the NBA Live 09 thing is only good for the first year because T-Mobile is sponsoring it...after that I assume you'll have to pay to keep the stats updated.

It's only a matter of time before the used market on console games completely dries up just as it has with PC gaming. It's a shame, because there are a ton of great games I never would have played if my choices were $60 or nothing.

Well if people were smart they wouldn't be buying NBA live anyways cause it sucks and has sucked for the past 10 years.

When publishers give me games for free, or work at my job a for me in my place, only then will they be able to dictate my buying habits.
Actually, scratch that- I'd still probably tell them to fuck right off...

Something to chew on- Would publishers or developers really benefit as much as they think they would from shutting down used game sales? It seems to me that a large chunk of their customer base can probably afford to buy a new game by trading in an old one.

Also, crippling a sports game? Thats just pointless piss-flavoured icing on a turd cake...

@akathatoneguy

Its the new addition to NBA live this year. Every year they like to add a new "feature," and from what I understand from reading about the game its the big addition this year.

To be honest, if you were to take the preowned section away from any Game specialist retailer then you leave a small shell of a store. Their earnings will greatly decrease and they'll essentially start running at a loss.

THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SELL YOUR GAME SMART-ARSE PUBLISHER? HUH!?

If they are offering access codes for new buyers they should also allow used buyers to access said content by buying it. They should set the price to about $10 which should cover the difference in used game prices for the first few months after release.

What they really need to do is sit down with the board at Gamestop and hash out a deal so that developers/publishers get a piece of the used game pie. GS makes insane profit on these and I know they dont want to lose any of that but they are screwing over the people who provide them with the products they sell.

Maybe they could do something like stop offering limited editions at retail locations as well and just offer them for sale on their own websites and make sure they ship them early enough that they arrive at your house the same day a retail store would get them. I'd rather buy direct from the publisher then feed the coffers of Gamestop. They have screwed me over a couple times in the past but I still shop there because they are the only gamestore that consistently gets new releases on time. Best Buy most often gets them but I dont like to risk it. I like to know my game will be there on day 1 cause im impatient.

At Anonymous: Digital distribution and online stores.

This is a great idea. It is what I've been gunning for for a long time. I want to see intelligent methods taken to make the extra money for a new purchase worthwhile. I'm glad to see that the industry is starting to get clever about making it's profits, rather than being belligerent and draconian.

I don't know Jim. I understand your logic to a degree in that every other media has a second hand market and yet they still are able to function, but I think it's safe to say that no other form of media is gouged by it like video games are. Barnes and Noble doesn't carry a large selection of used books (if any) or actively attempt to get you to buy those over something new. Best Buy doesn't carry a selection of used cds that rival their new cd stock in any way (or again, actively try to get you to buy them over the new product). Even when people rent DVDs from Blockbuster movie companies are seeing a cut of that.

GameStop is the primary place people go to buy games outside of big retail stores (ie Wal-Mart, Best Buy) and yet they actively try to push a used product that sees absolutely no money going back to the developer. That's why their profits soar every year because they keep pushing this more and more and they are the only one seeing profit from this. Then they're market share is so huge that they are able to hold the publishers hostage and make them unwilling to risk fighting back. No other form of media is in the same situation and I think it's well within the developer's rights to fight back in any way they want.

As long as they don't go overboard with this stuff (and trust me, if it isn't consumers will react), I think it's fine. Hell, I halfway welcome it since Gamestop needs to get kicked in the nuts and reigned in a bit. As long as that content remains free for new game buyers I don't see a problem.

That is silly - but I'll bet, once they're caught being deuchey by mass media, they call it "Econonomic stimulus" and pretend it's okay.

This is almost bad news for those of us that buy almost exclusively used games.

@GuitarAtomik

Does it not suggest something that there is such a huge market for used games? The price for a new game is too much maybe? Those stores don't carry so many used CDs or books because there is little difference in profit since they are so cheap to buy new anyway.

I went into my local game store last week and Assassin's Creed was STILL £39.99 new, but only £8 used. Publishers do a rubbish job of keeping interest in their product, look at digital distribution - many put their products online at retail price and never drop them, then complain about sales.

There are plenty of games I have bought in a heartbeat because they were cheap (like new titles for £30 at supermarkets) that I wouldn't have bought at full price. I'm certain I'm not alone. Publishers should be looking at their pricing strategies or ways to get money out of retail for used sales. I guess they figure the customer is an easier target though, hooray for corporate greed.

@d0x: They already provide it.. Second hand buyers can buy this "add-on".

I am not a pirate but, if it was case and point that games would be gimp if you bought them used greatly decreasing any reason to buy it used I would probably revert to that in order to get my fix of game without the gimp in gameplay since priaters find their way to circumvate anything and find ways to unlock content when pushed into a corner.

Or I could buy it used for dirt cheap and employ any method with a modded system ;)

I don't think anyone has mentioned the issue (at least more than in passing) of how soon a retailer is (or should be) allowed to sell used copies of something after its initial release - I can at least understand where the publishers are coming from when pre-owned games of theirs are on shelves within a week of its first having appeared new, and would agree that there should either be a cut of those sales that go to the publishers/developers or a time limit should be set on how soon used copies of a game can be sold. Obviously this likely wouldn't reach far enough to stop the eBay market and whatnot, but it'd be something. And, at least, preferable to used copies of games being gimped no matter how much later you buy them - after all, the main reason that most of us buy used is to get the same game at a lower cost, with the "price" we pay being that we waited longer to get it. All technology gets cheaper over time (except Marvel vs. Capcom 2 :P), and people take advantage of that in all sectors without a fuss, so I certainly hope that gamers aren't treated as exceptions.

@Timmeh-

I can see where you're coming from that maybe new games simply cost too much, until you factor in that at a place like EB/GS, a used game is only about $5 LESS than a new one. If you can afford $55, you can probably afford $60.