I've been buying games on Amazon for about a few years now. The cheap prices of used games are amazing, getting 4-5 used games for the price of one new game. People do love to save money, you know?

I completely agree with the op. Back then a lot of games have just as large budgets as games do now. Not Uncharted budget, but large budgets. Most games were also exclusive to the PS2, so they didn't sell between multiple consoles. There were also far more rental locations around back then. Now, most of Blockbuster is closed down as well as several other locations before this generation launched, such as Hollywood video, Movie Gallery, etc. In addition to all that, this gen not only gains money off the first sale, but also DLC, and a lot of sales come from digital, which has no resale and larger profits going towards the publisher.

It's nothing more than mismanagement of money between the publishers. It's always the same larger publishers that bitch and complain that the sales they're making are never enough.

Square Enix is one such developer. We know how bad this company is mismanaged. Games that one company might put out in a few years take an entire generation for this developer. They release sequels to the same game and reuse assets, $60+ worth of DLC, yet they're still losing money on it? Really? You're selling in the millions for other games like Hitman Absolution, Sleeping Dogs, and Tomb Raider, again a lot of DLC for each game, yet all of these games have lost money to the point you're almost bankrupt. What the hell is going on with that company? Stop estimating that every game is going to sell five million per console and maybe your company will make some fucking money.  Ever since this generation Square Enix has been making some stupid decisions across the board. 

Okay, well these aren't the standard for SNES game prices, and it seems like it's corellated to larger capacity cartidges. However Stunt Race FX and Starfox were 2 of the later Super FX chip SNES games and they were $49.99 I recall.

Still regardless, even at $50, with inflation games were more expensive (ignoring the cost of DLC). However like some people said a lot of that cost went into manufactering costs, since cartridges cost over $20 a unit to make (more for higher capacity).

So, for arguements sake, if the revenue per game is the same now as it was in the past. Games in general sell better now because of a larger market, but also cost more to develop. So if devs are stuggling it's either because the cost to develop has increase much more then the gain in sales, or because devs aren't efficient and have excessive staff, or poorly managese expenses. I feel the former is the case because like I said, many small <150 staff studios are still capable of producing 9/10 games, which make a profit, even with low sales (Platinum Games, Atlus, Polyphony Digital).

So I don't see anything wrong with buying games used, especially for buying games you're not sure about, or games from large devs (like EA). It puts pressure on devs to make good games under a smaller budget (or bankruptcy), and competition is what's making our games better. We're weeding out the bad devs, or devs with poor marketing.

P.S. When you said SF2, I was thinking Star Fox 2....LOL.

I see some people are talking about costs of inflation, where games back then being priced, it's more than what the games are currently priced now, so a game $49.99 in the past for PSX or PS2 is more than is more than the $59.99 we spend now. Don't you guys think this works both ways? That SNES game, PSX game, etc that you bought way back then, the developers had to create it, license it, manufacture it, then ship it. On top of the fact that games sold less back than they do today. People are talking about games being more due to inflation back then, but they also cost more to develop and publish because less inflation back then as well. Calling outt one but not the other is cherry picking for your own benefit.

Far more developers way back when have been on the verge of going under for poor sales than in this generation then bought out, or they've went bankrupt and their assets sold off. That should tell you that things are no different now than they were back then. Now I'm not talking about Sega who was a console developer, a lot of developers/publishers.

Here's a list of video game developers/publishers that are no longer here because of a merger, bankruptcy, whatever. It doesn't show all developers and publishers. I know they're missing Mindcraft from this list who developed the Magic Candle series as well as others.  Some of the developers/publishers that I was a fan of.  Working Designs is a well known publisher for RPG fans with games like Lunar, Alundra, Arc the Lad, Dragon Force, etc. New World Computing went bankrupt and is notable for the Might and Magic series(I'd recommend purchasing Might and Magic Collection 1-6 for $4.99 at GOG if you want a taste of just how great their games were back then.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Defunct_video_game_companies&pagefrom=Gremlin+Interactive#mw-pages

LOL. Are you being serious here? Because you're being very annoying here.

The market will work itself out, just not sure it will be in Microsoft / developers favor.  Don't forget EVERY used game sale started as a new game sale.

If you eliminate used games, what happense if NEW game sales DROP (due to the heavily increased EFFECTIVE cost now that you can never resell it)?  Then who are they going to blame? 

COMPETITION is to blame.  With engines available for purchase (cry to unreal), smaller studios are able to crank out decent games which is putting a burden on "larger" studios who are used to not having to worry about budgets.  I have choices now, and they can't seem to handle that.  They think FORCING people to buy new is the answer. 

I'm far from a bitchy gamer.  Hardly.  I'm simply saying that its not black and white.  The issue is NOT used games.  I just bought The Last of Us brand new (you can insert any game here if it helps you visualize the example) because I know I can resell it later.  If I knew I couldn't, I [might] simply wait till a better deal came along, and while waiting I might forget about said game and move on to the next.   Therefore, they get best case less of my money, or worst case NONE of it.  

The videogame industry is going to drive itself right off a cliff if it insists on having production costs like blockbuster movies, without the revenue streams movies have.  Without box office, and other things the movie industry has, the videogame industry is in for a serious hurting.  

I will repeat what I said from an earlier post.. it's a big deal because gamers can trade in their old games.. and get new games.. this helps for a series that gets updated yearly.. It's a big deal because sometimes.. you can get games that just came out for a little cheaper.. but in actuality for the most part this is counter balanced from the trade ins etc. but where it can hurt.. is if someone decides they are not going to pay full price for a basic upgrade.. (Maddens Etc.) so in the end.. it is greed.. andwhat not on developers side.. in addition

@ DJEVOLVE The cost to produce a game has went up.. because publishers basically wanted it to.. by asking for new or more powerful tech... the cost of games on store shelves however?? Apparently you were not around when Legend of Zelda was going for about 2- 300 bucks a copy.. :O all the more reason the used game market needs to be here..

When the industry is skating on as thin of a profit margin as they are, and one miss can make and break a studio, it is beyond greed.  YES, there is greed, but the rest is due to need.  Production costs rise, in an arms race to outproduce other studios out there, and also a wanting to be like Hollywood.