EA Blocks Multiplayer Mode on secondhand Console Games

OldComputerGuy7 · 15 May 2010 at 09:03

It does not surprise me EA would do this, just greed.

Its not surprising when you think that a big company is there only to maximise their profits, they would say and do anything to get as much money as possible.

I knew once they started on about pirating they would soon go after the second hand market.

It makes me think it wont be long until they find a way to stop someone going round there friends house and playing a game on a friends console.

kylew · 15 May 2010 at 09:15

OldComputerGuy7 said:
It does not surprise me EA would do this, just greed.

Its not surprising when you think that a big company is there only to maximise their profits, they would say and do anything to get as much money as possible.

I knew once they started on about pirating they would soon go after the second hand market.

It makes me think it wont be long until they find a way to stop someone going round there friends house and playing a game on a friends console.

It says on games "no unauthorised lending", I know exactly what they mean by that. :rolleyes:

It's ridiculous.

Companies like EA are doing more damage to the gaming industry than "Piracy" will EVER do, and that's all they ever go on about.

"We can't accept that our game was junk and didn't actually sell because no one wanted to play it, so we'll claim it was so good that people pirated it on mass".

avec · 15 May 2010 at 12:21

Nothing wrong with the second hand market, we've been selling all kinds of things second hand (and more) for generations. Just because some game developers are getting upset at retailers pushing the second hand market right next to their brand new releases and making a substantial profit from it doesn't mean they should seek to end it altogether.

Trading is what people do, it's part of the economy and artificially trying to ruin it is not going to go down very well.

Dj_Jestar · 15 May 2010 at 12:38

Robbie G said:
I love all you hard-done-by gamer geek hippies citing unfairness. Pay, or don't pay. Just shut up about it, please?

Aww, did diddums find out he was wrong?

Evilsod · 15 May 2010 at 13:11

avec said:
Nothing wrong with the second hand market, we've been selling all kinds of things second hand (and more) for generations. Just because some game developers are getting upset at retailers pushing the second hand market right next to their brand new releases and making a substantial profit from it doesn't mean they should seek to end it altogether.

Trading is what people do, it's part of the economy and artificially trying to ruin it is not going to go down very well.

The problem is its not exactly going to hit high on the publics "who gives a ****ometer". If they tried something like that with houses, demanding people who buy homes that aren't brand-new pay a premium price for no reason other than the original builder 40 years ago wants a cut there'd be an uproar. Do it with games and they can probably get away with it no matter little right they have to do it.

Tefal · 15 May 2010 at 13:18

Elfmeister. said:
Ok maybe not zilch but not as much as you could have because some 3rd party company earns most their profit on trade ins just just aint right.

Yeah I hate second hand car dealerships.

Tefal · 15 May 2010 at 13:22

Anyone else think all the people who buy a game when it comes out complete it in a few weeks then resell it for nearly full value and buy another will just stop buying them and start renting?

meghatronic · 15 May 2010 at 13:23

chaparral said:
Don't forget brand new console games normally cost stupid high prices like about £35 to £45 per game...

Over 95% of my PC games i buy brand new...But many of my console game i buy secondhand because of there prices...i completely refuse to pay about £40 for a game..

Pretty much this. That or wait for the game to go budget

Evilsod · 15 May 2010 at 14:03

Tefal said:
Anyone else think all the people who buy a game when it comes out complete it in a few weeks then resell it for nearly full value and buy another will just stop buying them and start renting?

Would be funny, second hand dealers will probably drop prices on both sides of the fence to keep the same profit margin while still trying to eliminate the increased price to customers so they don't find alternatives.

It is kinda funny how the big publishers seem to go out of there way to shoot themselves in the foot about piracy by finding more and more ways to give people reasons to do it.

[TW]Fox · 15 May 2010 at 20:03

Elfmeister. said:
Good, I work in the game development and places like GAME etc earn far too much on pre-owned games, maybe this will stem the flow abit.

Yea, its terrible.

And in other news, Renault are going to block engines from working in cars sold second hand.

Oh wait.. they'd never get away with that.

Touchstone · 15 May 2010 at 22:33

Evilsod said:
Oh? And i assume you know exactly what EA plan to do here do you? I bet what they'll do is reduce the price of new games to compensate for the fact the second hand market will probably boycott there games altogether.

Oh wait no, if anything i bet they'll INCREASE the price because they know gamers can't simply wait for a second hand game.

Stop talking like you know what they're upto, its complete ********. They want to make more money and since Publishers are unique and you can't simply go to another publisher to get the same game, its effectively a monopoly.

+1
my 2 cents. i dont care about this IF they half the price of their games... then im happy to buy them.
otherwise... another company to boycott

WatchTower · 16 May 2010 at 04:47

I think the reduction in price of new games makes more people buy new games instead of second hand games is a valid theory. I was always buying second games because not being able to afford spending 40 odd pounds a game. Now if you go Tescos they randomly sell brand new console titles from £25 to £29 and I've never bought so many new games. This due to the fact I can now actually afford too.

chaparral · 16 May 2010 at 05:05

WatchTower said:
I think the reduction in price of new games makes more people buy new games instead of second hand games is a valid theory. I was always buying second games because not being able to afford spending 40 odd pounds a game. Now if you go Tescos they randomly sell brand new console titles from £25 to £29 and I've never bought so many new games. This due to the fact I can now actually afford too.

+1

I Can't belive how many PC games i bought in the last 6 months because of the reduced prices in the steam sales..

Reduce the brandnew prices and much more people will buy new..

pitkin · 16 May 2010 at 07:57

I guess if we rent a game, we won't be going online unless we pay. Same if we borrow a game from our friends. I'm sure some people just swap games with each other when they get bored of them. This will run deeper than it may at first seem.

Legionaire68 · 16 May 2010 at 08:14

chaparral said:
+1

I Can't belive how many PC games i bought in the last 6 months because of the reduced prices in the steam sales..

Reduce the brandnew prices and much more people will buy new..

Yes I have bought Mass Effect 2, Metro 2033, Nap: Total War and Call of Duty 4 in the last month because they were between £7.99 and £12.99 on Steam or etailers.
I am much more picky buying PS3 games already because of the price and usually just get games I know MUST play rather than something I might like as I do on PC. I never trade or sell my games to Game etc as they buy a game for say £5 then resell for £20. I know its their business but I'd rather sell it on the bay and let someone else get a bargain.

Tefal · 16 May 2010 at 14:23

pitkin said:
I guess if we rent a game, we won't be going online unless we pay. Same if we borrow a game from our friends. I'm sure some people just swap games with each other when they get bored of them. This will run deeper than it may at first seem.

7 days free online so rentals and unauthorized borrowing would be fine

.