Volition Dev Vs. Pre-Owned Games
- Thread starter The Wooster
- Start date
Yeah, I can see your point. I guess Gamestop's business model has worked for a reason, and I'd imagine the situation you describe is that reason exactly.FelixG said:
And the uber cheap (like me) are even worse, because they only like to buy games that are 5+ years old. By that time, the used market is just about your only option. All the more reason why the Steam model is a good choice: I'm perfectly happy paying the publisher $20 for a five-year-old game instead of some used store on Amazon Marketplace, but with retail I usually don't have that option.
Of course, that's one of the reasons this whole "Ban Used Games" thing pisses me off. It's like if every five years or so, Ford or Nissan went out into the world, rounded up every one of their older cars that people were trying to get rid of, and burned them all in a big pile. Good for new car sales? Yes. Stupid and wasteful? Also yes.
This is a bad idea.
This is a REALLY bad idea.
I kinda wanna see this pass anyway though, because if it did, and people just never touched the next console, the dev's reaction would be priceless. Because you just know they're going to loose so much money over it, and when they do, they'll try and come up with something even worse.
I wanna see that happen.
I'll also stop playing video games if it becomes the norm, but if it makes a statement, I'd say it's worth it. I'll just go become a writer, or a doctor, or something like that.
This is a REALLY bad idea.
I kinda wanna see this pass anyway though, because if it did, and people just never touched the next console, the dev's reaction would be priceless. Because you just know they're going to loose so much money over it, and when they do, they'll try and come up with something even worse.
I wanna see that happen.
I'll also stop playing video games if it becomes the norm, but if it makes a statement, I'd say it's worth it. I'll just go become a writer, or a doctor, or something like that.
It's a reasonable idea. I suspect there might be some technical problems with it (for e.g., how would the game know whether or not the time limit has expired for sure if the authentication server is ever taken offline?).FelixG said:
Personally, given how many people use emulators to play pirated games from the olden days (even as late as the PSX), my preferred solution would be to let developers have their "No used sales" period, until they stop making the console. Then, either add emulation to the new generation of consoles, or sell an emulator that runs on desktop computers, and get rid of the DRM completely or sell digital copies for $5-$10 each. I mean hell, if the games are so old that neither the publishers nor the hardware manufacturer are going to make any money off of them any other way, why not make money off the people who want to keep playing their old games and want to keep their collections in working order?
Seriously, if CS students can design functional emulators for the PS2 in their spare time, why can't the system manufacturer do it? And you don't even have to drive any FoxConn workers to suicide to distribute a piece of software.
http://maggiebaggy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/*****.gif
Is this guy for real?
Very few games are worth the £45 price tag on release, and I will carry on waiting until they're either cheap on pre-owned or in a big sale (I picked SR:3 up for £20 in a massive sale a week after release, like I'm gonna pay full price)
Anti-everything on next gen will hurt them more than pre-owned copies are apparently hurting them. It would be hilarious to see them cry over it though.
Maybe they should start listening to the gamers more if they want money, rather than try every trick they can think of to try and make more money.
Is this guy for real?
Very few games are worth the £45 price tag on release, and I will carry on waiting until they're either cheap on pre-owned or in a big sale (I picked SR:3 up for £20 in a massive sale a week after release, like I'm gonna pay full price)
Anti-everything on next gen will hurt them more than pre-owned copies are apparently hurting them. It would be hilarious to see them cry over it though.
Maybe they should start listening to the gamers more if they want money, rather than try every trick they can think of to try and make more money.
I play console games on the PS3. I buy both new and used games, and never sell any of them once they are on my shelf. My latest purchase happens to be Skyrim. I only purchased it because my friends hounded me for weeks with "Dude you gotta get Skyrim it's so cool"-type comments, so I rented it from Redbox for a 1 day. I bought the game new the following day. I otherwise would not have and was prepared to go without ever playing the game until I rented it, and started getting curious about the story. Many of the new games that I buy, have similar stories behind them. They start out being rented, borrowed, or on occasion demo'd first, then turn into a sale.
Most of the games that I buy used, are impulse buys while I am at the store to get the new game. They are typically games that I would never buy new (and some quite frankly I would never miss if used games didn't exist).
The point I'm trying to make is:
1) Without the ability to play used games, I would not have purchased the large majority of my new games due to the uncertainty of whether I am going to like it or not, leading to less revenue for the publisher/developer.
2) The used games that I buy are not titles that I would ever consider buying new. I'm usually looking for that gem that nobody knows about, including myself. They are the games that have the 6 price labels on top of each other that have been in the store so long that they are probably costing the retail store money by taking up a spot that a good game could be displayed. They typically turn out to be games that had good reason for sitting there so long. They are the games that are basically individually packaged shiny coasters. They are the games that would have never translated into money for the developer or publisher, because I would have never bought it except "Hey, why not? I've spent more on a cup of coffee". I see my used game purchases having little effect at all. Maybe you can take some comfort in the fact that I just took a used game off of the market, to sit on my shelf forever.
I realize that this isn't the circumstance for every person that buys used games, and that some people are going to buy/trade used games exclusively, because they are cheaper. (The good or popular ones don't seem to be that much cheaper though.) This is probably not the situation with even the majority of used game buyers. It is my situation, as a casual gamer. I have to believe that there are many more casual gamers that would skip the console experience altogether (or stick to the ones we currently have) if the Non-used game console ever happened.
You know what the saddest part is? It probably will happen .... eventually. Then, even if all of the gamers united and boycotted the console(s) that implemented it, the publishers and devs would probably just use the other scapegoat to explain the lost sales. The Jolly Roger! And SOPA, the "Stop On-line Privacy Act" will resurface in one form or another...yet again.
Most of the games that I buy used, are impulse buys while I am at the store to get the new game. They are typically games that I would never buy new (and some quite frankly I would never miss if used games didn't exist).
The point I'm trying to make is:
1) Without the ability to play used games, I would not have purchased the large majority of my new games due to the uncertainty of whether I am going to like it or not, leading to less revenue for the publisher/developer.
2) The used games that I buy are not titles that I would ever consider buying new. I'm usually looking for that gem that nobody knows about, including myself. They are the games that have the 6 price labels on top of each other that have been in the store so long that they are probably costing the retail store money by taking up a spot that a good game could be displayed. They typically turn out to be games that had good reason for sitting there so long. They are the games that are basically individually packaged shiny coasters. They are the games that would have never translated into money for the developer or publisher, because I would have never bought it except "Hey, why not? I've spent more on a cup of coffee". I see my used game purchases having little effect at all. Maybe you can take some comfort in the fact that I just took a used game off of the market, to sit on my shelf forever.
I realize that this isn't the circumstance for every person that buys used games, and that some people are going to buy/trade used games exclusively, because they are cheaper. (The good or popular ones don't seem to be that much cheaper though.) This is probably not the situation with even the majority of used game buyers. It is my situation, as a casual gamer. I have to believe that there are many more casual gamers that would skip the console experience altogether (or stick to the ones we currently have) if the Non-used game console ever happened.
You know what the saddest part is? It probably will happen .... eventually. Then, even if all of the gamers united and boycotted the console(s) that implemented it, the publishers and devs would probably just use the other scapegoat to explain the lost sales. The Jolly Roger! And SOPA, the "Stop On-line Privacy Act" will resurface in one form or another...yet again.
Not to mention.Chairman Miaow said:
... Ahh sonofabitch. Caught myself with that one. *reinstalls VTMB*
Which btw I bought again just recently. Used.
I never managed to get that to work on any of my computers. Any advice for getting it to run on 7?Monkeyman O said:
Simply put, without the used games market and with developers charging $60 for a game no matter what the content (and/or tacking on unnecessary padding or multiplayer to make it seem more worth the money) I wouldn't buy their games. I honestly don't care that much for 90% of AAA games. They're worth playing if I get the chance, but I'm not really itching to dive into every Mass Effect or Gears of War. They're repetitive experiences, gameplay-wise. I can get better on the Wii or DS if I don't mind not having polished visuals, a clever story and immense battles. And most of the time, I don't.
Some games deserve a $60 buy. Most don't. Uncharted is just a movie to me. It's intense and packed with action and a good story but I wouldn't pay more for the game than I would an Uncharted Blue-ray movie, which is to say $15 or so at the most.
Developers and publishers need to take a look at Steam and how they handle sales. I'm almost certain that a retail game released $20 or $30 cheaper than normal would drum up sales (in $ made, not copies sold) much higher than they would get at $60. If the next CoD were $30, imagine how many more people would be all over that? If it were such a price, would that not convince some of you to spend the extra money you "saved" on Elite or a map pack or two? When a game is cheaper than those around it, it gathers some attention. As little as $10 can be the difference between a gamer going from on the fence to day 1 purchase/preorder.
Some games deserve a $60 buy. Most don't. Uncharted is just a movie to me. It's intense and packed with action and a good story but I wouldn't pay more for the game than I would an Uncharted Blue-ray movie, which is to say $15 or so at the most.
Developers and publishers need to take a look at Steam and how they handle sales. I'm almost certain that a retail game released $20 or $30 cheaper than normal would drum up sales (in $ made, not copies sold) much higher than they would get at $60. If the next CoD were $30, imagine how many more people would be all over that? If it were such a price, would that not convince some of you to spend the extra money you "saved" on Elite or a map pack or two? When a game is cheaper than those around it, it gathers some attention. As little as $10 can be the difference between a gamer going from on the fence to day 1 purchase/preorder.
I take issue with this part. Modern Warfare 3 broke every sales record known to man in like the first week it was out. I doubt they could have doubled that figure, so dropping the price to $30 would probably have lost them a considerable amount of profit.Eventidal said:
On the same token, the fact that they made such a ridiculous amount of money shortly after release shows that enough people have the money to buy games new at the current price that it doesn't really matter.
It's not like the PC has a used game market either.
You have a point. CoD was a bad example to give. This would apply more to games like... El Shaddai, or Metro 2033. Those lesser-known games that are fairly marketable and enjoyable, but don't have the advantage of already having a ravenous horde of all-consuming fans behind them to jump in no matter what their beef with the series. (Really.. it's insane. I know nobody IRL who actually likes CoD for CoD. Yet the handful I know who bought it, mainly got it to piss off other players online and get their online shooting fix. (and to finish the story, because it's so engrossing I guess?) They won't admit it but they're buying a $60 game every year or so because it's got them hooked like an IV drip of liquid cocaine.Kopikatsu said:
So, bad example. They hate CoD but they buy it full-price anyway. I'm sure it WOULD help their sales a lot if only the people who liked it bought it. That lower price tag really would make a huge difference in sales, especially on a new game that's getting its time in the limelight of reviews.
Oh heaven and hell! please dont let this become a reality, my mate just let me borrow both Mass Effect games, and I quite like being able to play them '2nd hand'. I dont wanna have to buy a game for the full price or even whatever price it is, when I could just borrow it. Hell I bought the DLC's for these games and they're only loans, Bioware still get my money just not as much X/
Perhaps the game industry could grow to understand why people buy used games, and that they won't kill it?
Honestly what a condescending tone to take with your customers. The gentleman comes across as a tosser, if you'll pardon my French.
People have been buying used books since the invention of printing, and as far as I'm aware the book industry hasn't combusted or gone into crisis mode. Heck, you can freely go out and get books from libraries, and STILL the book industry survives. I'm not going to be made to feel guilty for buying a used copy of a game. If they want my money, they're going to have to earn it - not by restricting my choices.
Okay, someone correct me if I'm wrong but something like that couldn't possibly be legal could it? Wouldn't it voilate some kind of anti-trust laws or some such? I mean by doing something like that you're literally saying "Okay, this system of buisness is no longer valid in our eyes and we're going out of our way to cut a legitimate buisness section out of our market so we can make more money". Can you picture if Exxon Mobil suddenly decided that they were going to make their fuel compatible with American made cars only (somehow, this is hypothetical)? Anti-trust up the fucking ass! Or if power companies felt like home generators were cutting into their profits so they changed all their wiring in new buildings to be incompatible with home generators? I mean, come on here!