What do you think of that 'Used Games Unfair' article?

[ShadeTail]

Game Revolution posted a Gamepro article about game developers complaining about how they don't get any money out of the used games market.

http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=143908

What does everyone else think of that? Me, I read it and thought:

Oh dear, someone call the WAAAAAAAHmbulance.

Honestly. Game developers whining about how they can't control what we do with our own property? Cry me a river. Then build a bridge and **GET OVER IT**. Here in the US, the First Sale Doctrine has been in place for over 100 years now. Once we own something, we can resell it. The law says so. End of discussion.

So if I want to sell my games to a retail store that deals in used software (I would never do that; it is a complete rip-off), then I can. And if they decide to turn around and sell it to another customer, then they can. The intelectual property still belongs to the developer, but the disc or cartridge or whatever does not. The owner can do with it as he/she/it sees fit. The law says so.

Game developers: <whimper, sob>But it isn't **FAIR**!</whimper, sob>

Me: Grow up, you whining maggots.

 

[TheNesMan]

The person already bought the product so they already have their money. What happens after the purchase isn't their concern. For all I care the person could pee on their game.

 

[Hawk_one]

Well, as far as I could tell, I think they had a problem with the retailers more than me as a gamer.

And the retailers can in fact be rather crappy to deal with. Often, they will deliberately cut down on stock orders precisely because they have a bigger interest in selling the used version, of which they will get all the profits. A profit that is - thanks to them having a nice rip-off scheme going on - rather substantial, to say the least. I don't see why any game publisher would feel happy about it.

It might be legal (speaking of which, one might wonder if that law might be somehow outdated... But that's a discussion in itself), but I get a feeling that continous reselling will end up biting me as a gamer in the end. Making a well-produced video game today requires some insane amount of funding, and you can pretty much only allow yourself that kind of budget either by being one of the Big Dogs (EA), or by mostly making sequels to the first proper hit you release (Guitar Hero). The developers are already getting pretty scared of taking chances as it is (which is why most big hits are released close to Christmas, thereby making everyone who can only afford/find time to play one game at the time), and I for one would rather that this trend wouldn't escalate even further.

I'm only slightly surprised that this article first shows up now, though. After all, this is nothing new, really.