I don't normally shoot from the hip, so to speak. Most of my blogs are written in Word beforehand and sit around on my hard drive for a few days (or months.. or years)while I edit out all the BS rambling and make something that is relatively short that I don't completely hate.I'd actually prefer to do this more,since it's a better representation of how I actually think without acting as my own filter... that is to say:rather chaotic and a million miles a second in all directions, and I tend to use the British spellings of certain words for some reason... but, I "curse" a lot and that used to get me in trouble with a few of the more.. shall we say,'supercilious' mods around here and their rather nebulous definition of what constitutes an actual swear word... that and I know it's not easy to read, so I spare you.

Usually.

However, this just caught my eye:

http://www.gamespot.com/news/volition-developer-blasts-used-game-business-6349861

After reading it, I just want to put my thoughts out there while I'm still thinking about it. I apologize in advance for what will probably end up being a bunch of rapid-fire,disjointed thoughts that may or may not make a point.

Jameson Durall, a "Design Director" over at Volition,most known for their Saints Row franchise, has come out and slapped their customers across the face. Not directly of course, but he did essentially equate one who purchases a used game to be the same as a pirate.

The only thing these two have in common is that, as has been stated by people who actually know wtf they're talking about over and over again, is that the number of games pirated do not equal a 1:1 ratio of lost sales -and the sameargument can be made for used games. That's it. The similarities end there and they're not in favor of the person trying to make the argument in the first place. It's like a Christian telling me to be nice to everyone because that's what Jesus would do.

Ten games sold from Gamestop do not equal the lost sales often brand new games from Best Buy.When I buy used games, it's almost always games I was never all that sure about to begin with... take Saints Row 3 for example.. I haven't bought it because frankly, it doesn't hold the appeal to me that it's predecessors did. I can't be counted as a lost sale if I decide to pick it up later this year or next from Gamestop... I'd simply never bother at all if that wasn't an option.

Used games is like showing up to a party after everyone has gone home but the bar is still fully stocked.

To tell someone that their purchase isn't legitimate only for the fact that they didn't buy directly from you smacks of arrogance. That's like telling someone they shoplifted the clothes they came in wearing because they didn't buy them from that specific store.

I see this as being more an issue of a few companies seeing a way to make a *little* bit more money, I doubt that the used games market is taking the industry crippling chunk out of them as Mr. Durall claims. If it is, there would be a hell of a lot more options out there than Gamestop and it's few obscure competitors... Speaking only in terms of the used market of course. I mean really, who amoung us wouldn't flock to a Gamestop competitor if it were as common?

I really don't want to see game companies getting behind this. This developer says, and I quote:

"People often don't understand the cost that goes into creating these huge experiences that we put on the shelves for only $60. They also don't seem to realize how much they are hurting us when they buy a used game and how pirating a copy is just plain stealing"

Oh the poor man! *sarcasm* He doesn't seem to understand that $60.00 is a lot of money to his own companies core demographic. That $60.00 he is talking about is on the heels of a two to three hundred dollar piece of hardware, and all the necessary equipment to use it. Sure it can be amortized over x amount of years (I'm an accountant) sure, but it's still an additional expense. Every purchase we make increases the cost as a whole each month. This generation alone I'm easily in the $2500.00 range. For arguments sake, let's just call it that, over 5 years, I've spent EXACTLY 2.5k. That is 500.00 per year,$41.67 per month.Each game increases that cost bit by bit, and it adds the **** up, and that's just the systems and games,I'm not counting additional controllers, online services, DLC, etc.

I realize that's a bit of a skewed way to look at it,most people don't take into account the TOTAL cost of a generation of gaming... but there it is.

This is NOT a cheap hobby, I am fortunate in that I can afford my vices - but I can tell you with no uncertainty that as a kid, hell, as a college student, I would not have been able to indulge myself in it without the occasional trip to Gamestop, and you know what? I still bought new games because like any gamer there are some I just have to have right then and there. It's the nature of the beast. Some games we just can't wait on, even the most dedicated used buyer breaks from time to time.

If a company wants only to sell new games, they better be prepared to drop that mere $60.00 down quite a bit if they truly believe the used games market it cutting their legs out from under them. Honestly though, I think they're going to be surprised just how much business they'll end up losing on principle alone. I for one will not buy a system that blocks me from playing a legitimately purchased game because I happen to be a follow up owner.

Or maybe this will catch on and spread to other industries, your used car could just stop working one day. Shame on you for not buying new!