Regular Destructoid fans will know that I have reported several times on the words of David Braben, Frontier founder and hater of used games. Once again, the Lost Winds creator is going all emo about one of the oldest traditions in trade, going so far as to accuse retailers of defrauding the games industry.
Braben has labeled HMV's move into second-hand games "shocking" and considers this move, along with other stores, a serious threat which the games industry needs to do something about.
"The shops are not giving us a way of distinguishing between pre-owned and new," he complained. "So the shops are essentially defrauding the industry ... We've got a lot of retailers eating our lunch and refusing to sell full-priced games. I've been in a shop where I've tried to buy a copy of a relatively recent game, and I've taken an empty box off the shelf and they've given me a pre-owned copy. That, I think, is disgraceful."
Charity shops never sell anything new either. Those bastards.
Braben suggests that publishers should start offering things to the buyers of new games, something which is already starting to happen with pre-order bonuses and exclusive one-time-only download codes. While this is a good idea in theory, Braben really needs to stop it with this second-hand games crusade. As always, I must point out that the games industry is not this special exception to the rule of trade. People will buy and sell used goods in all sectors barring food. The fact that the games industry continues to kick and scream, despite raking in more cash than Hollywood, is beyond childish.
Contest:
11:45 AM on 10.30.2008
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This seems to be the way DRM is headed now, what with them giving up on piracy and all. I personally think it's disgraceful,, and would love to find out how much "benefit" the designers recieve from publishers to implement DRM in their games.
It's happened to me on occasins where I've bought ACE Combat 6 for forty quid and the box is sans seal and that wonderful adhesive smell you ony get with new games . . .
Anyway I digress.
i have cheese and ham sandwiches, and an apple. trade anyone for a box of nerds?
You don't see the film industry, book industry or the music industry etc etc moaning about this, it pathetic. "*bwah* but we want moar profits, these freeloaders *sniff* are playing our game and paying someone who's not us for it *sob* ".
Furthermore, the retailer doesn't have to declare the VAT that applies to all new purchases so it is defrauding you (because you're paying at the higher price) and the government, (becasue they're not receiving their 17.5% bounty on sales of all new products).
Legally, this isn't even grey, it's just illegal. As consumers of games, we should be bothered about being defrauded.
What I've always thought Steam needed was an option to allow you to gift games you own only one copy of. You would then lose that game from your profile. That way you could trade/sell games you never intend to play again.
I would indeed be shocked that if a store was selling new games as brand new ones, but given Braben's track record, I'd say that was more him over-reacting.
Does he really not believe that this is disgraceful?
I know for a fact that they do practice this pretty much as policy. There should certainly be a waiting period of a month or so (maybe longer) after a game comes out where you cant buy it used. At least from a retailer.
And using the argument that just because you make a lot of money, you shouldnt fight back against those that are screwing you out of more of it is really the most childish thing I read in the article.
Like Jim already said, this happens with almost everything. Why should the video game industry be an exception?
How many times have you seen a preused copy of a game for either the same price or just a few bucks cheaper? Meanwhile they give you less then half of its value when you sell it back to them.
Imagine that working like that in any other industry. They wouldnt get away with it. The only reason they have up to this point, is because as Jim pointed out, game makers do make a lot of money. Still not a reason to not go after this problem though.
I thought the same. Sounded like a convenient story chucked in there just to emphasise his statement, and as already mentioned its illegal to do that in the UK anyway.
And to be honest if they did that to be i'd kick off about it.
Do I need to move to England to find an honest game store? I do like bangers and mash. But I have a fear of pigeons, will that be a problem or is that only in Trafalgar Square
On further inspection, this "new" price tag was applied OVER TOP of another "Used" price tag, covering it up.
I was charged the price of a new game. This shit most DEFINITELY happens, and I would say it's encouraged by practices like Gamestop's opening of games.
My view now is that if it's not still shrink-wrapped, it's not a new copy. It's been opened. It should be marked as used, or damaged, and sold as such.
Pretty sure, Trade Description Act (as mentioned by Axle).
Seems you must, we welcome you with a warm, buck-theethed smile!
Well it's not illegal to rip people off in America. It's sleezy and I hate it but I don't think it should be banned.
Well it's not illegal to rip people off in America. It's sleezy and I hate it but I don't think it should be banned.
It almost makes me sick that we get screwed so hard and the Brits dont, so that they actually consider complaining about this VERY REAL problem a problem in itself. Fricking Brits and their "we follow the laws" propaganda. lol.
Ragewaar...
I am so taking you up on this. I hope your couch is big enough.. I am 6'4"
One other thing to consider...
If you couldnt just sell back a game you didnt like after a day or two, then maybe, just maybe people would do som research (gasp!) before they buy and wouldnt be inflating the numbers of mediocre games. Really, there are tons of benefits to placing a temporary embargo on selling recent games as used.
Besides I for one, prefer to support the people who put their efforts into making the game, not to those who try to just profit off of that work.
I was going to joke about that, but decided not to. You were being so kind afterall.
The fact that games are starting to put in those one time downloads and stuff like that is clearly an indication that this is a big problem.
Of course preowned sales are going to exist, but traditionally, a product will stay in your hands until such time as it has lost all market value. A car, for instance, you are not going to trade in one week after purchase, nor are you going to do that with clothes or music or electronics. Games on the other hand get traded in the day after release.
In all fairness, preowned games sales are different from other second hand industries. But I still would rather see clever, appealing methods of selling new copies of the game than malicious DRM methods.
Don't get me wrong, when I buy a game it becomes my property and I'll trade it if I damn well feel like it, but I get where this guy is coming from.
If they're just not stocking new games, that just makes them assholes.
He has a point with that. Shops actively trying to take money that would be going to the publishers is kinda shitty. Still, second hand is a good thing.
Many products are resold everything from cars to houses even vintange clothes and art work. I am sure manufactures of every product in the world would prefer if people only bought the new ones so they got all the money. But lets look at cars for a second one of the biggest things people look on those is resale value so a cars rate of purchase is directly affected by its resale value for many people. For me a I a collecter of games but I don't think I would buy as many games if there was not monitary value to the game. So at the end of the day this is basic supply and demand. Make a good game that has good appeal and prefable has replay value cause if the game holds people the only tradins are going to be people who just didnt care for the game and that is always gonna happen I am sure there are some souless people that dont like LBP.