Why online distribution will suck

[thePyro_13]

I don't trade in, I did it once, and the stores rip you off so hard its not funny(buy games from you for ~$5 - ~$15, sell for ~$50).

I do my research and buy my games for keeps. DD forever!

 

[RemuValtrez]

For the most part I don't care much for online distribution. I like having a hard copy and a few of the games I've bought online have ended up needing a new validation code due to a messup. You don't have those kinds of problems with hard copys

 

[Phishfood]

I'm in the same boat as OP, I can't do anything with my games after I get bored of them.

I'm lucky enough that its not really a problem for me, I can afford the games I want without needing to sell on old ones. However I know plenty of people that can't and NEED to resell to afford the next game.

Also, the number of times I have had an awesome game and wanted to be able to lend it to a friend so that they can see how awesome it is and then they can buy a copy.

HOWEVER

This is not a fault of digital distribution. This is a fault of crappy DRM that is designed solely to stop second hand sales. We all know it doesn't stop the pirates, yet they persist in doing it. The only people DRM hits are paying customers.

 

[Frybird]

Since i have a steady income, i did not care much about the used market anyways. I import Games from the UK where they are cheap and rapidly get cheaper within a few months, and i rather buy new than used. And on the other hand, whenever i try to sell my own games i get next to nothing for them when they are 1-2 months old.

And while i like and even prefer hard copys of games, i have nothing against digital distribution as long as it has a clear advantage over buying the physical medium.
In other words, i buy games digitally when they are cheaper then on Disc. Or maybe if you get some other kind of value advantage out of it.

 

[Denamic]

Sure they remain yours for forever, but you also likely bought them for like 90% off.
Steam sales are sick.

 

[Nu-Hir]

This is not a fault of digital distribution. This is a fault of crappy DRM that is designed solely to stop second hand sales. We all know it doesn't stop the pirates, yet they persist in doing it. The only people DRM hits are paying customers.

I thought DRM was only there to prevent piracy and nothing else. I thought online passes and instant DLC were included to prevent second hand sales?

In other words, i buy games digitally when they are cheaper then on Disc. Or maybe if you get some other kind of value advantage out of it.

IMO digitally should always be cheaper than the disc because you're not paying for the disc. If it's going to cost me the same for a physical copy over a digital copy, I'll get the physical every time. I get the satisfaction of owning something, I don't have to wait for it to download, and I can microwave it when I grow tired of it.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I guess my issue is at the moment that digital downloading is cheaper.....at the moment. Once everything is downloadable only and not bought on DVD or Bluray, the prices will go back up to what they are now. Look at downloadable songs/albums/books - they are still expensive eventhough they are not a physical thing - they should be really cheap....not just a few pounds cheap. I see it similiar to game shops were a new title is £40, but they sell a 2nd hand version for £35. Id rather just spend a couple more pound extra and buy a cd/dvd or book. Atleast i have it. Can take it where ever i go. Enjoy the booklet with the lyrics, or game manuel. As for books, i would rather take a £5 (or cheaper) book on a train and read it than spend £200 on an electrical device for the same thing.

Im just not interested in the bullshit they add to tech these days. Like phones, all i want is to ring people or txt, thats it. If i want to read, i buy a book, i dont want an Ipad2 and all the other pointless crap it does as im not interested in it. Just seem companies are selling gadgets for everything other than what its meant for, like iphones, they sell it for all the crap id does and then at the end say "Oh it all allows you to make phonecalls as well" as an afterthought. My version of hell, which will be the future, it you will have one gadget that does everything, gaming, TV, Films, Music, reading, phone, photographing...everything. An when that gadget breaks, then your screwed. Also i hear they are releasing Iphone5 this year....didnt number for get released last year? Such a ripoff.

Sorry for the rant. I know i will be dragged kicking and screaming into the future.

 

[CannibalCorpses]

Piracy will always be a problem, I personally don't mind DRM at all, and are yet to have a bad experience, however I will agree that it should not be too over the top and intrusive. With piracy many only do it as they can't afford the game, tho many people still pirate games because they can do it for free with out much risk (insert a variety of swear words aimed at pirates)

What benefit do you feel from DRM? Is it something that adds to your experience or is it possibly just a stumbling block for you in the future? The online only DRMs are going to have an effect the first time your internet goes down for any length of time and how will that benefit you?

Don't people goto each others houses anymore and play games? If the DRMs were in place when me and my friends started playing games we wouldn't have bought half the games we did, simply because we wouldn't have been able to show them off anywhere but at our own homes. If my PC is a pile of crap then the only experience my friends would have of the games i play would be sub-standard and would make them less likely to buy it. With a hard copy i could take it round to their machine and let them sample it for what it would be to them. Digital only sales are good for companies but really don't have many benefits for any but the lazy people who don't want to leave their homes.

This is a little off topic for sure but i've yet to hear anyone give a good reason for DRMs and if i can understand the why's then maybe i won't be so quick to put them down(DRMs, not the individuals). Essentialy what i'm seeing is the PC market becoming closed in the way that consoles are and i can't for the life of me think why people are anything but disgusted by that.

 

[Miles000]

It takes me 2 days to download an 8gig game -_-

0_o

How is that even possible?

I have a fairly decent internet connection, and I live ona god damn island in the middle of the atlantic.

Australia is the internet ghetto of the world...

Spoiler: Also, we have this clueless moron as a communications minister -_-

 

[Thatguykalem]

They die out and either move into the online distribution business, another sector of the gaming production, or simply start a new sort of business. I hate to sound entitled but when it comes to games, it's really all about the customer and the player. I don't think this will negatively effect the production of games and all it really does is kill off something that doesn't need to exist in the first place.

They die out and either move into the online distribution business, another sector of the gaming production, or simply start a new sort of business. I hate to sound entitled but when it comes to games, it's really all about the customer and the player. I don't think this will negatively effect the production of games and all it really does is kill off something that doesn't need to exist in the first place.

2nd hand sales don't need to exist? Really? REALLY? So things like Craigslist should be illegal? Used car dealerships hurt the car business? Garage sales are destroying the economy?

Really?

Your car comparison is massively flawed. Car manufacturers make a great deal of money, maybe even the majority, on servicing, parts and finance. A 2nd hand game is effectively the same as a new one, a 2nd hand car is considerably different to a new one.

Without 2nd hand game sales, publishers could charge as much as they wanted. $80 or $90 games wouldn't be out of the question. 2nd hand sales keep the market in check.

I still cannot see for the life of me how a used game is different from a used book, a used CD, or a used weight set.

$80-90 games out of the question? Come to Australia.

It takes me 2 days to download an 8gig game -_-

0_o

How is that even possible?

I have a fairly decent internet connection, and I live ona god damn island in the middle of the atlantic.

Australia is the internet ghetto of the world...

Spoiler: Also, we have this clueless moron as a communications minister -_-

I feel your pain, my dear countryman.

 

[Fanta Grape]

snip

I never said anything directly opposed to selling products second hand. Ever. Maybe you should re-read my post?

I said it wasn't necessary for games to be sold second hand. Games specifically. Craigslist exists for the sole purpose of selling things that have been used. If I could buy a virtual chair that would never get damaged, cheaper than a normal one, works just as well and could be re-used over and over again in different houses with ease, then I'd get that chair.

I have no idea how you got "destroying the economy" out of "doesn't need to exist".

Snuggies don't need to exist but they're not killing anything. Except dignity.

 

[Phishfood]

I thought DRM was only there to prevent piracy and nothing else. I thought online passes and instant DLC were included to prevent second hand sales?

I'm thinking more things like one-use online activation, install limits etc. As the OP says - steam will not let you sell on a steam bought game ever. I suppose you could get one steam account per game and then sell the whole account though.

Either way, I think its TERRIBLE that games are the ONLY market that feel the need to quash second hand sales and piracy. Movie industries don't have watch limits on DVDs. They don't require you to be connected to them to watch DVDs. Movies don't have wierd little things that arbitrarily reduce the resale value to 0. Books don't self destruct after you read them 3 times or glue themselves to your bookshelf and your bookshelf alone.

 

[Thatguykalem]

I think the only people who are really sweating it regarding online distribution are console gamers. Most PC gamers have been using Steam for all our PC purchases for years. Personally, I've been using it since 2008, and it's seriously the greatest program. It's got a great interface, the downloads are always as quick as they can be, the Steam gaming server server is always quick, efficient and reliable, and, perhaps best of all, Valve are easily one of the most community-oriented developers/publishers out there, so if there's something wrong with Steam, it's fixed up in short order.

 

[RevRaptor]

I don't like steam, it feels too draconian, I don't really feel like I actually own steam games and I'd rather not rely on a net collection to access my games library. don't forget if you account gets corrupted steam won't raise one damn finger to help you and you will have nothing to show for all the money you spent. I've seen it happen.

 

[Miles000]

I have never sold or traded a game in my life. If i buy something, it's because I want it forever. Whether it's a hard copy or not.

The main problem I have with digital distribution, is the shitty internet I have to deal with here.
It takes me 2 days to download an 8gig game -_-

I'm going to assume from your title you are aussie like i am. now what i want to know is where are you that it takes 2 days to download 8gig? i'm in brisbane and while i agree Australian internet is crappy compared to the rest of the world, 2 days for 8gig is kinda awful. for something that size i'd leave the computer on overnight, and it would be done by morning. That's like 8 hours or less if it finished early. 2 days that's crazy.

The Redlands.
To be fair, I only have my computer on 12-14 hours a day. (when I want to download something that is)
Plus this house is still using it's original copper though. (house is 100 years old)... But still.

I want my fibre already!
Hurry up Labor!

 

[weker]

snip

What benefit do you feel from DRM? Is it something that adds to your experience or is it possibly just a stumbling block for you in the future? The online only DRMs are going to have an effect the first time your internet goes down for any length of time and how will that benefit you?

I feel there is a large benefit for the developers which has a back lash to the consumer.
It also helps games like Diablo 3 to help stop cheaters from breaking the games auction house.
There are some more subtle forms of DRM like Steam, which gives you a friends list as well as create sales and other things.
Not all DRM is good I just don't intend to be single minded and crucify all forms of it.

 

[Nu-Hir]

I'm thinking more things like one-use online activation, install limits etc. As the OP says - steam will not let you sell on a steam bought game ever. I suppose you could get one steam account per game and then sell the whole account though.

Except for the install limits thing, those are more gimmicks to promote buying new. Install limits are, and will always be, bullshit. I'm not one of those idiots who thinks that if you don't reformat your computer ever six days you're an idiot, but not being able to install something multiple times is stupid no matter what.

Either way, I think its TERRIBLE that games are the ONLY market that feel the need to quash second hand sales and piracy. Movie industries don't have watch limits on DVDs. They don't require you to be connected to them to watch DVDs.

Oh, how quickly people forget about DIVX! Either that, or I'm old.

 

[MadeinHell]

I never sold a single one of the games I own in a physical form.
Thus it doesn't bother me when people whine about loosing money when you try to resell stuff...

 

[Illithidae]

The only thing I've found myself worrying about in this thread is the idea of Steam dying out.

To be honest, I'd never thought about that. What the hell happens if the thing closes down? Will I lose all my games? I don't want to lose all my games! Solutions, people! D:

 

[honestdiscussioner]

You seem to think that the downfall of selling games will be a bad thing. I will argue it is a GOOD thing, because the game publishers and designers will actually be getting the money, instead of Gamestop hogging the profits.

Edit: And in my opinion I'd take what Jim says with a grain of salt. When I think of him I think "arrogant and over-rated intellectually". This is most evident in the Extra Consideration when he goes up against the likes of Moviebob or Yatzee or even more obviously against the Extra Credits guys when they were still here.