Why aren't PC gamers angry about the lack of used games?

Long ago, in the pre-digital distribution era, when I was playing PC games, there was a sense of ownership when you bought a game. It came in a physical box, with disks, and manuals - all of that nice stuff, and you know what? It was your's. You could resell it to someone else, let your friend borrow it, etc.

Then, Steam came. I remember very distinctly, in November of 2004, that many gamers were absolutely angry at Valve for requiring online activation for Half-Life 2. Many of these gamers swore off Steam, vowed to boycott it, and continued to buy shrink-wrapped software that they could swap and resell like they always have. 

But, for some odd reason, these protests fizzled out once people realized how convenient digital distribution was. And the crazy deals? Goddamn, you could pre-order a AAA game like BioShock Infinite and get two other games with it! People (myself included) started eating up this model like crazy, as soon as prices went down and the DD model demonstrated how easy it was to get games, people dropped their principles like hot potatoes and flocked to the new model. 

Now, this new model of distribution - one that destroys the gamer's lack of ownership of their game, one that denies resale and clamps down on lending, is coming to console gaming. And yet, console gamers are upset. Visibly so. But didn't they know that? PC gaming pioneered digital distribution and put an end to the resale model ages ago. 

It's the future. And as much as I don't like this digital distribution because it destroys that sense of ownership that games once came with, it's here to stay. There are very few PC games that come on an actual disk these days, and even if they did, they require activation on Steam or some other service. 

I'll buy a used car.

You'll never see me buy used electronics and disks. That sh!t was returned or traded for a reason.

Because Steam salesMonsieurX

This^ also.

It's the future. And as much as I don't like this digital distribution because it destroys that sense of ownership that games once came with, it's here to stay. There are very few PC games that come on an actual disk these days, and even if they did, they require activation on Steam or some other service. 

The_Capitalist

You can buy most multiplats retail if you want to have them in a physical collection, and even though they'll require a Steam activation, that doesn't bother me at all.

Once Valve crash 20, 30 years from now, and i doubt they will because the key of a succesful bussiness is to evolve and adapt and Valve aren't idiots, they'll have some sort of backup to allow me to play these games without Steam. Why i know this? It's common sense. Valve are mearly a distribution service, they'll have it on lock.

Who cares about used games when I can buy awesome games for under $10 from Steam and GOG?

Games because super cheap super fast so we don't need used games.tagyhag

Mostly due to the highly competitive DD market on the PC, with lots of stores competing for the consumer money by offering great deals.

Honestly, I don't remember a time when I wanted to sell any of my games on the PC...

steam/amazon/GMG/GG sales

[QUOTE="tagyhag"]Games because super cheap super fast so we don't need used games.Jandurin

Xbox will have a digital marketplace for used games. So you'll be able to sell and buy used licences which is pretty coolRR360DD

Personally I don't care as much because new games are often cheaper and fall in price much faster. Sales are far more common and you can usually get great deals on a lot of games. 

If the console market was the same I don't think people would complain as much. However it's not. Games launch at $60 then have DLC after. They don't drop in price for quite some time and then they still are more expensive over time then PC games. 

Another thing is that our games will not be useless the next time a new windows or graphics card comes out...we can build up huge collections as we will still be able to play the games we bought over a decade from now....if you build up a collection on consoles it all becomes useless when the next gen rolls around unless you keep your old console around.

Just from The Board for having fun.tagyhag

[QUOTE="RR360DD"]Xbox will have a digital marketplace for used games. So you'll be able to sell and buy used licences which is pretty coolfeverberries

I think it means you can trade your game into the MS store for credit and use that to buy another game

[QUOTE="RR360DD"]Xbox will have a digital marketplace for used games. So you'll be able to sell and buy used licences which is pretty coolfeverberries

you can buy old pc games used that dont have dumbass cd keys and they're better games anyway.onesuckbox

i thought you were supposed to be playing in traffic

[QUOTE="RR360DD"]Xbox will have a digital marketplace for used games. So you'll be able to sell and buy used licences which is pretty coolfeverberries

and Microsoft will later discuss plans for a system that will allow players to trade game ownership via Xbox Live."RR360DD

you can buy old pc games used that dont have dumbass cd keys and they're better games anyway.onesuckbox

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

[QUOTE="onesuckbox"]you can buy old pc games used that dont have dumbass cd keys and they're better games anyway.onesuckbox

i thought you were supposed to be playing in traffic

*you

dat comeback

Because there is no such a thing has backwards compatibility or generations for the Master Race.  You buy a game, and it cannot be taken from you, in theory.  There is complicit ownership in PC gaming.  I will be able to play Black and White 30 years from now.  It is the ultimate platform.

Cause games drop to dirt cheap and stay new. Best of both worlds. 

Cos PC games are dirt cheap compared to consoles to begin with, even at launch.

Cos PC games are dirt cheap compared to consoles to begin with, even at launch.

seanmcloughlin

that stripper is not attractive

[QUOTE="feverberries"][QUOTE="RR360DD"]Xbox will have a digital marketplace for used games. So you'll be able to sell and buy used licences which is pretty coolRR360DD

Are you convinced that console game prices will get the same kind of deals when they give up their rights?
For PC gamers it was optional. It is almost required now but we got into this because we could try it and it was glorious.
Console gamers have no other option. There is very little reason for a wicked company like Microsoft to give you good deals, aside from potential competition with PC's.

Because Steam salesMonsieurX

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

Cos PC games are dirt cheap compared to consoles to begin with, even at launch.

lostrib

that stripper is not attractive

None of the females in Last Light are. But her boobs are mighty fine, especially dem jiggle physics :P

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

Cos PC games are dirt cheap compared to consoles to begin with, even at launch.

seanmcloughlin

that stripper is not attractive

None of the females in Last Light are. But her boobs are mighty fine, especially dem jiggle physics :P

I see the devs focused on the important things

[QUOTE="tagyhag"]Just from The Board for having fun.Jandurin

Sales baby! And not just sales from Steam, there are quite a few other digital distribution PC systems that also do sales. I'm in the UK and I've used Steam, Gamefly, Greenman Gaming, GoG, Orgin and a UK site called Simply Games. I built a new PC about four months ago and 80% of my games are now digital purchases.

Of course I got most of them so cheap that the fact that I can't sell them on doesn't matter. The first digital download I purchased from Steam was Test Drive Unlimited 2, it was on a Steam weekend Sale for £2.75 GBP (which is less than $5). Steam have a sale on everyday, and loads more over the holidays.

One of the reasons systems such as Xbox LIVE and PSN don't have such good deals is because the publishers can only sell their games via these two systems, no third parties are allowed. Another is down to a license fee. Unlike PC games, publishers need to pay a license to either Sony or Microsoft to produce games on those platforms, likewise, a license is also required to produce games for Nintendo too. PC games have no license, not even the Games for Windows games. Hence the cheaper price.

I do buy games from Xbox LIVE though. My last purchase was Soul Calibour V. I only bought it from there because the price had gone to £14.99, which kind of negated the fact that I couldn't trade that in either.

[QUOTE="Jandurin"][QUOTE="tagyhag"]Just from The Board for having fun.tagyhag

Because there is no such a thing has backwards compatibility or generations for the Master Race.  You buy a game, and it cannot be taken from you, in theory.  There is complicit ownership in PC gaming.  I will be able to play Black and White 30 years from now.  It is the ultimate platform.

Shewgenja

Heyyyy Jandurin, where the hell have you been?? :o

Heyyyy Jandurin, where the hell have you been?? :o

AdobeArtist

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

[QUOTE="lostrib"]

that stripper is not attractive

lostrib

None of the females in Last Light are. But her boobs are mighty fine, especially dem jiggle physics :P

I see the devs focused on the important things

Priorities man.