More “Used game sales are ruining us” talk
So I have touched on this topic before (about game developers griping about not getting a cut of used game sales). Now it comes from Epic’s Mike Capps where he says that you should PAY for that game ending!
“I’ve talked to some developers who are saying ‘If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free’. We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used - way more than twice as many people played Gears than bought it.”
Isn’t that a bunch of crap? Just because I rented a game I shouldn’t be able to enjoy it to the very end? So you want every renter of that game to cough up $20 to finish it? I mean c’mon what he is saying is to take out content from the game and then charge you to put it right back in. Don’t these people know that they shouldn’t anger their base? Look at the Spore DRM backlash.
The other point of view comes from Lost Wind’s dev David Braben. Braben claims that used games are “really damaging to the single-player experience.” He pointed out that single-player games are frequently traded back in at stores once players have completed them. What I say to him is that so what, the concept of First Sale Doctrine applies to video games. I am free to do whatever I want with a game after I purchase ( or purchase it from somebody who paid retail).
I know the argument comes up that developing games is expensive, and I get that. The point is that they don’t “deserve” a slice of the secondhand game market just because their costs are up. Look at how the RIAA has gone about trying to kill the secondhand market for cds (Hint: it hasn’t worked). I suggest spending less on massive media blitz for hype, and rely more on demo’s/word of mouth to build up that hype.
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Comments
Comment from A Gaming Moose
Time November 15, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Exactly, and the solution ISN’T to take out any content and then charge people for it later. I also don’t think the stuff like the exclusive maps for GoW2 will go over too well. I don’t plan on buying that game NEW and definitely won’t be buying it used.
If i want to recoup some of my losses with a video game, I shouldn’t have to worry about it being worthless cause of one time codes.
Comment from Anonymous gamedev in training
Time December 10, 2008 at 12:41 am
I think both taking away content for ridiculous reasons (like you haven’t paid the devs in addition to the person you bought it from second-hand), and even the Spore drm is great.
I don’t intend to troll, but my hopes are one day to make and sell games, and if I don’t treat my customers like criminals and/or retards, but my competitors do, I will most likely experience much better sales.
That is, if my games are good enough to be worth buying in the first place.
Sure, that logic leads to it being easier to pirate, but when the “best” drm takes no time to crack anyways, and ruins the experience of legitimate customers, I don’t see what it gives me as a developer.
Take Bethesda, they don’t treat people like criminals, and thus, people buy their games. (also, their games are awesome)
Comment from Callum Howell
Time November 15, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I agree with you there. If we buy a game, they get their money, and if that person completes it or doesn’t like it, he’s supposed to keep it? No. Of course not. That would be money wasted. So, the game developer has already got his money from one customer, and that customer wants his money back and (for example) the shop doesn’t give refunds. He sells the game, second hand, and someone buys it. And big companies like EPIC etc. are still making sales from previous games. In EPICs case, Gears Of War 1.