| Garcian Smith said: Quoting Malstrom: "Used games are a type of ‘customer protection’ that aids the customer in getting some credit back should the customer finds himself stuck with a game he doesn’t want to keep. It is sheer arrogance to believe that this industry has any right to money made from used goods. You got your money when the product is sold. Imagine trying to sell a used TV and hear the TV company moan and cry that someone is buying a used TV instead of a new one. It doesn’t happen and if it did happen, everyone would look at the TV company in astonishment. If I sell the chair I am sitting in now, the chair company doesn’t believe it is ENTITLED to that money. It got its money when I originally bought the chair." He's referring to the sale of used games, but it certainly applies for renting games as well. |
Did they? If they sold 5 copies of the game to Blockbuster, who in turn had 505 people rent the game, then did the developer/publisher lose 500 sales? I tend to think that the publisher would insist on a cut of the rental sale, like $2 out of every $5 or something. In essence, if it did turn away 500 sales at $30/copy profit, thats15k lost in sales. Even if they got $2 per rental, they'd make $1,000 out of a possible 15k. From the industry side, its a lose/lose situation, from the gamer side, its a win/win.
Personally, I think rental prices aren't worth it anymore, especially with Blockbuster charging $8-$9 per game rental. Gamefly looks like a decent option tho, since you can play a game for a few days and get another for the same $15. For me personally, this is a better option, as I like to rent games to see if they're worth purchasing. i dont have the time to committ to beating a game in a week or 2 anymore, so for me its like a demo/preview service.
As you see, Im a little conflicted on the issue, as Im a developer and a gamer.
