As E3 has come to an end, I have to say with much regret the state of gaming is bleak. It is not bleak because of our allegiances to Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo. It is bleak and dismal due to our addiction to antiquated ideal of ownership. I am not advocating the Xbox One over the Wii U or PS4. So sit back and have a moment of clarity. Lets start of the universal truth of gaming.
1) Gamers hate DRM & not having 100% ownership over their games
2) Developers & Publishers like being paid for their games
3) F2P games have no rights or DRM necessary as there is no ownership – it’s a service. The user just decides how much they want to invest in that service. So far, F2P is a very profitable business model and seen as superior to disc-based blockbusters in many ways.
4) As more developers move to F2P, Gamers lose their opportunity to own games altogether and now just pay monthly fees.
The Used Game market structure is destroying the future of gaming. As consumerist, we wish to enjoy AAA blockbuster games, while spending as little money as possible. Many gamers flock to selling and buy used games as means to feed our addiction. It is unfortunate that something so noble is breaking our culture. Unfortunately, we are so dependent on used game that we are unable to see the damage it is creating. Due to the success of Game Stop and other used game retailers, developers have to make all their profits on games within the first 3 months of release. And while used games selling does drive the market for purchase of new games, is the $10 you will receive for Madden 13 really worth it? A blog rant by Copycense in 2011 said it best.
To ensure return of the games, consumers who buy a games are bombarded with offers to turn them back in for credit. Each turned in game builds the used inventory, at no cost to Gamestop. When sold, the only person receiving the benefit, is Gamestop. When I put it this way . . . . I don’t want to say it sounds like laundering, but . . . . . They take a game unit a publisher should get paid for, run it though a consumer, and turn into a game unit they can sell over, and over, and over, and over without compensation to the publisher.
The PC game Total Halibut continues the point and invalidates a lot of points of contention on the used game subject.
The unfortunate effects of used games are Downloadable Content, DLC, and Free to Play/Pay to Win gaming becoming more and more main stream. Developers are make DLC more or less essential for the game. The 1st owner will buy it, but also the 2nd and 3rd one and devs/publishers are again making money. Although the base game profit was “lost” after the first sale, new revenue is found. As more developers move to F2P, Gamers lose their opportunity to own games altogether and now just pay monthly fees. Zynga shut down 12 games apps. One of them, Petville, still had one million monthly active users, and before at one point had 43 million. The value of every object purchased evaporated, without warning, overnight. How many people were still purchasing digital objects after Zynga knew the game was going to be shut down? I am not pointing my finger only at Zynga, Star Wars Galaxies sold objects right up until the game was shut down. Shutting down a game is simply a fact of life. But once the game is offline you lost all your money.
While I certainly see the value in physical property that you can hold and own and borrow and bend, I also see value in the elimination of used games. Here are five reasons why.
- Everything’s going digital anyway.
- The future could look a lot like Steam. Steam is convenient, easy to use, and, most importantly, fun. Its users don’t have to worry about buying used games because sales are frequent and affordable. I would certainly welcome similar platforms on any game console, even if it meant the death of used games
- Retailers will have to offer better deals.Without used games, GameStop will have to find a way to make up that bottom line. They’ll have to find ways to convince us to head out to the store instead of downloading new games at home. That could very well mean more discounts, more special sales, and better deals for customers.
- Games could be significantly more affordable. If publishers earn more for each game, is it out of the question to expect them to lower their prices? Games may continue to grow more and more expensive to create, but if they no longer have to live or die based on their first few months in the market, publishers might be able to justify selling them at lower costs.
- Publishers might take more risks. If no used games means more money in publishers’ pockets, we’ll reap the benefits. When publishers have to worry less about the bottom line, they have more liberty to take chances with independent games and studios.
New game only purchasing market, is coming and for many it is already here. Try and purchase a used games or Apps on PC, IOS, or Android. Steam has shown us the way but we are too stubborn to follow.Generally all PC games are $10 cheaper and come with $.99 or free DLC. On store.steampowered.com, as I write this
- Dishonored $20.09 new Gamestop $27.99 used and $29.99 new
- Saint’s Row IV Metro: Last Light and Remember Me $49.99 new Gamestop $54.99 used and $59.99 new
Arm yourself with the truth rather then ranting of mobs. Step out on your own.
Xbox should have made an example on how digital games can be cost effective for the end user. Instead from games on demand you need to shell out 70 euro for a game. Gamestop will never et their hands on this and it cant be traded, so why the f**k is it 10 euros more expensive than in the stores? Theres no packaging, no high-street rent to pay to put it on a shelf and no distribution costs. If Xbox games on demand cost around 40 euros you wouldn’t hear anyone bitching.
The issue is publishers still rely on physical distribution at the still point in time. Gamestop and other retailers have said with you price digital game at the same price as your physical game or we won’t carry you game.
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