A Week In Comments

Why not just wait until the games are Platinum Hits? Why not just rent the games you can beat in one weekend or buy games new and then sell them on Ebay while the resale value is still there, or use a trading site to trade them for other games? There are a variety of different ways to try to stretch your gaming dollar, and if you still can’t afford to buy that EA game you want new, and you can’t afford $10 in DLC for the used version, I don’t think EA really cares if you spend your money elsewhere due to this.

Consoles are as affordable and well supported as they are because both the console makers and the software makers benefit from the large install base when selling new games. Used games are lost revenue to them. The fact that EA is trying to add some kind of value add to those of us who buy new games is a pretty smart move to try to sell more copies of the game. (What I mean by that is that those of us who are already buying new games are making the same purchase, while some of the people who’d be buying the same game used might now decide to purchase the game new instead.)

EA doesn’t (and shouldn’t) if they lose a used game “sale”, because it’s not a game sale for them, it’s a copy they’ve already sold transferring ownership to someone who might have otherwise bought their game (new, which is the only way that really matters to EA’s bottom line).

Under this system, used game sales are still fine, as are rentals, but at least EA has the potential to generate revenue from people who have a copy of the game, but didn’t buy it new.

As I said above, if the optional content you miss due to buying the game used is enough to dissuade you from purchasing the game, EA lost a total of $0. Those of us already buying the game new, at the very worst, we’re punching in a code to get the full game we paid for. There are much worse ways to use DLC and/or discourage used game sales and rentals.

Milo, I… I don’t think…

“Remove your clothing and bend over.”

Milo… please… not again…

“Tell no one, human. Tell no one.””

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