Do you buy your games second-hand? You’re a total cheapskate and scum in the game industry. You’re more dangerous than any pirate who sails on the seas of warez. That’s the way publishers want us to believe. If you are able to market the items that you bought isn’t important selling used games is destroying the gaming industry.
If a game is sold or transferred to a game store, the money is retained by the retailer instead of going into the hands of the hard-working creator who put in blood, sweat and tears to create their passion and happiness. The same game can be purchased and sold many times. It could be said that these purchases represent a possible sale that has been taken from the companies that make the games. You aren’t hearing the film or music industry complaining about the loss of their second-hand products; however, how does the creation of an album or a film even come close to the amount of effort and money put into developing a Triple-A game? It is always the player who decides if the game is worth its price of $50, and, often, they choose to buy a used cost instead.
Incentives to Buy Rubbish for New Purchases
Game developers have already employed various methods to make extra money following the release of their games as a result of DLC (downloadable content) (DLC), which are incentives for purchasing new. Pre-order bonuses are top-rated, with a variety of games offering codes for extra DLC or bonuses that are specific to the game.
We’ll take a look at some of the unreliable incentives provided by publishers to promote new purchases and also what alternative incentives could be more appealing.
Exclusive DLC and Pre-Order bonuses
Gamers aren’t averse to the idea of receiving bonus items in collector’s editions and similar articles; however, we’ve seen a lot of freebies included in new games or as part of the process of pre-ordering a game. A majority of this is in-game DLC like new armour and weapons and maps, as well as other cosmetic enhancements that aren’t really adding significantly to your game. Actually, the majority of these items you can easily live without. I’m not really interested in the Blood Dragon Armor from Dragon Age Origins, and I could live without the tattoos from Fable 3; thank you for everything. I’d like to declare this DLC armour is among the most useless examples of the DLC incentive ever. Though perhaps not as insignificant as that of the Horse Armor from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
In some instances, it is possible that the DLC provided is more extensive. Certain games offer missions or quests that feel like a kind of thank you reward. Bioware has gone one step further and has introduced the DLC delivery service for Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2. The service lets players download a selection of items for free in addition to access to paid DLC. The game Mass Effect 2 included additional side-quests, as well as exclusive armour/weapons (Groan). The player could also get a different character to their squad, Zaeed, and he was given a loyalty reward along with a couple of tiny areas to explore and an entirely new weapon. Although this is a more lucrative incentive and enhances this game did not purchase Mass Effect 2 new, you’ll need to find Zaeed will be priced at one hundred and twenty Microsoft Points ($15). Yikes.
The price and value of DLC will be discussed in the future; however, to assess the quality of the upcoming DLC take a look at that of the Undead Nightmare pack from Red Dead Redemption. For just 800 Microsoft Points ($10), an entirely single-player game is available that rivals the game’s original. It’s a fantastic illustration of top-quality DLC.
Online Passes:
This appears to be a worrying or interesting pattern in recent video games. Delete when you feel it is appropriate. The trend began with EA in the introduction of the concept of an online Pass’ for a number of their top titles, including Dead Space 2, The Sims 3, Madden NFL 11 and Madden NFL 11. The digital pass is a once-only code that allows access to online multiplayer in their games. This means you can’t play online unless you buy the game from the store, which is why you have a passcode, or you pay $10 for purchasing this pass if lucky enough to buy the game second hand.
Some companies have taken on this model, such as Ubisoft, Codemasters, Warner, THQ and now Sony. Sony will follow the same model by offering a coupon of $10 for second-hand games, and this program will launch with the launch of Resistance 3. Resistance 3.
While online passes are an excellent way to generate revenue from sales that aren’t made but they’re also quite a bit of a problem since they penalize gamers who have used the game and effectively remove an entire chunk of game content for the user. In some instances, the online part of the game can be larger than the standard story mode. If you already pay for services such as Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus and it is an additional cost.
Unresectable Game Saves
This incentive really takes the cake. In the latest Resident, Evil Mercenaries title by Capcom on the 3DS, players are blocked from erasing their saved data. The game can’t start from scratch and could be seen as directly attacking games that are second-hand. This isn’t an issue in Mercenaries 3D since the data is essentially converted into high scores as well as unlockables. But what the scenario if this system were utilized in other games like an RPG? What would you do if you purchased an old game that was already finished? In the wake of this decision, the majority of rental stores will not carry Mercenaries 3D.
The most annoying thing about unresectable games is that it also penalizes players who purchased the game for the first time because they are unable from resetting their game’s settings should they want to.
What’s the alternative?
If these rewards that make us buy new games that are brand new aren’t functioning or are just poor, What’s the alternative?
The Club Nintendo:
Nintendo offer some of the most intriguing incentives to new purchases. Each game is accompanied by an account that can be exchanged for points in the Club Nintendo service. This is where players can spend their points on a range of collectable Nintendo products, from apparel to posters. There are a lot of things that can be saved. It’s not a problem that some most valuable products require a few points, and possibly ten thousand Wii’s. However, receiving physical goods to show your loyalty to the game is an excellent idea.
Imagine being given Microsoft points that you could use to purchase XBLA games? Maybe you could even spend your points on real-world things, like posters, control pads or even control pads? I would like to get real rewards for a reward rather than shoddy in-game armour.
Casual and Digital Games
There’s a reason that digitally downloaded games, like games available, found on XBLA or PSN and mobile gaming are so well-liked. They provide an excellent gaming experience at a low cost. The services offered have grown over time and have gone from selling tiny retro games to offering full-blown gaming experiences that are large enough to make a lot of full-priced games cry. I’m sure I’d rather have Limbo in my Xbox instead of a cheap Kinect Version of Carnival Games, and it’s better value as well.
Indie and mobile games are growing, and many game designers are conscious that games with smaller budgets can be an alternative to large-budget games. It doesn’t mean that we’ll see the ending of Triple-A games, but it will be an excellent time to rethink the worth of these games.
Lower Prices:
The fact is, not everybody can afford to purchase an expensive video game. It’s a tough time to buy, and with some games being sold for upwards of $60 in some cases, it’s about buying cheap or losing out. Certain games are simply not worth the $50 price and are reduced to half-price in only a couple of weeks. Digitally distributed games could cost as much in some cases more than their retail counterparts. The popularity of used games is due to the fact that they’re cheaper. Simple, really.
While it seems that some games stores are making use of the demand for used games to increase their profits, mainly since their inventory of pre-owned games is expensive, used titles can also be a lifeline for smaller independent retailers who compete with the chain stores. We’ve all heard that the option of buying from a selection of games is the most affordable option for consumers, whether it’s selling used or new games.
Online stores like Amazon and Play.Com provide lower prices; however, I’d hate to see them replace the excitement of traditional shopping. If retailers are able to offer better prices on new titles, it could be a good thing to encourage sales.
So, What’s the next step?
The industry of games may need to reconsider their low-quality incentives and examine the reasons that gamers prefer buying games that are secondhand rather than shell out cash for a brand-new copy. The industry must also dispel the myth that gamers who purchase second-hand games are inherently flawed. We’re not pirates. I don’t have stolen games. We’re customers. The real problem is with retailers who increase their personal greed to the detriment of the entire industry.
