The used game debate is one that shows no sign of slowing down, with most publishers ironically (read: hypocritically) raging such capitalistic practices. We’ve covered the majority of these outbursts, arguing time and again that secondhand games are a basic part of trade and commerce, and that game publishers shouldn’t try and be special exceptions to the rule. Luckily, it seems a few people get that, not least Microsoft’s Chris Lewis.
“I’m a fan of the ecosystem overall,” explains the EMEA VP. “I can see the positive in it, because I can see that what you then get is more and more people touching, playing, experiencing a game that they may not otherwise have access to.
“I think you’ve got to try and extract some positive from it, and that’s undoubtedly a good factor — a positive swirl of ecosystem that results. Clearly it’s a reality, and certain retailers are very focused and spend a lot of time on it. It’s good business for them.”
Lewis’ opinion is grounded and realistic, and it’s great that he’s able to pick his positives out of the whole situation. Naturally of course, the Microsoft man would like to see more money made out of each sale, and is among those who view DLC as a way of doing so:
“I think things like premium downloadable content, and that kind of thing, will ultimately play a part in used games – and that’s not me saying that it’s a great way for us to try and minimize that. I think it will be a great enhancement to the way that people experience games. If some additional content is available via the Xbox Live service, for instance, that further enriches the game experience and might encourage folks to hang on their games for a bit longer.”
I wish more publishers (and people within Microsoft) thought the way Lewis does. I would be so much happier forking out extra money to people who believed in rewarding and encouraging their consumers, rather than spend their time whining about not making an extra million dollars.
