Used Games = Piracy?

[Marc v4.0]

Yeah, I agree with that

[Yumil]

Originally Posted by Jagos

What would be a great idea is to allow more developers to develop on consoles at lesser prices. What would h%*&% PS3 difficult to program for. What would help is to have ways to implement newer business models on consoles rather than using law to try to curb people finding ways to emulate consoles on their PC.

I'm a big proponent of XBLIG. While there is a lot of shit on the service, it gives a good source for developers to get their titles to the market by making less roadblocks. The certification process to get on XBLA and PSN is crazy, and Wiiware/DSIWare is barely just better.

The whole console market should embrace this. Honestly, lower budget games are still being played. Hell, look at the huge casual market. The various Appstores and what not are becoming a large force. Opening up development on rather safe platforms is what is needed.

Piracy hurts indie gaming on the PC as many don't put any DRM in their products or rely on their distribution network(Steam) to do that for them. The consoles add a layer of security that the layman won't be able to circumvent(with pc they just download a torrent and at most install a patch).

Quality titles will make profits, regardless of the cost.

[Nique]

This is ideal for me, probably not for you. But I want to give them money

What? I do want to support companies that make games I like. I bought Arkham Asylum new. I bought FFXIII new (ok bad example). But I mean, ok I'm late to the party on some titles but they sound like fun - I should go pay full price for an older title when a used copy is just as good and half the price? If I had to pay full price for every game in my collection I wouldn't own half of them anyway. The entire problem they are presenting just seems like an excercise in futility.

The whole console market should embrace this. Honestly, lower budget games are still being played. Hell, look at the huge casual market.

btw, any PS3 owners out there should really be playing Fat Princess. Best game of capture the flag I ever played.

[Jagos]

I view piracy like this: Why care? If they like to play the game, tell 10 people about it and 2 get the game themselves, then you've made a profit.

I know that Steam has been cracked 20 ways from Sunday but it continues to make money with crazy sales. Also, the small time developers make their games and have a pretty strong relationship with Steam (at least from my biased Valve-is-the-Best POV)

Piracy isn't going to go away. Even with the Humble Indie Bundle being pirated, they made millions on their "make your own price" model (though they could have done better...)

I just believe that most companies have to find ways to make games more valuable with more giveaways. Kinda like what Blizzard did with Starcraft (that $120 model was pretty friggin sweet... I would have tried to get it if I wasn't dirt poor and in college right now.

-Edit- And Scott Pilgrim should be on the PSP NOW!

[Nique]

The problem is that they see piracy (and now some saying used buying too I guess) as a 1:1 loss when it isn't. Is Piracy wrong morally or whatever? IMO, yes more or less. Does every pirated copy of a game = one lost sale? Almost certainly no.

If they like to play the game, tell 10 people about it and 2 get the game themselves, then you've made a profit.

I don't know if this really is accurate either though. I mean, TBH I think "Gamers" are really like A-list douchebags pretty often especially in the sub culture of pirating the ever loving crap out of everything. Things shared between pirates likely stays pirated.

[Jagos]

By that same token, let's remember that the US has the most disposable income. Other countries where gaming is the choice between food or a game is kind of a easier to see why they do it.

See also: Brazil, China, Czechoslovakia

[Ravashak]

Originally Posted by Jagos

Czechoslovakia

In what century are you living?

[Jagos]

Fine, Czech Republic and Slovak. Happy?

[Aerozord]

Originally Posted by Nique

I should go pay full price for an older title when a used copy is just as good and half the price?

yes

but I dont expect you to. I see where you are coming from but I am arguing this from standpoint of developer that wants to see return on their product, not the consumer that wants to play games. Yea you'd only get half as many games, but then be supporting 100% of the developers that made those games.

As a developer, I'd rather you buy 5 new games and pirate 5 more, then buy 10 games used.

[Jagos]

The problem with their POV, is that it's incredibly short -sighted. There's little to no longevity in their planning.

If they had donate buttons instead of licensing deals, we could figure something out. Or maybe if they'd stop doing stupid things to piss off their fanbase (Activision, Ubisoft...), we could enjoy the games.

And one other idea, licensing engines for X amount of dollars? Stupid. Give it up for free and charge something for distribution. Having developers become publishers in some sense may actually increase the profits. These are just a few ideas.

Right now, as I see it, their mindsets seem quite limited.