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The death of resales?Follow

#1 Apr 12 2012 at 3:18 AM Rating: Good
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A Kotaku report from a couple weeks ago that I didn't see posted anywhere around here says that the next Playstation will likely require a fee to purchase something akin to a CD-Key for all resold games.

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SO LONG, USED GAMES

Just like the next Xbox/Durango, we've heard from multiple sources that the Orbis will likewise have some kind of anti-used games measures built into the console. Here's how our main source says it's currently shaping up: new games for the system will be available one of two ways, either on a Blu-Ray disc or as a PSN download (yes, even full retail titles). If you buy the disc, it must be locked to a single PSN account, after which you can play the game, save the whole thing to your HDD, or peg it as "downloaded" in your account history and be free to download it at a later date.

Don't think you can simply buy the disc and stay offline, though; like many PC games these days, you'll need to have a PSN account and be online to even get the thing started. UPDATE - Since some people seem to have taken this to mean the console requires an "always on" intenet connection, we've heard nothing about that. All we've heard is that you need to authenticate a new game online via the PSN.

If you then decide to trade that disc in, the pre-owned customer picking it up will be limited in what they can do. While our sources were unclear on how exactly the pre-owned customer side of things would work, it's believed used games will be limited to a trial mode or some other form of content restriction, with consumers having to pay a fee to unlock/register the full game.

This would allow used games to continue to be sold at outlets such as GameStop, while also appeasing major publishers who would no longer have to implement their own haphazard approaches to "online passes".
#2 Apr 12 2012 at 5:39 AM Rating: Good
It sucks, but it is bound to happen. Not enough people (Well the "right") are getting monies from used/resold games.
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#3 Apr 12 2012 at 7:21 AM Rating: Good
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I'm not a fan of how they're going about it, but it's been a long time coming. I'm not sure how else the publishers would be able to recoup money from used game sales. One thing is for sure, though. GameStop won't be able to sell used copies of new releases for $5 cheaper than the new copies if the customer is going to have to spend $10 or so on an activation code.
#4 Apr 12 2012 at 8:11 AM Rating: Good
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Sir Spoonless wrote:
One thing is for sure, though. GameStop won't be able to sell used copies of new releases for $5 cheaper than the new copies if the customer is going to have to spend $10 or so on an activation code.


Yep, they'll sell it for $15 cheaper and you will end up paying exactly the same that you are now.
#5 Apr 12 2012 at 8:21 AM Rating: Excellent
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And they'll buy them for $20 less. So you'll get -$13 per game.
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#6 Apr 12 2012 at 8:23 AM Rating: Good
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Déjà vu. Didn't they have rumors of this for the last generation of game consoles as well?
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#7 Apr 12 2012 at 8:33 AM Rating: Good
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Jophiel wrote:
And they'll buy them for $20 less. So you'll get -$13 per game.


Hey, that half inch of space on the book shelf is valuable real estate.
#8 Apr 12 2012 at 8:34 AM Rating: Excellent
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That doesn't mean much. The last generation came out, what, 5-6 years ago? So they were being designed 6-7-8 years ago?

Internet access has become a lot more ubiquitous since then and publishers have seen the PC game market readily accept digital downloads that can't be resold. The world's changed since the 360 was on the design table.
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#9 Apr 12 2012 at 11:47 AM Rating: Good
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I think it's amusing how some (many?) developers think used games is a huge shared of their market and that if suddenly used games were no more, their profits would take a significant climb.

The assumption is that for every used game bought is one less used game sold, but is that really the case?

I doubt everyone that buys used games will suddenly decide to switch- I know I have a dozen of used games I would have never bought new, so game developers won't suddenly see me purchasing more new games. Then there are also those that buy games with the intention of reselling almost immediately- are they still likely to entirely give up that $60 rather than saving $20, $30, something more than $0?

In any case, if used games become a thing of the past, I would expect an even bigger shift towards App-like and PC games and GameFly until the console market took on a more Steam-like approach.
#10 Apr 12 2012 at 11:50 AM Rating: Good
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xypin wrote:
The assumption is that for every used game bought is one less used game sold, but is that really the case?

The fact is that every used game bought is a new copy that won't be bought no matter what. Even if it only resulted in a 10% bump, that would be 10% more than they're getting now. What company wouldn't want a 10% bump in sales?
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#11 Apr 12 2012 at 12:10 PM Rating: Good
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Seems like it would make more sense for the publishers to automatically take a cut of used game sales. Then they save on disk printing and distribution but still make a cut.
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#12 Apr 12 2012 at 12:29 PM Rating: Good
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Master Shojindo wrote:
Seems like it would make more sense for the publishers to automatically take a cut of used game sales. Then they save on disk printing and distribution but still make a cut.


If they could police this, then I'm sure they would.
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#13 Apr 12 2012 at 12:46 PM Rating: Excellent
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I can't speak for every gamer out there but in my case it would result in a net loss for developer. I pretty much never buy used game, I usually pre-order all the game I'm interested in but the price I get for my used game is part of my gaming budget. If I can't get that 20-30$ for my used games than I won't be buying as many games.
#14 Apr 12 2012 at 1:03 PM Rating: Good
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feelz wrote:
I can't speak for every gamer out there but in my case it would result in a net loss for developer. I pretty much never buy used game, I usually pre-order all the game I'm interested in but the price I get for my used game is part of my gaming budget. If I can't get that 20-30$ for my used games than I won't be buying as many games.


So instead of picking up a title for $60, returning it for 30, and buying another for 60, you'll pick up 2-3 games for $30 off of steam?

Sounds like a win-win.
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#15 Apr 12 2012 at 1:09 PM Rating: Good
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I play console game, if I can't trade in my old game then I have to spend 60$ every time instead of 30-40$ so I might pass on some releases.
#16 Apr 12 2012 at 6:19 PM Rating: Excellent
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The only thing I am not keen on is the need to put in a code to validate your game. So if for some reason I don't have an internet connection but get a game as a gift (it has happened several times to me) I wouldn't be able to play it until I can access the net? Not too keen on that thought honestly. Correct me if I am wrong though.

On second thought there is also another feature I am really disliking. Lets say I wanted to bring my game over to a friends so he can check it out. Unless I bring along my console I would be S.O.L. What would happen if my console craps itself? Would I essentially have to pay them again to play the games I already owned? Again correct me if I am blowing this out of proportion.
#17 Apr 12 2012 at 6:26 PM Rating: Excellent
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Since neither console exists yet, anything is a guess. But I would suppose the account keys would be tied to your Sony/MS account when it validates it online. Get a new console, activate it with the same account, badda-bing-badda-boom.
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#18 Apr 12 2012 at 7:14 PM Rating: Good
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I'd imagine, if it happens, it'd be exactly the same as current rules regarding downloaded content on your PSN and Xbox Live systems. Transfers of content exist, signing into your account from other consoles (rather than the original), allowing you to download content you paid for and use it while on that account.

I can't see them changing the existing system just to make it worse for the user. Of course, claiming they will provides some pretty good fuel to feed the outrage fires.
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#19 Apr 14 2012 at 10:49 PM Rating: Decent
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Then I guess I won't be buying them. If everyone would refuse to buy it they would be forced to back off. As long as people mindlessly accept it and buy it up they will do what they want. You would think they were going bankrupt or something. Its nothing but greed.
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#20 Apr 15 2012 at 12:35 AM Rating: Decent
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#21 Apr 15 2012 at 1:46 AM Rating: Good
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fronglo wrote:
Then I guess I won't be buying them. If everyone would refuse to buy it they would be forced to back off. As long as people mindlessly accept it and buy it up they will do what they want. You would think they were going bankrupt or something. Its nothing but greed.
Mindlessly accept that creators have a right to make money from their creations? A $5-10 fee isn't really much to ask to activate used games as long as that portion comes free with new ones, IMO.

Actually, he says that even if it happened, it wouldn't be a big deal. At least, that's what one of his paragraphs says.
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There's still money to be made - In the past two years, game publishers have finally learned how to make used games work to their advantage. EA's "Project $10" showed that by forcing players to pay a small fee to access content on a previously owned game, they could still make money from used game sales. Most publishers quickly followed suit.

So far, that fee has been largely tied to the multiplayer aspects of a game. As the next generation of consoles ties titles to user accounts, players will likely have to pay to unlock the single player portion as well. As with "Project $10," there will be a brief squawk, then an adjustment period (likely among retailers, which will have to adjust pricing on their end), then it will be an accepted part of the video game landscape.
#22 Apr 15 2012 at 10:41 AM Rating: Decent
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The fear is that, if the rumor is true, it will completely eliminate the used game market. He says that we might have to pay a fee to unlock the full game instead of just the multiplayer but used game won't disappear. That's how I understand it.
#23 Apr 15 2012 at 11:32 AM Rating: Decent
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This was something they talked about doing on the PS3 but it never happened.
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#24 Apr 15 2012 at 11:58 AM Rating: Good
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fronglo wrote:
This was something they talked about doing on the PS3 but it never happened.


WHAT JOPH SAID! wrote:
That doesn't mean much. The last generation came out, what, 5-6 years ago? So they were being designed 6-7-8 years ago?

Internet access has become a lot more ubiquitous since then and publishers have seen the PC game market readily accept digital downloads that can't be resold. The world's changed since the 360 was on the design table.


What Joph Said.
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