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Developer has solutions to stop pre-owned game sales photo

David Braben, founder of Frontier (Lost Winds, Thrillville) has some interesting ideas that developers can use to avoid consumers from trading in their games to get newer ones.  In an interview with DevelopMag, Braben proposes that “struggling” developers should utilize unique box codes or create single-use incentives.

Another option would be to offer extras - or even part of the game itself - packaged in with the game as a unique code on a scratch-card. If you do this, then those extras could only be obtained once.
Braben ultimately concedes that downloadable is really the only route to go in terms of avoiding pre-owned sales, considering that consumers can do nothing with them other than keep them on their hard drive. Personally, I utilize the pre-owned system at popular retailers heavily. Without that sort of system, I wouldn’t be buying the amount of games that I do. And I have to say, it’s not like the majority of the games that I own are real champions in their genre. I’m still ticked off that I bought Puppy Luv: Your New Best Friend.

What do you guys think about this? Should developers try to black out retailers with their product with special codes and giveaways? If every developer were to start doing what Braben wants, how would it affect you?

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77 comments | showing # 51 to 77

Rusty Ghia's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:10
Rusty Ghia
Why, exactly, are game developers/publishers special? Video games are not consumables, and are open to re-selling, just like every other damn industry out there. Clothes, CDs, DVDs, books, electronics, vehicles, homes, etc., etc., etc. This asshole wants to strip consumers of their rights so that these greedy fucks in an exploding industry can pocket even more money?

Right of first sale, cunt.
realyst's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:37
realyst
Star Tropics did this years ago and nothing went wrong, right?

On a serious note I actually agree with this guy. He's not so much blocking pre-owned sales but providing an incentive to buy new.

If more people and studios did that, they wouldn't wine so much about piracy. This is why DVDs do so well. Many of them come with little bonuses or such as an incentive.

Some come with little toys that probably cost 5 cents worth of foreign child abuse to produce but entice the buyer to get that version instead of the one with the Sharpie-written box.

Sierra had their games come with awesome manuals and boxes(I still have a copy of the "Tiger's Eye" 'newsletter' and ship specsheets that came with Wing Commander. That's awesome.

Nowadays they use Starforce virtual anal-rape to stop you from getting the dubious version.

Sweet specsheets and Omake boxes vs Starforce.....hmmm, tough one.
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:38
parrothead
wait you bought a game called puppy luv?

I don't really buy pre-owned games, so it would not really effect me that much. But I don't think that developers should box people out. They already get their money from people buying the game in the first place, along with merchandise and DL content. I think they are doing just fine.
Shoop's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:39
Shoop
I agree with the people who mentioned companies should have more value-added stuff along with the game, like maps and artbooks.
ninjikiran's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:42
ninjikiran
People are just going to skip the game, reason I buy pre-owned from ebay or something is to get a game that I previously would of never gotten at full price or maybe even half price.
ninjikiran's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:51
ninjikiran
Since I cant edit and I hit add comment too fast~

If I wasn't able to sell some single play games(like MGS4) back for cash I would buy FAR less as a result. On ebay I can recoup sometimes more then 50% of my loss. Which in turn pads the purchase of a new game and allows me to buy them. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks like this.
braulio09's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:52
braulio09
sounds good to me. never been a fan of pre-owned games, but i do understand that this would effectively screw a fair share of gamers.
hpv's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:55
hpv
How about you give us a new Elite game before you decide how to keep us from reselling things that we own? Seriously, this guy is out of his mind if he thinks people will EVER stop buying used games.

At least for as long as there's something tangible to sell. But the idea of paying $60 for a game that I can't resell makes my head hurt, so let's just pretend that'll never happen.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:58
Mxyzptlk
I never buy a game I don't plan on keeping, but I'll purchase used titles that have been out for some time. Usually long after you're able to find a new copy anywhere. While used game sales certainly hurts developers when it comes to recently released titles, the answer isn't gimping the game for the second market. Give consumers good reasons to get the game new (like collectibles), and make games that people want to hang on to. Even if places like Gamespot didn't exist, people would still trade and sell titles among friends or on the internet.
Leathersoup's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 14:59
Leathersoup
I can't believe so many people are angry at the publishers. They have no problems buying used but don't care that companies like Gamestop or EB or whatever, make an extreme amount of profit off of the used games, profit that the person who wrote the game doesn't see a dime of.
If anything you should be pissed off at these retailers for not engaging in a practice by which the developer would see proceeds of the product when it was also sold second hand.
Salty Soil's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 15:40
Salty Soil
The main reason I buy used games is because said game is out of print and unavailable to buy new from a retailer.

One other reason is to avoid paying a premium on eBay just because it comes in a wrapper.
Timmeh's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 15:43
Timmeh
Realyst: That's great, but he is talking about "locking a part of the game" until a code is entered or some bullshit.

Some companies already add DVD like bonus features to their games, see Valve's dev commentary on their games or the shorts/blooper reels and stuff you get on the Sam and Max season discs.
realyst's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 15:52
realyst
@Timmeh:

Ahhh, see: That tactic I don't agree with. And it's foolish as, like DRM, it only encourages piracy(where the pirates get all the extra features + the game for -free-).
Riegel88's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 16:09
Riegel88
Eh, I only buy used rare I can't find like Atlus games...but if there's a new game out, say Soul Calibur IV, and there is a new one for $60 and a used one for $55 I just spend the extra $5 and get the new one to support the developer, plus..I like knowing I'm the only one who has ever played it. haha.
Syn's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 16:22
Syn
It would be a good idea to find a way to create an incentive to buy new, but attempting to force people to do what you want will just about always not go the way you want.
jimzzor's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 16:32
jimzzor
How about making games with infinite replayability - i.e compelling multiplayer, a shitload of content - or gameplay that doesn't get boring after you've played through the campaign? Scratch-cards? Gimme a break.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 17:21
Necros
I know some collector's editions have special DLC, most recently SoulCalibur IV, but good luck getting that to happen on a frequent basis. The only thing developers can do is give incentive to buy new when the game comes out or go to digital distribution. There are still plenty of gamers like me who primarily buy new games. However, if you want more of my money, make your collector's editions not so limited! It's annoying having to look for them on eBay and pay for them used what they sold for new when publishers could easily get my money if they made more than 10.
protomark's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 19:30
protomark
Greed overriding sensibility. fucked up.

What's ironic is that gamestop/EB trade rates are just as bad.
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 20:08
The-Excel
Keygens would defeat this in weeks. Besides, the old method of depending on encoded information on specific manual pages would work equally well, that is, until someone at GameFAQs provides for the unfortunate.
Blackhat's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 20:18
Blackhat
"$60 may seem like a lot, but NES games often cost as much as $40 back in the 80s. If you consider the development resources required to make (and market) a "hardcore" (HD) title these days, not to mention inflation, it's practically a steal."

Then you should probably add that the installed base purchasing games is probably 6000 times as many people.

This is not only not a new idea, it's one that didn't work, and doesn't make sense.

Also: "David Braben, founder of Frontier (Lost Winds, Thrillville)..."

Who?
davo's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 20:44
davo
It's good to be able to find old games which are not available anymore. Has anyone been to Super Potato?

The problem is places like Gamestop and their tactics. A number of times I have picked up a new game, and at the counter the guy says "You should get the used version - it's $5 cheaper". When I say no, they push again "Really, you save some money, why not?". Sometimes they push a third time.

So, they are actively poaching potential new game sales, trying to convert them into used game sales. This is taking money out of developer's hands.
Blackhat's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 20:54
Blackhat
I get asked once, and not every time, if I want a used game at EB. You know why they do that? To let you know you can save money. They aren't out there slicing the throats of people giving them games. They're making money and trying to help the consumer.

I'm not sure when we decided that we need to help developers so damn much. You can buy Starcraft for 10 bucks, and Blizzard employees aren't starving in alleys.

(and I work in the industry, so I'd be removing all that sweet, sweet theory-money from myself.)
Y0j1mb0's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/03/2008 23:00
Y0j1mb0
good luck with that.
Linkoman's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 09:28
Linkoman
this could cause problems for rental services such as GameFly
Tempus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 15:43
Tempus
Games used to be this way. I miss those days. Manuals with great artwork, teh c0d3z etc. It can sometimes make games a little more difficult to get into, but i found it rewarding way back when.At least the media can be sold on or rented with manual :D
Haruna's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/04/2008 16:39
Haruna
Well, a lot of us are poor and what lets us buy new games is selling off our old ones.

Online games offer the most promise for continuing to get revenue.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/06/2008 20:05
Cowboy TTop
Fucking stupid and never gonna work. Next!
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