being locked is like buying half a bottle of pop off someone then bitching that you didnt get the whole thing.
YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!
Save up the money and get the game new and quit whining

Then how come car, book, movie, and music makers don't complain about buying their stuff used? And this whole war on used game sales is stupid because buying games used has been done since the early 90 (as far I as can remember). The only reason publishers are getting away with it is cause they have online checks to play watch dog.

Also most of the time developers get that money your worried about before they start making the game. It's the publishers who get the profits from game sales and if it's in the contract will pass some of the profits to developers. I hope you don't buy your next car used (if you buy one that is) since the car makers won't make any money off ya.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

Also don't forget iD gave chunks of their games for free so people could try and enjoy that...guess that stop eh?

 

[ph0b0s123]

Software and Digitally released products are different. If you paid attention to the EULA, you don't OWN the product, but a license of the product to use.

Have heard this before. If used sales were braking the EULA how come Gamestop etc have not been served with a big fat lawsuit for braking it? I wonder...... Yeah, no court would find for them. That's puts how bad it is in perspective if they don't believe a court will support their claim.

 

[Royas]

If you buy it used, you ain't supporting the developers, just like the pirates do. Don't see anything wrong with it, as long as this new little feature doesn't affect the legit buyers.

A buyer of a used game is just as "legit" as a buyer of a new game. There's nothing illegal or even questionable about buying and selling used goods. The only thing questionable in this whole equation is the hissy fits the developers and publishers keep throwing over legal activities. To the point that most, if not all, of DRM is currently designed to gut the legal used market and not the pirate market.

After all, DRM doesn't even slow a pirate down, but it sure will stop the honest used game buyer. You know, the guy buying his game legally, from someone else who bought their game legally, so forth and so on?

The devs and publishers have no right to any money from the used market. They don't like it, they can get out of the business of selling things. That's what we call the price of doing business in the real world.

 

[Dragunai]

Congratulations, you have successfully alienated the gamers who don't use the online features of their consoles due to not being interested in it or not being able to afford it etc. So there's a dent in your profit margin off the bat.

Now consider that pirates have the ability to break into your code, and don't think they won't or can't, unlock this content and then wave it around on a torrent site for the disgruntled people to take for free.

That dent just got a bit bigger didn't it?

What's that? You don't mind as long as people are still buying it 1st hand?
Right only you get a lot of gamers like myself these days who might have bought the game on an off chance, what with this title being a HUGE Meh to most people, who will now tell you to fuck yourself on principle as I, like others in my category, will happily fore go your repetitive, samey game to make sure you understand that we DON'T want this shit and will not support it.

That dent is pretty bad now isn't it?
Your companies credibility is now also in doubt and seeing as I don't know who the fuck these guys are, this has now set the precedent for me.

Adding these guys to the list of C**ts who I will now go out of my way to boycott at all costs along with Valve and EA.

 

[BoredRolePlayer]

(Whistles) That's a pretty gutsy move there id. I always buy whatever game I want brand new because I'm worried about a used copy being damaged in some way, but to cut out the single player? Hm...not sure how I feel about that. Multiplayer I can understand, but single player...coming from someone who loves single player over multiplayer, this sounds like a dangerous slope, although they haven't fallen down it yet.

Read the article

I did. I am well aware of the fact that this only affects people who buy a used game, if that's what you're getting at. If it's not, then I don't know what you're trying to say.

It only cuts out a small side mission that doesn't affect the main game in any way shape or form

But it could start a precedent for others to follow and cut more out.

 

[Keepeas]

I thought bad things when i read the title, but now I know that its only small parts of the SP taht are being cut for used palyers. In my opinion this is the right way to do DRM.

This definitely isn't the right way to go about DRM.
I'm going to argue that the best DRM is NO DRM.
DRM doesn't stop pirates it actually causes more piracy.
DRM hurts legitimate customers and doesn't hurt pirates at all.
DRM DOES NOT do what it is meant to do.

If this section of the game really is insignificant why do this at all?
Are they trying to trick used game buyers into something useless?
Or is it actually very significant and they are trying to down play the severity of the DRM?
Either way it's bad.
I don't see any good in this.

 

[omicron1]

So, as someone who only cares about singleplayer, not only can I not get a discount by buying it multiplayer-free, I get the one part I actually care about cut in half if I DARE to go for "cheap."

All the publishers keep trying to get more money out of the market - it's like watching someone install tap after tap on the same pipe, vainly trying to increase the flow of water, screwing the existing taps as far open as he can. Not only will you not make more money from an already saturated market, gentlemen, you will in all likelihood simply break the market that already exists. I have only a certain amount of money per month to spend on videogames, and that will not change simply because you won't let me get games I like used. All that might happen is that I would be stuck with half as many games for the same amount of money, that I can't sell for as much because nobody will buy them.

Very simply, sirs, you cannot increase revenue this way. The "skyrocketing costs of development" are your doing, and I'm not going to pay for your mistakes. Your two options are: Find new markets, or cut costs. Now get to work!

 

[WouldYouKindly]

I am so fucking sick of devs doing shit like this. No other industry has such a vendetta against the used market. Even the fucking RIAA(the dickheads that sue you for millions for illegally downloading some songs) don't do this shit. Video game devs, if you are lower on this particular issue than the damned RIAA, you seriously need to look at your priorities

No other industry does such a thing and many other games don't do it either and they make plenty of money. It's not like this is necessary for the company to make a profit, it's just a matter of greed that is going to come out of our pockets. I buy used games because I'm at the point where I can still feed my hobby, but can't go spending away.

Now, I understand devs want to make all the money they can, but so do record companies and car companies. With modern technology, both industries could probably put limits on the used market, but they don't.

Lastly, this game is likely to have a lot of DLC, Bethesda games usually do, if less people have the game then there are less potential buyers for the DLC.

 

[Princess Rose]

Here is the funny part. How does hurting 2nd hand buyers increase the number of people willing to shell out $60 for your game? Answer is it doesn't. It just means the 2nd hand buyers will play something else. Congrats Bethesda/ID, you pissed some people off, wasted a bunch of development time your little lock, and gained nothing from it.

Well, they may have gained one thing - hurting Gamestop and other used game sellers.

If no one buys the game uses, then those places will waste their money giving people trade-ins, but never be able to get rid of the traded-in games.

That said, I doubt it will work. **shrug**

 

[Valdus]

Why can't devs just suck it up? Everything else has to settle for 2nd hand sales. Hell I don't know anyone personally who has bought a car new.

Adding Bethesda to the list of companies I don't buy from. Yes, that's right Bethesda, you're on the same list as E.A, how does that make you feel?