Lionhead: Pre-owned market is worse than piracy. - Games

Except used games support a business i.e. Gamestop, while piracy supports no one.

[QUOTE=5killer;29922582]Except used games support a business i.e. Gamestop, while piracy supports no one.[/QUOTE] piracy supports the consumer's wallet

I feel bad but shit, what are you gonna do you know? I don't know about you guys but I don't get 60USD to blow on a game, I get like maybe 20-30USD every few months and I don't wanna blow it on one 60USD game, and this brings up another thing, is what about games that are out of print? like lets say a really extreme example, Mario 64. You can't buy that new anymore, you'll only get it used, it isn't my fault. Or how about a more recent example, like on the same systems we're on. Lets say, GOW1 or Halo 3. They're old and you (to my knowledge) only get used copies, yet again. It isn't your or my fault. In the end? Maybe they should push the owners of stores like Gamestop to give them 50% of the profit, instead of trying to guilt trip Users.

[QUOTE=Ranik;29912417]The key thing here is that the best ways to curb used game sales (kinda hinted in my post) is make games that take longer to complete (whether that be deeper replayable SP or deeper longer MP), have additional content provided to them regularly, etc. Basically "games as a service" as Valve has been touting with Team Fortress 2, by updating the game regularly with new (both free + pay) stuff or making the game more replayable, you inherently reduce the amount of people who will return the game, thus reducing used game sales, really the same way to curb piracy. This is pretty much a win-win for gamers in general when it takes off, since essentially the best way to beat piracy and second hale sales is to make a better first hand product. e: And to switch to digital distribution obviously but we're getting there, at least on PC.[/QUOTE] Agreed. THe industry kind of shoots itself in the foot when it's like "Enjoy all 10 hours of gameplay faggots! Buy it again next year when we release the sequel!"

The first game I bought used was Madden 99... It didn't work. From that day forward I've just kept buying games new. It gets rid of the paranoia that I'll get a fucked game.

The only reason i don't buy used games is that they are usually scratched so much it might not even work. That's also why i stopped renting games since every third one i would have to exchange.

I stopped buying physical copies of games 10 years ago. Agree with Lionhead on the pre-owned issue though.

[QUOTE=gnoob;29916399]Regarding the cost of games being $50-60 when brand new - yeah in Australia it has been $90-110 for as long as I can remember. Probably even worse in New Zealand. The other points I can agree with though. I've moved to digital distribution mostly though, hopefully more people will in the future[/QUOTE] As someone who lives in New Zealand, it is fucking ridiculous. Steam's price of games is usually half what EB Games has, even games like MW2 which are $90 on Steam and nearly $200 at EB.

If there's a game that's quality is worth the full prize, then it tends to get bought first hand, cause most people don't want to give up their copy. some the games released today aren't even worth quarter the price they're sold for. Stop fucking bitching and start making better games. [editline]19th May 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Samiam22;29923793]As someone who lives in New Zealand, it is fucking ridiculous. Steam's price of games is usually half what EB Games has, even games like MW2 which are $90 on Steam and nearly $200 at EB.[/QUOTE] same, we get 90-110 bucks for new games and even old games tend to have the same price. That makes piracy and second hand market more than justified.

[QUOTE=3v3ryb0dy;29923922]If there's a game that's quality is worth the full prize, then it tends to get bought first hand, cause most people don't want to give up their copy. some the games released today aren't even worth quarter the price they're sold for. Stop fucking bitching and start making better games. [editline]19th May 2011[/editline] same, we get 90-110 bucks for new games and even old games tend to have the same price. That makes piracy and second hand market more than justified.[/QUOTE] Essentially what you're saying is the same retarded thing I've seen other people say. "This game is shit and not worth the money but I'm going to pirate and play it anyway." People like that piss me off so much.

I can't bring myself to buy used games, after the things I've seen from rental games.

I see where he's coming from but I'll always go the other way half of the games I own are pre-owned, I'd prefer to buy a slightly scratched disc for $30 instead of buying a brand new copy for $90, and nobody is going to make me feel bad that I'm not "supporting the developer" I just like games for gods sake

[QUOTE=Jack Trades;29923962]Essentially what you're saying is the same retarded thing I've seen other people say. "This game is shit and not worth the money but I'm going to pirate and play it anyway." People like that piss me off so much.[/QUOTE] Thank you for putting words in my mouth.

[QUOTE=Samiam22;29923793]As someone who lives in New Zealand, it is fucking ridiculous. Steam's price of games is usually half what EB Games has, even games like MW2 which are $90 on Steam and nearly $200 at EB.[/QUOTE] Man you are exaggarrating, MW2 on PC was not $200 on PC in, it was more like 90-100 dollars. Also PC games in NZ have always been 80-100 NZD even when the NZD was way weaker than it was, so really I have never found it to be going up in price because they have alwas been the same. Anyone ever gone into a shop that has no idea on how pc games work and left the CD key inside the case and taken a photo of it to use later?

[QUOTE=DarkendSky;29922499]Used games almost always mean 'shitty, scratched up disc that will probably go over the edge of usability in a month'. I never buy used games for that very reason.[/QUOTE] I've been buying used games forever and never once have I gotten a shitty, scratched up disk.

It`s funny how companies make all sorts of defensive shit to protect their games from piracy. In the end, it only makes it more annoying to use for those who have bought it.

Every single game I've bought on the 360 has been new. Why? I go into a store. Oh, look, some used games. 50€. Hmm.. Take out phone. Game.co.uk. 30€ new. Fuck it, buying it online.

Protip: if your business costs so much money that used sales are actually hurting your bottom line, YOU'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH FUCKING MONEY. So many other things have second or even third users in their life spans, and yet these businesses continue to be profitable. Clearly, game companies are doing something wrong. Also, the last group anyone should take advice from is Lionhead: they have disappointed fans time and time again. Still, us PC gamers haven't been able to resell games for years, and it pisses me off. I wish I could sell some of my steam games...

[QUOTE=FlakAttack;29927386]Protip: if your business costs so much money that used sales are actually hurting your bottom line, YOU'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH FUCKING MONEY. So many other things have second or even third users in their life spans, and yet these businesses continue to be profitable. Clearly, game companies are doing something wrong.[/QUOTE] Did even read the OP?

I buy new, but only because of pre-order bonuses. Most games these days you can get for $10-$20 less than normal price if you pre-order them through a site like Amazon.com Paying full MSRP is for assholes.

[QUOTE=Jack Trades;29928449]Did even read the OP?[/QUOTE] Yep. Aside from Gamestop being nothing but a bunch of fucking vultures (fuckers), the other arguments are worthless. Why? Put simply, game developers are spending too much money on graphics and it is driving their costs up, while the comparative quality and length of the gameplay itself (arguably the most important part) is actually decreasing. Used sales hurting game developers has a lot more to do with their piss-poor management of money than it does with the used games actually being a problem. Notice how all the big successful indie games don't spend copious amounts of time and money on graphics? I think the big companies might want to take a note here.

[QUOTE=FlakAttack;29930478]Yep. Aside from Gamestop being nothing but a bunch of fucking vultures (fuckers), the other arguments are worthless. Why? Put simply, game developers are spending too much money on graphics and it is driving their costs up, while the comparative quality and length of the gameplay itself (arguably the most important part) is actually decreasing. Used sales hurting game developers has a lot more to do with their piss-poor management of money than it does with the used games actually being a problem. Notice how all the big successful indie games don't spend copious amounts of time and money on graphics? I think the big companies might want to take a note here.[/QUOTE] A lot of marketing has to do with the visual appeal. Big businesses do not focus on gameplay because gameplay is harder to market with. Most people prospecting a new game typically say, "that looks cool," or along those lines rather than anything about how it would play.

[QUOTE=Pie108;29939388]A lot of marketing has to do with the visual appeal. Big businesses do not focus on gameplay because gameplay is harder to market with. Most people prospecting a new game typically say, "that looks cool," or along those lines rather than anything about how it would play.[/QUOTE] more boobs = more sales

[QUOTE=Pie108;29939388]A lot of marketing has to do with the visual appeal. Big businesses do not focus on gameplay because gameplay is harder to market with. Most people prospecting a new game typically say, "that looks cool," or along those lines rather than anything about how it would play.[/QUOTE] I've always seen word of mouth being a huge part of game sales. Especially in schools, the workplace or among groups of friends. Typically someone saying "Yeah this game's amazing" is going to sell me on it a lot more than the AAA graphics. Uncharted 2 at a glance is just another pretty PS3 game, but it's obviously a hell of a lot more than that. Graphics are important for major releases but the hook for the customer isn't the eye candy.

Lionhead needs to go back and make The Movies Game 2.

Lionhead is probably the biggest offender of making you pay $60 for a very bad game.

As long as new console games are $60, I will always buy used games.

[QUOTE=Best4bond;29943489]Lionhead needs to go back and make The Movies Game 2.[/QUOTE] THIS, that game was fucking amazing.

Lionhead: The fact we still let Peter Molyneux promise features for our games is worse than the pre-owned market.

Here is an idea that I have thought of: The solution to the damage done by the console second hand market is to reduce the prices of new games and tie them to an account and then charge a small fee (probably the same as a brand new game for activision titles, lol!) to transfer the game to another account and re-activate it and other measures in place to allow the lending and renting of games for limited periods of time.