THQ have stated, rather bluntly, their thoughts on pre-owned games. If you have purchased one of their titles second hand then they ‘don’t care’ about you.
“I don’t think we really care whether used game buyers are upset because new game buyers get everything. So if used game buyers are upset they don’t get the online feature set I don’t really have much sympathy for them.” said THQÂ Creative Director for wrestling games Cory Ledesma.
“That’s a little blunt but we hope it doesn’t disappoint people. We hope people understand that when the game’s bought used we get cheated.”
We’ve had many disussions here at TSA on the subject of pre-owned games and Mr. Ledesma’s comments come just days after the largest supermarket group on the UK, Tesco, rolled out a nationwide trade-in scheme.
Source: CVG
Hullian_Hero_95
well in a way they sorta do cause they charge you a fiver to use online multiplayer for one of they’re used games…
Uhyve
People feel so entitled nowadays, I mean, if you buy a game second hand, the developer literally owes you nothing. If you buy a game second hand and it doesn’t have the features of a new version, then (if it wasn’t made clear to you when sold) take it back to the retailer and demand your money back.
Seriously, it’s very simple.
It would be nice if they would unlock it all after a set time period though, since games go out of print and it would be a shame if 10 years down the line, we can no longer get the full experience of old games.
cc_star
“People feel so entitled nowadays, I mean, if you buy a game second hand, the developer literally owes you nothing. If you buy a game second hand and it doesn’t have the features of a new version, then (if it wasn’t made clear to you when sold) take it back to the retailer and demand your money back.”
Gamer’s sense of entitlement in comment sections up and down the internet beggers belief.
BIGAL-1992
How did you get that in Italics?
cc_star
Write < em >content goes here< /em >
(but remove spaces between the angle brackets)
BIGAL-1992
Like this?
Shakugan
Cool
solidsteven
i buy it new if i am intrested before lauch or it is cheap. i only it second hand because it’s cheap and i can’t find a copy of it that is new. that bs not being able to use online featureas if it’s 2nd hand. when i buy a game i expect to be to access all features.
Kennykazey
I buy new 85-90 percent of the time, since they’re not all that expencive, and it feels more secure somehow since the game hasn’t been used before by some slob spilling tacosauce and beer on it and scrathing it with his or her toenails.
If it’s a brand new game then some online shop probably have it at a reasonable price, and if it’s an older game then it will be cheap in the online and the physical shops.
Though at times I get games second-hand if they seem to be in perfect condition.
Uhyve
Urgh, toenails. Heh, that’s almost a perfect way to stop second hand sales, convince people to rub their feet (and… other body parts) on games before trading them in. Don’t think I’d ever buy a second hand game if I heard people were doing that… even Activision games.
LycanGav
What about all the customers who feel cheated when you turn out sub-standard games Mr Ledesma? Maybe a bit more time spent turning out a quality product would mean more folks were willing to buy your games new?
Gazib786
The difference between a pre owned game and brand new game is patheiric i mean its like £5 – £10 so why not pay a little extra and get it brand new anyway.
minerwilly
I dont buy preowned copies of the very latest games like for instance Red Dead because as you rightly point out the difference is minimal but I will buy Red Dead one day when i spot it at say £19.95 in a year or so. Almost all of my 34 Used games where bought 2 years after release day .
Though i did pick up a used copy of Uncharted 2 for £6.99 a few weeks ago oh and this week I picked up MGSIV for £5.99 !!
Colinbarr66
Because if I can save any money on a game I will. I don’t have much spare cash so I’m going to save that £5-£10 for something else.
John Malcolm
I agree. Not everybody is so flushed with cash that spending £5-£10 more on a game means nothing to them.
Gazib786
The difference between a pre owned game and brand new game is pathetic i mean its like £5 – £10 so why not pay a little extra and get it brand new anyway.
Gazib786
Ooops double post
hazelam
and i don’t care that they don’t get a penny when i buy their shitty games preowned, if i buy them at all.
they get cheated?
this is the publisher that’s planning on having three annual wwe games?
why is it always the companies that produce nearly identical games each and every bloody year that have the most problem with trade ins, when they’re the ones benefiting from the most, what with most trade in going towards new games.
short sighted greed maybe.
jayjay119
I love it when people come across with the ‘it’s only £/$10 difference so why not stump up for more.’ It just shows their complete lack understanding in money for other peoples lives. You may have the money to buy games at full retail price, others don’t and for every three pre-owned games you buy its one virtually free game.
For what it’s worth, I don’t really care that THQ doesn’t care about me, for two reasons. One I’m not a big online player and two, their games are complete crap. As it stands I don’t have the time to play games very often so when it comes for me to buy them, the retail price has gone down to a reasonable price and I buy it new.
But retailers are noticing and combating this; they are leaving the prices of new games higher for longer and lowering the pre-owned titles prices quicker.
And for what it’s worth, companies like THQ and EA are not so worried about the pre-owned market that they are putting the prices down to compete.
Juelz345
I think that it makes perfecctly logical for developers to charge 2nd hand purchasers a small fee for access to the features that paid $60 for. It creates an incentive for people to purchase the game new, which in turn supports the Dev. From a business point of view, how can anyone argue with that.
If you can’t afford to purchase every game new, or to purchase it used and spend the extra $10 on a code, then the harsh reality is that you’ll either end up purchasing less games or live with out the features offered with the code. There are people who can’t afford any games, should the developer give them the games for free?
How many development studios have closed down in the last few years? We as the consumer need to support the industry that we claime to care so much about.
I generally purchase all my games new, even older titels (as by that point you can get the new online for cheap) but have purchase a game or two used, and i would have no problem purchasing the online activation code to support the developer.
As far as people complaining about the bad quality of games and being chaeted that way…then dont buy bad games. there are enough outlets out there that provide reviews (with VIDEO!) and hands-on, and previews that you should be able to make an informed decision. You shouldn’t be purchasing a bad game, new or used. The developer with suffer for making mad games by way of no/low sales meaning a loss on the project.
Of coarse this guy doesn’t care if the people purchasing the game used don’t like that they have to pay for online code, why should he? I’m actaully glad to here some honesty from an exec as opposed to fluffy PR speak. And for the record he didn’t say he doesn’t care about the 2nd hand consumer, he said he doesn’t care if they gat upset but the need to purchase the code. very differnt things. I don’t care if one of my kids gets upset that thay can’t have or do something that I feel they shouldn’t, but i sure do care about my kids.
MrTwP
so you work for THQ? Activision? EA?
how can any real Dev earn money if the publisher takes 60% of the profits anyway?
If everyone bought a game solely on reviews, wouldn’t we just be playing call of duty and grand theft auto until they release more games, also that would mean even less support for devs. Plus from a gaming point of view, people wouldn’t play games like alpha protocol and resonance of fate.
why are the devs suddenly bothered about the pre owned market? is it because they need the extra money? or want it?
If the devs really need the money, make GAME give them the 10£ per game, or even better, reduce the game to match the pre owned market, cough PC pirate games cough.
at the end of the day, i doubt people are going to pay for the online codes anyways.
im outie. F THQ