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Comment by: Mysttic (Apr 29, 2012 06:57)

MS and Sony can both prevent used games from being playable. They will eventually understand pissing on the majority of your consumers may not bold so well. Given Nintendo will have an open to used market console, they may as well shoot themselves in the foot.

Comment by: scorpNZ (Apr 29, 2012 07:38)

They want this because the second hand market is larger than the first hand...lol..they've done their homework 2nd hand games is big business & they want in,why only take one tiny bite of the cake when you can eat the whole dam thing

edit: Tonight & Every Night $1.00 smorgasbord all you can eat,bring two paying friends & you dine free

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Comment by: baxter00 (Apr 29, 2012 12:03)

How would this effect operations such as Gamefly? I'm not up to speed
on how systems would not be able to play used games, but, by doing this, wouldn't it also make it impossible to borrow a friends' game? I would imagine the new game played for the first time on system A, would leave a product code on that system for that game, and make playing the same game on system B impossible, because system B does not have that product code on it registered for that game. Does that make sense?

I'm sure there will still be thousands of people that will buy these systems and games because they are die hard gamers, but there's no sense in companies doing this, as their profit margin would dwindle from lack of sales to the other, greater thousands that would not buy it.

Just my two cents.

Comment by: deak91 (Apr 29, 2012 13:02)

"It's weird that [second-hand] are still allowed because it doesn't work like that in any other software industries"

have they looked on ebay i see used software,books,music,computers,and cars and everything under the sun.... the bottom line is if someone has a choice of 59.99-65.00 new or 15.00-30.00 used they will go for the better deal all the time

Comment by: Unfocused (Apr 29, 2012 13:27)

The bigger companies do not see any of the sales dollars on the used market. This is why they are trying to close this market out and keep all of the cash for themselves.

The used market is a thriving one, but the greed of companies like Gamestop is slowly killing this market without any help from the game publishers. I buy a fair number of new games and would be more than happy to pay for used games as well, but when I walk into the Gamestop and the new copy is shrink wrapped and selling for $50 with a used copy without a manual is right next to it selling for $45..... Common sense seems to kick in here.

For some people, they are loyal to the bigger companies, but only to the extent that their budget allows. I know a guy why is just getting around to Twilight Princess for the Wii due to it recently hitting $15 used ($20 new) at Gamestop.

I would think that if nothing else, the used market just helps as an advertising campaign due to the large number of people who do trade in their games and turn them for other games. It feels good sitting with friends talking about all the latest games they have actually played as opposed to only being exposed to them through print and the net.

Comment by: stardata (Apr 29, 2012 14:42)

Well that's Crytek bycotted by me now as I will never purchase another Crytec game from this company. I will not stand for Idiot comments like this from any game manufacturer and of which will kill the second hand game retail stores. Also if sony and microsoft do integrate this idea into their consoles then they will both do very poorly in sales as who in their right mind would purchase a console that will not allow you to play second hand games. I am sure this will not happen but if it does they will be shooting themselves in the head and will fail to sell their new consoles.

Comment by: Hrdrk20 (Apr 29, 2012 14:55)

Quote:

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people seem to be forgetting that gamestop's outrageous prices for used games put small time "mom and pop" used video game stores in business, like mine for example. Lets just say the retro gaming market is not as demanding as the current-gen market. A lot more people ask for MW3 than the original super mario bros on NES. News like this is gonna blow a whole ton of small businesses away

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Huh? I bought Killzone 2 for like $11.99 and WWE Wrestling 2010 for around $20. Hardly outrageous. I have no plans to purchase the latest "next-gen'" console if content goes 100% digital download.

*Bought for PS3

Comment by: deak91 (Apr 29, 2012 15:39)

well the more i think about it the more i see people wait until the newness of the game goes away after all the more choices you have the more your willing to wait until the game you really want drops in price after all how long did it take batman to drop to around 19.99-29.99 stores are not going to return unsold games they will try to sell them knowing the costumer is looking for a good deal like all the discount bins in best buy games and movies discount bins are a mainstay in best buy now

Comment by: david100k (Apr 29, 2012 15:41)

You guys are forgetting what happends if your consoles breaks.

Comment by: deak91 (Apr 29, 2012 15:46)

Originally posted by david100k:

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You guys are forgetting what happends if your consoles breaks.

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???? i thought it has been proven a few years ago that the system is sold at a loss because the games are really what makes the money and systems go down in price real fast if your not worried about streamlined systems that are sold at a lower cost

Comment by: AgentRev (Apr 29, 2012 16:06)

Well, that's just one move that would further convince me to continue burning Xbox games and getting Russian CD keys at a quarter of games' release price...

"It doesn't work like that in any other software industries" - If he's talking about PC games, well while CD keys do stop second-hand market, they have other important uses as well, like deterring cheaters from ruining multiplayer due to fear of being banned and having to re-purchase the game, and slow down piracy, while such a locking system wouldn't address those 2 last issues at all: true cheaters are much rarer on consoles, and well, nothing will stop pirates if the lock isn't handled at the server level, which is the case for most if not all PC games, and even there...

Also, console games are much more convenient than PC games - apart from a valid serial number, a PC game will require you to install the game on your machine, as well as requiring proper hardware to actually run the game. With console games, you just pop the disc into a compatible system, and can start playing right away.

"It would be great if they could somehow fix that issue as well" - The original use of serial numbers was to counter piracy, and not kill the second-hand market, albeit an indirect effect that does benefit publishers. I would expect anyone who acquires a PC game with the sole intent of playing it offline to use a crack or a keygen. Therefore, what truely kills the second-hand market is the need for multiplayer.

Crytek has constantly deceived me ever since they hoped onto the console bandwagon. Crysis 2 terribly sucked compared to the first one; it felt like Call of Duty on crack while drunk, but the first one can be thought of a nice mix between Battlefield and Counter-Strike. AND, they somehow managed to completely fail the serial numbers validation system on the PC, as there are cracks out there that allow you to play Crysis 2 online without a valid key.

So yeah, fuck you Crytek. Even thought you belong to EA (who tries to charge extra for the normally-expected amount of work on their products), it feels like you've turned into a subsidiary of Activision (who tries to charge extra while working even less on their products).

Comment by: scorpNZ (Apr 29, 2012 17:27)

Originally posted by Hrdrk20:

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Quote:

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people seem to be forgetting that gamestop's outrageous prices for used games put small time "mom and pop" used video game stores in business, like mine for example. Lets just say the retro gaming market is not as demanding as the current-gen market. A lot more people ask for MW3 than the original super mario bros on NES. News like this is gonna blow a whole ton of small businesses away

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Huh? I bought Killzone 2 for like $11.99 and WWE Wrestling 2010 for around $20. Hardly outrageous. I have no plans to purchase the latest "next-gen'" console if content goes 100% digital download.

*Bought for PS3

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Two games is hardly indicative of non exorbitant prices of thousands of second hand games that joe blogs or some 2nd hand retailer is attempting to get a ridiculous price for on outdated or older games or even fairly recent,when some of those games can be bought new for less.it's not like member was generalizing tho it may have seemed like it & lets not forget condition & popularity play a part

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Comment by: neronut (Apr 29, 2012 17:35)

Originally posted by david100k:

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You guys are forgetting what happends if your consoles breaks.

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Well, then the user would have to go on to their respective websites, de-authorize the console and reauthorize the game with the new one? That would mean one could sell a game because it would be removed from ones account. Unless they set it up as it is linked to your profile and you can de-authorize it from a system and add it to another system on your account.

Locking games to consoles, overall, is bad for the end user (the person who actually purchases the game). If someone hacks their console this issue doesn't exist any more...hence piracy :)

Comment by: Mysttic (Apr 29, 2012 18:38)

Quote:

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Huh? I bought Killzone 2 for like $11.99 and WWE Wrestling 2010 for around $20. Hardly outrageous. I have no plans to purchase the latest "next-gen'" console if content goes 100% digital download.

*Bought for PS3

Two games is hardly indicative of non exorbitant prices of thousands of second hand games that joe blogs or some 2nd hand retailer is attempting to get a ridiculous price for on outdated or older games or even fairly recent,when some of those games can be bought new for less.it's not like member was generalizing tho it may have seemed like it & lets not forget condition & popularity play a part

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Agreed here; first off Killzone 2 had so many copies distributed and unsold, that I found that game in the bargain bin at Walmart for $5 new. So you still got ripped off. And what year are we in, you bought WWE 2010, like wow. Sports game don't even have collection value, there may be a handful worth anything at all. Most of them 3+ years go for $1. You didn't get a good deal paying $20 for that game that's for sure; but hey, if you feel satisfied with that price, good for you to see value in what you paid.

Now moving from old PS3 games into this year, any new release that gets brought back into gamestop (cough: Skyrim); they'll offer you $20 in store game credit at best, then sell it for $5 under the value of their new price which is anywhere from $5-10 more than departments stars such as Wal-Mart, Target, etc.

Any game that was released in 2011-now, if the game didn't release as a complete flop or is an old sports game, you are not getting a good deal. As one guy said it, you compared a (good deal, which I know is not) as 2 examples out of thousands of examples. Gamestop deserves to go under, make no mistake.

However, I do not believe they need to go under in this manner. Used game market should not be cancelled as it will make all games, collectable or not, = to that of a paperweight. What should be done, is forcing secondhand stores and game retailers to pay a re-sale fee to developers. That would solve the issue and people would still be able to buy used games. Why nobody listens to that sound reasoning is beyond me.

Comment by: motormous (Apr 29, 2012 18:48)

if this is the road they are going down will they lower the price of the games for example the price of the platinum games or just try to screw the public over for new tech new games at 50 plus euro per pop. it would be a reason to just jailbreak the unit and not go online. if going online will penalise you like this then personally i wouldnt do it.

Comment by: dodger5 (Apr 29, 2012 21:35)

It may open the market to new ideas, a new system perhaps? just over a year ago I cut the cable, scary at first but it wasn't long before my family and I got used to it. I consider myself a pretty avid gamer (PC, 360, PS3), but if the cost becomes to much I will just have to cut the cable on them as well, sure it will sting at first but I'll get over it. People will change how they budget entertainment and how they spend their time, and smart, capable people will take advantage of that and come up with something different and affordable, and those people will prosper. Angry birds was just a couple bucks and those guys made a freaking fortune.

Comment by: neronut (Apr 29, 2012 22:28)

Originally posted by dodger5:

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It may open the market to new ideas, a new system perhaps? just over a year ago I cut the cable, scary at first but it wasn't long before my family and I got used to it. I consider myself a pretty avid gamer (PC, 360, PS3), but if the cost becomes to much I will just have to cut the cable on them as well, sure it will sting at first but I'll get over it. People will change how they budget entertainment and how they spend their time, and smart, capable people will take advantage of that and come up with something different and affordable, and those people will prosper. Angry birds was just a couple bucks and those guys made a freaking fortune.

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The idea isn't that everyone stops buying games. That would kill them outright. The idea is that they make a move that maximizes the profit for all parties. The consumers need decent prices vs. Game play experience in order purchase a game. The developers want to make as much as possible so they can invest in new games and pay their costs. The publishers want to make back what they invested in the development and marketing of the games. It is a delicate balance.

This move will unbalance the system and potentially hurt the industry more then what they think will happen. They need to address everyone's issues and create a balanced ecosystem.

Comment by: bigdan45 (Apr 29, 2012 23:28)

Originally posted by imnomyth:

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I RARELY buy games anymore. My PS3 is used as a blu-ray player/media player, and I've sold the 360. However, several friends are still avid gamers, typicall buying 2-3 games per month. As you would expect, they typically sell them once they become bored with them. Myself, or other friends buy them at a very discounted price. Here's the shocker; they use the money they get from selling the old games to...BUY NEW GAMES!!! People like myself only buy 1 or 2 new games a year, but may buy 8-10 used games. SONY and Microsoft will only be hurting themselves, because I still won't pay full price unless it's GOW, Zelda, Uncharted, etc. and even then I may just stop playing all together if I have shell out $400 for a system, then $60 for the one great game that I want per year.

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That's the way I am. The only games I'll buy brand new are Modern Warfare and GO@. I get madden as a gift, but other than that, screw it. The prices are insane.

Comment by: hearme0 (Apr 30, 2012 00:48)

Can anyone tell me HOW they can/will be able to effectively "ban or prohibit" the use of "used" games????? That would mean not taking your game to a friend's house to play. F THAT! Glad I'm an avid computer gamer.

Comment by: kmass (Apr 30, 2012 07:50)

Originally posted by imnomyth:

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I RARELY buy games anymore. My PS3 is used as a blu-ray player/media player, and I've sold the 360. However, several friends are still avid gamers, typicall buying 2-3 games per month. As you would expect, they typically sell them once they become bored with them. Myself, or other friends buy them at a very discounted price. Here's the shocker; they use the money they get from selling the old games to...BUY NEW GAMES!!! People like myself only buy 1 or 2 new games a year, but may buy 8-10 used games. SONY and Microsoft will only be hurting themselves, because I still won't pay full price unless it's GOW, Zelda, Uncharted, etc. and even then I may just stop playing all together if I have shell out $400 for a system, then $60 for the one great game that I want per year.

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I agree I dont wanna buy a game beat it and then just have it sittin I will sell it take that money and buy a new one ... BIG mistake on the company if they do this ... I can see if this happens it will make the piracy go back up people will go back to PC and drop consoles cause it will be cheaper to download games on net and play them

Comment by: grathan (Apr 30, 2012 13:12)

-Who is gonna take a chance buying a game with no resale value? Sure if it is a 5 star game, but there hasn't been a 5 star game in at least 10 years. Even if the new hardware makes up for sloppy code and there is new textures, people are gonna get bored with the same old gameplay.

-There is still gonna be a console that will support used games and that is the one consumers will flock to. Either that or the first one hacked to play pirated games. Did the psp outsell the Vita this week? Have been loyal Sony, but the last console was just a string of disapointments.

Comment by: ThePastor (May 01, 2012 00:23)

I haven't had a game system since my original NES.

Honestly? I do not understand how this industry has survived this far. Outrageous prices. Crippling DRM. Antagonistic business practices. Crappy coding.
Just add this to the other crap that this industry has piled on you, the customer.

Comment by: bhetrick (May 04, 2012 16:57)

Maybe console gamers will start realizing that it's cheaper to go pc.

Sony talking pricing PS+.
MS raising LIVE cost AND still increasing ads.
Devs/Pubs requiring codes for online multiplayer.
Devs/Pubs/Mfgs all wanting used games blocked.


... and on and on. For the price that people are buying these consoles for at launch, they could be building/buying a gaming pc.

Comment by: neronut (May 04, 2012 17:28)

Originally posted by bhetrick:

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Maybe console gamers will start realizing that it's cheaper to go pc.

Sony talking pricing PS+.
MS raising LIVE cost AND still increasing ads.
Devs/Pubs requiring codes for online multiplayer.
Devs/Pubs/Mfgs all wanting used games blocked.


... and on and on. For the price that people are buying these consoles for at launch, they could be building/buying a gaming pc.

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PC Gaming has a different feel to it. It also generally has better graphics but that is all dependent on your hardware. Games that are written for the console are designed to just work. You pick up a PS3, you play PS3 games. Pretty simple. The PC world has had Serial Numbers for ages now, which means that if you buy a game it has no resale value. Mind you, they never used to track the serial numbers.

THe Console world evolved along a different path. Back in the days of cartridge games, like the NES, SNES, N64, etc. you could just more your game from one console to another and your saves and everything came along with it. But it meant you could go to your friend's place and play, or if your console died you just picked up a new one and kept going.

These companies are undermining the very fabric that made them a success. It is unfortunate that they have become greedy, that seems to be the popular thing to do in today's world. But there is a cost. If it means jumping ship then so be it.

Easy Solution: Lower the cost of new games, keep the current game model. This way they get more primary market sales and the secondary market will still exist.

Comment by: ajennice (May 04, 2012 22:46)

I wouldn't fret a bit over this. First the DL game disk.. HACKED... next the ap2.5- HACKED, many different "waves" - a;; hacked, and now the XGD3- again.. HACKED.
I do not have a hacked console but it seems like every move the industry makes there are a handful well in front of them maiking moves around certain blocks.
If it weren't for the outrageous prices they ask for a $0.28 disk with a gamne on it, there wouldn't be much of this. As for the eb/gamestop used prices, they are outrageous as well. you buy a 60.00 game play it a week and get what you want out of it, they rebuy it for 29.00 and then resale it for 5.00 less than a new copy. I can see where some comapnies want in on that or are just pissed they can't get that kind of action, but it's not the store's fault the games do not stay interesting fgorever!!!