More game developers whining about used games... - by lost_soul
Renzatic on 19/5/2011 at 17:29
Quote Posted by Nameless Voice
Publishers, generally, in all forms of creative media (games, music, books) are often nothing more than leeches feeding off the artistic merit of others while letting them reap little of the benefits from their endeavours. But, at the end of the day, there's not much we can do to change that situation.
There's plenty already changing about the situation. Now that we're neck deep in the digital distribution information superhighway era, most of our media is being distributed over storefronts. Things like Steam, the Apple App store, and the Android Market are taking on part of the role traditionally held by the publishers. They're better in alot of regards because they don't care what you make, or how you make it, or what part of your work they own. They just offer it up, and take a small cut of every sale. The rest is yours.
Because of this, self publishing is far easier and more profitable than it used to be. If someone could find a better way to finance studios to make their games, we wouldn't even need the likes of EA and Activision anymore.
Nameless Voice on 19/5/2011 at 17:57
Agreed. Part of the reason I've grown to think Steam is a Very Good Thing.
Well, I don't agree that the Apple Store doesn't care what you make, since everything they sell goes through a strict process of checks to make sure it's "suitable" (to the point of pulling a satirist's app because he made fun of Apple), but that's not really on-topic here.
Things like the Humble Bundle are also a very interesting form of distribution. I actually bought the latest one, the FrozenByte one, just because I loved Trine so much and felt the devs deserved more than the €4 I'd paid for it in a Steam sale. Of course, that doesn't change that a lot of people seemed content to just throw $0.01 at it and feel good about themselves.
Mr.Duck on 19/5/2011 at 20:28
Well, games are way overpriced in my country. I'll be damned if I'll pay'em ($90 - 100 USD a pop).
I'll gladly buy a game full price on Steam or GOG since it's a closer tag to the actual retail price in the US and if it's a developer I want to support (and the game deserves it to my thinking).
But I will also buy second-hand and look for sales without a single qualm either.
Cheers.
Jason Moyer on 19/5/2011 at 22:47
Quote Posted by negativeliberty
Even searching for Lionhead's own older titles brings me no closer to understanding what they're (or you're) on about:
Fable: The Lost Chapters (PC), 8₤ new, 3₤ used
Fable 2 Classics (X360): 7₤ new, 3.20₤ used
Fable III is $40 new at Gamestop, $33 used, and if you sell/trade the game to them they'll give you about $10.
To go with a newer game, Portal 2 is $60 new, $50 used, and they'll give you $20 for it if it's mint (the condition won't affect the price they sell it for).
Obviously there are places to sell your games that aren't Gamestop, but when publishers/developers are talking about "the used game market hurting our industry" that's the specific company they're referring to.
Papy on 19/5/2011 at 23:18
We can talk a lot about our "rights", but to me the problem is simply that our economic system is not able to cope naturally with a product having a very high R&D cost and an almost zero production cost. So can anyone suggest a good economic model which would ensure companies won't go bankrupt and, at the same time, respect our "rights"?
Nameless Voice on 19/5/2011 at 23:27
Everyone interested in a game being developed sends donations to the developers to keep them afloat!
... yeah, right, like that would ever work.
theBlackman on 20/5/2011 at 00:30
Quote Posted by Nameless Voice
The people buying the second-hand games aren't doing anything illegal, or even morally reprehensible, but that doesn't change the fact that it's
pointless.
I comprehend the sentiment expressed by the money behind the development and sales. But please (no sarcasm intended) explain to me
Pointless.
If you mean the whining is "pointless", I agree. If you mean other, then what do you mean?
As the saying goes: "One man's junk is another man's treasure." I've many things including games and books, that are second hand, used, recycled etc. Many of which I would never have paid the original retail for. (Example: the Ronco rotisserie oven. 3 X 69.96 is way out of my league. But for 29.95 I picked one up at a garage (Jumble sale to you Brits).
Great machine, but not for $210.00.
Myagi on 20/5/2011 at 01:23
Quote Posted by Renzatic
They just offer it up, and take a small cut of every sale.
In a perfect world. I guess that depends your the definition of small. It can easily range 30% - 70+%. Steam surely isn't in the lower range.
theBlackman on 20/5/2011 at 07:13
Quote Posted by Myagi
In a perfect world. I guess that depends your the definition of small. It can easily range 30% - 70+%. Steam surely isn't in the lower range.
Most times for books and other goodies the Wholesale - depending on quantity - is 30 to 45 percent of the retail.
So at the median of 40% a 40 $$ retail would cost about $16.00. On line downloads should be a hell of a lot cheaper than store prices. But, from what I've seen they are not.
It really depends on whose Ox is getting gored, as they say. The programmers and artists deserve a living wage. The writer deserves a fair wage. The producer/developer needs to recoup expenses. It's a vicious circle. But once it is sold it should be disposable at the discretion of the original purchaser.
No copies made or sold by said purchaser. How-some-ever, if I pay full retail for it I should be free to give it away, sell it for tuppence or hang it in the fruit trees to scare the birds.
If they want more money make better games and sell them at a fair price. This bullshit about "Change 50 dollars because the market will handle that price" is crap. Sell 5 times as many at 25 or 30 dollars and you'll make a hell of a lot more.
Papy on 20/5/2011 at 10:14
Quote Posted by theBlackman
I pay full retail for it I should be free to give it away
Oh, but everyone agree on that. The disagreement is whether you should be free to give it away AFTER you played the game. The business model is not that you "buy" a $15,000,000 program for $50, it is that you pay $50 for having the privilege to play with this $15,000,000 program. The business model is one person pays, one person plays. It is not one person pays and 2 (or more) persons play.
You think that paying $50 only for having the right to play with a game is too high? Well, you can always find another hobby.
OK. I'll stop being a dick and I'll ask you a question : why do you pay for a game instead of just pirating it?
Quote Posted by theBlackman
If they want more money make better games and sell them at a fair price.
That's already what they do.
You see this?
Inline Image:
http://www.colecoboxart.com/images/Zaxxon_Coleco.pngI paid $45 for this game in 1982. With inflation it really means I paid $104.88 for it. Would you? And you know what? I was not whining about "fair price".
Quote Posted by theBlackman
Sell 5 times as many at 25 or 30 dollars and you'll make a hell of a lot more.
That's wishful thinking. Anyway, if you wait a few month you will be able to have the game for $25 or $30.
