Do Games Industry Folks Buy Games New or Used?

Gamasutra has another of its usually-interesting Question of the Week features up, and this one deals with the issue of used games. The question : Do Games Industry Professionals Buy Their Games New or Used? A lot of anonymouse answers this week. From one mouse: "I buy both used and new games, depending upon what the price differential is, and availability (old games are hard to find 'new'). I think the used games market is good for the industry for two reason: * it increases the value of game--people buy games knowing that they can get money when they sell it back, and * the game gets greater exposure--the purchaser of the used game might not otherwise have played it. This does not mean that people have the right to steal our products by copying them, reselling the originals, and playing the copy. But we made a product and sold it to them. It is theirs. They are free to resell it, the same way you're free to resell your car, house, or furniture. - Anonymous, Microsoft"

Comments

Always buy new

[fahrvergnugen]

I always buy new. Not because I like the publishers, but because I fucking hate EB Games.

Re:Systems like Valve's Steam make "used" obsolete

[Pvt_Waldo]

The catch is, you can't sell your Steam account - it's not allowed by the license. Here is part of the Subscriber Agreement

When you complete Steam's registration process, you create a Steam account ("Account"). Your Account may also include billing information you provide to us for the purchase of Subscriptions. You are solely responsible for all activity on your Account and for the security of your computer system. You may not reveal, share or otherwise allow others to use your password or Account. You agree that you are personally responsible for the use of your password and Account and for all of the communication and activity on Steam that results from use of your login name and password. You may not sell or charge others for the right to use your Account, or otherwise transfer your Account.

In other words, once you get the game, it's yours. You can't sell it used. And the more games that move to this kind of system (or to Steam itself) the fewer used games there will be in existance.

Re:Either works.

[jythie]

Our customers do and we know it. Thier upgrade cycle is built into our planning and cost structure, so it works out. I think the number I tend to hear is for any given year, about two thirds of our software is used copies being reused rather then new.