# Sony rumored to say "No" to used games. Just like MS. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 7, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116 "2012-04-07T21:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Unpronounceable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de0a6/32.png) [@Unpronounceable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unpronounceable)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/61 "2012-04-10T00:53:56Z")
As much as people are bitching about this, it _could_ be a win-win scenario. _If_ they allow used games with, say, a $10 “re-licensed” fee on it, it should, in theory, drive down the prices of used game stores and still get some cash back to the actual developers, which doesn’t happen at all now. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/62 "2012-04-10T03:22:19Z")
> [@Unpronounceable](#): > > _If_ they allow used games with, say, a $10 “re-licensed” fee on it, it should, in theory, drive down the prices of used game stores and still get some cash back to the actual developers, which doesn’t happen at all now. They are already trying this to a degree by making people pay $10 to access all of the online features of a used game buy the entitled masses don’t like that either and the cost of the used game isn’t cheaper most of the time. As a data point Sony is selling ALL new Vita games thru their online store for $5 cheaper than off the shelf. Not sure who is buying online though at that small of a savings. Not me. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/63 "2012-04-10T03:46:13Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > I think the average GameStop user walks in, sees that he can get a new copy of X for $60 or a used one for $40 and grabs the used one because it’s cheaper. That’s the extent of their thought process. Certainly that’s what my thought process was. So that’s what they’re going to be concentrating on. Really? The few times I walk into GameStop, the used game is selling for a measly 5 bucks less than the new game. Online it looks like the used version of ME3 is $47.99 with the new version being $59.99. I guess 12 bucks is a bit better. Skyrim is going for $54.99 used and $59.99 new. A whole 5 bucks in saving. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/64 "2012-04-10T07:58:57Z")
One thing I’d also like to mention: Computer and console games in Australia are expensive. A new release PC game is $79-$89 and a console game $89-$100. What makes this more irritating is that the Australian and US dollars have been dancing around parity with each other for some years now. There’s absolutely no reason for a new PC game to cost $79 here other than “Because they can charge that.” ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/65 "2012-04-10T12:33:40Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > One thing I’d also like to mention: Computer and console games in Australia are expensive. A new release PC game is $79-$89 and a console game $89-$100. > > What makes this more irritating is that the Australian and US dollars have been dancing around parity with each other for some years now. There’s absolutely no reason for a new PC game to cost $79 here other than “Because they can charge that.” Don’t they have to make versions without blood or something ridiculous? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/66 "2012-04-10T13:03:24Z")
That’s Germany, I believe. Could be other places as well. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/67 "2012-04-10T13:07:51Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > Don’t they have to make versions without blood or something ridiculous? Or am I thinking of somewhere else? Might be Germany or somewhere like that in Europe? We do have some issues with video game classification, though- right now all video games have to be rated MA15+ or lower, or else they can’t be sold in the country. Which has caused issued with things like _Fallout 3_ (the developers renamed “Morphine” to “Med-X” in-game and the problem was solved and the game got released otherwise unchanged), _Left 4 Dead 2_ (apparently too violent, released in a “Censored” form where zombie bodies just disappear after they’re killed and collapse), and a couple of other titles with issues like that. The other side of the issue is that it’s meant kids have access to video games they possibly shouldn’t - Many games have themes/concepts/etc in them which are suitable for adults but not necessarily something a 16 year old should be allowed free reign access to. Under the current system, those games are rated MA15+ and anyone over 15 can buy them. This has led to a situation where movies like _The Godfather_ and _Pulp Fiction_ are rated R18+, but games like _Dead Rising 2_, _Max Payne_, and the _Grand Theft Auto_ series games are rated MA15+. On re-read that sounds like I’m being a wowser and I’m absolutely not - I (and pretty much everyone else in the country, from what I gather) just think it’s a bizarre situation which should have been sorted out years ago. As of next year, there’s an R18+ rating for games, though, which should put a stop to all this sort of silliness and allow adults to play whatever games they choose (to an extent) while giving parents (theoretically) better control over the sort of stuff their kids have access to, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/68 "2012-04-10T13:52:59Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Or he comes to expect games to cost him $20 and decides to wait out GoW 2 being available for twenty bucks before he’ll consider it. A customer who absolutely will not pay full price for a game isn’t the sort of customer the game companies are courting anyway. Oh, they’ll _accept_ that money trickles in when the game is discounted, but what they want is the initial full-price rush. If they can’t get a consumer to join that rush, they won’t waste the effort in coercing him to buy at a cut rate. And that being the case, this reeks of game companies acting like a spoiled child threatening to take his ball and go home. “Play my way, or not at all.” This tactic forces casual gamers to join either the day-one full-price die-hards, or give up gaming altogether. And if those casual gamers aren’t able to play at all, there will be no _new_ customers for new games. Game producers will be selling games to the same relatively small group of people over and over. And that’s just not a sustainable model. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/69 "2012-04-10T13:53:43Z")
Ahh, yes, Germany. Spent some time looking for German L4D2 servers on the Xbox because they had different weapons. Good times. That’s a really high price difference to account for. Hmm. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/70 "2012-04-10T14:06:55Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > A customer who absolutely will not pay full price for a game isn’t the sort of customer the game companies are courting anyway. Oh, they’ll _accept_ that money trickles in when the game is discounted, but what they want is the initial full-price rush. If they can’t get a consumer to join that rush, they won’t waste the effort in coercing him to buy at a cut rate. > > And that being the case, this reeks of game companies acting like a spoiled child threatening to take his ball and go home. “Play my way, or not at all.” This tactic forces casual gamers to join either the day-one full-price die-hards, or give up gaming altogether. And if those casual gamers aren’t able to play at all, there will be no _new_ customers for new games. Game producers will be selling games to the same relatively small group of people over and over. And that’s just not a sustainable model. I’m a bargain hunter, and I occasionally play casual games like Bejeweled, but my preference is for more in-depth games. And I WILL buy a game during that first rush…if the companies can convince me that it’s worth it. Hell, I got a whole new console AND a couple of accessories (guitar and mike) just so I could get and play Rockband: The BEATLES. NOT cheap. My point is, I CAN be persuaded to buy a new game, at full price, and I can even be persuaded to buy a whole new console…if I think that the game is worth it. Another FPS? None for me, thanks. Maybe I’ll pick it up for a few bucks later on. But I’m not gonna shell out big bucks for a new game JUST because it’s new. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/71 "2012-04-10T17:44:51Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > I think you’re touching on yet another problem in console gaming. Only incredibly expensive marketing campaigns get games like MW to sell the numbers it sells. > > And only a handful of games get that sort of treatment. And it is only a handful of games that make the big bucks. A handful? According to VGChartz (I know, I know), 87 games sold over a million copies last year. Used games absolutely drive sales of new games. Most publishers are just too short-sighted to see it. > **[Global Yearly Video Game Chart, Week Ending 04th Jul 1975 - VGChartz](https://www.vgchartz.com/yearly/2011/Global/)** > > VGChartz - extensive game chart coverage, including sales data, news, reviews, forums, & game database for PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch & PC > [@Unpronounceable](#): > > _If_ they allow used games with, say, a $10 “re-licensed” fee on it, it should, in theory, drive down the prices of used game stores and still get some cash back to the actual developers, which doesn’t happen at all now. This is how its rumored that the Xbox 720 will handle. Used sales will still be allowed, but they will require reauthentication through XBL. I think this is a load of shit as well. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/72 "2012-04-10T17:54:56Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > One thing I’d also like to mention: Computer and console games in Australia are expensive. A new release PC game is $79-$89 and a console game $89-$100. > > What makes this more irritating is that the Australian and US dollars have been dancing around parity with each other for some years now. There’s absolutely no reason for a new PC game to cost $79 here other than “Because they can charge that.” Can’t you just do the reverse of what I do for pet pharmaceuticals and just order the game from a U.S. retailer and have them ship it to you? (G\_d bless pets megastore.au.) Is shipping that penal? I’ve certainly listened to Yahtzee bitch enough about Aussie games pricing and selection. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/73 "2012-04-10T19:53:30Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > A handful? According to VGChartz (I know, I know), 87 games sold over a million copies last year. Used games absolutely drive sales of new games. Most publishers are just too short-sighted to see it. Does it drive sales more than, well, more sales would? Would we have more than 87 games selling over a million if used sales were out of the picture? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/74 "2012-04-10T20:18:25Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Does it drive sales more than, well, more sales would? Would we have more than 87 games selling over a million if used sales were out of the picture? There are sales too. A good portion of the Mortal Kombat sales in that list came from Amazon discounting the game to $40 within days of it releasing. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/75 "2012-04-10T20:25:48Z")
By sales, I didn’t mean temporary discounts, I meant… They sell X copies. Some Y portion of those games were purchased with money that was recouped from selling used copies of previously owned games, or were only bought with the knowledge that they’d be able to resell them later. So having the option to sell used games did increase sales. However, there are Z people who didn’t buy them from the game publisher because they planned to buy them as used copies for cheaper (even if it’s only $5 cheaper), and those are effectively lost sales compared to if the person would’ve bought them new if the used option wasn’t available. Given the fact that gamestop sells a whole lot of used games at $55 vs $60, I would suspect that a lot of Z buyers would buy new, since it’s only a 10% increase in price, vs not buying it at all. So does the extra income from Z buyers more than offset the extra income from Y buyers? You’d have to do some sort of surveying to find out for sure, but I suspect yes by quite a large margin. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/76 "2012-04-11T00:03:48Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So does the extra income from Z buyers more than offset the extra income from Y buyers? You’d have to do some sort of surveying to find out for sure, but I suspect yes by quite a large margin. OK, I understand now. And I’d have to respectfully disagree. Selling games is such a huge part of the console experience that removing would only hurt sales in my mind. Also, the English language sucks. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/77 "2012-04-11T00:55:28Z")
[Relevant article](http://consumerist.com/2012/04/california-gamestops-to-warn-used-game-buyers-that-free-dlc-isnt-free.html) about GameStop and used games, especially for people in California. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/78 "2012-04-11T09:11:17Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Can’t you just do the reverse of what I do for pet pharmaceuticals and just order the game from a U.S. retailer and have them ship it to you? (G\_d bless pets megastore.au.) Is shipping that penal? I’ve certainly listened to Yahtzee bitch enough about Aussie games pricing and selection. Theoretically, yes you can. The thing is, finding a reputable US retailer who will A) Ship to Australia and B) not charge insane shipping prices for it. You’ve also got to take into account C), the inordinate length of time it takes to get goods from the US to Australia by post, and D) If you’re talking about consoles, the fact US console games (NTSC) won’t generally play on Australian consoles (PAL). Once these things are taken into account, it’s not surprising most people just pay the extra $20-$30 or so to get the game locally. And before someone mentions steam, their prices are about the same as they are in the stores here (not during the Steam sales, obviously) due to distribution deals, AIUI. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/79 "2012-04-11T12:49:29Z")
After reading about these issues, I wonder why SOMEONE hasn’t set up a chain that sells books (because y’all have the same issues with books, too, right?) and games at a more reasonable price. I mean, is there some sort of organized crime gang Down Under that goes around and tells all the retailers that they MUST keep their prices exorbitant? Sometimes I read something about Australia and I think it would be a really great place to live. Then I read about the prices of books (and now games) and I shudder. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116/80 "2012-04-11T13:52:59Z")
You might see it for hardcovers, **Lynn**. It costs about the same to print hardcover books as it does paperbacks and softbacks for publishers of popular books. Without copyright prices would fall on them precipitously, though they’d probably never reach parity because they serve to segment the market. The kind of people that want hardbacks usually intend to keep it, have a library, etc. Paperback and softback purchasers have an expectation that they’re going to abuse the book, carry it around with them, lose it, etc. So hardback prices will always be a little higher. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sony-rumored-to-say-no-to-used-games-just-like-ms/618116.md?page=5)