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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Pre-owned market is "defrauding the industry"

shanbcn on 03 November 2008

There are people who only buy used copies, its like pirated consoles where dev doesn't get anything. So the better option will be to search for better deals or wait for price drop.



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starcraft on 03 November 2008
rocketpig said:
starcraft said:
rocketpig said:
starcraft said:
rocketpig said:

Secondly, where are the complaints about how consumers are getting fucked through digital distribution? No disc, no packaging, no retailer to split profits... Yet we get charged the same price for it. In typical form, these business owners are profiting from the new business model through digital distribution and then complaining that 100% of things aren't going their way because they also lose money from used sales.

I'm largely going to stay out of this argument.  But I will just say that one reason online distributed games cost the same as other brick and mortar copies and other games completely is so that retailers don't get undercut and have a bitch.

Oh, I fully understand that.

With that said, why are developers looking out for retailers over consumers? Oh, that's right, money. They don't seem to have a problem screwing the consumer when it helps them financially.

Yet they bitch when the consumers get a leg up through a different method...

Really, I can't believe anyone would defend this attitude. Sure, Gamestop charges too much for some used games. I fully acknowledge that and GS will not get a dime from me in situations like that. Also, selling used materials as new is illegal in pretty much every country I know of so that company should be reported on ethical grounds. Still, at the end of the day, Gamestop and their ilk provide a valuable service to consumers in an industry that often forgets they serve the customer by putting out redundant, short, offline games that offer little value for our $60 buy-in price. If developers don't like that, they can go fuck themselves. Period.

But thats just it.  I care about gaming retail.  In my country, I could download one game a month and stay below my download cap.  The download itself could take days.

Not to mention the self-defeating nature of this particular part of your argument.  If developers undercut retail and retail disappears, so does your right to sell your game, and buy your new games second hand.

 

Why do you believe the used market will die if new retail slows? If anything, it will flourish.

Anyway, my point isn't that DLC games should be cheaper... I'm fine with developers looking out for new retailers by keeping DLC prices in line with retail. What I'm not okay with is developers looking out for new retailers and then bitching about used retailers eating into their hypothetical profits.

They can't have their cake and eat it, too. You take the good with the bad whenever a new business model pops up. Attempting to squash the "bad" - especially when it hurts consumers - reeks of short-sightedness and immature business practices. Unless you actually agreed with the RIAA and their shenanigans of the late 90s.

I agree with everything after the bolded.

But the bolded itself is short-sighted.  The used retail market would only flourish briefly in the event of a substantial shift in market share to downloadable games.  After a few short years of such a shift, there would be less used games to sell, and less copies of those games that are available to sell.

The calm before the storm so to speak.

 



starcraft - Playing Games = FUN, Talking about Games = SERIOUS

haxxiy on 03 November 2008

Games I find really excellent I'll always buy new. The not-so-great titles I've always bought pre-owned. I don't give a shit for what they're saying.



 

 

 

 

 

shanbcn on 03 November 2008

Surly we don't want downloadable only games in future? Because then the price will never drop like i think GT5p price is still 40€ in PS store.



kakarotto on 03 November 2008
rocketpig said:
Blah blah blah, wah wah wah.

I guess we're all lucky that Detroit and Tokyo don't expect us to crush our cars when we're done with them. God knows how much the used car market eats into their bottom line.

Some of these developers need to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that if you make a good product, charge a fair price for it, and don't try to screw the customer at every turn, you'll get sales and make money. The used game business is no different than any other used business; it serves a great purpose for those that don't have enough money to buy every game brand new while it also puts money back into the system as people who buy new games sell their old games and use that money to purchase another new game.

The short-sighted nature of some people is really appalling.

 

Amen to that.



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Ail on 03 November 2008
rocketpig said:
starcraft said:
rocketpig said:
starcraft said:
rocketpig said:

Secondly, where are the complaints about how consumers are getting fucked through digital distribution? No disc, no packaging, no retailer to split profits... Yet we get charged the same price for it. In typical form, these business owners are profiting from the new business model through digital distribution and then complaining that 100% of things aren't going their way because they also lose money from used sales.

I'm largely going to stay out of this argument.  But I will just say that one reason online distributed games cost the same as other brick and mortar copies and other games completely is so that retailers don't get undercut and have a bitch.

Oh, I fully understand that.

With that said, why are developers looking out for retailers over consumers? Oh, that's right, money. They don't seem to have a problem screwing the consumer when it helps them financially.

Yet they bitch when the consumers get a leg up through a different method...

Really, I can't believe anyone would defend this attitude. Sure, Gamestop charges too much for some used games. I fully acknowledge that and GS will not get a dime from me in situations like that. Also, selling used materials as new is illegal in pretty much every country I know of so that company should be reported on ethical grounds. Still, at the end of the day, Gamestop and their ilk provide a valuable service to consumers in an industry that often forgets they serve the customer by putting out redundant, short, offline games that offer little value for our $60 buy-in price. If developers don't like that, they can go fuck themselves. Period.

But thats just it.  I care about gaming retail.  In my country, I could download one game a month and stay below my download cap.  The download itself could take days.

Not to mention the self-defeating nature of this particular part of your argument.  If developers undercut retail and retail disappears, so does your right to sell your game, and buy your new games second hand.

 

Why do you believe the used market will die if new retail slows? If anything, it will flourish.

Anyway, my point isn't that DLC games should be cheaper... I'm fine with developers looking out for new retailers by keeping DLC prices in line with retail. What I'm not okay with is developers looking out for new retailers and then bitching about used retailers eating into their hypothetical profits.

They can't have their cake and eat it, too. You take the good with the bad whenever a new business model pops up. Attempting to squash the "bad" - especially when it hurts consumers - reeks of short-sightedness and immature business practices. Unless you actually agreed with the RIAA and their shenanigans of the late 90s.

 

If downloads pick up there will be less retail copies sold so less copies available to be resold through the used market so the used game market should slow as downloads pick up.

Once download become prominent , the customer most likely to still pick up retail copies will be collectors and those aren't likely to resell them either..



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PS3-Wii gap : 20 millions and going down !