Game developers and publishers have been whining for a while now about second-hand games, deciding that their industry is a special snowflake which should be exempt from one of the most widespread forms of trade in the world. Rather than just cry and moan, it seems that some publishers are employing sly measures to dissuade gamers from buying used products.
As we discussed earlier today, Gears of War 2 will come packed with a one-time code that allows players to download a free multiplayer map. There is no reason for the map to be downloadable, save for the obvious incentive of buying a brand new copy.
Similarly, NBA Live 09 will have a one-time code of its own, which allows you to access the daily roster and stat updates for free. If you have a used copy of the game, you’ll be expected to pay a further $20 to access this feature.
Incentives for first-hand buyers is a good idea, but if publishers adopt such methods en masse, then I foresee some absolute bullsh*t taking place, as often happens when publishers get carried away with new ideas. The NBA Live 09 code, for instance, sounds like garbage to me. Rather than offer anything new, I predict that publishers will actively gimp their own games and rely on codes not to enhance, but rather complete their products.
And that’s not good.
Published: Oct 15, 2008 02:01 pm