The Internet is buzzing with rumors about what the next generation of gaming consoles might have in store for gamers, but the one that has sparked the most backlash and controversy is the rumor that these new consoles are anti-used games.
This means that game discs that were used previously would not be playable on the new systems. If this is true, consumers would no longer be able to buy used games at stores such as GameStop or Best Buy at prices lower than what the game would sell for brand new, nor would they be able to borrow games from video stores or even friends for that matter.
While these rumors have not been confirmed by either Microsoft or Sony, this brings to question the idea of how far a corporation can go before consumers will stop buying into it.
Not everyone who games can or wants to buy brand new games, especially if they’ve never tried them before. By making these new systems anti-used games, it would hurt the amount of profit these corporations would make more than it would benefit them.
We see this in the music industry as well when it comes to the issue of copyrights. A majority of artists, especially up-and-coming ones, would prefer their music to be shared without the strict rules imposed by copyrights because it gives them that extra bit of exposure.
If more people hear their music, more will want to buy it. The same is true in the case of video games.
A consumer is more willing to spend the extra money if they have had the ability to try something brand new.
While it is true that there are some hard-core gamers out there that will line up for hours on end to be one of the first to get a newly released game, not all of us are that dedicated.
These corporations are forgetting that a large portion of their target audience happens to be between the ages of 14 and 34, according to marketing community website iMedia Connection. A great deal of these consumers simply don’t have the money to spend $60 on a brand new game.
Now, while I don’t agree with these measures if Sony and Microsoft choose to go through with them, I can also see why they might try to pursue it. Although stores like GameStop may offer used games at low prices, they also tend to make a lot of their money by purchasing used games from consumers at incredibly low offers and then selling them again at a much higher price.
They are making profit by reselling a product they had no part in contributing to the creation of. Simply put, they are making money off of someone else’s work.
By making the next generation of consoles anti-used games, these corporations might create a solution to this problem but that does not necessarily mean that it’s the correct one.
I think that further discussion of the methods involved in reselling video games is needed, not a direct action against the consumers who happen to be buying them.
When it comes down to it, this change in the gaming market is punishing those who support it most.
If Microsoft and Sony want to keep their systems and games as popular as they currently are, they would be wise to not embrace a new anti-used games system.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait until these systems are released to know for sure what the future holds for used gaming. I know that I, for one, have a hard time spending more than $40 on a used game.
I will rarely buy a game brand new simply because of the higher price tag.
If Sony and Microsoft go through with these said rumors, I really can’t see myself spending a small fortune on the next consoles, not when I can’t at least save on buying used games.
