They've tried insulting pre-owned consumers, they've tried holding content ransom, and now the enemies of secondhand software are attempting a pity plea. Codemasters boss Rod Cousens has appealed to the conscience of gamers everywhere by painting a grim future for the industry if things continue as they are.
"If things don't change, if pre-owned continues to grow and tensions around it increase, we'll all suffer pain," he says. "The retailers will say they're not going to stock your product if you support online and the software creators will say: 'We're not going to give you the product if you keep doing pre-owned, we'll stick it out as an online experience.'
"But the online experience will not make up for the lost revenue retail brings in. Then retail will lose out on pre-owned stock [as there'll be no new boxed games] so there'll be pain there. At the same time, they'll be hacking and slashing prices because of the price war so margins are low - whilst the powers that be [in supermarkets] will allocate shelf space to something other than games. How f*cking clever will the industry look then?"
I've long been a supporter of the used market, and I am not swayed by Cousens' viewpoint. Publishers want to have their cake and eat it too -- charging $60 for new games while demanding that nobody waits for a cheaper alternative. Sorry, but most gamers are unable to afford such a market. Publishers have to make the first move. Moaning about a market that's evolving, while refusing to evolve with it, isn't going to work.
'Pre-owned games causing the industry pain' [CVG]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
2:40 PM on 12.14.2010 | 
Also, lol @ the header.
The DVD market has a much larger consumer base and has our equivalent of "casual gamers." Most customers don't read dvd reviews, they just buy what looks good. They also don't go looking for good deals, they just buy whatever they see at walmart. Therefore even bad dvds have a chance to make money. There's also the fact that movies can usually make up for their development cost in theaters and the dvds are only pure profit. The gaming market is smaller and much snobbier about spending their money.
lol. well, that was random.
That's not true at all. Don't forget that people like us, that are so invested in gaming that we're willing to sign up and post on a blog, are the vocal minority. The majority of the people who by games don't research jack. They buy what their friends buy, and go by word of mouth. Walmart also sells more video games than any other retail chain in the country.
As i stated on my blog we should ignore gamestop as well...
That's basically becuase they said if they wanna buy used fuck em. The dvd Isle at my best buy (and most best buys) is a shell of its former self, they all signed deals with netflix and the like and are collecting royalties from them.
Thing is video games don't really have an alternative, except you know cutting content and charging for it as DLC ( hooray 14$ map packs that used to be free) and basically cutting corners and turning a great game into a good one.
Its a vicious circle, And while I would like a cheaper alternative the fact is every time somebody buys the game used and a third party gets the cash without the publisher seeing a cut well............ Let's just say. I hope. No one was to offended by EA online pass, I think were gonna be seeing a lot more of it in the future.
I hope soon we find some way to meet down the middle were everyones happy, because I'm not liking the way this road is going.
So when is that disaster Bodycount being released, Codies?
Make games worth buying new for $59.99, or lower your prices. Some games are worth that. Some are worth $39.99. Some are only worth $29.99 or even $19.99. Price your games according to that.
Kisses,
-meteorscrap
Yeah I guess that I'm underestimating word of mouth, but with gamers, word of mouth pretty much doesn't go beyond Halo, call of duty, Madden, *insert spike VGA awards here.* I don't think word of mouth could ever sell Majin and the forsaken kingdom, which probably could have been more profitable as a dreamworks movie or something.
Wow screw you troll. Some of us taking in a government check got hurt in the Iraqi war. I'd like to see you try to get a job after getting hit with a car bomb. Yeah I'm against wellfair mommas and people draining unemployment when they could at least work a horrible job somewhere. Lets not generalize those government check statements shall we.
That's exactly what publishers should do. Too bad they're too obsessed with milking gamers dry to change their pricing scheme.
[checks]
Wow, really?! Those fuckers should be glad people even BOTHER buying their games.
i suppose that very same greedy asshat will buy his child a used car when they turn 16.
ya know what? fuck em, i hope they go bankrupt.
this industry has no special laws or regulations banning used game sales, the used car market can sell used cars and the big car companies don't moan and bitch about lost profits, i wonder why?
Build a great game and they will come. I don't care for codemasters current lineup. Seems like rehashed shit....oh wait, wasn't codemasters originally making games for that company that went around nintendo's lock-out chip...producing unlicensed nintendo games? Fucking hypocrites.
Seriously you don't get to complain if you don't even rank in with the vertebrates in the food chain.
If Codemasters was a singular entity and struck up a conversation with me. My first instinct is to ask them who they are and why the hell they are talking to me.
It does sadden me to say that because I'm looking forward to Jumpgate .... but then again I recall hearing something about them starting a lawsuit against the publisher? So if they drop that its back to relevance.
That's probably because our car markets went out of business, hell the only reason there still around is because our government bailed them out.
That was a really bad example for the used argument.
The used car business never went broke. I think cars/games is a fine example of how new and used (cough cough pre-owned) products can co-exist.
I understand wanting to make a buck. I understand that there are significant development costs in a number of games, but I also know that as a 20-something working full time and trying to go to school that I don't have a lot of spare money to put into new games. I can get 3 games from the last year for less than one of those games brand new and it's stupid to expect me as a reasonably savvy consumer not to. Are there games I'll pay full price for? Yes, Uncharted 3, Half-Life 3, (maybe) Resistance 3 are all good examples of that. And I'll also pay for a good collector's edition, Killzone 3 (wow there are a lot of #3's coming out soon...), Bioshock 2, Little Big Planet 2 that I'm also willing to put forth some extra cash because they're awesome, but I may still wait for them to drop in price because I have to pay rent, and bills, and tuition , and books, and food, and gas, and maintenance, and sometimes even take my girlfriend out so she stays happy and will play Little Big Planet with me.
TL:DR = I buy used because it makes sense. I will continue to do so because I can't afford to pay retail at current MSRP. If you're game is legitimately worth $60 then I might pay that, but frankly most of the stuff out is worth maybe $40. Price it right and I'll buy, til then say goodbye to the inside of my wallet.
I love that part of his reasoning that used game sales are bad is that they'll lead to lower prices for the consumer.
Somehow, I get the impression that the industry will survive in the face of used game sales, seeing as it has been doing so since the beginning.
Only a few weeks ago some UK retailers (and probably American too) were saying how displeased they were over the prominence of digital downloads becoming more prevalent, and threatening a tizzy fit over any game which bundled Steamworks into it since this competed against them directly:
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/41746/Retail-threatens-Steam-ban
At the time I even wrote about it here:
http://thegaffadin.blogspot.com/2010/11/foggy-future.html
You've also got the publishers railing against used game sales in much the same way.
This is nothing other than protectionism. The companies have their established cash cows and want nothing other than to be left alone to milk them in isolation, with no regulation, no competition and no scrutiny of their affairs.
I'm afraid the real world doesn't work that way. We don't live in a vacuum and there will always be progress. The consumer's take on new games costing $60? The used market.
A developer's take on frustration with traditional publishers and the dominance of the boxed market? Steam, and others like it.
You either change to move with the times or you fail. Next year or in 20 years makes no difference, it will happen. Ask Apple how they have come to dominate the tech sector (hint: it wasn't by standing still).
Used car/salvage business is necessary for the parts/body repair business. If by bailing out the used car business you meant the 'cash for clunkers' program...then that is probably not a very good example. Cash for clunkers really hurt the used car business as a lot of very drivable cars got destroyed to boost new car sales. Its like buying into trickle down economics and removing the bottom two tiers.
Much can be said for the gaming industry; by segmenting the market into a premium sales environment and excluding pricing appropriate for users who depend on trading/used games...you're not allowing a demographic to experience your work, therefore negating an entire segment from future sales of a franchise or developer that they could have enjoyed past the release date and a discounted price. How many of us have utilized used games via gamestop or rented games from gamefly or blockbuster to sample before buying only to fall in love with the franchise/developer and become a loyal follower.
I personally buy NCAA Football every year (at midnight upon release now) due to a used game purchase back in 1998 or 99. These guys need to get their head out of their ass and allow the market to flow.
STFU.
I buy games I'm really after day 1. But now that after a week there's games getting traded in I just wait for that.