In an interview with gamasutra (via EG), Frontier boss David Braben has spoken out about pre-owned games, saying that their popularity is affecting single player titles.
“The real problem when you think about it brutally,” he said, “if you look at just core gamer games, pre-owned has really killed core games. In some cases, it’s killed them dead.”
“I won’t buy a preowned game out of principle,” he added.
Braben claims he knows publishers who have canned single player games because “most shops won’t reorder stock after initial release, because they rely on the churn from the resales.”
“It’s killing single player games in particular,” he continues, “because they will get pre-owned, and it means your day one sales are it, making them super high risk. I mean, the idea of a game selling out used to be a good thing, but nowadays, those people who buy it on day one may well finish it and return it.”
He goes on to say that if gamers didn’t sell their games, the prices of games in general would fall. That seems a little backwards to me: if games were cheaper, perhaps fewer gamers would feel the need to trade them in to buy new ones.
“Prices would have come down long ago if the industry was getting a share of the resells,” he says.
“Developers and publishers need that revenue to be able to keep doing high production value games, and so we keep seeing fewer and fewer of them,” he said.
It’s true certain aspects of the industry is struggling – see: GAME – but some single player titles like Skyrim show that it’s not a thought process that necessarily applies to every ‘core’ title. Braben’s probably on the ball, though, and no doubt knows more about games in development than the likes of you and I.
It’s a great interview.
tonycawley
I should imagine he’s totally right. I’m not one bit surprised game is going bust, how much dialogue have they had with publishers and developers about splitting the profit from renowned? Not much I should imagine, and this lead to the emergence of the online pass, which obviously can only be applied to online games.
In short I agree with everything this guy said.
PoorPaddy89
It’s not only being applied to online games though. E.g. Catwoman missions for Arkham Asylum.
I feel so sorry for the poor bastards who want to play it but aren’t online at all and can’t activate it :(
hunterstryfe
echnically the cerberus network is an online pass as you get it with a new copy of me2. It’s just not an ‘mp access’ pass
Michael
Not this again.
Demand. Price. Next.
Gaztee
Its simple logic that the cheaper the games are the more they sell. Look what happened to skyrim when the price dropped before Xmas. I’m not a fan of pre-owned games from place like Game, because I feel you get ripped off by what they give you back. Which is why when I sell my games its usually on ebay.
As to whether the money from pre-owned should be filtered back to developers, well aren’t they doing that now with the online passes? As for single player games, why not build the game with on disc DLC for extra $$? At least then they would get something extra?
Forrest_01
Because people hate on-disc DLC too generally speaking.
Sympozium
Single Player games… I don’t know if the blame can be set on used. Its the quality thats put me off the likes of Uncharted,. Assassin Creed and Batman etc, etc. Mostly feeel the same or have silly controls created for casualness.
Its all about brand hype and strong marketing I guess.
Gamoc
You think Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed and Batman are casual games?
I think I need some kind of explanation, if you’re willing?
Tuffcub
Rage is in the charts, months after relase, as it’s under a tenner.
Jakster123x
Oh hello David!
So will The Outsider have multiplayer then? Yes, THAT game. I haven’t forgotten, David.
Paranoimia
I’ve only ever bought one pre-owned game – PES4 on PS2.
I always buy new. I may not buy on day one, but I buy new – even if it’s months later for under £20.
damoxuk
Get back to making Elite 4 and stop talking bollocks.
Tuffcub
We really need a Like button.
AG2297
Id love a like button on the comments. Scrolling down the article to see this as the top comment would have made my day.
Sympozium
True that
ron_mcphatty
Seconded. It just seems like another subtle slagging off of the customer. If you can’t run a company successfully, for whatever completely valid reason, do something else. Life’s too short to spend it pointing the finger.
Awayze
Not this again -_-
You can buy preowned stuff of eBay, same principle applies to any product
PoorPaddy89
“Prices would have come down long ago if the industry was getting a share of the resells,”
HA! No, but really. No.
commuterzombie
Precisely, when has a game’s RRP been reduced other than when demand for it was low? (I’m not talking about retailer competition at launch, that’s nothing to do with the publisher).
No pre-owned simply means that publishers get to keep prices higher for longer as without a competing source of games there’s no downwards pressure on prices. I think Braben has a point with his other comments but he’s way off with this one.
hunterstryfe
i agree. getting profit offof the resell gives em more money to make bigger games at full price anyway