New Court Ruling Could Affect Used Game Business?

[flamepanther]

The most likely scenario is that publishers will use this as weight to strike a deal with retailers to dig into those used game profits. Actually trying to stop used game sales would be pretty foolish.

Really though, I think it's kind of funny how publishers are whining about used game sales eating into their profits. The gaming industry now is bigger than it ever has been, and they act like they're hurting all the sudden.

This also applies to their "justifications" whenever controversy arises over some new draconian, consumer-abusing copy protection method.

[Flake]

So. Fucking. Stupid.

So what's next? Do I need to send General Electric a check if I ever sell my microwave? If I drop off some used clothes at goodwill should I write off a note to Old Navy that they might need to contact Good Will to collect revenue off the sales of my duds? Should I track down all the GM shareholders if I ever sell my car so that they can get their 2 pennies?

WHY do videogame publishers think they are so damn special!?

[ZeroAX]

WHY do videogame publishers think they are so damn special!?

Cause video game consumers are "special".

Video games are considered toys. No one cares about the rights of toy consumers, as long as said toys don't anger the "parents".


Plus the fact that most video game consumers are children/teens/college students, which means they are people who can't/will not hire a lawyer for something like this.

[Weekend_Warrior]

If I go to a store and spend $60+ on a video game. Then that game is legally mine and I can do whatever the hell I want with it. I don't care what anyone says. Try stopping me on Craigslist

[Opa Opa]

Try stopping me on Craigslist

That's it, though. You could stop major corporations from buying/selling used games but you cannot stop small businesses or internet transactions. This court ruling would make companies like Gamestop almost useless to a lot of people.

I say go ahead. Take down Gamestop's revenue and bring back the small business owner. A few years ago one of my closest retro shops closed because a Gamestop was built down the street... Man, that was a great store too...

[the7k]

Well, I expect that any companies who try to enforce this will likely get annihilated due to lack of sales. If every company tries to enforce this, then I expect to be looking at yet another video game crash.

People expect to be able to resell their games because they can't afford to blow a full $60 on a game that they might get tired of in less than a week - essentially making a $60 investment into one around the tune of $20-40. Considering the sorry state of the economy, this would be showing a complete lack of understanding of the consumer at large.

At first, when companies started doing this whole 'Online Pass' system, I didn't have a problem with it. Their rights, do what you want, etc. However, the stated reason for doing it was to help maintain their servers. If one person plays online, then sells to another person, you aren't dealing with two people playing online - it's still just one person! They can't play the same copy at the same time! It's nothing more than a cash grab.

This is just a continuation of that completely idiotic line of thought. If somebody buys a used copy of your game, you've already had someone buy the game at full price. You've already made your money. Just as the original owner didn't feel your game was good enough to hold on to, the next owner didn't feel your game was worth owning at full price. Either suck it up and deal with it, or grow some balls and admit that your game sucked and you should have made it worth buying at retail price in the first place.

[gnusys]

Publishers would be biting the hands that feed them if they even tried to enforce games as a license.

True, but how often does a suit make an out of touch decision? All they see is, if we can force people to buy from us, more $$$. Fortunately, companies like eBay and Gamestop would be on the gamers side when this gets appealed.

Man, if you really want eBay and Gamestop on your side...sheesh!

You force me to look on the bright side...I'll always have my Atari Video Cube and Tigervision "Jawbreaker" carts <grin>