TheRev wrote:I'm just going to walk away and let you all wallow in your ignorance.
No used games kills jobs. If you can't understand that. You have a problem not me.
Will it kill jobs? Well, some likely, yes. Gamestop does use the used game market as a means to bring in revenue, so yes, a lack of used games would likely mean a drop in revenue, which may very well lead to downsizing. This could happen for various retailers, though I don't think this would lead to a loss of game developer jobs or console developer.
The console developer will keep games coming from various production houses but will likely move away from the physical hardcopy product in the next few years and on to a digital distribution method, just as we see with Steam. People will still buy games, though likely they won't want to pay the full price that they used to since many folks buy new games, beat them, and sell them back as used. But these people will instead benefit from ongoing sales, such as occur on services like Steam or GOG, and which we will likely see more of for consoles in the future, just as MrPopo mentioned. I don't know when the last time I paid more than $20 for a PC game was, but I've continued to purchase and play them.
This no used games method is merely a move in that direction: we are going towards digital distribution's method of attaching a game to a person's account permanently while not yet getting rid of the hardware. Eventually we may have several different machines for distribution from various companies, all of which have similar features and services: PS4, WiiU, Xbox 3, Steambox, Ouya, etc. These machines will provide digital versions of games for download based on our paying a subscription service for access to said games, all without physical copies. Will this hurt the private trade and potentially hinder collectors? Yes, though admittedly there are benefits in terms of space and having access to whatever is purchased wherever we can access our accounts on said subscription service. Frankly I'm more interested in seeing how each machine develops its own library, service, and means of manipulating said service and games(ie. controller design) to differentiate itself from its competition.
Currently, I favor Steam as my digital distribution service of choice, because I appreciate the ease at which both major production houses and indy developers have been able to put their games on it without keeping me from downloading other games I find online or get from other online distributors. That will likely change somewhat with a dedicated machine from Valve, so perhaps Ouya will fill that hole with its openness, but we'll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, will I miss the used game market? Actually, not so much: what I currently purchase from personal trades or retro-themed stores won't be affected because it is already too old, and the truth is I hardly ever go into brick and mortar stores for buying games as it is. I will miss the idea of it, I suppose. The serendipity of finding a gem hidden amongst the various throwaway titles I don't care for will be less likely, that's for sure. But society as a whole is moving towards greater digital connections, so I'm not surprised.
