Used Game Sales are a "Bigger Problem Than Piracy"

[Atmos Duality]

why not? with music sales, the price generally goes up as the cd's get older and sell less copies, not the other way around. but, seeing as how business men like to think with their wallets, they mark everything up until it sells X amount of copies, and then they bring the prices down to sell it to the rest of the consumer base.

Bingo. That's "effective launch shelf life", and it's the dominant trend for new releases, but it applies to video games just as much if not more.
The idea is to hike prices up on launch day in an attempt to get a burst of revenue as quick as possible so the company can reinvest it as soon as possible into money markets, and to cover the cost of production. The inverse model would be that of older Blizzard titles, who sell strong even 5 years after their competitors' products have expired because the replay-ability is intentionally high. Of course, it's risky to attempt that because of the production values required. If you screw up, you can end up with a Romero-class disaster like Daikatana.

I theorize that this is why we have so many junk games now; they're scientifically designed to be played once and then you either join the multiplayer fanbase or you purchase the inevitable sequel.
"Why make excellent when mediocre makes more money, and leaves itself open for a sequel!"
I realized this when I saw that Halo 2 ended with a cliffhanger.

This trend fits perfectly into the "magpie market" theory, where graphics and gimmicks dominate over solid core gameplay. Making titles disposable means their sequels will survive to be milked later down the line. Once the first cash cow runs dry, they just dredge up some other license they plundered purchased and go to work on that one.

To use a recent example, Modern Warfare 2 touted record sales within the first month, and that's exactly what the Investors wanted to hear. How about the customer?
Well...for the first 3 months after its release, my own clique of friends talked about the game, described it etc...and then it just sort of dropped.
Why? They stopped playing it.

Yet, we're playing Warcraft 3 every weekend, and routinely talk about it, despite it being 7 years old. It's not just a quick fix for the action junkie; it's moddable and has many MANY good custom maps. The replay factor has enabled the game to make legitimate sales even in 2010.

Edit: Of course, someone is going to jump on me for comparing console games to PC games, but I would like to state the same has been true of many console games of the previous generation, even niche titles.
I have logged somewhere around 300 hours in Armored Core 3/Silent Line because of the vs multiplayer alone, and all of that in my own den. Let alone the perennial fighting games and single player odysseys.

 

[Snownine]

I could not disagree more with this!

my argument has always been:

IF YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO SELL THEIR GAMES: DON'T MAKE THEM SHIT!

I agree 100%.

OT: What is the gaming industries theory on why this is more of a problem now than in the past?

 

[Zarggg]

Okay. If publishers don't want game stores to carry used games, that's fine. All that has to be done is the reduce the price of games a little bit (15-20% should be fair), and make sure games are in stock regularly, and for several years after the release date (as long as the console is getting new games).

I recently had to repurchase Final Fantasy IV DS because I had somehow misplaced my copy of the actual game (still have the manual, box, and case. Can't find the card anywhere.) and I was only able to find a single used copy of the game at any store in my immediate area.

 

[Schnippshly]

Oh nooo! The idea of someone paying full price for a game, not liking it, and selling it for cheap to someone else who actually does like it is just AWFUL! We need to stop letting people sell their stupid games that they hate!

 

[MorganL4]

Oh noes, we're not getting as much money as we want.

it is not too bad for the big guys activision, EA ect... but for the smaller developers out there it really does cut into their bottom line, personally I think they may see bigger numbers if they bring the games back down to $50 where the comp games are, instead of $60 because for my part I don't really buy games for my xbox anymore largely because of the cost, and if I do they are inevitably used. On the other hand, I have bought 3 new pc games within the last few months...so drop the price back down and see where it goes is my suggestion

 

[John Farce]

look at all the hypocrites go here

there is much, much less piracy going on than second hand sales

if you buy a game used, it's just like if you pirated it, the developer gets no money from that second hand sale

just admit this and move on, steam is the ultimate solution against all kinds of unfair practices

 

[John Farce]

The first day I have to pay for an activation fee for a used, offline, game is the day I stop gaming.

if any company ever does that they wont be getting a single penny from me ever again. hell i'll probably pirate every damn thing they produce just to spite them. this is probably perfectly OK given the consumer shafting EULA system of customers not actually owning software. technically its illegal to sell windows second-hand, all it takes is to tack on an arrangement whereby a customer can pay a fee to make that 'illegal' 2nd hand copy licensed.

i hope we dont start to see a slow shift towards this. giving away free DLC with new games is one thing. chopping off half the game, labeling it DLC and charging extra for it is entirely another. as long as release day extras remain extras (armour, characters that arent a big part of the story like the blood dragon armour and shale in DA:O) im fine with it. its like the swag that comes with a special edition.

seriously fuck companies complaining about the second hand market. every other industry in the world (consumable goods excepted for obvious reasons) has to deal with a second hand market. its especially ironic that EA is the one complaining most about this and scrabbling for techniques to wring a few extra pennies out, given that they own half the industry and are swimming in cash thanks to their despicable business practices. its their own tendancy to release the same shit game with vaguely improved graphics and different stats once a year that drives the second hand market anyway.

so it's perfectly fine to buy a used game with the developer and publisher getting no money from it, but it's absolutely horrible when they try to get some money back from it? because a used copy sold is one unique copy not sold

 

[John Farce]

so it's perfectly fine to buy a used game with the developer and publisher getting no money from it, but it's absolutely horrible when they try to get some money back from it? because a used copy sold is one unique copy not sold

But here's the thing. Gamestop not withstanding, most used games sell for far far less than they would new. I would never pay £40 for a game unless I was absolutely certain that I had myself a good game. That's simply how I am. The economy is shit at the minute, and I don't want to spend huge amounts of money on a game unless I know I'm going to get something worth my money. £40 is a lot of money to me. I could quite easily feed myself for a week on that.

If I see an interesting looking game retailing for £20, though, or even £10-15 as you often see on Amazon, then I may well be tempted to pick it up. I hate paying £40 only to end up with a shit game, but for £15, I'll happily take that gamble. In short, most used games sales are from gamers who have no interest in risking fourty quid on a game. Therefore, if you take the second-hand option away from them, they'll simply do without. If someone can't buy a game for £15, what makes you think they'll buy it for £40?

Developers have no more right to ***** about used sales than authors, directors and actors do. Yet I've yet to hear JK Rowling moan about how second-hand bookshops have negatively affected Harry Potter sales, or hear Peter Jackson announce his plan to include the ending of Return Of The King (all seven of them!) only on new DVDs.

if you're okay with second hand sales, then you're okay witih piracy

the day the resellers of used games will make deals and contracts with developers and publishers, then second hand sale will be okay

otherwise, it's the same as piracy
hell it's even worse, because a second hand sale is an assured sale, it means the developers were assured a sale of a new unique copy, instead it's a sale of a used copy

now, i wish to buy the ace combat games
many of them are not produced anymore, and new copies cost more than newer games
this is where services like steam shine, they propose package of old games with the newer ones, at the price of the new game
developers gets money from their old games, while making very interesting packs for the consumer (such as myself that never played the PS2 ace combat games)

 

[Atmos Duality]

look at all the hypocrites go here

there is much, much less piracy going on than second hand sales

if you buy a game used, it's just like if you pirated it, the developer gets no money from that second hand sale

You bumped a year old topic to make a statement that you have absolutely no way of proving, and to repeat something we all knew already?

Well, your intention was made clear when you started calling people hypocrites.

if you're okay with second hand sales, then you're okay witih piracy

otherwise, it's the same as piracy

Not all games that are in the used market are also available new. Disprove or stop posting.

 

[Beautiful End]

Maaaaan, I am so sick and tired of this argument. For my own health, I gotta stop getting peed off every time someone tries and attack used game sales.
So even though this is an old topic, here's my two cents. (I guess its needed since the topic keeps getting bumped?)

I'll start off by saying I work at Gamestop.

No, I am not defending Gamestop.
Yes, they have a crappy trade in system, where the most you can usually get out of a $60 game for a trade in is around $25, store credit. (Cash is probably around $20 or so)
Yes, buying used games is a gamble.
NO, BUYING USED GAMES CANNOT BE COMPARED TO A WORLDWIDE CRIME!

Sorry for the Caps crazy moment there. But there are a lot of benefits out of buying used.

First of all, it's cheaper. Yeah, most of the time, it's only around $5 to $10 cheaper but if you're buying 5 games at once, you're saving at least $25. And you can always buying it brand new if you don't like the way the game looks. No one's forcing you to do it! Also, I recall buying MD2 for $20 when it's still $60 for a brand new copy. Better purchase? Uhh, yeah, I think so.

Second, if you don't want me to buy used games, re-release the damn games as brand new! For example, try going to a store, any store, and find Shadow of the Colossus brand new. Go ahead, do it. You won't find it. And if you do, it will be around $60. MvC2, Silent Hill 2, Guilty Gear, the DMC/MGS Collection, Mario Sunshine, Smash Bros Melee, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Stubbs the Zombie; I could go on all day. So am I to understand that if a store doesn't carry it brand new, I should just curse my faith, curl up and cry forever? I don't think so. What's that? We can get some games off the PSN or XBLA? I don't think so. They have a vast selection of games, yes, but not all of them. And yeah, I would expect them to make up for what the stores can't offer me. I also prefer to have a physical copy of the game. That way, I can take it a friend's house or play Frisbee with it, whatever my heart desires. So if I can find it used, I'll buy it. What's that again? I could buy it off a friend or eBay? Yeah, I suppose. But guess what?

If buying used games is a crime, we should all go to jail! When your third cousin sells you GTA for 5 bucks, that's buying a used game. That's money that could have gone to the developers, you 10 year old sly dog. So assuming that due to some miracle, stores stopped carrying used games, we still have eBay. And the internet. And human interaction! That would be even worse because we would make our own prices. And then you'd have all sorts of online stores. I don't know. I'm spitballing here but the point is this won't stop even if Gamestop drops this habit. It won't even be the first step towards something. It's meaningless.

Fourth, like someone said, if the developers stopped coming up with short games that fall short from what's promised, then maybe I'll buy the game brand new. Look, I bought inFamous 2 brand new because I know the game is awesome. However, I want to get Brink but I'll wait until I find a used copy. Why? Because I'll probably finish the game in about 5 hours. I'm NOT paying $60 for a game that I can finish during a coffee break. Hell, I think a game of Twister lasts longer than that.

And fifth, developers DO get money, or else the video game industry would be dead by now. Instead, we're getting more stuff than ever. Look at all the CoD games. I sell tons of used and new CoD games per week. And yet, they manage to release a game each year. A good game, nonetheless. They know their stuff: If a kid buys CoD3 used and then realizes that MW3 is coming out, chances are he'll probably get MW3, used or new. But you got yourself a loyal customer right there. So no people, don't blame developers closing their doors on used game sales. Blame it on how lame they are. It happened with Homefront [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110991-THQ-Closes-Homefront-Studio], it's happening to Duke Nukem [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8949-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Review], it will happen to any future half-assed games. Good games still get a LOT of profits and sequels despite used game sales, like Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear, Gears of War, Silent Hill, even Call of Duty.
What's that, guy in the back? Big developers get the bigger piece of cake? I suppose. But they had to start somewhere, right? A good developer will sell games no matter how big or small they are. And speaking of cake, look at Valve. A group of unknown people released a really good, original, well though game (Portal) and boom! Worldwide fame. People don't even care that the game can be finished in less than a day because the game is just so awesome, refreshing and original. And now we have ourselves a vast variety of Valve games.


So! Developers. Want people to stop buying used games? How about making us WANT to buy your games. I'll admit good Special Editions for games are a real incentive for me to buy a new game. I recently got my InFamous 2 Hero Edition and I love it. But I might not get AS: Revelations "Special Edition" because it only comes with a soundtrack. Eh, we got iTunes or Amazon for that.
Or, you know, come up with awesome games. Just sayin.

 

[John Farce]

look at all the hypocrites go here

there is much, much less piracy going on than second hand sales

if you buy a game used, it's just like if you pirated it, the developer gets no money from that second hand sale

You bumped a year old topic to make a statement that you have absolutely no way of proving, and to repeat something we all knew already?

Well, your intention was made clear when you started calling people hypocrites.

if you're okay with second hand sales, then you're okay witih piracy

otherwise, it's the same as piracy

Not all games that are in the used market are also available new. Disprove or stop posting.

have a look at the numbers

Maaaaan, I am so sick and tired of this argument. For my own health, I gotta stop getting peed off every time someone tries and attack used game sales.
So even though this is an old topic, here's my two cents. (I guess its needed since the topic keeps getting bumped?)

I'll start off by saying I work at Gamestop.

No, I am not defending Gamestop.
Yes, they have a crappy trade in system, where the most you can usually get out of a $60 game for a trade in is around $25, store credit. (Cash is probably around $20 or so)
Yes, buying used games is a gamble.
NO, BUYING USED GAMES CANNOT BE COMPARED TO A WORLDWIDE CRIME!

Sorry for the Caps crazy moment there. But there are a lot of benefits out of buying used.

First of all, it's cheaper. Yeah, most of the time, it's only around $5 to $10 cheaper but if you're buying 5 games at once, you're saving at least $25. And you can always buying it brand new if you don't like the way the game looks. No one's forcing you to do it! Also, I recall buying MD2 for $20 when it's still $60 for a brand new copy. Better purchase? Uhh, yeah, I think so.

Second, if you don't want me to buy used games, re-release the damn games as brand new! For example, try going to a store, any store, and find Shadow of the Colossus brand new. Go ahead, do it. You won't find it. And if you do, it will be around $60. MvC2, Silent Hill 2, Guilty Gear, the DMC/MGS Collection, Mario Sunshine, Smash Bros Melee, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Stubbs the Zombie; I could go on all day. So am I to understand that if a store doesn't carry it brand new, I should just curse my faith, curl up and cry forever? I don't think so. What's that? We can get some games off the PSN or XBLA? I don't think so. They have a vast selection of games, yes, but not all of them. And yeah, I would expect them to make up for what the stores can't offer me. I also prefer to have a physical copy of the game. That way, I can take it a friend's house or play Frisbee with it, whatever my heart desires. So if I can find it used, I'll buy it. What's that again? I could buy it off a friend or eBay? Yeah, I suppose. But guess what?

If buying used games is a crime, we should all go to jail! When your third cousin sells you GTA for 5 bucks, that's buying a used game. That's money that could have gone to the developers, you 10 year old sly dog. So assuming that due to some miracle, stores stopped carrying used games, we still have eBay. And the internet. And human interaction! That would be even worse because we would make our own prices. And then you'd have all sorts of online stores. I don't know. I'm spitballing here but the point is this won't stop even if Gamestop drops this habit. It won't even be the first step towards something. It's meaningless.

Fourth, like someone said, if the developers stopped coming up with short games that fall short from what's promised, then maybe I'll buy the game brand new. Look, I bought inFamous 2 brand new because I know the game is awesome. However, I want to get Brink but I'll wait until I find a used copy. Why? Because I'll probably finish the game in about 5 hours. I'm NOT paying $60 for a game that I can finish during a coffee break. Hell, I think a game of Twister lasts longer than that.

And fifth, developers DO get money, or else the video game industry would be dead by now. Instead, we're getting more stuff than ever. Look at all the CoD games. I sell tons of used and new CoD games per week. And yet, they manage to release a game each year. A good game, nonetheless. They know their stuff: If a kid buys CoD3 used and then realizes that MW3 is coming out, chances are he'll probably get MW3, used or new. But you got yourself a loyal customer right there. So no people, don't blame developers closing their doors on used game sales. Blame it on how lame they are. It happened with Homefront [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110991-THQ-Closes-Homefront-Studio], it's happening to Duke Nukem [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8949-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Review], it will happen to any future half-assed games. Good games still get a LOT of profits and sequels despite used game sales, like Assassin's Creed, Metal Gear, Gears of War, Silent Hill, even Call of Duty.
What's that, guy in the back? Big developers get the bigger piece of cake? I suppose. But they had to start somewhere, right? A good developer will sell games no matter how big or small they are. And speaking of cake, look at Valve. A group of unknown people released a really good, original, well though game (Portal) and boom! Worldwide fame. People don't even care that the game can be finished in less than a day because the game is just so awesome, refreshing and original. And now we have ourselves a vast variety of Valve games.


So! Developers. Want people to stop buying used games? How about making us WANT to buy your games. I'll admit good Special Editions for games are a real incentive for me to buy a new game. I recently got my InFamous 2 Hero Edition and I love it. But I might not get AS: Revelations "Special Edition" because it only comes with a soundtrack. Eh, we got iTunes or Amazon for that.
Or, you know, come up with awesome games. Just sayin.

and yet, one used game sale = no new copy sold, one lost sale
this is exactly like piracy
disprove this, go ahead

you guys sound like hypocrites

my solution for the used game market problem is to make the developers and publishers participate, like valve does with it's steam platform for digital distribution of new games

prove me wrong, go ahead, try and tell me that it's wrong that developers get money from their work

and it's a fact that there is much much less piracy than used games sale, if you think otherwise, you're either delusional, or you just don't want to look at statistics

you seem to be under the impression that the quality of the game is what dictates the consumer to buy used instead of new

while in fact, the consumer does it in order to pay as little as possible for his video games
so really, developers and publishers need to accept this market instead of fighting it, just like piracy
you can't fight piracy with DMR measures, but by providing a better service (steam comes in mind of course)
and piracy is not that much of a problem, only the developers who make shit games that do not sell well, will directly blame pirates (isn't this funny)

 

[Atmos Duality]

have a look at the numbers

Provide the numbers.
Burden of proof is on you.

 

[John Farce]

have a look at the numbers

Provide the numbers.
Burden of proof is on you.

look at torrent sites, i don't want to be banned because i posted torrents links

then have a look at the numbers and the benefits spawned by the used game industry

don't tell me you're that blind

one important point to note: there's no way to see if the pirates completed the game, bought the game because they enjoyed it, or simply trashed it because it was shit

in the other hand, with used game sales, the developer is assured that at least one sale has been lost

 

[Atmos Duality]

have a look at the numbers

Provide the numbers.
Burden of proof is on you.

look at torrent sites, i don't want to be banned because i posted torrents links

then have a look at the numbers and the benefits spawned by the used game industry

don't tell me you're that blind

I'm not blind; I just use logic and facts as evidence instead of fallacies.
By the way, your evidence of Torrent sites only proves that piracy exists; it doesn't prove the equation of used games to piracy.

So your argument still fails.

Some food for thought:
When a pirate downloads a game, s/he CREATES a new copy of that game; thus, s/he increases the number of copies of that game in existence.
This does not happen with Used Games; the data/license is simply transferred.
None are created or destroyed. The number doesn't change.
This fact disproves your equation by the simple logic of supply and demand.

Thus, you cannot equate Piracy with Used Game sales.

 

[John Farce]

have a look at the numbers

Provide the numbers.
Burden of proof is on you.

look at torrent sites, i don't want to be banned because i posted torrents links

then have a look at the numbers and the benefits spawned by the used game industry

don't tell me you're that blind

I'm not blind; I just use logic and facts as evidence instead of fallacies.
By the way, your evidence of Torrent sites only proves that piracy exists; it doesn't prove the equation of used games to piracy.

So your argument still fails.

Some food for thought:
When a pirate downloads a game, s/he CREATES a new copy of that game; thus, s/he increases the number of copies of that game in existence.
This does not happen with Used Games; the data/license is simply transferred.
None are created or destroyed. The number doesn't change.
This fact disproves your equation by the simple logic of supply and demand.

Thus, you cannot equate Piracy with Used Game sales.

so for you, a person that wishes to own the game, but buys a used copy is not worse than a person who wishes to own that same game, but does not pay undeserving people for it?
the person who buys used shows the interest in owning the game, but buys a used copy
this means that no new copy is sold, and instead of earning money on new copy, the developer earns NOTHING, and at the same time gamestop earns undeserved money (they did not develop the game)
if you think that copying a game is creating a new copy, you don't know anything about how cd keys work

also here's what piracy does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qkyt1wXNlI

so yes, used games are just like piracy, if not worse because you pay people undeserving of receiving this money

if you think developers do not deserve to be paid for used games, then you're as bad as a pirate

i think as a developer here, you think as a person (maybe a kid) who wishes to play all the games ever at the cheapest price while thinking he's doing no harm

well guess what, YOU ARE HARMING DEVELOPERS.

 

[Atmos Duality]

so for you, a person that wishes to own the game, but buys a used copy is not worse than a person who wishes to own that same game, but does not pay undeserving people for it?

Here's a mathematical function for the amount a developer will make on a game (along that game's lifespan):
Fn 1 = c/x
c is some positive constant.
x cannot be equal to or less than 0 (obviously. Can't divide by zero. And you can't have negative owners)
x is always some integer (you can't claim for a game to have been sold 1.5 times or have had 1.5 owners.)

Integers of X greater than 1 will obviously denote the game as "used".

x represents the number of owners for that game (or the number of times it is sold).
c represents the game's estimated effect on revenue to the Publisher, whatever it might be. c is some initial constant. (not necessarily the developer. You cannot assume any price you pay automatically goes to the developer for any game. For the sake of the argument, we will here though).
c could theoretically change (almost always decrease) naturally as time goes on, but for this argument, we must assume it is constant.

Here is a mathematical function for the amount a publisher/developer will make on a pirated game: Fn2 = 0 (constant)

You will notice that the first function always generates a positive value at all points for X.
The second function is a constant zero. Therefore, Fn 1 is always > Fn 2 where it defined.
Since Fn 1 > Fn 2, it cannot be equal

well guess what, YOU ARE HARMING DEVELOPERS.

Perhaps I am, perhaps I'm not. It's purely circumstantial. However, your claim was that piracy was as harmful as used game sales. By math and logic I have proven that they are not the same. SO YOU CANNOT EQUATE ONE TO THE OTHER.

I understand perfectly well the meaning of arbitrage and the exploitation thereof; I agree that abuse of arbitrage harms developers whose games are currently in the retail cycle.
I do *NOT* agree that *ALL* used game sales harm developers; especially/particularly for old titles that are no longer in mainstream retail or are out of print.

 

[Beautiful End]

Huuuuuge snip.

I disapprove of this.

Look, I don't approve of piracy. Is it a shortcut? Yes. Is it stealing? Yes. Is it illegal? Hell yes. In this case, no one is getting any money out of it. But buying used games is not a crime.

Don't call us hypocrites just because we don't share your point of view. The way I see it, if I can buy a game for less money, I'll do it. I'm not being a criminal or a hypocrite or a low life. It's common logic. And hey, it's not like I'm buying a bootleg version of it. That is, it's not like I'm choosing to buy a Madcatz controller over a Sony one.

Also, buying used stuff is not a crime. Hell, if I wanna sell my underwear for 5 dollars and someone is willing to buy, then whatever. it's not piracy. it's just me trying to get rid of something and someone willing to pay me for it. Am I gonna refuse? Hell no.

While good quality of games is not the only reason behind people buying used games, it's still a reason. If I know Homefront sucks but I still wanna play it, why spend 60 dollars on that game when I can probably buy a good, brand new game? I would prefer to buy a new copy of Portal 2 for 40 dollars and buy any used game with the remaining money.

One lost sale? Well, unless someone gets the game for free, I don't see how that's a lost sale. Like I said, developers still get money out of people who originally bought the game new. Would they get more money if there were no used copies to sell? Sure, but most companies still have DLCs and stuff like that to rely on.

In case none of that made sense, I'm not saying buying used games is good but it's not bad either. It's a choice, not a crime. What I'm saying is that companies are entitled to sell used copies of games. It's up to the consumer to either choose to buy them or not, that's it. No one is forcing people to buy them. But I think that developers wanting to get rid of used game sales is a dumb step. Like I said, let's say that by some miracle, you're able to do it. Then you'd have to go after eBay, Craigslist, Amazon, people who put up ads about selling stuff and whatnot. And while we're at it, we should ban people from selling other items, like cellphones (Which are probably stolen and I'm not being sarcastic), consoles, TVs, furniture and whatnot. After all, developers are getting no profit out of people selling their items as used.

Look, all I'm saying is that I'm tired of developers making us consumers look like 'criminals' because we choose to buy games used. I'm tired of making a big fuss about it when selling used items is a common practice. It's something that people are entitled to do. If I feel like selling my games to my friend, should I be embarrassed about it because there's a starving developer somewhere who won't get any lunch today because of me? I want developers to get their fair share; I'm not being an ass. But you can't stop the selling of used games. If it's not Gamestop, it will be the internet or something else. Take it as tragically or as joyfully as you want.
And sure, developers are entitled to add whatever they want to games in order to prevent used game sales. It's their game, after all. And it's up to us to buy it or not. No problem with that.

But developers comparing their followers to criminals? Dick move.