Devs Are People, Too!

A recent article from Gamespot has rekindled my attention to something that has been floating out in rumor land for a few months now, Next-Gen consoles blocking used video games.  This is probably one of the more important topics for gamers to pay attention to, but is kind of flying under the radar a bit, or is at least over looked a lot more than topics like homosexuality in video games.  However, when the topic does come up a good amount of the voices are those of the consumer exclaiming the selfish evils of the developers and publishers and their money-grubbing tactics.  WAAAAAHHH!!

You know what?  I too feel a slight stinging in my heart when I think about how much money I WON'T be saving if I'm forced to buy only new, unused games at full retail price.  That would make my purchasing habits minimize as well as minimize the bookshelf of games of which I'm slowly growing proud.  I don't want to have to deal with buying a game at full price, then, after an hour of play, realize what a horrid piece of refuse I have purchased and then come to find out I cannot trade it in for anything because it was part of the "non-resellable" games for the new Next-Gens.  It would be the end of all things for anyone less sane.  And let's face it, despite my mild temperament, I border on sanity and bi-polar pretty often.  And remember that there are many, many people who are worse than me and with louder voices.

There would be no doubt that a veritable shit-storm of cries, whines, bitches and moans would emanate from the victimized masses.  Panic and chaos would reign supreme at Gamestops all over the country as calls for refunds and credits would hail from the heavens upon the unprepared black-polo-ed customer service representatives.  Stores would close.  Walmarts would take over.  Uninformed game opinions would take over the internet.  ANARCHY!!!

However.

Despite the fact that the doomsday machines are possibly in the works with the Next-Gens, I cannot help but think that blocking used games is something that makes complete and total sense, from a business perspective.  Most gamers are hobbyists and play only for an escape from a rough day... or the real world, whatever.  And those people don't pay attention to the workings behind the machine.  They don't see the cogs; developers, publishers, distributors, etc.  They only see the game and the price tag on it.  Isn't that a bit selfish?

"Waaaaaaahhhh!!"  Why should I have to buy the game new?  Why do I have to pay for a code to play the game online when I could rip off the development company and buy the game used?  I SHOULD be able to buy the game at a cheaper price and give nothing to the people that make the game.  I'm a special consumer.  Waaaaahhhhh!!!"  Oh, good grief.  Shut the hell up already!

This is seriously the thinking behind many gamers on the internet.  They see it as "unfair" or a "scam" or some damn invasion of their rights to cheaper shit.  Well, it isn't (well maybe the invasion of getting cheaper shit, but that's not immoral).  It's business and it's a way for the companies that gamers love and enjoy to stay alive.

Let's face it.  Gamers have been ripping these poor bastards off for years now, especially with how long the current gens have been running.  Gamers go into a Gamestop, GAME, EB Games, etc and buy a slew of great games, used and at a fraction of the original, new retail price every day.  This does a world of good to the retailer but does next to nothing for the people that make and/or publish the game.  Shouldn't they be the ones that gamers, the "loyal" fans of these guys, be protecting?  YES!!

It's being seen all over the place.  SONY recently announced they're cutting thousands of jobs.  Developers are closing down and/or are being bought out by other companies just to survive.  Thousands of jobs are being lost in an industry that shows such great potential for progression and innovation.  Why?  Because the consumers are not giving anything back to these people.  They're essentially STEALING the products from under the noses of the ones making them.

Now, I'm not a developer (would love to be some day *dreams*) and I really hate spending 60 bucks for a video game, but I also am intelligent enough to know that if I keep buying used games, a lot of my favorite developers, and thus my favorite series, will be shut down due to lack of profit gains. I think that takes a little bit more prevalence, at least in my mind, than saving 20 or so dollars.  Wouldn't one agree?

Personally, I'm not completely for the ban of used games in the Next-Gen systems, but I wouldn't be outraged if it happened.  I'd realize that these people, who work the hardest for us, the gamers, need to put food on their families' plates, too.  Therefore, we should be buying new games, instead of used.  And if any gamers get concerned about buying garbage games and then being stuck with them, perhaps looking into a Gamefly or Blockbuster account may end up being a good solution.  Rent a game for a few days, decide you don't like it and send it back.  The end.  Not so hard, huh?

"But it's an inconvenience to me.  I want to worry only about me."

Well, get over it, and yourself.