Piracy vs Used Game Stores

[Shanester]

Which hurts the game industry more? Companies like Gamestop/Best Buy or torrenting sites?

Gamestop: Built on ripping off customers, game devs, and employers; none of the money buying/selling used games goes towards developers.
Online Piracy: Takes away potential sales from everyone involved (for the most part).

I am not advocating either choice. I feel that both "harm" the game industry, but which does this more?

 

[tbgtbg]

Oh boy, this again.

Honestly, I could NOT care less if used games don't generate money for the publishers (and it's publishers who get the money from sales, if you think devs see more than a pittance, you don't know publishers, the real crooks). They get paid once for every copy, that's fair, that's enough, that's how every other transaction on Earth has worked since money was invented.

 

[Armadillo]

Piracy.

Used games, at least one person bought that copy new. That's all the money the devs are entitled to.

 

[rusty shackleford]

Well some people pirate because their country doesn't offer the the game in its entirety or not at all. And some do it to try the game before they buy it. Sure people need jobs but if you buy used money doesnt go to the publishers anyway so saying "i bought a game used to support the developers" isn't true. I feel gamestop hurts more than piracy because there are more stores than downloads of some games. I went back to PC gaming a few years ago, so many great game deals with prices lower than used games at gamestop and money goes to the publishers. I think developers should set up some kind donation system for guilty pirates, but if you want more sales dont sell games for $60 with <10 hours of gameplay or no re-playability.

 

[BlackWizzard17]

It's not like only one game is sold then the other 300,000 people download that one game.

 

[VashTS]

used games. if there were no used games, devs would get the proper amount of money for a new copy. piracy does not hurt. if i play the game via pirate methods, i would never have purchased it. they lose nothing.

 

[mightymuffy]

Normally I'd say piracy, but when I see some spotty sales assistant in my local GAME telling little Johnny's mummy to buy xxx game from the used section coz it'll save her a fiver, well I'm not that sure actually....

 

[Redhorse]

Which hurts the game industry more? Companies like Gamestop/Best Buy or torrenting sites?

Gamestop: Built on ripping off customers, game devs, and employers; none of the money buying/selling used games goes towards developers.
Online Piracy: Takes away potential sales from everyone involved (for the most part).

I am not advocating either choice. I feel that both "harm" the game industry, but which does this more?

I suggest nothing to no one, but I have been touting this since I first heard of flash cards. Do the math with the nmber of times a person will buy, selling that one single game through Gamestop (or whoever) and that game (many, most) have gone through dozens .. all right, at least half a dozen hands. The Flash card goes through one persons hands and from what I see, many who own those F. Carts, either stop playing the game shortly after trying it, or end up purcahsing it to have the box, instructions and so forth. I realize not every f.cart user does this, but a significant number do. They BUY the game if they actually like it.

I have to believe that Nintendos move to demo the games through download has done more to take the wind out of the sales of f.carts ( if they were they actually working and viable solution at this point) than alll the blocking-through-code writing, would. I for one am in the process of buying every game I 'Demo'd through one of those gadgets, for several reasons. My consciounce (sp?) played no part in it, I'm not buying them up because I feel guilty...

I want the physical item, with cover art and original instructions. Just look on ebay and see just how many people sell just the (DS game) cover or instructions alone... many... so there IS a market, and I AM that market.

Again, before someone sees fit to trash everything I've just said (and someone certainly will) I do NOT advocate thier use.

HOWEVER, this issue.. I. M.O. goes deeper. I have been a live performance entertainer for over 30 years, professionally, it's my occupation/vocation. Years ago when the older actors and actress's were dying in old age homes (now they have alternate options) they had spent thier millions and thier relatives were bitching about the idea that they should continue to be paid for thier work.. I have no real answer hear after much consideration but now those actors recieve royalties. Are YOU paid AGAIN, each time someone wears that shirt you sold them at walmart? NO, and neither should they (the actors) once thier work is done. Remember, I fall into thier catagory occupation wose, so I'm selling MYSELF short too.
I appologise for the rant but I feel that no man (or person) should be compensated for work they've done, more than once. The rights holders, such Distribution company? Thats another story altogether.

I have much more but my computer f98cking up on me so I'll stop here for now...

 

[bobmcjr]

Used games. For physical copies, piracy tends to preserve games/media rather than add a scratch to a possibly rare disk each time a game changes owner. Whenever possible, I play backup copies of whatever I buy new.

 

[zabikt]

I don't know why so many people are telling that selling used games is killing industry, or reducing developers income.
In my opinion is opposite.
They are able to sell such amounts just because of existence used games shops like GameStop. Without such shops (and second hand market) they will be selling much less.
One of important factors for the game is premiere sell. Games are expensive for most of gamers. If games will be bought by buyers who could afford it only, sell figures would be much smaller. But it exist quite big group of people, who are buying games at premiere, paying full price, playing such games and selling it after completion. They can afford these max $20 for the game, not $60 or more (reduce figures for portable games). They are paying full price, but this price, for them, is kind of deposit which will be returned when they will sell this game (and buy next one).
Banning second hand would kill industry - it's simple.

 

[Xarsah16]

I like to support local used game shops. Gamers Anonymous, in Albuquerque NM is one example. This is a gamer trying to make a living by owning a store. I do not go to GameStop because I am feeding into a major corporation when I can go local. I still buy games from GA but when I can't, I download. New games are too expensive.

 

[Taleweaver]

Piracy is worse. And perhaps it's ironical, but I think that the pirates who just download a single game, play it all the way through, then download another, hurt the industry more than the magpies who just download everything and barely play their entire collection.

Allow me to elaborate: the thing about playing a game is that you become attached to it if it's fun. With pretty much every game having multiple entries and sequels, knowing a game (because you played another version - even if that was illegal or used) increases the chances of wanting to play more. As soon as it releases, usually.

And this is where second hand and piracy differ most. You'll find most pirated games online pretty much as soon as the game is released. Whereas second hand sales usually take a few weeks or months to become available in stores (and even longer before the difference with a retail game becomes apparent). And since you're already in the store by then and wanting to play THAT game, it's just a matter of going to another rack and picking up the "more expensive" copy.

The other difference is obviously that game companies are starting to use that second hand policy to their advantage. They might not get anything from the shops, but DLC can compensate for that.


I'll also leave this video here because it's worth thinking about: extra credits on used games (don't forget to check the links in the direct commentary below...those are also good ones).

 

[DinohScene]

Both equally.
But piracy more then used games, since that could steal away potential sales (of currently released games)

For retro games.
It doesn't matter since no one except retro/used games stores are making a profit.
Personally, I'd like to have original copies of me games, so I personally say piracy is worse.
For both.

 

[Gahars]

Both equally.
But piracy more then used games.

I don't think that's what "equally" means.

Anyway, yeah, piracy is a much more legitimate concern. Publishers really fuck over retailers in terms of sales cuts (retailers get a pathetically small cut of game sales), so it's hard to feel all that bad when they whine about used game sales. Stores have few other alternatives if they want to turn a profit. At least the game's already been purchased once, and at least DLC ensures that you can still make money off of used copies.

 

[DinohScene]

I don't think that's what "equally" means.

Anyway, yeah, piracy is a much more legitimate concern. Publishers really fuck over retailers in terms of sales cuts (retailers get a pathetically small cut of game sales), so it's hard to feel all that bad when they whine about used game sales. Stores have few other alternatives if they want to turn a profit. At least the game's already been purchased once, and at least DLC ensures that you can still make money off of used copies.

A sale of a used game takes away one sale of a new game.
Piracy does the same.
However, piracy is more of an concern then used games, since the used game already was sold before.

 

[Gahars]

Which hurts the game industry more? Companies like Gamestop/Best Buy or torrenting sites?

A sale of a used game takes away one sale of a new game.
Piracy does the same.
However, piracy is more of an concern then used games, since the used game already was sold before.

...Okay, yeah, that means they're not equal then.

(Also, used copies/illegal copies don't necessarily "take away" new sales. We can't assert that people would've purchased a new copy if a used/pirated version copy didn't exist because there's just no way to definitively prove that. It's worth keeping that in mind in a discussion like this.)

 

[PityOnU]

As far as I'm concerned, used games are legalized piracy.

I very rarely (read: my family very rarely) bought used games when I was younger, and now that I'm older and understand the implications of the practice I never buy or sell used games.

Just my opinion, though. You are entitled to your own (you monster).

 

[DinohScene]

...Okay, yeah, that means they're not equal then.

(Also, used copies/illegal copies don't necessarily "take away" new sales. We can't assert that people would've purchased a new copy if a used/pirated version copy didn't exist because there's just no way to definitively prove that. It's worth keeping that in mind in a discussion like this.)

They indeed don't necessarily take away new sales indeed, but they both take away potential new sales.
Only difference between piracy and used game sales is that the used game has already been sold once, thus money goes to the developers.
With piracy, there's nothing going to the developers at all.
This talking about a potential sale of a new game.

 

[trumpet-205]

Used game, because it limits the potential of earning profit. To be fair, entertainment industries have always labeled used market as gray area. In US, the only reason used market exists is because of First Sale Doctrine. Even then there are publishers constantly challenging the Doctrine, due to various loopholes within.

Piracy hurts the publisher too, but at very minimal cost. Only few among those who pirate will buy legitimate copy if piracy is eliminated. The exception is when an intellectual property is leaked prior to being released (example a video game leaked online two weeks prior to release date). That can do significant damage to the publisher.

 

[nando]

piracy rips developers off

used game companies rip developers and people off.