New or used: An open letter to game developers
By Matt Baker, January 26 2012
Dear Game Developer,
This is a debate that has run rampant through the interweb tubes, bowling over the kittehs and owls contained therein, for so long that I’ve always felt there was no need for me to blog my opinion because who really cares what I think anyway? But then this morning I saw a Twitter link to an article about how the upcoming Xbox 720 may reject used games and the fiery inferno of my passion was stoked. So here we are and, on the ever so slight chance that anyone with the vaguest influence on the gaming industry might ever read this, I’m going to offer up my humble opinion.
Before I get in to why I think the used game market is actually good for game developers I want to talk a bit about my own motivations for buying used games. So, first things first, let me reassure you, mighty game developer, it is not out of spite. I like games and they bring me many hours of enjoyment. You should be rewarded for this. However, the game market is kind of flooded and I have a finite amount of money, so choices have to be made and I’m going to choose what is best for me. If I can get one new game for $60 or three old games for the same amount, I think the choice is pretty obvious. Now, I understand that as far as you, the game developer, are concerned I might as well not have bought anything because you didn’t get any of that money, but what you have to remember is that even if I could only buy new games I’d still only have $60, so there’s a 2/3 chance that you are not getting that money anyway.
Ah, you say, but there is a 1/3 chance you do get the money so you are still ahead. And that is true. Or at least it would be if I only ever bought used games. But I, like most gamers, buy a mix of new and used games. If I’m really excited about a game I’ll buy it new. I mostly buy used games to try things that I missed when they first came out or that seemed interesting but not good enough to spend $60 on. The end result of this is that if they were not available used, I just would not buy them. So you are in exactly the same position you would be in with the used game market available. Or at least so it would seem. But I would argue that this is not actually true. Getting rid of the used game market is actually going to move you backwards.
Remember how I said I buy new games that I’m excited about? How do you think I get excited about them? By playing the used games (or games from the library, which are pretty much the same to you monetarily) that I missed out on when they were new or that I’d just not been interested enough in to spend $60. I got Batman: Arkham Asylum from the library and liked it so much I bought it on Steam and then bought Arkham City new for my PS3. I got the PSP Resistance and Killzone games used. They kicked ass so I bought Resistance 3 and Killzone 3 new. I’ve always kind of ignored Halo, but recently I bought Halo 3 used and now I am totally on board to buy Halo 4 new whenever it comes out. And this doesn’t just work for sequels. I bought Gran Theft Auto 3 used and it was ok, but I wasn’t in to it enough to buy the later ones new (or even used). However when Rockstar made Red Dead Redemption and it was like GTA but a western (which I love) I was familiar enough with the idea that I bought it new. And it was fucking awesome so then I bought LA Noire new, which was also fucking awesome. So now when GTA5 comes out, I’ll probably buy it new, even though I was not a huge fan of GTA3. You see how this works? If I hadn’t had a more affordable way to access these games I’d never have bought all those new games. So by quashing the used games market you are actually behind where you are now. And that isn’t even taking in to account the fact that you would have also pissed me off so I’d probably just start spending my fun money somewhere else anyway. And I haven’t even touched on people who buy new games and then sell them to fund the purchase of more new games.
Which brings me to my next point. If I have purchased an item, what right do you have to tell me what I can do with this item? You didn’t rent it to me, you sold it to me. It is standard practice in pretty much everything but the entertainment industry that after you purchase something it is yours to do with as you please, including selling it. I read another blog that compared a game to a lamp and I like this comparison. You don’t see lamp companies trying to shut down Kijiji or thrift stores because they stop people from buying new lamps. Ford is not out there trying to shut down used car dealerships. How are games different? And it is not just game developers with this odd point of view – it seems to be common to most of the entertainment industry. You are acting like Harry Potter goblins with the idea that even if you sell something it still actually belongs to you and should only go back to you once the customer is done with it.
I understand that you want to curb piracy and I totally agree with that (although I don’t believe that it is actually a big problem for games, especially on consoles – I know lots of people who have pirated movies and music but not a single person who pirates games). The music, film, and games industries go on and on about piracy and that is understandable; you worked hard on your product, why should some people get to cheat the system and enjoy it for free? Although that does remind me of a time I saw Douglas Coupland speak and he brought up an interesting point – musicians and filmmakers complain that people are circumventing purchasing their products is wrong but authors have to deal with libraries, the entire point of which is to read something without buying it and they are legal. But let’s not get too sidetracked here. Pretty much everyone has pirated something at some point, but I honestly believe that it is wrong and I stick to acquiring things legally whenever possible. And the fact remains, the used game market is entirely legal. People are still paying their hard earned money to enjoy something you made. Yes that money is not going directly to you, but the goodwill from that enjoyment is and chances are good that it will lead to future new game purchases. So try and remember, before you go alienating me and my gaming brethren, you can make it so I can’t get cheap games but I won’t have more money and I will have less goodwill. Actually, you know what? Go ahead and do what you want because when I stop buying games that will free up a lot of time and money and there is a whole world of other things for me to enjoy.
Sincerely,
Matt
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