EA wants your $10

[ujnhunter]

It's like buying a used car only to have to pay [Insert Car Company Here] an extra $2,000 to be able to drive it on the highway.

[enderfall]

I can't blame EA for doing this. It is in their best interest to make the most money for their product and certainly used games sales takes a significant chunk of their profit.

That being said, I don't buy sports games and generally don't play online so it doesn't affect me. What bothers me is that little by little we are having a trail paved for us that allows for publishers to either go 100% DL-only or, "demo-on a disc" with paying for a key to unlock the full release. Who wants to take bets that the latter is in place within the next 3 years from EA, Activision, Ubisoft, etc.?

[Ack]

I don't buy sports games, so it won't affect me now. I also don't play online.

But I do buy used games at times(like when I'm picking through PS2 collections at stores at this point), and if this model works out, I'm worried that other companies might start picking it up. Because companies dislike the used game market and are seeking to encourage it, methods like this and digital distribution will probably only become more popular as time goes by. Don't expect hard copies in...what, five years perhaps?

[enderfall]

It's like buying a used car only to have to pay [Insert Car Company Here] an extra $2,000 to be able to drive it on the highway.

I'll bite on this one...

It's not the same because a used car is just that... a used car. It's likely not anywhere nearly as good as a new car. Thus the buyer understands that they are not getting the same quality as a new car.

Used video games on the other hand differ in no way from their new counterparts (so long as the disc actually works).

[MrPopo]

Used video games on the other hand differ in no way from their new counterparts (so long as the disc actually works).

Remember back in the day when a used game would have that one awesome save file on it?

The interesting thing about this is the thing it will hurt the most is the Gamestop "New for $60, used for $55" segment. Second-hand stores will need to price their used games at a lower level if they want to move them. If you're not looking to get into the online multiplayer then this can work out in your favor.

[noiseredux]

It's not the same because a used car is just that... a used car. It's likely not anywhere nearly as good as a new car. Thus the buyer understands that they are not getting the same quality as a new car.

you mean like getting a scratched disc or missing manual?

[AmishSamurai]

It's not the same because a used car is just that... a used car. It's likely not anywhere nearly as good as a new car. Thus the buyer understands that they are not getting the same quality as a new car.

you mean like getting a scratched disc or missing manual?

I've bought mostly used games for so long I've practically forgotten what this manual you speak of is.

[noiseredux]

I've bought mostly used games for so long I've practically forgotten what this manual you speak of is.

haha true. I only buy used as well. It's sooo rare I find a GB manual with a game.

[pepharytheworm]

This method applied will hurt both the used and new market. Most (not all) people who buy sports games trade them in as soon as they can to get the newest incarnation. If the used prices are lower than they already are then they will get even less credit. So that said owner might be more hesitant to buy it new since the option to resale has been diminished plus the used price is even lower. The average consumer won't understand that the used copy won't be able to go online out of box.

Gamestop is a double edged sword. They sale used copies but they only get them from someone who at one time bought them new. If people who sometimes buy games new can't trade or sale their games easily anymore will most likely buy less games period. Just think back to when the NES was king. There really wasn't any place to sell/trade your game to other than pawnshops. So did you not have less games during that time. Now people buy used a lot more but they also buy new more than ever.

I have a feeling if everything has to have a code or download only there is going to be another mini video game crash. Didn't/isn't PC gaming going through this. Everyone knows the PC market is the weakest money making gaming wise. Why because its F@#$ing hard to resell computer games. Go to thrift stores and goodwills if you don't believe me. For every console game you find there are 50 pc titles.

[Limewater]

This method applied will hurt both the used and new market. Most (not all) people who buy sports games trade them in as soon as they can to get the newest incarnation. If the used prices are lower than they already are then they will get even less credit. So that said owner might be more hesitant to buy it new since the option to resale has been diminished plus the used price is even lower. The average consumer want understand that the used copy won't be able to go online out of box.

I can see this discouraging some people, but I don't think most people who buy sports games pay that much attention. I don't think too many people really think that far ahead. If they're selling to GameStop, they're not trying to get the highest possible resale value.