Ubisoft To Follow EA's Used Game Strategy

[luke_c]

Ubisoft is to tackle the second-hand game market with a code system that gives purchasers of new games access to download content which second-hand buyers will have to pay for.

During a recent investors call, Ubisoft seniors said: "We are looking very carefully at what is being done by EA regarding what we call the $10 solution and we will probably follow that line at some time in the future."

The '$10 solution' refers to EA's Online Pass system, in which new games come with a one-use code allowing gamers to access the title's online multiplayer modes, whereas second-hand buyers need to purchase their own code for $10.

Ubisoft went on to indicate that it has a similar code system in place to allow new game consumers access to portions of a game via downloads, which will come at an extra cost to those who buy the game second hand.

Usisoft said: "We have been using keys, starting last year, on our products and those keys were allowing consumers to have download content if they were buying the product in specific stores, so we have the system in place to generate more revenue on the used market and we are now building the content to make sure that it can be beneficial for both groups."

Source.

 

[BoxShot]

.... I hate this used game thing that requires them to pay more after buying a used game.

 

[luke_c]

.... I hate this used game thing that requires them to pay more after buying a used game.

I think it's pretty good as it does have it's benefits, we get free download content. And in the end, if you buy it used and pay for the content, it will most likely end up as the price it would cost for getting the game new.

 

[Depravo]

I think it's pretty good as it does have it's benefits, we get free download content.
It's not free, it's part of the game you pay for but Ubisoft/EA keep it on their servers rather than on the disk you just bought. Also, if you HAVE to go online to get it that opens the door for all kinds of DRM bollocks.

QUOTE(luke_c @ May 19 2010, 08:27 AM) And in the end, if you buy it used and pay for the content, it will most likely end up as the price it would cost for getting the game new.

That really isn't a good thing.

 

[TM2-Megatron]

Anyone who buys into Gamestop's used games crap is a sucker, anyway. Seriously, they pay practically nothing for them, sometimes as little as a week after release, and then sell them alongside the new (yet opened, due to whatever bonehead gamestop policy) copies for like $10 less? I've heard that the used game market has become almost as bad as piracy, and personally it wouldn't surprise me it if were true. Gamestop shouldn't be allowed to market itself as a first tier store, when the vast majority of what they do involves pushing used copies on people, and constantly pestering you to trade in your stuff for the bare minimum value, so they can turn around and sell it at a 400% profit.

I buy all my games new, personally. And I never deal with Gamestop.

 

[Jamstruth]

Man, Game Developers sure do hate 2nd Hand games for no good reason! They're demonising their customers again, telling them off for buying the game used when they should be buying new. I hate things like this.
I buy used games very often as well as new games. Why? Becuase they're a heck of a lot cheaper. Especially if I'm after an older title the used games can be £10-20 cheaper and to me that's good value. I do trade in sometimes as well and get pittance but this is usually because the games are not all that popular. I traded in a load of PSP games once and got exactly 50p for one of them because it was so old and probably bad.

 

[Depravo]

Gamestop gamestop gamestop

What makes you think this is all about Gamestop? What about the used games on Ebay? Or Amazon Marketplace? What about buying a cheap used game from a guy at school/college/down the pub? Heck, what if you just want to borrow a game from a friend?

No, the more I think about this the less I like it. Selling downloadable content is aimed at people with a reasonable disposable income, DRM is aimed at software thieves but this 'Used Game Strategy' is specifically designed to penalise those who are too poor to buy new games but too honest to pirate them. What a bunch of greedy cunts.

 

[RupeeClock]

Oh Ubisoft, you truly are the next EA games.

 

[Law]

>access portions of the game

>pay $10 to see the ending

Just gives more incentive for people to pirate.

 

[FAST6191]

I would like to reply but I doubt I could make it as composed as that of Depravo's.

I am still shocked it got this far- such ideas and similar opinions of the second hand games market I saw appearing a few years back while I laughed at them.

[insert standoffish ending statement]

 

[Aeladya]

Might as well buy the game new, especially if you buy the game used and it's only $5 cheaper than the new copy. Then you'll be spending an extra $5 for a used copy of the game that's probably scratched to hell, but still playable anyway. Thankfully I don't play any online games from these companies, but I can see them doing this in the future for offline games too...

 

[referencer]

They just keep making piracy more and more attractive, don't they?

 

[Psyfira]

If they're going to do this they need to make it clear on the front cover exactly what content needs an extra payment, and how much that payment will be. I'd be pretty damn pissed if I picked up a second hand game, got it home and running before finding out a feature I wanted to use would require an extra fee.

[Edit] Here's another thought; what if it's an old game, will the locked content still be available? It's not so much of an issue if it's just extra weapons or similar, but if they remove features from the game to put them in the paid-for section then that'd suck. I'm thinking games that are approx 10 years old, I can't be the only one still picking up PS2 games from the preowned bin.

 

[Law]

We should just start speculating now.

Next generic FPS they release: Forced to use the knife unless you pay $20.

 

[DSGamer64]

This makes no sense. They want people to pay 10 dollars more for an opened case with a used disc in it that probably has scratches on it, might not have an instruction manual or hell, half of the returns these days have replacement cases. Not to mention people are just going to stop buying their products. EA and Ubisoft have horrible return rates because their games are garbage, they lack enough content to make people want to keep playing and owning their games. And when you release the same fucking sports games every single year, you start to make garbage as the older editions are worth nothing a year after their release.

Pro tip, stop making bad games that are retardedly short and maybe people will pay full price for them