Future of the Used Game Market

I'm not sure about xbox 360 or Wii, but I don't think ps3 values will bump up. The print runs are too high, and there's just way too many good titles which can be obtained for $20 or less. I'd expect to see a longer lifecycle on the PS3 just like what happened with the PS2--I think Sony realizes too that a substantial portion of the market is delaying their purchase of the newer generation console.

I'd say much of retro gaming now, in regards to ebay and the high retro-store prices, is faddish. Few businesses are actually positioned to get those prices, especially if the online presence is subtracted and you look at the local markets only. I know in my state, Maryland, any store which doesn't stock the latest and greatest as their main product dies a quick death. Most people go backwards to game on the cheap, and there's only so many weirdo collector-types who can afford to drop the big bucks...
 
[quote name='Vinny']What pisses me off is when they take eBay prices and add another 20% on top of that, regardless of the condition. If a retro game store put eBay prices on their games, I don't have a problem with that because at the very least, I can inspect the game and see what it looks like.

I found a new retro game store here that used that pricing method and I really like it there. Their games are in fantastic condition so I don't mind paying eBay prices since I know what I'm getting.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Not to mention a brick and mortar store has huge amounts of overhead compared to an ebay seller so them selling games for the same price as ebay doesn't bother me.
 
[quote name='gothamcentral79']Exactly. Not to mention a brick and mortar store has huge amounts of overhead compared to an ebay seller so them selling games for the same price as ebay doesn't bother me.[/QUOTE]

There's a store in Chicago I really like. They use eBay as a reference, but they always beat eBay. They'll definitely up-price for more expensive stuff, but for example if they have Earthbound and completed eBay listings are around $170-$200, they'll price it at $150. CIB Musha will be $250 instead of $350. They also charge less if its cart/disc only vs with case vs complete, so that's always good.
 
The truth of the matter is that people are adaptable. It will take less than a year for them to get used to the idea of a digitally-based console. And Microsoft and Sony will both be able to ride their current hardware for a few years before their new systems have to really start picking up the slack. By that time the early adopters will already have accepted their all-digital future.

Services like Steam, iOS, Android, and even the on-line console stores have already been prepping consumers for this kind of change. It's going to happen. If Sony and Microsoft both make an attempt to bite into GameStop's market, the outcry will die down before 2014 is over. (from the general game-playing public, at least)

The truth is that GameStop has done a terrible job as the "owners" of the used video game market. They managed to put together a tidy little monopoly thanks to the shift to optical media. And then they did everything they could to abuse the system they had put in place. This reckoning has been a long time coming, but it was inevitable. And GameStop is primarily responsible.

For the most part, the retro stores won't be affected by this market shift. Their real business is in older games anyway, not the constant current-gen churn that GameStop focuses on. And the constant exchange of older video game software and hardware is going to be perpetual. It is a collector's market, and there will always be collectors.

 
Redbox would also like to know the future of used games.

http://gamingfuture.net/

It looks like a split market where Xbone games may be enabled for used sales by publishers with the help of the system level online activation and PS4 may or may not be enabled for used sales by publishers using either some offline system or publisher based online DRM, like they are able to do now but so far have only locked multiplayer content (online passes).

If certain publishers opted to restrict their used game sales, would you boycott those publishers?

What if the restriction was only for a certain time period, like the first 30 days after going on sale like some rumors going around are saying? Would this be an acceptable trade-off?

What do you think used game values and prices would be like if only Xbone games had to be activated/reactivated by some machine at participating retailers and PS4 games were open with only online pass type restrictions from certain publishers (assuming there is no offline equivalent from Sony)?

 
brandtron8000 said:
Redbox would also like to know the future of used games.

http://gamingfuture.net/

It looks like a split market where Xbone games may be enabled for used sales by publishers with the help of the system level online activation and PS4 may or may not be enabled for used sales by publishers using either some offline system or publisher based online DRM, like they are able to do now but so far have only locked multiplayer content (online passes).

If certain publishers opted to restrict their used game sales, would you boycott those publishers?

What if the restriction was only for a certain time period, like the first 30 days after going on sale like some rumors going around are saying? Would this be an acceptable trade-off?

What do you think used game values and prices would be like if only Xbone games had to be activated/reactivated by some machine at participating retailers and PS4 games were open with only online pass type restrictions from certain publishers (assuming there is no offline equivalent from Sony)?
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I would try to boycott, and would succeed for a while, but the truth is, if a game hits that $10-15 new sweet spot, and it supposedly a good game, I'll probably pick it up. This assumes prices will still drop w/o a used market, which is probably true as long as there is a physical game disc. Once it's all digital, I don't trust MS or Sony to have Steam like sales on full retail games all the time.

If it was 30 days and then opened up to used games? I'd probably be fine with that, since it's rare I'll try and play something within the first 30 days it comes out and if I do it was because I bought a new copy.

As someone who buys used games but doesn't sell/trade-in, that initial post 30 day window could be amazing for someone like me with the rush of people trying to unload games at the first chance they can get. This would also stick it GS some, and while I am not opposed to used games sales, I don't care for GS in general, I do see the issue with publishers have with the $5 cheaper for a used copy within the first 30-60 day window.

It would be a decent compromise IMO if a game had to hit a certain age before it opens up to used sales, and that would satisfy my main concern about games going out of print and the only option being the then overpriced digital version.

 
Unless Microsoft makes some drastic changes to their new console policies, Sony is going to be selling a hell of alot more consoles. 

Sony and Nintendo for me next generation.  

 
brandtron8000 said:
So now that both sides policies have been confirmed, what do you guys think?
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Xbox needs to go back to square one and rethink the always online and no used game policies or they are going to be seriously hurting for sales. At this point I don't plan on preordering an Xbox One which will make it the second new system I don't pick up on launch (The other being Wii U, but now that it seems plenty of games will be announced later today it is very much on my radar.) Even though games like Halo 5, Titanfall, Ryse and Dead Rising 3 interest me there are just far too many questions and problems with the Xbox One to excite me.
 
The Lord of Awesome said:
Microsoft pretty much royally pissed almost everyone in the community off. Sony is trying to recover from the PS3 and win everyone back. If Sony isn't stupid (and I don't believe they are, they just get really egotistical) they'll confirmed that the PS4 is used games friendly and that pretty much ends the next gen war right there.

Well until the Nintendo games come out and sell millions like they always do. Nintendo vs. Sony should be fun.

It's been a trend actually. Every console maker gets cocky with their third console and gets an uppercut for their trouble.

N64, Saturn, PS3. Now it's Xbox's turn.
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You forgot Atari 7200. :)
 
Now that Microsoft has gone back on their no used games dealie, I just need Sony to do away with their new policy of requiring PS+ and I might buy a PS4.

 
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