Publishers and their used games gripes.

[ZeroAX]

They are most certainly NOT equivalent. The quality is much lower.

to back up that statement, just look at all the Asian mmos.

[gtmtnbiker]

So if I buy some old bookshelf second hand off of craigslist, I should give Ikea some money for it? That's bullshit.

This isn't the same thing. There's a major difference between buying and selling used items to somebody on Craigslist or a yard sale or even a pawn shop and selling your used items to a major retail corporation and them turning a 99 % profit on their re-selling of that item. Video games are an exception. You can buy used DVDs in just about everywhere but there is no GameStop equivalent in that retail space.

Sure there is. You can buy used movies at redbox.com, amazon, Blockbuster or your local video store. If you don't like gamestop's prices, don't buy or sell to them. No one is forcing you. The fact is, many people like the convenience and are willing to pay for it.

GameStop is a racket and garbage. It also has nearly the entire video game industry over a barrel and can do anything they want to it. They stack "new" empty cases right next to their very slightly discounted used counterparts, so a developers product is essentially competing against itself. Most people don't know and/or care about the difference. This is intentional on GS's part, and downright cutthroat and dishonest.

This is not that different from used cars. I get flyers every few months from the dealer saying they need to buy my car as there is a "shortage" of them. They are trying to get me to come in and buy a new car and trade my old one to them. They make money selling me a new car and make money selling my old car to someone else.

It sucks for them, but the only chance publishers have of breaking GameStop's near monopoly on dedicated video game retail is pricing their game at or below GameStop's used price. Which would result in a 'race-to-the-bottom' type situation in which we'd all get games really cheap but they would get significantly shittier as the publisher cut costs and struggle to find a profit margin.

Gamestop does not have a monopoly on dedicated video game retail. There's competition from Target/Walmart/Amazon/etc. The fact is that brick-and-mortar stores are not cheap to run. Gamestop has smaller stores in higher rent locations (e.g, malls) so they have higher expenses than Walmart/Amazon.

[gtmtnbiker]

You can get an equivalent individual in those countries to do the same work for the 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of a comparable person in the US.

They are most certainly NOT equivalent. The quality is much lower.

Yes and no, just like in the US. You have folks who work hard and are smart just like their US counterparts. You also have people who are not as good. I know, because I work with a group of them in my job. Unfortunately, the amount is only going to grow in the future which requires me to continue to show my value over my Asian colleagues. It is becoming more and more a global economy and workforce.

[ZeroAX]

Yes and no, just like in the US. You have folks who work hard and are smart just like their US counterparts. You also have people who are not as good. I know, because I work with a group of them in my job. Unfortunately, the amount is only going to grow in the future which requires me to continue to show my value over my Asian colleagues. It is becoming more and more a global economy and workforce.

hopefully the quality of life will rise fast over there as well, so they become consumers. Can you imagine a 3 billion people consumer base? (China and India).

The US EU and Japan together only amount to 1 billion.

At least the quality of life in some parts of china is getting better. Don't know about India though. I read that more people in India have cell phones, than have toilets :S:S:S:S. So they are able to use tweeter but not take a dump without worrying about shitting their own pants.

[FiftyDollarCurse]

Sure there is. You can buy used movies at redbox.com, amazon, Blockbuster or your local video store. If you don't like gamestop's prices, don't buy or sell to them. No one is forcing you. The fact is, many people like the convenience and are willing to pay for it.

I seriously just said you can buy used DVDs everywhere, but everywhere you listed also has legitimate business practices that does sell new or rent movies and therefore provides their actual content providers with some percentage of revenue. GameStop does also sell new games, true. But very reluctantly. Any time you ask for a new game the person will suggest a used copy for $1.50 less. Whereas if you want up the BlockBuster counter with a new movie, they'll just ring it up for you and not tell you your a retard for not buying their used copy. Not only trying to not give their customers what they wanted, but also slicing the last line of defense for the publisher / developer / director / guy who created the textures in the bricks. Also, I don't buy or sell from GameStop and am not willing to pay for "the convience" (ahaha, I laugh because I can't think of anything more INCONVENIENT than going to GameStop for a video game) so thank you for the advice.

This is not that different from used cars. I get flyers every few months from the dealer saying they need to buy my car as there is a "shortage" of them. They are trying to get me to come in and buy a new car and trade my old one to them. They make money selling me a new car and make money selling my old car to someone else.

Yes, you're right. Used car dealers are also a racket and human garbage. Just because it's normal doesn't make it ethical.

Gamestop does not have a monopoly on dedicated video game retail. There's competition from Target/Walmart/Amazon/etc. The fact is that brick-and-mortar stores are not cheap to run. Gamestop has smaller stores in higher rent locations (e.g, malls) so they have higher expenses than Walmart/Amazon.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that it cost more to run a GameStop than a Wal-Mart? Or Amazon.Com? That is so stupid, I can't even being to contemplate it. Also nothing you mentioned sells only video games, which is what I meant by "dedicated". And if someone says GameStop also sells used DVDs I might barf.

[AwesomeMonstar]

So, we've gotten this far in the debate and nobody has mentioned project 10 dollar?

Surprising.

Personally, I think it's a great idea when implemented well. A bunch of free content post release as a reward to all of those who payed full price, and a ten dollar fee for everyone else. It's a good way to encourage consumers to buy new rather than punish them. Alan wake also implemented this for their first and maybe second iterations of DLC. Aside from that, collectors editions, such as how BlazBlue was originally sold, and free goodies, like persona for psp and the included soundtrack, go a long way for me and getting something new as supposed to used.

As to everyone who wants digital distribution, I'm surprised. As retronauts I thought we all cherished the whole box and physical media type of things. That and the fact that retailers can simple call it quits on any game at any time if they so please with DD seems like it should piss us off pretty well.

[Octopod]

I personally am willing to pay more for a hard copy and dread the day that everything goes digital distribution.

[corn619]

Behold, the future of game purchasing. Looks way more fun than going to the game store and buying a copy, don't it?

[Jrecee]

You can buy used DVDs in just about everywhere but there is no GameStop equivalent in that retail space

um. . . www.moviestop.com

[Jrecee]

Also, the age group that plays new releases is different from the age group of any other product. I have no actual statistic, but let's figure that 50% of current gen gamers are between 10 and 22. How much disposable income do these people have? Not much. They're either a kid with no job, a kid with a crappy job and $400 car insurance payments, or someone in college. . . with no money. What's a good way to save money? Trading in games and buying used games.

Combine that market with prices of new release games, $50-$60, and compare that to movies. New releases are about $17, and you can walk out of best buy with 3 or 4 older movies for the same price. Not nearly as much incentive there to buy used.

Whether the gaming industry is different from other industries doesn't change the fact that gamestop isn't doing anything wrong (in the general concept of their business anyway). If used game sales are hurting the videogame industry, it's up to them to figure it out, not go around blaming others for their problems.