Used Game Sales - Possible Solution

Is it legal for publishers to have retail stores agree not to sell used copies of their games before they sell them inventory? If its legal, then it could work out just fine. Consumers will still flock to Craigslist and Ebay but those impulse buyers who buy used because they see its $5 cheaper at the store will just go to the store and get a new copy rather than deal with the hassle of meeting up locally with another Craigslister.

Im much more content with publishers taking away the rights of the retailers than the consumer.

'Used Game Sales - Possible Solution' There isn't a problem so a solution isn't needed.Weenski

Yeah, online passes arent a problem. Im not against used game sales. Im just against publishers finding solutions that end up screwing us.

'Used Game Sales - Possible Solution' There isn't a problem so a solution isn't needed.Weenski

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

Is it legal for publishers to have retail stores agree not to sell used copies of their games before they sell them inventory? If its legal, then it could work out just fine. Consumers will still flock to Craigslist and Ebay but those impulse buyers who buy used because they see its $5 cheaper at the store will just go to the store and get a new copy rather than deal with the hassle of meeting up locally with another Craigslister.

Im much more content with publishers taking away the rights of the retailers than the consumer.

USBxDVD

The retailers wouldn't agree to it, because what if a game bombs? They get stuck with a load of useless stock they can't shift. If the publishers pushed this kind of strategy, what's to stop the retailers just ordering less and relying on buying back used copies to resell themselves - they only need sufficient stock to get them through the first month or so, and could then probably rely just on trade ins.

what is this **** against used games, How else am I going to **** trade in games to buy new ones, a derp derp derp, something that publishers want us to do. if they get rid of used sales and used games they will get less new sales because of it, online passes right now are mking certain games have less trade in value as well, so the people wanting to trade in games are getting rammed up the ass just because they want to trade in their games for credit towards a neeeeew one. **** idiot **** publishers.

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

Gue1

The maintenance cost for the online experience is already paid for as part of the new price. It does not and cannot increase through resale.

When you buy a game and play it there's one player online. It doesn't matter whether that copy has one owner or a thousand because there can only ever be one person online with that copy at any one time.

The maintenance cost is very low anyway because the vast majority of console games don't have servers at all, instead using the players' own internet for hosting matches. This makes the online experience significantly cheaper for the publisher but much worse for the players with increased latency and problems like "host advantage" that don't exist with dedicated servers. They will also pull the plug on the already-cheap online component as soon as they consider it to be unprofitable (EA currently holds the record here).

oh you can mark my words it will be the consumer that gets bent over when the dust settles from this storm brewing... its always the consumer.

If there wasn't a problem we wouldn't be seeing online passes becoming so popular.MushroomWig

The "problem" is that publishers want money they didn't work for. No manufacturer in any industry--including other forms of entertainment--has ever received money from used sales. Should Mazda get a cut of my used car? What about the manufacturers of the used books and DVDs and CDs and clothes and furniture and other stuff I have that I didn't buy new?

All physical goods are exchanged and re-used. This is the way the world has worked for thousands of years. If publishers don't want their products to be subject to the usual treatment of physical goods they shouldn't be making physical goods in the first place.

[QUOTE="Weenski"]

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

Gue1

[QUOTE="Gue1"]

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

garrett_daniels

The maintenance cost for the online experience is already paid for as part of the new price. It does not and cannot increase through resale.

When you buy a game and play it there's one player online. It doesn't matter whether that copy has one owner or a thousand because there can only ever be one person online with that copy at any one time.

The maintenance cost is very low anyway because the vast majority of console games don't have servers at all, instead using the players' own internet for hosting matches. This makes the online experience significantly cheaper for the publisher but much worse for the players with increased latency and problems like "host advantage" that don't exist with dedicated servers. They will also pull the plug on the already-cheap online component as soon as they consider it to be unprofitable (EA currently holds the record here).

Those costs are figured in for one person per copy of the game. When someone else stores their game scores, trophies and stats on said servers, that costs the publisher money.

As I said in a different thread, the used game market will force publishers to move to the digital distribution model for console games. This is what will do the used game market in and ultimately impact the profits of close to 50% for GameStop's used game sales business model. The one time codes are just the tip of the iceberg for the console game market. With the newest Batman game having a one time code for SP content, we are seeing a new way for publishers to ensure that they earn something to run the servers for more people than who bought the game from them originally.

[QUOTE="Weenski"]

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

Gue1

[QUOTE="MushroomWig"] If there wasn't a problem we wouldn't be seeing online passes becoming so popular.garrett_daniels

The "problem" is that publishers want money they didn't work for. No manufacturer in any industry--including other forms of entertainment--has ever received money from used sales. Should Mazda get a cut of my used car? What about the manufacturers of the used books and DVDs and CDs and clothes and furniture and other stuff I have that I didn't buy new?

All physical goods are exchanged and re-used. This is the way the world has worked for thousands of years. If publishers don't want their products to be subject to the usual treatment of physical goods they shouldn't be making physical goods in the first place.

[QUOTE="Weenski"]'Used Game Sales - Possible Solution' There isn't a problem so a solution isn't needed.Gue1

The problem is that the servers where you play online, they aren't free you know. They need maintenance and stuff... The online passes are to play online, not the single player campaign.

Just so u know online pass came out to fight used/piracy not cause they need server money otherwise all copies would need to purchase online pass

[QUOTE="MushroomWig"] If there wasn't a problem we wouldn't be seeing online passes becoming so popular.garrett_daniels

The "problem" is that publishers want money they didn't work for. No manufacturer in any industry--including other forms of entertainment--has ever received money from used sales. Should Mazda get a cut of my used car? What about the manufacturers of the used books and DVDs and CDs and clothes and furniture and other stuff I have that I didn't buy new?

All physical goods are exchanged and re-used. This is the way the world has worked for thousands of years. If publishers don't want their products to be subject to the usual treatment of physical goods they shouldn't be making physical goods in the first place.

DD-only is not going to happen for ten years or more--it's just not at a level where broadband is spread out to enough people yet.