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Buy Second-Hand Games, Stifle Creativity?

Posted by simoniker on from the or-something-like-that dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing why buying second-hand games could have a negative effect on videogame creators. The author points out: "You know, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft must have a real love/hate relationship with stores that stock used games alongside their new games [since buying used games doesn't give] the game developers, or the game publishers a thin, red cent. Instead, the retailer is enjoying a nice, fat profit margin, where the markup is in the neighborhood of 200 to 1000 percent." He goes on to argue: "Buying used is equivalent to the game not selling at all in the eyes of developers and publishers, and when games don't sell, they don't get sequels and excellent concepts and, therefore, opportunities are lost."

9 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Well, unless they license it otherwise. by ln+-sf+head+ass · · Score: 3, Informative

    Three words: First. Sale. Doctrine.

  2. Re:Sounds like a lot of bull to me by KDR_11k · · Score: 3, Informative

    They can profit from that because the development costs have been paid for by the customers of the full priced version. Sometimes it's just stores cleaning out their inventory, though.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  3. Re:EULA dissallowing resale by Pofy · · Score: 2, Informative

    Simple solution, disagree to the EULA, then resell your copy. Nothing wrong with that.

    Right of distribution is usualy (in most countries copyright laws) consumed after the first sale, hence you are allowed to resell, for example, a book, a music CD, or some computer software as much as you want.

  4. Re:Game sales by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Of course, you will find the warez-rip in the first three days after a game's release...

    r/days/hours/g

    r/release/gold/g

  5. Re:Be thankful... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    They clamp down because video games are currently "cinematographic works", which (as per Japanese copyright law) cannot be sold more than once. Here's another pageful. Blech. Not even rentals are allowed. I'm glad Nintendo lost their bid to stop US game rentals back in the NES days.

  6. Re:Well, unless they license it otherwise. by Kris_J · · Score: 3, Informative
    That's illegal, they can't restrict that.
    Oh? Which law prohibits them from doing that?
    First Sale doctrine. Part of Copyright law.
  7. Re:Well, unless they license it otherwise. by Pofy · · Score: 2, Informative

    And if that still doesn't work, disagree with any EULA and sell the the copy.

  8. Used Games were Illegal In Japan... by ShinSugoi · · Score: 2, Informative
    A few years back, many of Japan's game publishers successfully lobbied for used games to be illegal, arguing that reselling of the software not only bit into their bottom line, but in essence violated the copyright owner's right of distribution.

    Of course, the ban on used games didn't do much to curb the shrinking of Japan's game market, and was recently lifted. Too bad they didn't repeal it earlier; the stupid thing prevented me from acquiring a lot of classic games when I was there last year. Sigh.

  9. Re:What, and lose a mere 5-10% of the used margin? by FirstTimeCaller · · Score: 2, Informative

    saving 5-7$ on used music isn't worth it

    Saving the 5 to 7 dollars may not be worth it, but keeping an RIAA member from getting 15 or more of my dollars sure as hell is.

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