And the used game trade debate rages on...
As reported by gamesindustry.biz, Phil Harrison (left), speaking at a London event yesterday, took a moderate approach to the argument over used game trading. Of the issue, the Atari president remarked:
There's no doubt that second hand games sales has a macro-economic impact on the industry and a lot of people get miserable about it.
But it's no coincidence that the most valuable games, the ones that have the most lifetime as a game experience, are the ones that don't get resold, that don't get traded.
The games that have the embedded community, the embedded commerce, the extended, expandable experiences, are the one's that you would never want to trade, the one's you want to keep hold of. And that's perfectly in line with our future strategy so we're not that concerned about it.
Atari CEO David Gardner made similar remarks at the gathering:
Second hand game sales represent consumer choice and desire. Obviously, it has economically been extremely painful for the industry... the publishers don't benefit.
But as games change and they become more and more network centric, the disc in the box becomes only one part of the experience. As that experience grows then it becomes not such a problem.
GP: Although the used game issue brings out the militant consumer advocate in me, I must give these guys a little credit for moderating their comments (unlike Epic's whiny Michael Capps). Both Gardner and Harrison seem to be saying that digital distribution is the wave of the future, so let's not get too frothed up about used game sales now. And they're probably right.
Still, I've ginned up enough working-class frustration while writing this to be annoyed by Gardner's complaint that "the publishers don't benefit" [from used game trades].
Why is that a problem?
Gardner's comment is typical of the greedy mindset of some game publishers, who already got paid when they sold the game to the retailer. The retailer then made its money when the consumer purchased the game. And when the consumer disposes of the game, the publisher wants another bite of the apple? What is this, the Mafia? Everyone in the food chain has to kick back up to the Don?
Fughetaboudit...
Comments
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Ture ture the only thing I can really really see past life of creator is if you have a team of creators....
Also I think distrobution should be tossed out of CP and have CP profit focsued, it should be profit rights and not mere "copy rights".
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I don't think it should even be tied to the life of the creator at all. X years, period. The original term, with one renewal was reasonable. It's completely asinine now.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I'm all for helping pay the bills for the developers that make my favorite game.
But then again, I don't want to spend 60 dollars for it when I can get it for 10 dollars less, and participate in the Buy-two-get-one-free sale.
So its really a mixed bag for the; help the 10% of games that make a profit for the developers, and for me to have the opportunity to flip the bird at EA for not giving a damn about consumers.
I'll buy used games, but also buy new ones that have a long shelf life (replayability),... so its really up to me.
@QUESTION
...and theres no damn way we are moving to digital downloads, considering we are moving from regular CDs to the inevitable change in Blu-ray format. I will support anything <4 gig line, but its really an inconvienience to download them, erase them for room, and re-download them, since I also have music and movies in my console, and I really hate to imagine the days' wait for anything above 10 GB.
If you have a problem with developers not making money, you have to do what I do, DEAL WITH IT!
For now....
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Once again, hard drive spac eis so cheap now it's basically better then discs.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
They also fail more and with HD you would need 5 or 6 HDs to hold a full library plus a ton of time to download it all so no its going to take another 10 years for the infrastructure to lay the foundation for a tangible DD market, also hopefully by then flash or tis offspring would have replaced platter driven hard drives making the hardware hold up to the constant strain of media viewing, we don;t have the right mix to sustain full on DD right now and we most likly wont have it in 5.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
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Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
It is also hard to have fast loading on large HDDs unless they have high speeds, but even then they seem to fail more the more they spin than being used to archive something. Also in that time we take to make DD available for this generation, won't we have content owners pushing for super-hd content and we may not have the infrastructure to support the SuperHD era, whatever it is (4kx6k? or something).
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I dunno I see a media industry based on DD but it sales media on packaged memory crads and other impluse type deals, what we will have once the DRM phaze ends is media that can be put on many devices and enjoyed where you are not nesserly hooked up into a line, its going to take awaile but I can see it in 10-20 years.
If I am not clear bascily what we have now in the form of illicit downlaods of for media basically its riped into any and all formats you can get it from the CP owner at a cost thats lower than what we have now and its not completely dependent on being online all the time as big media has learned that volume sales will keep them out of the poor house and laws equating downlaoding to petty crime(automatic fines like red light cams or loss in bandwith or network preivagles). all of this will make a better media age. The trouble is the companies are not ready to change and do not want to.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Someone above argued that games are different because they don't lose value with use.
While that may be true in the sense that a game won't lose physical value, the idea that games don't depriciate in value over time is preposterous.
In THAT case, I have a copy of the Star Wars Pod Racing for the N64 that I'm offering for sale at $50.
Older games are NOT worth as much as newer games because they are OLD. COD4 is worth far more than COD2.
Obviously a FEW classics or rarities might actually appreciate in value with time, but that's true of a lot of other things to. Certain cars are worth 10x now than what they were worth when they were new.
Games absolutely lose value over time.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
agreed!!!
hence i can buy command and conquer 1 for about $3 now. Or you can buy 'platinum' ps2 games or 'bugdget' games.
Look around at games that have had any kind of sequel.. would you pay the same for halo 1 , 2 and 3 now?
exactly! I would argue , with evidence that games cllearly DO lose value.
Otherwise why do people see a new release and say 'Ah its too expensive, ill wait for it to come down in price' if it never comes down in price?
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Oy I ment under produced...but whatever.... LOL
Games like all disposable media lose value fast its just games have further to fall price wise, and on some rare instances lose little value when they become used.
The trouble is media is disposable, its consumed and traded like anything else by removing its value to the market you remove money from the market that buys products from the industry in volume that no number of single consumers can easily replace.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
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Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Games devalate as a fast rate unless its its very popular or over produced(to many copies in the market) and even then after 30ish months you can fidn it NEW for 10$, why because they print out to many games flood the market focus only on the rush window and ignore the rest the publishers are the main reason why profits are damaged.....but then again I am seeing a precived loss through mismanagement...
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Cars and other objects lose value as you use them, they don't run as well, and eventually can stop working all together. Games stay the same. They're different.
I don't see anything wrong with Capp's view on it, but if he really believes it he'll back it up and do that with the games.
If being able to sell the game after you're done with it is a must you just won't buy the game. People would have normally bought it used won't buy it, or will buy it new. Just let the market decide.
http://www.eliteownage.com/nice
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Cars and other objects lose value as you use them, they don't run as well, and eventually can stop working all together. Games stay the same.
I take it you haven't been gaming very long, have you?
Wing Commander - upgraded computer, became unplayable without running other software. There's your "not run as well"
I've got 9x games that won't run under XP. There's the "stop working" (crack them and they work. fancy that.)
What happens when the Spore activation server is brought down, for whatever reason? There's another "stop working" for you.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
The market has decided as EB/GS is a huge retail chain and becuse of it theyare one of the indutries main buyers.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
If the game companies were smart, they would've tried to stop EB/GS from establishing themselves in the first place, or work out a conditional deal with them so that they can receive royalty checks on their sales. Right now the demands sound like too much for too late, and it will be harder to make EB/GS fold the more time passes on.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
They could just as easily stop selling to EB and GS. People who really want the games and would buy them new would order online or go to walmart and best buy.
Not really that hard at all. Yes EB and GS would still get used copies, but that's all they would get.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Ok, let us have EVERYONE order online....so the cost of each game would have to include shipping, since the would lose the cheaper rates of sending in bulk plus they would have to do distribution because they are not selling to a single (or a few) retailers...they are shipping to millions of individuals. The postal system would end up raising costs to compensate, as would UPS and other shipping companies. They would have to pay for storage space for any unsold or waiting to be sold games, which would include state and local taxes and possible rent on the facility. They would have to deal with shipping errors and upset customers themselves, instead of the retailer doing it for them. They would also have to deal with shipping the hardware itself, and face the cost going up for licensing since the game system makers would have issues getting stores to stock their products as well, so they too would have to go to online sales. Everyone has to re-coop costs. Nothing is free. And that cost just rolls down to us, the consumers. Take food as a good example. It IS something you can't live without. But when gas prices went up, there became shortages in some areas, and the costs for all foods went up as well because shipping prices went up. They didn't pay more and take less profit...they rolled the cost onto us. That is how it works.
Digital distribution is the same way. Increase the amount that each person downloads, then the ISPs raise the cost of supplying the services themselves. That rolls back to us.
Zen aka Jeremy Powers
Editor and Host of the Zenspath Podcast (now on iTunes)
www.ZensPath.com
XBL: "PsychoticZen" PSN: "Zenspath"
Nintendo Network: "Psychoticzen", 3DS: "0860-3238-7260
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Yes, so cost would stay the same but the devs would be getting the money. Once again, I don't have a problem with that.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
questionmark1987
My friend...the populace at large dose not have the same value apperication as you do...nor do they have the appercation of quality as I do...
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Your happy with spending MORE money for getting LESS. Sir, that makes no sense at all. I'm for fair prices, but fair prices don't count at screwing the consumer too. That's how, and frankly WHY, Napster became so popular. People were tired of buying the same music again on CD and paying close to $20 dollars or more with no ability, at the time, to even make "mix tapes" which were really popular back in the cassette and record days. People were artificially limited on how they could listen to their music and what they could do with it after getting it.
Zen aka Jeremy Powers
Editor and Host of the Zenspath Podcast (now on iTunes)
www.ZensPath.com
XBL: "PsychoticZen" PSN: "Zenspath"
Nintendo Network: "Psychoticzen", 3DS: "0860-3238-7260
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I'm happy fairly compensating someone for their work. That's all. If I can;t afford something, I don't buy it. I don't assume I deserve it regardless and find some way to work my way around paying a fair price just to ahve it. So no my values aren't the same as other americans, and frankly I'm happy about that. A majority of the people in this country have self centered attitudes that make me sick.
Also how am I getting less? If I still got the same game, the same bos, the same book. Hmm, to me that's the same.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
If that's the case, I have a brilliant car to sell you - it was made in 1970-something and I'll give it to you for the low, low price of $50,000!
Your opinion is ridiculous and indefensible, mate. Give it up.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I do not believe in such finite compensation as I believe all art(and everything is art) is meant to seen,absorbed and pondered on and everything from that point shared and shared more to foster and grow ideas and thoughts to expand the very nature of mankind.
In order to seek this goal out the content owners must be destroyed and a better system put in place to further the creation of new thought and protect the creator of thoughts that can be sold or traded to others.
Yes I am a hippie kitty mmmaaannnnnnnnnnn =^^=
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Any company that refuses to sell through GS/EB is likely to lose tons of potential sales unless they have an established fanbase that won't mind online purchases (look at Penny Arcade Adventurers).
Yes it is hard to not sell through GS/EB, they get tons of customers and they push for pre-orders, and as you said, GS/EB won't be hurt they'd still get their used game sales. This is similar to shooting yourself in the foot but getting nothing from doing so.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Penny Arcade Adventures wouldn't have sold any better had it been sold at GS. I mean I like the comics but come on, that's NOT a AAA title.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
That's more or less my point, you're not going to gain anything by selling entirely online unless you have launched something established or has a fan-base. Penny-Arcade is an online thing, so they obviously know their fan-base has an internet connection in order to reach them. You assume that every customer has an online connection and actively seeks upcoming games. That is a minority for such the case, a majority of sales are done by parents and mainstream people. This equates to needind advertising, if you have it online only, they'd need to know about it or be an established fan-base. Most fans don't know who makes their titles, let alone most parents so they won't go online seeking something unless they are quite aware of finding it online.
Also note, when it comes to rush shopping, some hate the shipping problems and rather get everything done on a visit to the store. It may not make sense, but that's the way many of those customers are.
Also, you saying "it isn't a AAA" title applies to everyone, just because you see it as AAA doesn't mean someone else does, and therein lies the problem, not everyone will have the money to buy every title they see as AAA, and may buy it used. There is still no benefit to not selling to EB/GS. Every AAA doesn't get recognition, and limiting your potential customer base to just online consumers won't help.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
So here's the question then. Why don't they?
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Impulse shopping. People who don't go in specifically for game X, they just go to get a game and happen to pick game X.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Wrong. I collect games and consoles and like the physical object. A piece of code is useless to me in that regard, which is why despite acknowledging the utter brilliance of Braid for instance, I haven't bought it. If they release it for £10 on disc, it's mine. I'm certain I am not the only one who thinks this way.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Wal-mart sells more games than Gamestop. They could stop if they wanted to.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Yes, and frankly I think it's just a case of most devleopers and publishers don't care. That's the current state of the industry.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Offline only titles will soon be dead (or a least niche). I believe the next generation of consoles will serve as a bridge to a predominantly digital distribution model. Publishers are looking as games as more of a service than a product. I can't say that I blame them - between piracy, the second hand market, and their own misguided attempts at protecting themselves through various copy protection schemes resulting in alienated and frustrated gamers, offline games are looking less and less lucrative. Digital distribution is the easiest and least costly means of providing a service and backend authentication which is tied to a credit card instead of on-disc schemes. The generation after next will feature lower intial purchase prices but higher ongoing service costs. Retail music stores are dead. Movies and TV are increasing their online offerings (Even Netflix is accessible through the Xbox now). To me to seems like game publishers are the last to really get on the bandwagon.
At the end of the day that is really the only thing a publisher cares about - making money. Any time they see potential revenue being siphoned away of course they are going to be worried. As I said in response to a previous article though, publishers have options which can take used games stores, piracy, and the need for copy protection out of the equation. It looks like Atari recognizes this.
The hardest thing that publishers need to manage is making sure that their retail partners remain happy while moving away from traditional means of distribution. I'm not sure how that is going to work. Maybe the retailers will find a way to add value to software sales which will allow them to retain customers, but aside from the tangibility of owning the physical box and disc the only thing that has had any impact are collector's editions.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
I don't call 5 to 20 years soon..... in order to price it right you have to have a large market in order to sale the product at a lower price to more people than what you have in comparasion to physical media, world wide net users are goign to ahve to grow some and the price for the service drop more before digi distro can hope to fully replace physical mediums.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
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I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
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Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
lol 5 - 20? The infrastructure is there, now. Blizzard could release WoW ONLY through online download from now on, wouldn't hurt them a bit.
The new consoles ALL have capability to download games. The issue is hard drive space which anyone with any sense of technology price will tell you is cheap enough that if somehting is important you should be buying a hard drive to save it on rather then a CD anyway.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Yes...becuse...they are blizzard.... for "middle class" mainstream devs digi distro only is not a a real option.
For the whole industry to go digi only and Iam talkign film and music as well thats at least 5-10.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Whole industry yes, but honestly I think games will do it long before movies. Movies are too set in the theater to dvd model. Game companies are ocnstantly looking for ways to lower costs, and digital distribution is MUCH lower cost then hard copy. The logistics are a lot simpler too. The difficulty is getting the system set up, but as we've seen the trend is growing and I think it will happen sooner rather then later.
My guess is next gen system will be fully DD.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
No.. since consoles work on 5 year time lines and physical media is good to go for at least 20... in 5 no that is not happening you’ll have a mix, in 10 I can see it, so thats at least 2 more console genrations.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Yeah, pretty close to my expectation.
The next console generation (I'm guessing about 3 years from today, but it is hard to tell since everyone is being secretive about their next console) will feature equal online vs offline offerings. You'll be able to buy the game in the store or download it for the same price. Over the lifetime of that generation, lets just say another 7 years (I think console generations are beginning to operate on a longer cycle where 5 years feels to short) retail sales will diminsh greatly to the point were primary means of distribution will be digital at the end of that generation. The next generation after that (wild guess - 10 years from now), will thrive primarily on digital distribution but may have legacy options for retailers and for playing previous generation titles. Hopefully in 10 years broadband penetration will be at or near 100% (right now it is around 50% in the US).
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
We got DSL(and digi cable) in last year as in the regoin, its 200KBPS for 60 a month plus it has down tiem issues, befor that dailup was the only option, 200KBPS is not enough for much,HQ streaming is nearly out of the question.
I say consoels run a 5 year time frame, avrage it out then add in when the new consel is relased as its the focus of the market, just becuse a system is supported in some form for a long peroid of time dose not mean the market supports it.
I think the next 2 genreations of consoles will be a mix of Offline and online, past 10 years its anyone guess but I think prehaps you'll have a TVcard like setup you buy a game with and have it palced on youer or a prodived memroy device you swipe youer system card the game is loaded with youer account info,you take it home you paly it, you can byit online for the same, I think we will still have B&M sales they will just be diffreant than they are now.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Consoles are more on an 8 year timeline. And this is devleoping more and more quickly each year.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Publishers are really only concerned about retailers as far as they need them. If the industry goes to full on digital distribution (somehting I think is a GREAT idea, less cost because no cost for boxes and discs, plus much better customer support and you don't have to stand in line for new releases) then they won't need retailers. Stores will only need to sell the systems and peripherals, or companies can just sell them online or over the phone and cut retailers out entirely. That also means more money for them because no middle-man to pay.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Retailers won't stock systems without physical media to sell, and peripherals would have to go up in price to compensate, or console costs would have to go up. Retailers don't profit from systems sold, they only stock them from stock of software available to make some profit, and peripherals. I don't like how peripherals are basically as much as old game sales, while new games haven't changed for the Wii, the other two systems are higher than last gen by as much as $20 or $10.
It is also pretty laughable that you expect lower costs from pure digital distribution, the market is fairly small so they'd likely jack up the costs. The reason we have retailers is because they do all that work for the publishers and developers, if the publishers and developers do that work, they'll be tacking on more costs to that $20m they spend on making a next-gen title, and we'll likely see a higher cost in titles than something smaller.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Wow, you honestly think most of the money on the cost of a game goes back to the developer? Publisher maybe, not the developer. Developers make maybe 25% of the cost going back to the publisher, which is probably around $45 on a $60 game.
So with DD a developer could make double the profit selling the game for half the price.
Yeah, they would totally lose money.
/facepalm
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Again, they have to sell remarkably well. DD doesn't mean developers will get double profit, they are hitting a smaller market, and thus they won't reduce the price, especially since they'll have to market it theirselves, more expenses. More expenses won't equate to a price drop, especially with a smaller market. They are very likely to lose more money than gain something.
Their best bet would be something established already intead of personal stores because most companies can't afford what you're suggesting.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Still would be better for the industry, hell everyone could sell through steam opr publishers could stay in the loop by handling DD and marketing. It still would cut out retailers and that would ease some of the fincancial strain and stop used sales.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Please tell me how smaller market,slower sales larger publishers lower paid and or less devs are better for the industry?
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
---------------------------------
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
---
http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
The market isn't base don GS and EB, it's based on consumers. If you can play a PS3 game, most likely you can download one. If you can play a computer game, most likely you can download one. You don't even have to have an internet connection at your home to get internet access anymore.
The market size would eb the same, the distribution of product would change. The only part of the market that would be lost would be the people who aren't contributing any money to the developers now, so no big deal.
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Game sizes are pushing 15~20 GB now, unless they are online installs like Steam (roughly 8 GBs). Some ISPs limit you to 20GB a month, this is the current state of connection in a large game-buying country: the US. Of course, not every ISP is like this, but not everyone has unlimited caps, and those unlimited plans look to be going extinct soon. So you limit your customer base to a consumer that only have higher caps or they may buy your new title, provided they didn't buy anything recently for the month. The market size isn't the same when you go DD, it is significantly smaller. The market that buys used sales may spend money on other titles that aren't necessarily yours. The used market does contribute towards new sales and that means they likely won't buy more in recent time.
Outside of the US, limited caps are very common and you limit the world at large in many places removing more sales from being possible. Those people who don't contribute also become the ones that allow those who don't contribute to get a chance at a game. They find they can't sell the title elsewhere, they may not purchase the title at all in the end until the price drops a bit. If games don't sell well for a while, don't companies downsize relatively fast? Only the lucky developers not drawn from a hat will get more profits or will they be the same?
Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
questionmark1987
The trouble is we've(consumers) have not seen a real price break on digi media and that will slow any noteworthy momentum, digital distributions day will come but its a long way off.
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Pirates,Shearers,Lenders and downloaders are not a market that can be taped by the mainstream.
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Re: Atari's Phil Harrison Weighs in on Used Game Trade Debate
Why should there be a price break? I mean yeah st's nice having a hard copy, but if you can download the game anytime too then what's the difference?