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Do you buy your games used whenever you can?

Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:29 am
Posted by Broketec
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1226 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:29 am
Curious what the GB does.
I never buy used. I have worked and still do somewhat work in the game development industry, so I want to keep all the money flowing to developers and not to re-resalers.

I've got friends who will pay an extra $5 for a new copy just so Gamestop and such aren't making a second round of pure profit from a game.

So how do you guys buy games? Obviously, excluding brand new titles that are only new, but lets say you're going buy something that came out last year, do you go for the new copy for $40 or the used copy for $35?
Posted by sbr2
Member since Apr 2011
15012 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:31 am to
I use Gamefly so I guess I'm not helping the industry either.
Posted by SG_Geaux
1 Post
Member since Aug 2004
77912 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:37 am to
quote:

I use Gamefly so I guess I'm not helping the industry either.



Gamefly is paying the industry.
Posted by stout
Smoking Crack with Hunter Biden
Member since Sep 2006
167028 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:38 am to
quote:

So how do you guys buy games?


Lately? All digital pretty much.(PC)

I only buy physical copies on the rare occasion I am buying a new release for console and it's always a new game. I would stop doing even that if Xbox had digital same day releases.
Posted by Broketec
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1226 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:40 am to
I got curious after having a discussion a few weeks back with a coworker about used games and Gamestop's profiteering off of a developer's hard work.

Gears of War for example, sold 6 million copies brand new. The game retailed for $60. The likely breakdown in the sales were $10 to retailers, $25 to publisher (Microsoft) and $25 to Epic.
So Epic banked $150 million off of the game.
If gamestop sold 3 million of those copies, they made $30 million in sales.
Lets say that 1/3 (For easy math's sake) of the games get traded in, and resold at $55 used, gamestop makes another $110,000,000 from resales of used games and have now actually made more money from the game than the actual developers.

The reality of it is that more than 1/3 of those 6 million copies was likely trade in and resold.

Anyway, thats my outlook on used games and was curious who bought what and why.
Posted by Tactical1
Denham Springs
Member since May 2010
27104 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:40 am to
I have no problem buying used games.
Posted by DownSouthCrawfish
Simcoe Strip - He/Him/Helicopter
Member since Oct 2011
36136 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:41 am to
quote:

lets say you're going buy something that came out last year, do you go for the new copy for $40 or the used copy for $35?
If I need an online pass, then yes I will buy the new copy....other than that it's used.
This post was edited on 12/28/12 at 9:43 am
Posted by The Eric
Louisiana
Member since Sep 2008
20976 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:43 am to
A lot goes in to this decision.

Play station redbox hits usually go for 20 bucks new and around 20 used. I get new then.

There has to be a large gap between old and new for me to buy old.

Also you have to consider online activation codes. Sometimes used ends up costing more because you have to pay 15 for an online activation code.
Posted by stout
Smoking Crack with Hunter Biden
Member since Sep 2006
167028 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:44 am to
Thos numbers look crazy inflated and I think you are way off. Gamestop only sales a used game for $55 within it's first month or so of release.
This post was edited on 12/28/12 at 9:45 am
Posted by Broketec
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1226 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:46 am to
I used gears of war specifically in my argument with my co-worker because it was a $55 used title for almost 9 months after it was released and a $59.99 new title for just as long.

It was probably more the exception than the rule, but I was trying to prove a point to him.
This post was edited on 12/28/12 at 9:47 am
Posted by DownSouthCrawfish
Simcoe Strip - He/Him/Helicopter
Member since Oct 2011
36136 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:49 am to
Yea. I remember MW3 stayed around 50 bucks for a used copy at GS for a long time too. Only reason I remember that is because I would laugh at the price just about every time I went in the store.
Posted by stout
Smoking Crack with Hunter Biden
Member since Sep 2006
167028 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:51 am to
I see that you are saying but you are also leaving out the side business of a game like Gears. They make tons of money off of merchandising and other stuff. Avatars, toys, strategy guides, etc. Let's not forget DLC.

I have no doubt GS makes a killing on used games but I doubt they make more than the developer on a game as big as Gears. Maybe some of the smaller games...maybe.
Posted by Broke
AKA Buttercup
Member since Sep 2006
65037 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 9:57 am to
I have no pity on these developers. They could offer a buyback program if they want to recapture the market. But they don't. So frick em.
Posted by LewDawg
Member since May 2009
75242 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:00 am to
I bought Hitman yesterday and it was used. I haven't had any issues. I tend to buy the big releases brand new though.
Posted by stout
Smoking Crack with Hunter Biden
Member since Sep 2006
167028 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:01 am to
Or they could go all digital and self publish. No Publisher taking half your money. No store mark up and no product to trade in. Plus, you can sell your product cheaper and still make more money. Win-win for everyone.

Minecraft is a great example of this. All digital on PC and Xbox and all self published. Super Meat Boy the same way though they did let other places Like Steam sell license for their game.
Posted by iheartlsu
Nashville
Member since Sep 2005
27725 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:02 am to
depends if the game needs an online code
Posted by SaintLSUnAtl
THE REAL MJ
Member since Jan 2007
22128 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:03 am to
I usually get used games off eBay or craigslist. Most of the time when I get a used game it's a year old or more. Last new game I got was BLOPS 2. Before that, BF3.

Unless it's a co-op or MP that I have plans to play with friends, I don't buy anything new
Posted by Broketec
Dumpster Fire
Member since Sep 2006
1226 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:06 am to
quote:

I have no pity on these developers. They could offer a buyback program if they want to recapture the market. But they don't. So frick em.


Wow...really?

Posted by Devious
Elitist
Member since Dec 2010
29141 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:12 am to
quote:

Or they could go all digital and self publish. No Publisher taking half your money.
THIS - And we'd get a more quality product in the end.
Posted by DrSteveBrule
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2009
12003 posts
Posted on 12/28/12 at 10:26 am to
I buy games on ebay often, because the seller can give a general description of what condition the disk is in. I also frequently buy older out of print games, just recently got a copy of windwaker.

I've gotten great deals on disks that were very scratched up. I send them to a company called azuradisc in arizona and they resurface them for a very small fee.
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