US Publishers Trying to Prevent the Reselling of Used Games

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:18 pm

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/10/15/ ... used-games

There is only one solution: Don't buy thsese games.

Remember that South Park episode where Mr. Garrison invents the IT, a very quick form of transportation? Unfortunately IT penetrates your anus while you use it.* Buying games like these is like buying IT, or worse: In the long run it won't just hurt you but everyone else who sells/buys used games.

Today's lesson: Vote with your wallet! Don't buy products that rape your ass.

*http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/103926

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:08 pm

Didn't the "No Resale" option totally Phail in Japan? I have the same right to sell my used games as they do with their new ones. You can't thwart other people's freedom of commerce in the name of your own. Another Snafu in the faces of Microshaft and Electronic Ass.

Lordstar · Post by **Lordstar** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:20 pm

I own it I can do what I want with it.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:33 pm

I see this as direct backlash from Gamestop's used game treachery.

brokenhalo · Post by **brokenhalo** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:39 pm

didn't the dreamcast do this with multiplayer games? iir, when you first played the game online it would copy a unique code from the disc to your console, and your console would be the only one able to go online with that particular copy of the game. can't believe they are trying this bullshit again.

this will potentially ruin the resale market. imagine trying to find a copy of "game X" 2 years from now. they won't be printing new copies anymore, so you will be stuck buying a used/crippled version of the game. or paying through the nose for a sealed copy.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:45 pm

If I'm excited about a game I'll buy it new. If I choose to buy a game some months after release I probably don't give a crap about possible extras. Then again, I don't believe it's worthwhile to pay $5 less for an old-new game.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:02 pm

Heh, I think some people who posted here didn't read the article. The companies plan to include activation codes with their games that can be used only one time to activate certain portions of the game, like online maps.

Yes, you can resell your game, but they buyer won't get all of it. Instead the buyer will have to pay the company to get a new activation code.

Battlesmurf · Post by **Battlesmurf** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:20 pm

yeah- this is totally bullshit. Memory is telling me that video games are still raking in tremendous profits in spite of the current state of the economy.

I wonder what Gamestop thinks of this mess? I'm certain a sizeable chunk of their funds come from used stuff.

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:22 pm

brokenhalo wrote:didn't the dreamcast do this with multiplayer games? iir, when you first played the game online it would copy a unique code from the disc to your console, and your console would be the only one able to go online with that particular copy of the game. can't believe they are trying this bullshit again.

I've never heard of a DC game with per-disc IDs, unless you count PSO. IIRC, PSO did something to lock saves to the console serial number, but I don't recall anything beyond that.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:23 pm

retro, i thought i was reading a thread from 2007...

konami did this 12 months ago with pes

brokenhalo · Post by **brokenhalo** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 12:16 am

Ceph wrote:Yes, you can resell your game, but they buyer won't get all of it. Instead the buyer will have to pay the company to get a new activation code.

not necessarily.

from the linked article wrote:...each copy of Gears of War 2 will ship with a unique, one-time-use code for downloading extra multiplayer levels. Once the code has been used, subsequent owners of that copy of the game will be unable to download the levels

so if you buy a used/redeemed copy of gow2, there is no way to get those extra mp maps it would seem. sure, companies could make some extra cash by selling new activation codes for the extra content, but if they were really trying to squash re-sales completely this would be counter-productive. and i'm sure 10 years from now the system for purchasing new activation codes will be gone. this will just encourage people to figure out ways to pirate the extra content or the entire game.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:33 am

Alienating your customers is a sure way to torpedo yourself into bankruptcy. One company pulls this off, a rival company proclaims it won't, then the customers flock to them. Let them try. If the backlash from the DRM in Spore is any indicator, this shall not pass.

RackGaki · Post by **RackGaki** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:44 am

Epic gives away free map pack as an incentive for people to purchase their product new instead of used.

Thread title: "US Publishers Trying to Prevent the Reselling of Used Games"

Am I missing the part where Cliffy B. pledges to chainsaw any motherfucker who buys his game used?

The NBA Live restrictions probably stink if you're a sports fan, but I doubt that they would bother posting new rosters for that game once the season ends. I would definitely boycott this title since rosters are an integral part of the game. How do you play against someone online if the teams don't match up?

The thread title is applicable to the NBA game, but Gears of War isn't going to be any less fun if you buy it for $5 cheaper used at Gamestop.

themachinist · Post by **themachinist** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:54 am

Specineff wrote:this shall not pass.

An image of ol' Gandalf with the staff popped into my head.

To be on topic: Those bastards!

Aru-san · Post by **Aru-san** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:06 am

RackGaki wrote:Epic gives away free map pack as an incentive for people to purchase their product new instead of used.

It also encourages people to actually KEEP the darn game, considering that one can't use the maps they've oh-so obtained by the code unless they HAVE THE GAME. Otherwise, if one resells the game, not only did THEY get ripped, they're stuck with the free content they've received and the paying customer of the used game plays and has his fun WITHOUT the maps.

CStarFlare · Post by **CStarFlare** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:23 am

Yeah when I clicked this thread I was expecting shit like not being able to play the game at all, and instead it's about not being able to get free DLC from a used game.

How heinous!

But we should have seen the writing on the wall. Have you ever tried to get a preorder bonus with a used game? Good fucking luck! And did you know that you can't redeem MS points then sell the card to a friend? God, those game companies make me so mad. Fuckin COMMIES man

RackGaki · Post by **RackGaki** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:59 am

Aru-san wrote:if one resells the game ... they're stuck with the free content

CStarFlare wrote:Have you ever tried to get a preorder bonus with a used game?

I'm guessing the answer is yes.

Daedalus · Post by **Daedalus** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:02 am

CStarFlare wrote:Yeah when I clicked this thread I was expecting shit like not being able to play the game at all, and instead it's about not being able to get free DLC from a used game.

Erm, that's a pretty big deal. For Epic's games, the primary draw is multiplayer. If half the servers online are using maps in the DLC pack, that severely cripples a used copy.

But we should have seen the writing on the wall. Have you ever tried to get a preorder bonus with a used game? Good fucking luck! And did you know that you can't redeem MS points then sell the card to a friend? God, those game companies make me so mad. Fuckin COMMIES man

Hur de hur hur. False analogies.

Anyways, thanks for the article, Ceph. I'm surprised that the console manufacturers are going along with this though... if publishers cripple used games, it's going to make mod chips and piracy a much more attractive option for people...

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:03 am

RackGaki wrote:buy it for $5 cheaper used at Gamestop.

I pity the fool.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:02 pm

Damocles wrote:If I'm excited about a game I'll buy it new. If I choose to buy a game some months after release I probably don't give a crap about possible extras. Then again, I don't believe it's worthwhile to pay $5 less for an old-new game.

That policy of paying a mere 5 bucks less for such an old new released games ain't right but you known how Gamestop and EB are these days. It's bullshit as usual. But if it can convince a sale and to get it for 5 dollar cheaper, so be it. I'd rather pony up the extra fiver and get a new sealed game anyways. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

CStarFlare · Post by **CStarFlare** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:01 pm

Daedalus wrote:Erm, that's a pretty big deal. For Epic's games, the primary draw is multiplayer. If half the servers online are using maps in the DLC pack, that severely cripples a used copy.

Does not having the Heroic/Legendary/whatever the fuck the new one is Map Packs for Halo cripple the game? I've never considered that to be the case.

Hur de hur hur. False analogies.

Fair enough, but it's in no way a new thing that early purchasers have gotten extra goodies. Preorder items, special editions, etc.

Granted things that affect gameplay are a different thing, but I don't see it as crippling a used copy, especially since I expect most, if not all of this content will be available for a price to people who buy used games. If nothing else, this could drive the price of used games down - no one's going to pay $55 for a "crippled" Gears 2 if the new copy is $5 more. GameStop would probably still rather sell a used copy, so they'll reduce the price accordingly. (of course, this is assuming gamers are educated enough to know that buying a used copy for $5 less excludes them from $20ish of free content which when you think about it is probably a dumb assumption)

I don't see this promoting piracy (on consoles, anyway) since playing pirated content online is a good way to get the boot.

If the backlash from the DRM in Spore is any indicator, this shall not pass.

While there was a lot of nerd rage about Spore's DRM, my understanding is that it's done pretty well.

gundamalpha · Post by **gundamalpha** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:21 pm

This topic reminds me of the good old plug and play + occasional blow the cartridge connector days

mr_m0nks · Post by **mr_m0nks** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:21 pm

If I am correct EA (maybe other companies too) have a habit of dropping all online support for a game once its sequel hits the shelves, that is another way of limiting the resale value of their own titles

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:16 pm

themachinist wrote:
Specineff wrote:this shall not pass.
An image of ol' Gandalf with the staff popped into my head.

To be on topic: Those bastards!

I claim success, then. (That was the point.)

TigerCraneFist · Post by **TigerCraneFist** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 7:53 pm

what bullshit too! Wow that makes me pissed.

And from Epic studios of all places... those dudes are so paid its ridiculous and now they are scavenging for even more....

As if driving a ferrari wasnt good enough these guys want more.

As Ceph stated... Dont buy these games!

Ex-Cyber · Post by **Ex-Cyber** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:11 pm

Textbook publishers have been doing something similar for at least a couple years - the book comes with a tear-out page containing a single-use account creation code for the companion website. This is also effectively a way of sneaking in DRM and getting people used to the idea that the publishers can impose arbitrary restrictions. Many people are already pretty credulous when it comes to any idiotic thing written in an EULA, but something like this makes it a little more real.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:08 pm

TigerCraneFist wrote:what bullshit too! Wow that makes me pissed.

And from Epic studios of all places... those dudes are so paid its ridiculous and now they are scavenging for even more....

As if driving a ferrari wasnt good enough these guys want more.

As Ceph stated... Dont buy these games!

As if one can't be content with a Ferrari and a Lamborgini. Such mucho expensive exotic supercars to begin with and not to mention the general upkeep + insurance. In my surrounding neighborhood, there seems to be a guy who likes to drive Ferraris which I see from time to time. They sure are nice to look at. For me, those type of cars would attract too much attention, not to mention the unwanted attention from professional car thieves as well. And the very likely possibility of someone "keying up" such an exotic car...that's some wicked shit right there. Time for another trip to the auto body shop for a new paint job, hmmm? ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:14 pm

Separating one game into two camps scares me because if the online play is rigged so people with the extra content can't play against people without it even though the match terms involve content both parties would have, like say, Bomberman Live does, then we have a huge problem.

Otherwise, this isn't much different than standard edition vs. limited edition thing, only in this case both versions are priced $60-shiny and $55-regular instead of $70-shiny and $60-regular. I don't think these new rules are going to shift the purchase ratio of new vs. used very much because only the biggest or most informed fans are going to know about it and the biggest fans pretty much always buy new anyway.

The only major difference is we're gonna hear bitching on forums about it for awhile.

jpj · Post by **jpj** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:36 pm

Daedalus wrote:I'm surprised that the console manufacturers are going along with this though...

two of the biggest anti- 2nd hand market, in terms of legislation, if not vocally, is sony and nintendo.

you know what nintendo did to used games sales and rentals in japan, right...?

Dremark · Post by **Dremark** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:01 am

I'm not a fan of buying used games, nor am I a fan of Gamestop. However this is pretty lame.

I will not be buying any of those games, however I wasn't going to buy them anyways.

shmups.system11.org

US Publishers Trying to Prevent the Reselling of Used Games

US Publishers Trying to Prevent the Reselling of Used Games

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