Used games are almost as bad as piracy

When a person walks into a game store, they often times have two options: buy a new game or buy a used game. With tight economies around the world, the prospect of buying a used game becomes much more attractive. Unfortunately for developers, this means they don’t get a cent of the profits every time one of their games are resold. While video game pirates take most of the headlines, many have been admitting that used games can also be just as damaging...

[mushroomwig]

It does make me feel bad, but like the artucle states, times are bad and I can't justify spending full price when I can spend half that (sometimes less) and get the same experience.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Buying/selling used is NOT anywhere near piracy. I have the right to sell MY BELONGINGS.

I'm not going to blow $60 and told how to use it/what to do with it.

Give me a REASON not to sell it. Support your game.

[Cevapi88]

if it wasnt gamestop....another company would have taken its place...at least when i sell a game, i know that its my property after i have shelled out $60...buying goes both ways...if you like the dev then buy the game new, they get the support they deserve...if you dont have the money, its the only way you can enjoy the entertainment....what makes me facepalm is when devs bitch about their mediocre games...why should i buy something that is average over another game that offers so much more content for the same price

[Government Cheese]

So I guess when I went out and bought my first car that was used, that is almost as bad as stealing the car? Because the car company didn't get a cent from me.

So I apologize for not buying a brand new car that costs $20,000 and instead bought one that costs $3,000, and I apologize to game developers for buying a used game that cost $30 instead of a new one that cost $60. Oh wait no I don't.

[Flipflopp]

I agree. If its so bad, then why not shut down used car dealerships. Why are DVD movies OK to sell used, no one is complaining about that.

If a company produces X-number of game discs to be sold and they meet that quota then why do they care about the resale of those games.

[Elwenil]

Used cars are different since as you use a car it degrads it's condition and value. Software usually does not degrade and a used game in good condition plays the same as a new one, which is the whole point in the value of a used game. A used car is rarely in "like new" condition.

[msbabie20034]

for once i actually agree with you

[Garnett]

Especally with Disc Locked Content already on the disc, its another $15 for the full game...

[anonymouse111335]

This, I tihnk it's all a corperate conspiracy to get more control and force you to buy more stuff, think going to the movies and having to pay for each person who goes in is expensive? I bet you we'll eventually see people trying for that with TV or DVD/BD.

[evrfighter]

I'm glad developers/publishers are going this route. It's only a matter of time before cd-keys are released on console.

I would hope this kills a large portion of the console market so that the gaming world can get back to games and not DLC and pre-order bonuses.

[crck]

@1.1.4 Your argument makes no sense at all. A used car does not degrade in performance until after the warranty expires (typically 3 to 4 years). Does that mean car companies should get a cut of car sales that are still under warranty? What about computers? A working computer has no drop in performance as they age. Should Dell, HP, Asus and the lot whine about used computer or computer part sales? Fact is NO ONE gets to double dip on used sales except the government who charges sales tax on used sales. Why should the game industry be any different? Why should there be an exemption for them?

[Bereaver]

I agree and disagree. Buying/selling used games isn't the equivalent to piracy but it does feel like it sometimes. Because, not everyone wants to add to their collection like me.

[Dogswithguns]

Actually used games aren't cheap, prices almost as much as new... I buy new but I wait til the price dropped.

[Spenok]

Used games are important. A lot of people use there old games to buy the new ones that come out. Its like 70% of all traded games are toward new releases. I used to manage a GameCrazy, so i saw it happen all the time. Used is a good deal if you can find it.

[phalanx_mark]

no-one is questioning your right to sell your game but the point is the resellers should pay the devs a commission on each resale.

[Lex Luthor]

Exactly spot on H.O.C

[Elwenil]

You obviously know very little about the automotive industry or perhaps you are not old enough to have ever bought a car yourself. My argument was not for Gamestop or against, merely against the comparison to the used car market. A vehicle begins depreciating as soon as someone buys it. The moment you sign the sales contract, the vehicle depreciates several thousand dollars. This is a fact and a reason many people buy used cars and "let someone else take the hit" on depreciation. As for warranty, that can effect the value but warranties vary horribly from 3 year 36k mile standard "bumper to bumper" warranties to Chrysler's Lifetime warranty that only covers the original owner and everything in between. Like it or not, cars loose value with every day that passes and every mile that is put on them. This is why leased vehicles have a mileage limit and you pay more for every mile over that allocation. Games do not depreciate based on how many times they have been played, only on how old the game is and that is tied more to the popularity of the game near release rather than a performance issue related to how old the disc is.

I'm not going to comment on the rest of your argument as that is way outside the comment I made originally. I'm not arguing the politics of it, merely how foolish it was to compare used cars to used games. The amount of disagrees I got on my original comment either shows that I did not make my point clear, or that too many people here are way too young to know anything about buying a car and comment on things they know nothing about.

[PITTBULL83]

I think that developers deserve our money..........well most of them excluding (PUBLISHERS) ACTVI/EA but gaming is a hobby if you can't afford to do it then maybe you should find a different hobby. BE A GAMER NOT A HATER.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

People love to use the argument that game software don't degrade like other items, but neither does music, movies, software or books (significantly). They aren't b!tchin and moaning about sales all the time, are they?

[tplarkin7]

It's perfectly ethical to buy/sell used games. It's a free market. However, it's also fair for developers to seek ways to make money off of used game sales. Gamestop's future is in big trouble, though. DLC is the future. Disks are going bye-bye in a generation or two.

[Elvfam511]

Say what... Games do degrade... game cases, manuals, scratches on disk, and so on.
Why should pay $60 for a used game when most of the things listed might be missing or damage?

I understand if the game industry makes a contract with retail that sell used games to get a cut.

[skrug]

if you cant afford the game at new prices (lets say $60) then wait until the price drops instead of buying it from gamestop used ($54 or w.e the cost is)

[Donny]

no way, so your saying if i buy a used game because i cannot afford it its wrong?! sorry but ____ you. alot of these developers get more money in a a year than yo will get in a lifetime.

[Gue1]

yeah, that's exactly why I download anime, music and movies illegally. either way the developers aren't seeing the money cus everything goes directly to GS's pocket anyway... /example

I'm just using this to make a point.

[AngelorD]

Why should I pay 120 USD in my country for a game i can get for 50$ new on eBay?
WHY SHOULD I PAY DOUBLE?
Well I shouldn't, and that's why i use eBay.
To say it's piracy is just wrong - i still BUY the game from a STORE on eBay! It's the same as if I bought it from an actual store.

[wongway]

@angelorD

What horrible place do you live that games cost $120?

[hassi94]

AngelorD, you're talking about a completely different situation. If you're buying it new on eBay that person has bought the game wholesale and has the right to sell it on behalf of the publishers, just like any supermarket or gamestore.

[seinfan]

What's worse is that GameStop charges a hell of a lot more for used games than what you could find on amazon or half. So not only are they ripping off the companies who make the games, they rip off the consumers.

[Donny]

YAHTZEE!!

[hassi94]

I think we should stop having $60 as a pricing standard, and make games cost differently depending on their longetivity and the developer status.

Noone wants to pay $60 for Fallout 3 that lasts them 100 hours then go spend $60 on G-Force that lasts 3 hours.

[Rocket Sauce]

The feeling of entitlement here is insane. I'm at the point where I want to buy more used games just to spite these people.

[ImmortalLegend]

Well I, for one, won't be taking any part of it. I love my physical media. I don't know about you guys...

[killnotic]

That's what's going on and it's insulting.

[PlainOldGamer]

Yes in a way they don't get any money from used games being sold (The devs) but Gamestop is just like a pawn shop, and I don't hear people complaining about what's being sold there. Besides at least unlike piracy at least they got at least one game sold since that used game was new at one point.

Most of the time for some games I do like to buy used since it is cheaper and i can return in 7 days if I don't like it.

[Redempteur]

i don't feel bad at all ... Used sales are common IN EVERY OTHER MARKET ..so why should it be wrong with video games ??

i bought some game for half their original price ( gems like burnout paradise , resonance of fate ) and it was great deal for me ... had i not found them at their price i wouldn't have bought them full price because my wallet has a physical limit ...

[TheLastGuardian]

how gamestop does business is worse than piracy.

[darx]

What about libraries?

[Glasscocked]

I think the used car analogy is accurate and software too degrades just like an automobile. Brand new games that are $60 at launch never hold that price long and game publishers themselves drop the price of the game after a few month to spur sales. Games also lose value as soon as you take the shrink wrap off, just like that new car a buyer drives right off the lot.

[Scary69]

If game developers are upset about the sell of used game maybe they should drop the price of their games to either $39.99 or $49.99 rather then be greedy and sell a game that sucks for $60.

[DigitalHorror81]

The awful BIONIC COMMANDO.

[Skizelli]

So what if the developers don't receive a cent from used games? If someone buys a used car, does the manufacturer see a profit? No. What makes the game industry so much more deserving of this? It's nothing more than greed. The real problem is the price of games themselves. Apparently everyone thinks their game is worth $60, no matter how mediocre or unpolished it is. Since I don't really see the price of new games dropping any time soon, there's really only one solution to this: Set up your own online store that sells both new and used copies of your game(s), and offer deals much like how Steam does. This will help combat retailers that sell used copies of your games. And while you're at it, stop nickel and diming us to death with overpriced DLC.

[killnotic]

This.

But that would take money and effort on the developer's part. But who knows? Maybe they are and this is their way of trying to get rid of the competition.

[jerethdagryphon]

it is also for games that dont have legs games that are one off experiances

i buy new when a game i want comes out but i buy used when i need a quick fix and anything will do

as for digital distro is in custmers best interests... sorry no i dont trust not owning physical media and im a collector

it goes full dd i quit gaming

[ABizzel1]

My stand is this:

1. Developers need to make better/longer games. If your game delivers on all fronts, then people are less likely to trade it in.

2. Games need to drop in price sooner. I shoould not have to pay $60 for a game over 3 months old. Most game sales fall off the charts (there are exceptions) after the first full month so by the 3rd month it should drop to at least $40.

3. Develoers shouldn't charge full price for EVERY GAME. You can tell if your game isn't going to be up to the same level of quality as other major releases. If your game falls in that category sell it for $40, and not $60 especially if there's not logevity to it. And if it's a smaller sized game sell it on XBL, and PSN.

[Unicron]

Abizzel -

Better is subjective. You will never please everyone, and no title is a guaranteed hit. Even if your game delivers on all fronts, many people WILL just trade it in regardless because its so easy to do.

[dillydadally]

The title of this article SHOULD be "Used games are almost as DAMAGING as piracy". The word bad implies that it is immoral to buy and sell used games, which it most definitely is not.

Buying and trading of used products is a fact of life and a part of our very economy. It's the same with cars, movies, books, you name it. This is the game industry just being whiny.

Not only that, I don't buy the article at all. Most games I buy new, I never would have bought at all unless they lowered their prices to used prices, so essentially game publishers are trying to sell their games for higher than that demand and then whining when people don't cooperate with their inflated prices.

[Heisenberg]

No they aren't.

[P1NKY]

There has been a few occasions where I have gone and bought a used game. The most recent example would be Lost Planet 2 which I bought USED for £23.99 when at the time I could have bought the game NEW for £24.99. If I had seen the NEW copy for that pice I would have bought it new rather than USED.

When you buy a game NEW thats turns out to be absolute Sh!t, so you take it back anf get ALL your money back. Surely that means the shop has lost money since some of the money you originally paid has gone to the devs and Publisher yet the shop is giving you back ALL your money.

Shops make most of their profit on USED games whereas the Devs and Publishers make their profit on NEW games. If they want people to splash out £40 - £50 on a NEW game then they should make that game worthy of that price tag.

[Sarcasm]

I wonder what these people think about used car sales?

[WildArmed]

lol it's a Sin.. u can't sell ur car after you are doing abusing it! i mean using it...
Same goes with your house.. computers.. HDTVs..
because the people who made them don't get paid for the used sales!
How evil will people get!?

[TheColbertinator]

Used games aren't that much cheaper but I do use that option to screw publishers I hate like Activision

[Darkstorn]

The problem is that if we buy used games, we're also screwing developers in the process. I too despise virtually all game publishers; however, buying supports an equally menacing business interest - Gamestop.

[TheBuIIetSponge]

Gamestop isn't so bad. They couldn't just throw money at their customers and survive. Wait for their occasional more than generous trade in deal, trade it in and get something back, or be more intelligent with your game purchases and take advantage of renting when its a better choice. Don't blame Gamestop for your own stupidity, at least they are giving you options.

[APOFISBORICUA]

That for example you paid $60 plus tax for a game and you finished it, then you went to trade it in GStop and they offered you 14 or 20 bucks for your game... then you went to the store and saw the game you traded at an affordable price of $54.99. So why trade your games? If you dont have enough money why not sell it to a friend instead? Then why bougth an used game that sometimes comes without a manual and the case just to save $5.00?

I really despises the used game sales but I also believe that if games were at least $10 to $20 bucks cheaper there wouldnt be the necessity to buy used games. Also I believe that all the companies are going to adopt some kind of online license for used games... Just my take.

PEACE AND GAMING!

[MetalZombie]

That's not true, if you wait for sales and bonus deals you can get them a lot cheaper, even through gamestop. I wouldn't buy a used game from them if all I was going to save was $5-$10.

However, as an example of a recent (used) purchase I made through GS I got Red Dead Redemption and Mass Effect 2 for my self and Guitar hero 5 for my girlfriend for $73 + tax and free shipping. So, I got 3 games for 13 dollars more than it would have cost me to buy 1 new.

[Hanif-876]

A newly released game used is for $54.99 at GameStop compared to a new one @ $59.99. Also, if you were to sell a newly bought game they'd give you about 20-25 dollars for it...which is just a legal robbery. I never support used games because it takes away money from hard working developers and you'll feel as if you just got robbed by a GameStop employee for giving you a used product $5 short of a new one.

[Deathracer]

With an edge card a brand new used game is $50 with tax (give or take the change) and a new game with tax is $65. So if I can save $15 on buying a used game that just came out, that's $15 I can spend on the Playstation Store or XBL.

[seij555]

How can something be brand new and used at the same time?

[danielle007]

a pre-owned copy of a game that's been newly released.

[vickers500]

People who usually buy used games don't buy newly used games though, at least I don't. I have Condemned 2 and Fear 2 ordered right now, and only had to pay 25 bucks for both of them combined used, when if I had payed for them new, it would have been 40 +tax. A 5 dollar difference on a newly used game though is inexcusable.

[T9X69]

So I guess used cars is as bad as Grand Theft Auto?
And used cloths are as bad as stealing from the Goodwill?

EDIT: Yea and? Dealerships gain no profit from used car sales (unless its a used car dealership) and the Goodwill gains no profit if people give away their cloths to their friends instead of the Goodwill.

[NExaminer]

If you read the article, it about how it effects developers financially the same as piracy. They gain no profit from piracy or used games, and with more people wanting to get cheaper games, they're losing profits from increased used game sales.

[HolyOrangeCows]

Used games: 1 person buys a new copy in its existence.
Piracy: No one ever purchases a copy.

[vickers500]

Yeah, but that money from the purchase went somewhere it didn't belong. Gamestop doesn't give any of the used game sales money to the devs, and gamestop doesn't deserve that money it gets, so it's pretty much the same thing if you were to pirate it.

It's like buying bootlegs. Just because you're paying for a bootleg, does not mean the person selling (gamestop in this metaphor)should get some money. The concept of "money going somewhere, it may suck for devs but at least it's going somewhere" isn't any better than "money going no where".

[SuperStrokey1123]

Vickers, do you think you should have to mail a check to a dev if you sell a game on kijiji or something like that? What about when you sell a used car, does GM or toyota deserve a cut? Of course not, thats stupid right? Well the same idea applys to GS as well. Just cause its a company doing it lots doesnt make it any different at all.

[peowpeow]

Seems someones happy to bend over for publishers. You can't argue against selling something that you fully own, especially if it is common practice in nearly every industry

[vickers500]

I'm not saying you should send a cut to devs, but I am saying that piracy, and supporting gamestop for something they aren't responsible for are in the same league of morality, so you might as well go ahead and pirate (if the issue to you is a moral one).

[Whoooop]

The difference is that new cars are sold in their respective dealers and they make 100% of the profit.

Developers need publishers and they don't get as much profit from their games.

I don't mind used games because there is a choice, but I just wanted to note that the car comparison is a bit off.

[LastDance]

It's the same in all industries. Gaming is not SPECIAL in any way.

People act like this is a new concept.

If you argue that Gamespot sell a preowned copy for 54.99 when new is 59.95...that just means more people are going to cough up the 5 dollars extra and get a new one.

People cant have their argument go both ways

[wiggles]

I love how everyone cries when money gets lost....

They decide to charge us $60 instead of $49 no problem....but god forbid the consumer strikes back and takes matter into their own hand by finding a cheaper source... Oh no then it's an outrage!!

Come on game companies the solution is simple....

Make quality games that I don't want to return and poof...there goes your used market!!

Not to mention if I buy a laptop that has technical issues I can return it to Best Buy and no problem...but if I buy a game that has horrible technical issues then I can't.

It's funny how no one will ever complain when the going is good...but if they are the ones losing money then it's Gamestop's fault.

[MadMan00]

Within' the last year I have only bought these games NEW:

FFXIII
Madden 10
Pokemon Soul Silver
and I have Pre-Ordered Madden 11 already.

I can recall any other ones.

[pustulio]

New:

...

Used:

L4D2
Fallout 3
Borderlands
Lost Planet 2
Red Dead Redemption
Orange Box
Bad Company 2

Lol i can go on and on it's cheaper and i can sell what i bought and Publishers/Developers will never ever have a right to get a cut from it, because it's not longer theirs it's MINE.

Like i payed You (P/d) for it someone else is paying ME for it, like if i was you so stop bitching.

[Sarick]

this is why the gaming industry is pushing for download and subscription gaming. If the content is download only they can limit the distribution and sell licenses instead of copies.

If the gaming industry starts selling licenses instead of the games then when the license can be reserved.

What about books? You can go to the public library and pick up 20 books do the publishers complain about each person that reads a book or charge a royalty for each book checked out?

Publishers want to stop people from buying used or resealing them. JUst get a subscription at someplace like gamefly.

[RockmanII7]

new:

Mass Effect 2
Halo 3:ODST
---

used:

I don't exactly have a lot of money

[militant07]

most of my games are NEW, only very few of them used about 4%

[Cajun Chicken]

Wasn't a problem previous gens, the industry are trying to making it a problem now due to the recession.

There's no reason that getting a pre-owned game should be looked down upon, you shouldn't have to pay full price for a used game 2-3 months down the line.

Not everyone can afford to get EVERY game released they want new.

[wiggles]

That previous Gen we were only paying $49....also not to mention that the quality was a lot better back then...

Yes there was no real way to "patch" a game...but they *gasp* made the game correctly right out of the box!!

So they want us to spend more money on less quality?? Damn I miss N64/PS2 era

[theEx1Le]

I agree, I rarely bought used games until this generation. Most games from previous gens gave you value for your money (providing you picked the good games, which lets face there were plenty of), these days games release broken.

[ClownBelt]

How about making the price of the new game Oh I don't know cheaper?

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

That won't help. It will only bring down used games as well and no doubt people are going to go for the cheaper one again.

[neogeo]

This is a freedom that we have a right not to lose. I don't like downloadable games because I can't sell them and they are worth nothing. I just sold my Wii with over $500 worth of downloaded games and I did not get jack shit from GS for it.

[MorganX]

Games I'll be buying used but would not otherwise buy:

MGS4
Demon Souls
LBP (bought)
Heavy Rain (still doubtful)

Games I've bought and will trade in:

GOW III
LBP (bought used)

Games I bought and will keep:

Uncharted 2
Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition
Many downloadables

EDIT - Games I plan to buy new:

Madden 11
NBA 2k11 (Jordan)
Gears of War 3
Many downloadables

[mirroredderorrim]

Screw greed. If your game sucks, I am going to cut my losses of both time and money and sell it on amazon or something, then put that cash towards a game that actually might be worth keeping in the old collection.

Only reason devs/publishers have an eye on used games is because ShitStop was amongst the first to capitalize on the market and sort-of shape it to their advantage.

I blame Gamestop for my sore neck too.

[HeroXIV]

Lets all BOYCOTT Black Ops... By buying pre-owned copies. Ah! How wonderful that would be.

[iceman2885]

If everyone got together to join your boycott, it would be an EPIC FAIL.

You see, if everyone were to ONLY buy their games pre-owned to 'stick it' to the developer/publisher, well then...I hope you can see the problem with that.

[KillerPwned]

People need to stop crying about this seriously its life and it works. Warhawk for example retails from 20-30. But on gamestop its 12.99 used i think im gonna go with that and save quite a bit. We all need to look out for ourselves i mean has anyone seen a company go out of business because of the market its been going on for so long now. Everything is fine.

[VenGencE999]

The problem is the high price of a new game, and said games quality of production. Meaning not all games are worth $60 plus dollars, and not all games have the same high budget that would demand top purchase dollar.

I.E, make a good game with lasting replayability at a reasonable price and the number of used games is diminished...

[Nihilism]

We have had at least 10 articles with the exact same title, enough is enough. Do they honestly expect people to feel guilty?, you can bet your ass that movie companies want video rentals dead too, but it's never going to happen.

With game rentals they have to keep the retail prices down so people don't go for the alternative, renting and buying second hand.

[Xfanboy]

I bought uncharted 2 used!!!

This is why cloud gaming will be forced upon us!!!

But STEAM is future proof!!!

[Apotheosize]

Gamestops to blame here, but if they didint exist it would be some other chain. Its true developers dont receive any profit from used game sales, and it boggles my mind how people think their winning by selling a game in mint condition for 20$ two weeks after they purchased it. While gamestop marks it up for 5$ cheaper than new. It really is a "fuck you" to devs. So what happens when you pirate? You download a game and the devs dont see a profit either. its the same on the technical level.

People bringing up cars and other things, dont realize video games are not a necessity. Clothes and cars are. Do you ever hear about clothes piracy? People copyright infringing on clothes and cars? No.

[danielle007]

Yeah you do. Haven't you heard of the bajillion lawsuits Forever 21 gets every year for copying designers exactly and then selling the clothes for like $20? It happens. Srsly.

Plus, just because video games isn't a necessity doesn't change anything. Designer clothes aren't a necessity.

Plus, maybe that $5 off would matter less to people if they weren't paying $59.99 for a game. Especially with the edge card, 10% off ends up being 5.50 off a pre-owned game, which totals to $10.50 off. & that discount will add up. If publishers charged less, I would buy new for every single game. But, since they don't, I buy the ones I love new, and the others used.

[Apotheosize]

What the article is trying to say is that pirating games contributes nothing to the developers, do you contribute to the developer by buying used? Morally you may be right. But when it comes down to it, the people supplying you with the games are not being paid. In fact I think both of them hurt them even more by making the publishers charge more.

Now we have companies like EA who are trying to stop used sales by not allowing used purchases to go online. Whos fault is that? What youre speaking of is patent infringement. Gamestop isnt stealing these game ideas and selling them as their own.

[DJKGBYF]

Just because you're fine with paying $60 this generation for games doesn't mean that other people are. What are you going if next generation games cost $70? Will you just blindly purchase them without thinking about costs, just because you want to support the developer?

[Apotheosize]

Maybe games costs 60-70$ because youre not supporting the developer and buying used.

[xplosneer]

Well, then the publisher needs to realize that they are charging too much for a game to sell new.

It's a math problem really. How much you take off the price leads to how much more games are sold new.

Instead, they try to force these new VIP programs on us instead of doing the simple thing and reducing the price of the game.

[DJKGBYF]

lol you do realize that games were $50 for years, and sold just fine.

[ash_divine]

You're forgetting that the cost of developing games has skyrocketed. Therefore, publishers HAVE to charge more in order to break even. Not because of some conspiracy that the publisher is trying to be greedy.

[DJKGBYF]

Then why can I still buy the PC version of the console game for $50?

[ash_divine]

Truth be told, I'm not gonna prrtend to know the answer to that. It could actually cost less to print the discs, or maybe they're just deciding to take a bigger loss. Who knows. The point I was making was that sometimes it's just business. Nothing more, nothing less. There isn't always some evil intention behind the scenes.

You do make a good point though, I will admit

[El_Colombiano]

When a game is made on PC, no royalties need to be paid to the manufacturer of the hardware. When a game is made on a console, royalties are paid to Sony/MS/Nintendo. That's all I can come up with.

[JD_Shadow]

This article brought to you by Activision, letting you know that Guitar Hero 100 will be out in about a few months, with its greatest hits version out a week later and the "OMG, WUT?" hits version out after that. Each is $200 for the game only, with $500 for each instrument. Each instrument and the game are all sold separately. Online pass required for online play only in new copies, with each other pass costing $50.

Oh, and warranty? WHAT warranty?

[EXID]

i HATE eb(game stop) because they frickin' open everything and then try to play it off like it's still brand new. like, don't let your dirtbag employees play a game and then sell it to me for full price. if you wanna let your employees rent the games, that's fine, but don't try to sell them for brand new after the fact. assholes.

[danielle007]

They won't miss you. 99.9% of the games opened have never even been used in a system.

But, seriously, if you want to bitch about it, THEN WHY ARE YOU SHOPPING THERE AT ALL? There's Walmart, Kmart, Target, blahblah everywhere that sells the same games!

[Rocket Sauce]

My "new" copy of Stranglehold was part of the 00.1% :(

Screw ever throwing my money away at Gamestop again. If it ain't sealed, it ain't brand new.

[danielle007]

There's a 30 day guarantee on all games. If you don't like the copy you got because it doesn't work or is scratched, then get it replaced, and ask for a sealed copy.

GameStop gives you a free 30 day guarantee warranty on all games, and systems. It's your own fault for not knowing the policies. You only threw away money because you chose to.

Also, if the store right near you is being bitchy, call customer service, or go to another GameStop. It's really easy to get things like that worked out, unless it's a super rare PS2 game, but that would most likely be pre-owned anyways..

I always buy from GameStop, even before I worked there. I love that 30 day guarantee. Plus, you can get a game covered for a year for at the most $3..

[Rocket Sauce]

They were the only place in town where I could find one new copy for $20, versus a bunch of used copies for $19 something...I'm sure you know all about that if you work there. Anyway, I didn't want to drive back, complain about a couple of scratches, and get my money back - I wanted to play Stranglehold, dammit.

It WAS my fault for assuming their games with big "NEW" stickers on them were actually new.

Game insurance sounds like a waste of money, too.

[KillerPwned]

Ok i worked there and they never want their employee`s renting the games and if they even do get a chance to take them out its for a day. Also if we where to damange it at all in anyway we gotta buy it. Other then that if they wanna take out a used game that`s ok. Also they put the games right in there own cases that way they got the full case for u to look at. Also to stop theft.

Just like danielle is saying here if you don`t like it dont shop there. Also have respect for others.

If this really was a problem among the company im sure they would get in trouble and have to fix it asap. But its alright that`s just how life is not everything goes your way.

You can also always ask for a different disk u can look at them to be4 you buy them. When i worked there i took out one game new and that`s only because there was so many copies and no one was buying them. Gamestop is actaully really strict on it.

[DJMarty]

You don't see car makers like ford demand ther cut from used car dealers now do ya.

Seriously the games industry is demanding to much, asking gamers that buy used to cough up dosh to unlock online modes.

Nothing like piracy.

[gano]

funcoland was raw.
first some games at 60 aren't worth it.
re5 was incomplete till gold droped and that was 40 or 50.
shooters are not worth it because a new ver is right around th corner (activision).
sports titles nope, they should make'em every 2yrs and offer a dl for the the end of the season.
nier was worth 40. This shyt is crazy.

[Skynetone]

just release it on psn/xbox live "only"

[rungunbeast]

next stop - Offline Singleplayer Code LOL.

[dizzleK]

the sales of those used games give gamestop the funds to bring in more new games. it's a circular business. i've read that most trade-ins are actually used to purchase new release titles. the actual profit off of new cds, games,dvds, etc is very small. thats why most chains like walmart and best buy are looking into selling used games too. most sales you see on things such as cds and games are actually a loss to the company, they're selling that new justin bieber cd for $8 or a new cod for $40 just to get people in the store.

i can't recall a single company that has ever just sold new media (no tvs,computers, stereos,etc)and survived. all the profit is in used.

hate them all you want but there simply isn't another brick & mortar store with the wide selection of new product that gamestop carries. there just isn't.

[Magna Farta]

I can honestly say as a lifelong gamer (and someone with a sizeable game collection), that a good 80% of my games are bought used, and I can also honestly say that a good chunk of those games would otherwise not have been bought if I had to buy them new at $50 or $60 instead of buying used at $35 or so.

And I guess it's a good thing I don't care about multiplayer because I sure as hell am not paying money on top of my purchase to play against aggravating people anyway.

I can tell you what too, the day they introduce a "used purchase" fee to play against a final boss or some other ridiculous shit is the day I box up the console and take up stamp collecting.

[lonix]

Is just fine?

[DJMarty]

As a licensing deal will be in place so the dev/publisher will get ther cut.

[anonymouse111335]

yeah, maybe with big rental places, but not places small.

This ridiculous, all part of a plan to force everyone to have to buy EVERYTHING. You can only install a game three times with Spores DRM, have to always be online to play AC2 on PC. Think consoles are exempt? We'll see next gen. Also now to play games online you bought or lost the code for you have to pay $10 more. All of this is being done in the name of "stopping piracy" and "helping the developer" you want to help the developer? Stop buying shitty games which were only made for the money, shit developers will go under while the ones that are good that DESERVE this money will be able to make more games. People call me crazy now but they called me crazy when I said we'd have insane restrictions on the internet and now we have acta to worry about.

[xX TriiCKy Xx]

If it is, then call me a pirate because I hardly ever buy games new.

[NitWitt]

Yeah, they should stop selling used cars, too. [/sarcasm]

[KillerPwned]

Amazon people that place is amazing with the 10 and 20 dollar credits u can get from preordering or just buying a certain game.

[tiamat5]

That is one of the stupidest things an article has accused us of. Are they blatently accusing us of piracy because we don't allow them to squeeze ever penny out of us. I demand an apology from the person or persons who think that. We are the people buying your games. We are the people who make you rich.We are also the people who can boycott the companies who endorse this nonsense.Think of that before you guys try anything funny

[NExaminer]

Did you read the article? It discusses how financially people buying used games takes away profits just like pirating does. It's not calling people who buy used games pirates or saying they're breaking the law; it informs the public that used game sales also take away profit from developers. The comparison between used game and piracy was made by developers themselves.

[TheOtherSide]

This quote: "Used games are almost as bad as piracy" EQUALS TO EPIC FAIL

[John Kratos]

Never really been big on buying used games. It's not because I think it's wrong or I feel like I shafting the developers. Its just that usually when I buy a game that just came out I perfer to have it new and really at gamestop there's only like a 4 to 5 dollar difference between a used and new game that has just been released. Plus I don't like the idea of gamestop making like a 25 dollar profit off of someone because they gave them like 25 bucks for a newly released game and then decieded to sell it to me for 55 bucks. I'll just take the new copy for 5 dollars more and gamestop doesn't make as big of profit. Now I'll uy used if it's an older game I can't find new.

[jemarval]

Make a fucking game thats so good, no one would ever sell it.

nuff said.

[deltaforce82]

If new games weren't $60 then I'd buy every game new, the prices need to be lowered

[Trunkz]

I think if developers say they can sell you their games cheaper if you buy them new then people might go for it, but as far as I know EA is doing their dirty tricks and still sell the game for the same price... I usually buy my games new BTW...

I know some co-workers that charged people for gas money, then raised it $5 when the gas went up, but didn't lower it when the gas went back down and stayed down... well why should developers like EA make so much now off of New games but not make the games a bit cheaper?

[Filthy]

What about the gamer who buys new games with the money he gets from gamestop for his old games? I think there are a lot of people like me who buy a game new, sell it when done, and use the store credit to pick up a new release. I don't think developers are looking at the positive results that gamestop is having for new game sales.

[Tron_Rocks]

If they would charge a decent price say 49.99 they would sell more games to make up the difference and people would be more likely to hang on to them. Unless it is a game that I just can't wait to play I will wait a few weeks and catch it on craigslist or pick it up cheaper at gamestop. The article should be re-titled cry me a river!

[yamzilla]

buy your f''ing game back from me....you keep acting like I'm just leasing it....well, buy the sucker back from me for $40 and sell it for $55. Or else, you know, STFU.

The old adage here rings true for publishers who wanna cry about used games...if you can't beat 'em (hint...you can't) join 'em.

[Hippiepsykopath]

If you buy $60 worth of stock in Microsoft, are you not able to sell it when you feel like it? I don't see a difference in that and buying a game. When bought, I officially own it and should be able to do what I wish with it. Basically, a game is your property and you can do whatever you please with it.

[TacoTaru]

Buying stock is not the same. If you bought the game and never opened it thinking someday it would be a collectors item that you could then sell at a profit, that would be like buying and selling stock.

As far as you selling your used games, I think that's okay. I also think that it is okay for devs to allow the original purchaser to play online. But the purchaser of a used game doesn't get to use the online servers for free because obviously you don't own the servers.

And if there is free downloadable content that comes with a new game I think the devs have the right to charge anyone that is not the original purchaser for the extra content.

[SuperStrokey1123]

Why the fuck does a developer deserve the money made a second time from a sale, let alone a third or fourth time? They already sold it once and were paid well for it. THis is just the stupidest argument ever.

The games are sold on the basis that they will be used, the person on the end that is using it makes 0 difference. If you want me to not sell my games, then give me a reason to keep them. If they dont like it, well then you start buying it back from me and reselling it yourself. Such god damn BS!

Im getting a little bit sick and tired of the greed coming out of gaming companies. This has another crash written all over it.

It should also be noted that used games push new game sales. When i take games to EB to trade in I do it on NEW games. You know, the ones they say no one ever buys now? I dont get cash for them, i use it for preorders or what not. I buy about 20-25 games a year, if i could trade them in it would easily be 1/2 that or less because the economy for it isnt there for me.

[Enigma_2099]

... but I'll give one anyway. And it's basically "cry me a river, then build a bridge and get over it!"

Used games do not account for 100% of game sales... so stop being so greedy!!!!

[nightelfmohawk]

Programmers are some of the only people who feel entitled to get a piece of every sale of their product no matter how many times it's re-sold. Get over yourselves, programmers.

[spektical]

gamestop's used game policy is awesome.. i cannot state how many times i returned a game on 6th day of 7 day return time.

:).. beat the system lol.

[ReBurn]

Some people see it as a free week's rental.

[snaileri]

While it is true, that the developers won't get a cent if you resell your copy of a game. _Which makes it as bad as piracy from developers perspective!_

Piracy on PC is decreasing because of Steam, and the situation on consoles is either staying the same of getting worse because of games getting resold and because there is no DRM on consoles to prevent pirated copies (or the solution has been cracked ages ago).

[thisguywithhair]

Epic Game’s President Mike Capps even admits that “We don't make any money when someone rents it..."

Not true in the slieghtest. When a store buys the game with the intention renting it they have to sometimes pay as much as thre or four times as much as the game is worth because of the amount of money that the store is going to make by renting the game.

[ReBurn]

That's true. There's a huge misconception that rental outlets pay the standard retail price for games and then rent them to the point where they make extreme profits. But that's not the case at all. Rental outlets operate under different licensing rules than consumers and they typically pay either a large up-front cost to purchase the games or they have to give publishers a cut of the rental fee.

If Epic doesn't publish the games they develop I could see them not earning royalties, but that would depend on how the deal with their publisher is structured. Sounds like they may need a better attorney working their contracts.

[commander]

I smell another video game industry crash very soon because of these greedy ass developers.

The only time I buy games new is when Amazon gives away gift cards with preorders. If you game doesnt come with anything Im waiting till I see a used copy for $30.

Any gamers that want to save money hit up

http://www.cheapassgamers.c...

[wiggles]

I have only paid full price for Dead Space in the last 3 years...

The only game I plan on purchasing for full price in the future providing it stays true to the format....Dead Space 2.

To bad publishers are to busy trying to take short cuts and cry when they decide to up the price and lower the quality (patches to fix bugs on day 1) and they realize that the consumers have gotten new purchasing tactics as well.

[Wh15ky]

There is a hell of alot of new games that I would never have purchased if I knew I wasn't able to trade them in when I was finished with them and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

That's new copies of games that would have never been sold if the used game industry didn't exist.

[Darkfiber]

Trade games with friends or sell them directly to other people via Craigslist or something. There are always other alternatives than selling to Gamestop for $5 then having them resell it for $55.

[Wh15ky]

You're right there are always other options. However, I find it far easier to take my games that I am finished with to the store that I am going to be buying my new game from and doing a simple part exchange.

I'm in the UK. I usually get about £15-£25 when trading in a game to Game, Gamestation or HMV. A new game generally costs £40 here so when trading in a game that I have no more use for I get on average 50% off of a new game. If that wasn't an option for me then I would buy far less new games.

[w00sta]

I guess piracy isn't so bad after all

[jagstatboy]

Even Nintendo of America’s President Reggie Fils-Aime has brought up the issue of used games saying that: “We don’t believe used games are in the best interest of the consumer. We have products that consumers want to hold onto. They want to play all of the levels of a Zelda game and unlock all of the levels. A game like Personal Trainer Cooking has a long life. We believe used games aren’t in the consumer’s best interest.”

OMG Give me a freaking break! I think I'm gonna HURL!!!!

[Darkfiber]

They are worse in my opinion. At least no one is making a profit off of pirated games, they are free to everyone. Gamestop charges $55 for what is essentially a pirated game. That's just criminal.

[OSU_Gamer]

So every product in existence being resold is somehow worse than that same product being stolen? So buying used cars are worse than stealing that same car from someone?

Interesting.

[tethlagar]

People that state that used games sales don't translate into *any* profits for a software company fail at economics. Anytime an individual limits supply of an item by buying it, the price for the item increases. The benefit gained buying used vs new is different for everyone. If the difference is $5 between new and used, some people will just buy new, if $4 difference, more will buy new. By buying used, you drive up prices of used games so they closer match what a new game costs, so you have an impact on the sale of new games. So it does translate into profits for software makers.

Or....could just point out DLC as well.

[onenut]

"Used games are almost as bad as piracy"
and digital downloads are like being raped.

[ReBurn]

Publishers don't want to admit it, but they are at least partially responsible for the used game market being what it is today. Not every game that is released with a $60 price tag is worth $60. There are lots of games I won't pay $60 for because they aren't worth it to me, but there are a ton of games I would pay $40 for because they are worth that much to me.

I don't buy the argument that royalties are quartered if a game changes hands 4 times. There's absolutely no empirical evidence that the other 3 people would have purchased the game at all if they couldn't get it used, much less at full price. The market is only going to bear the price that people are willing to pay for something, regardless of how much it costs to produce it.

[gman_moose]

I think the reason software devs and publishers keep singling out companies like Gamespot for selling used games is the enormous profit they make. It's criminal really. $54.99 for a 2nd hand game? WTF? Who cares if it's a new release? $54.99 for something used is robbery. I remember seeing COD4 at EB for $54.99 AFTER World at War was released. Insane. Devs have the right to be mad about these profits. It's more than they make on the game.

However, on the flip side, what I do with MY possessions is my business. I paid full retail price for the game, and if I'm finished with it, or don't like it, why should I have to keep it because they are butthurt about not getting royalties if it's resold? The key to fixing this is to reduce the price of new games. That way trade in values would be much lower, and discourage people from trading them in. I think devs would have much less problem with used game shops if their pricing structure was more reasonable. If a game retails new for $59.99, a reasonable trade in and resale structure would be Trade value - $30.00 (new release) and then they resell for $44.99. They make $15, the consumer doesn't feel ripped off, and the devs aren't pissed about the price because it's not comparable to their retail price.

Edit- Also companies like gamestop are a conflict of interest too, because they make tons more profit from their used games, but they are a major retailer of new games as well, so they can effectively manipulate the market in their favor. If Gamestop were a used game only retailer, no one would blink an eye.

[tethlagar]

If you don't think used game sales translate in the slightest to new games sales... What would happen if a large segment of the population, nongamers, on a whim decided to buy every single used copy of a particular game. You think that large sway in demand would miraculously *not* influence new game sales? Duh, it would. Now whether or not it's 5 million people or 1 person, it's just a matter of the degree of impact. Myth: Squashed.

[Excalibur]

The music, DVD and book industries have survived and they don’t have the potential in an aftermarket with DLC.
Bottom line Mr. game industry, used games are part of your industry so deal with it and quit your whining.

The thing that scares me is they are whining about it waaay to much lately and I have a feeling they are going to do something that will totally F things up.

[memphis2]

well written article. i would have never noticed that developers loose money by people trading in games. i have always kept my games from either the best rated or the worst rated because i hate loosing money for trade in. now i can say hey why don't you keep your games instead of trading in for the developers not able to make anymore money expect the game retail stores make profit. like the article said if developers took their time in developing games it would have less churn, problem being with such high demand for this economy; people want the games as soon as possible. if you do look at the stats, nintendo create games for several replay value. as for other systems it's beat it and trade it.

i do like how the developers are focusing more on dlc for people to keep their games at bay, but problem being some people do not want to pay more for the extra content. yet overall i keep my games and buy dlc regardless what game it is.

[Alos88]

I deeply resent this article and hope the writer regrets it also. What a slap in the face for poorer gamers everywhere that can't afford to drop $60 for every title they want.

[NExaminer]

This is my final comment since I’m at my predetermined limit for this article.

The purpose of the article is not to say buying used games is bad; instead it provides evidence and direct quotes from game developers that high used games sales can harm them financially. There’s many situations where buying a used game is appropriate. As mentioned in the article and by you; yes not everyone can afford to pay $60 for a brand new game. Also, games that are no longer being produced can’t be obtained anywhere but at used game stores, online, etc.

My goal was to get people to think how buying a used games effects the developers they may (or may not) want to support. The information comes straight from them and it’s important to know that used games can have an impact on future developed games. As a writer, one of my jobs is to report on information with evidence to it up. Unlike an opinion article (which are generally speculation), it informs people of a real issue for some developers. This article is passing on that information and explaining why they can get hurt financially by used games almost as much as they get hurt by piracy.

While this article’s focus was on the negative aspects of used games because many people (including myself until I researched it) were uniformed on the topic, I think it would be worthwhile to write about the positive aspects of used games at some point in the future. There’s always two sides to every story and I wanted to cover the less known side of it first. Lastly, I do not regret writing this article. I feel bad that some people reacted to the title alone and may have not read enough of it to realize that the comparison between used games and piracy was a financially based one. In the world of writing, it’s unfortunately impossible to always please everyone or even get people to read more then your articles title. It doesn’t say used games should be illegal or you shouldn’t buy used, it encourages people to think twice before buying used if they want to financially support a developer they like. Based on the comments, more people are now informed of the issue and that means it was worth writing.

@Everyone else: I have been keeping up with everyone’s comments. There’s a lot of productive ones covering positive aspects, negative aspects, and potential solutions to the financial problem some game developers are experiencing. I’ll likely write a follow-up article sometime in the future covering what (I think) developers should and shouldn’t do to help overcome any sale losses from used games. Additionally, I’ll soon be writing about the positive side of used games so readers will know about both ends of the spectrum.

[palaeomerus]

Yeah and game developers who are lobbying for a free share of used game revenues without assuming any of the risks of the used game market via the threat of sabotaged games with perishable features, or going 100% digital (good luck when neither movies or music have managed this in 10 + years), are a GREAT source of unbiased information on this topic, AMIRITE?

It's like asking tort lawyers if tort reform is a good idea.

[ATi_Elite]

This article is full of crappy developers and publishers crying like spoiled 3 year olds who can't get their way.

The used video game industry has supported and help the video game industry as a whole for a long time and is not a treat or "Killing" the video game industry either.

Video game publishers and developers are for the most part not good business people. Some got rich then took their company public and now have to increase the stock value every year or feel the wrath of the stock holders. BAD move as all publishing houses should be private because your not going to satisfy the public forever with your songs or art or games because these items represent expression and NOT daily NEEDS.

Other dev/publishers are private but have just made bad business decisions on bad games or spending way too much on advertisement. So now they want to nickel and dime the consumer and Game Stop. Pathetic.

Sony Valve Bioware and Blizzard are the only ones doing it right. They listen to their core gamers, keep their studios small, practice innovation and quality on every new release, and except Blizzard don't waste money. (11 million times $15 a month Blizzard can afford to waste money)

Game Stops business model is why some new games have sold well as everyone pre orders on a whim, trades in old games for new ones and NO the publisher or Developer should not make a dime off something I have bought new once and now own. Stop trying to bend the rules of commerce to line your greedy pockets.

Developers usually get paid up front, publishers recoup money from sales. Developers waste money with poor development times and crappy games. Publishers loose money by trying to take short cuts making carbon copies of games instead of investing in innovation.

Sony sat down and invested in Guerrilla Games to make a new engine and push the PS3 with Killzone 2. Sony recouped their investment money from Killzone 2 and now Sony and Guerrilla games will get paid off of Killzone 3 from the hard work done on Killzone 2.

Bottom line is developers make crappy unimaginative games and publishers allow great waste to development cost and advertisement so now they both are looking for excuses as to why they are not making money or are just greedy and they want to blame piracy, blame Game Stop but instead they should just look at their business model and blame themselves.

I guess next they are gonna blame the consumers and raise the prices of games again.

[kingme71]

Where does the game industry get off telling us used games are akin to piracy? What about used houses? I don't feel obligated to build a new house every time I move to support the construction industry and I don't hear them telling me I'm taking food from their table because I'm buying used. What about used cars, used clothing, used books, used movies, used anything. About the only thing you can't (or shouldn't) buy used is toilet paper.

I'm very happy getting a game used 1 year later for $14.99 instead of $59.99. Still have the same amount of fun playing it. When the industry goes all digital and the publishers have total control of cost and supply, I'll find a new hobby.

[lh_swe]

Because it's not ILLEGAL!

[TacoTaru]

Maybe there could be a compromise where Gamestop would agree not to trade in used games that are less than ah... maybe 6 months old. Then if you buy a game you could trade it in after the 6 month period was up and also people that wanted to save a few dollars could buy any game used after 6 months from release.

This would give the devs a chance to recover the multi-million dollar production costs and still allow people that didn't want to pay full price for a game the chance to do it.

I think the big objection is the major profit made by the retailer by selling used games that are only a week or so past the release date for nearly the price of a new game.

[Grodd]

If buying used games are piracy then I'd be happy to be a pirate.

[gfunkera10]

Its true, Gamestop is the evil empire. I would love to see them go under. I support the industry, not the hustle shops.

[xxLuckyStrike]

You sure as hell will see alot of pirating if and when they decide to kill places like gamestop...

[Trroy]

There's nothing wrong with buying used games.

What's wrong is that the used retailers keep ALL of the profits from used sales, and don't distribute a fair percentage to the original publishers.

Video games != music. The cost-to-make/purchase price ratio is much much more in favor of the consumer. Developers/Publishers honestly barely scrape by on their earnings, relative to other media industries, unless the income is from a digital source (like MMO subscriptions, etc.)

Used game retail should exist. Used game retailers should be forced, by contract, to share used profits with the original publisher/dev, or should be forced to pay the original publisher/dev a fee for each used item they acquire and place in their inventory. This wouldn't affect the used game purchaser *at all* -- except that games that were popular as used titles might actually see sequels (see: JRPGs).

[spektical]

huh? you dont give a percentage back to devs. It's like me having a game library and selling my games. When someone purchases the games I purchased I shouldnt have to give money back to anyone.

I cant believe the idiots supporting developers when it comes to used games. Its property someone else bought, and they have the right to do what they please with it.

[Trroy]

This would be the retailer giving part of their earnings from the used sale to the publisher -- it has nothing to do with you, the consumer.

Single player games, like RPGs, stay high-priced as used titles for a very long while, by nature. Its because only new sales reward the developers of those games -- which turn over and over in the used bin at retail, that we, as gamers, never see decent JRPGs anymore. The developers only see a small fraction of what they should, from the number of people who experience, and enjoy, their single-player experience. The retailers -- the guys who stand behind the counter for minimum wage and take your money (or rather, their bosses, who are driving around in their Porsches), get all the money from these games.

Surely you don't think that padding the retail chain's pockets helps make better games, or makes then cheaper to begin with? Why do you suppose games cost $60 to begin with?

If a RPG is purchased by a retailer, from the publisher, at $35, the publisher has grossed $35. Then the RPG is sold, on average, five times by the retailer. The retailer makes, again, as an example, $60 + $55 + $55 + $40 + $30 = $240 from ONE game purchase from the publishers @ $35, and (GameStop buys used titles at less than %25 of what they sell for) about $45 in used purchases.

Publisher profit, per-game: $35 - $15 cost-of-goods and license fees = $20. Then they have to use that money to recoup their losses from developing the game, paying the salaries of people who went to school for years, and probably earn $80K+ on average.

Retail profit, per-game: $240 - $35 (new purchase) - $45 (sum used purchases) = $160. Then they have to pay their minimum wage employees who work the counters.

Retail: $160 per game unit vs Publisher: $20 per game unit.

Does that seem even remotely fair to you? The publisher CREATED the game, and all the retailer did was SELL it to you. If retail paid some SMALL portion of that outrageous profit back to the publishers, on the used sales, publisher income could double or triple, and we, as gamers, would see WAY better games, and quite possibly they'd cost less new, as well, since the publishers could afford to be competitive with pricing.

Used game RETAILERS are killing games. Used game sales are not bad by nature. The retailers are abusing it, for the sake of greed, and both the gamers and publishers are suffering for it.

[hesido]

So it isn't as bad as you make it sound to be.

People are paying premium prices to play games early, uncharted 2 now costs 30 usd, I bought it for 60usd. They probably couldn't keep on selling it at 60 usd without the used game sales market, but this price slash is good for the consumemr, while they can keep on getting money for their sales. Everything is in some sort of balance, but companies are ready to to make a few extra bucks even if this would upset many.

[DreamcastFanboy]

http://www.southparkstudios...

[PooEgg]

I think if game companies want a piece of the Used Game market they should work a deal with Gamestop, not try to screw the gamers who buy used games. I don't think the consumer should suffer for doing what is legally within their right.

Personally, I don't sale my games, because years ago I sold my copy of EarthBound and I still have not forgiving myself for that mistake. I also don't buy a lot of used games. The only time I buy a game used is when it is difficult to find it new. But when you buy a lot of games it only makes sense to save money, so unless I really must have a game on release day I try really hard not to pay full price for my games. I am always looking for a deal and if I can't find one on release day I will add the game to my future must buy lists and wait around for it to go on sale. I don't think it is too hard to save money and not buy used games, you just have to wait sometimes.

[palaeomerus]

They can either buy and sell used games themselves and thus gain the revenue from used sales, or they can buy some Gamestop stock and earn a share of Gamestop's profits that way. But just demanding money and trying to invent sabotage systems to make games worth less used is kind of stupid as it will make new games worth less too and consumers will grow more prone to wait for price drops due to low sales numbers.

[TABSF]

Used games will kill physical media

For me buying a used game is the same as piracy if not worse as the developer can see that people are enjoying their product yet they get no money in return

BTW I have 186 Games on Steam

Steam has made the future

[palaeomerus]

Why would anybody care about your screwed up personal definitions? Buying used is not piracy. Putting "For me" in front of it won't make it true or relevant to other people. The developers(really, the publishers) already got paid or it wouldn't be a used copy. Once a game is sold once there is no restriction on other people enjoying the game without the developer getting paid additional money. Nor should there be. Developers might LIKE some of that revenue but that doesn't mean they are entitled to any of it. They haven;t put any money at risk to earn any of that revenue. They haven't bought, stocked, paid inventory taxes on, marketed and shipped used games to customers. If they want some of that revenue then they should either 1: enter the used game business themselves, or 2: invest(buy equity) in a retailer that sells used games. Otherwise, why should they get additional revenue without putting any money at risk, just because they want it?

Game Dev: " We don't see any money from used sales. Used retailers should pay us our fair share."

Everyone else: "It's nice to want things, but your fair share just happens to be nothing. You already got paid what you were owed when you sold your game to a retailer at wholesale, and they sold it to a consumer. Why change the rules now?"

[Trroy]

The publishers should band together and refuse to sell games to retailers who purchased used game copies at less than the same % they purchased the game from the publisher from in the first place. Example... GameStop buys new at 35, sells for 60? GameStop should be FORCED to purchase used titles at the same 35/60 percentage they intend to sell the game at, in order to maintain the new item's value. If they want to sell the game for $30, they should have to buy it from the consumer at $17.50!

The size of the industry would expand tremendously, via volume, if publishers could afford to make games better and more easily, rather than struggling for money, and shoving games out the door too early in so many cases. The used retail chains are fools for not feeding the source of their income better.

They destroy the value in new games simply by offering a used title. Digital media is meant to be re-used, unlike cars, which break down. There is no penalty for buying used at all, and because games are largely single player experiences, and expensive, they are especially vulnerable to resale cost reductions.

Music is, by design, made for lasting appeal -- its not like movies or games, which are basically single experiences. Movies are cheap, and even cheaper rental options pay royalties to the movie companies, so used movie sales aren't really a concern (since rentals are a FAR larger industry, and royalties ARE paid for them). Games... no royalties from rentals or used, and the rental periods are often not long enough to be worthwhile (because games last a hella lot longer than a movie)... so the USED market is much larger.

Also, with regards to rentals... the radio pays royalties for playing music... yet rental retail doesn't pay royalties for renting games. They pay royalties for renting movies... yet they don't for games. How is it that games are "special" and don't deserve the same treatment?

[gumgum99]

I only pay full price for great games that are worth it. If I can't find the game, or if I'm a bit short in cash, I go used.

[AgileNate]

If the game makers/producers dont like the used game market than they should take it out on those that make it happen... Ohh that's right they don't have the balls to tackle those companies simply because they are the money makers, matter of fact, they make deals with them instead with dlc and pre-order specials. The stupid industry would rather blame the consumer. Its not our fault Gamestop makes 100% profit on their game. To think they make us pay more and pay for most DLC that should be free(wouldn't trade a supported game in).

[HaVoK308]

That money would go to the Publishers anyway. How can they expect profits off of a game that has been resold? They got what they planned for the first time it sold. I never buy used games unless its 30 dollars or less. If you buy a used game just to save 5 bucks you are contributing to the problem. Gamestop buys a new game back for 20 bucks or whatever and resells it at 54 dollars. That, I have issue with.

[yamzilla]

people buy new games with the intention of selling them down the road if they want to....hell, sometimes a buddy of mine will sell me a game. I'll have him call gamestop, see what they are willing to pay...and then give him five bucks more for it.

Fu@k the system!!!

[RacingLightning01]

Those poor Developers that don't Make any money off used or rented Games....
Let me be the Nine Millionth person to say WHO CARES?
Do Writers get paid every time a book of thiers is checked out of a Library?
Do Musicans get paid every time thier song is played on the radio?
Do Artists get paid from everyone who views thier painting?

This is just a thought and it will probablly sound crazy... If you want people to buy your product brand new, give people a reason to buy it, be satisfied with it, and keep it.

[Gamer Muzz]

The used game market stimulates the new market.
Lets also not forget how many used game trades contribute to the number of new game sales on launch days.

[palaeomerus]

If game developers and publishers honestly cannot compete with the used game market then they deserve to go out of business to be replaced by new developers who CAN compete with the used market. The problem is that the used market is far more cost effective than the new game market. Or to put it another way, producing and selling new games is far less cost effective. That doesn't mean that the used market is cheating or that they owe the new market anything. They bought their stock and inventoried it and marketed it after all. they spent money to make money off of used games whereas the devs and publishers made all the money they are entitled to when the game sold new to a distributor or retailer, the first time and are entitled to nothing more whatsoever.

Pretending that software is a magical product that ignores consumer rights is just going to harm the consumer who will probably react by buying fewer games as they now have less value.

Developers and publishers needs to learn that they are not special or protected. They are not too big to fail. They do not get to bend business practices and standards around into funny shapes just to create an advantage for themselves.

Like anyone else, the game dev/publisher can be punished for poor performance by the market. If you do your job badly you WILL eventually fail. If you price your product poorly you will fail. It is inevitable. Trying to take away consumer rights won't fix anything. Many consumers will just leave the market and take their money with them. Eventually someone who understands the opportunity will come along and offer the consumer a better deal and that party will take away much of the business from those trying in vain to box the consumer in.

[ATi_Elite]

The video game industry as a whole is turning into one crock of shiznit. Game Stop and used games have been around for years and NOW all of a sudden they are hurting (killing) the gaming industry. So I guess developers and publishers want game stop to go out of business.

Great now that's more unemployed gamers who can't afford to buy $60 games. Now they will be browsing internet sites looking for "free" or "gifted" entertainment.

Developers and publishers are just Lazy bad business people. If they made better games at a cheaper development cost (manage their money better) then they could sale more games at a more competitive price and reap larger profits.

Don't spend $100 million advertising a 6 year in development game and then get mad at the world when NO ONE buys it because it sucks.

Whats next video game government bailout?

[tunaks1]

"Used games are almost as bad as piracy"
fail