Thanks Sony
With the conclusion of E3 a few weeks back we in the gaming community are left with an aftermath of spicy morsels of facts, rumors and myths which only serve to further our salivary glands in their uncanny hunger for the new tech due out at the end of the year.
There are big talks going on today concerning a proposed (or rather, a rumor-milled proposal) governmental push by Sony Entertainment to make the selling of PS3 games illegal on the personal level. Article Here
This is a heated debate and has been toyed with before. The main issue here is that the industry as a whole claims a downwards spiral in their profits due to companies such as EB Games and Gamestop (which are now one and the same) reorienting their marketting plan to sell as many used games as possible to maximize their yearly gross. The issue with this is that developers and publishers make their money based on the number of "New" games sold, not used. (Hypothetical Warning) So when a company like Gamestop sells 500,000 copies of GTA:SA, 200,000 copies may be used, which means that the developers lose out of the sale of almost half the titles sold. This of course hits the industry hard, while the retailers are making out like bandits.
I personally don't know where I land in this argument, having worked in the gaming industry for years, it angers me to think that we're losing money because of the middle man, but on the same token as a consumer I'm always inclined to want the best deal. When I go to a store to buy a new game I'd like to entertain the notion that I now own a full version of the game, this is mine, and I'm free to do with it as I please. But now it seems that Sony is pushing to say that I'm spending $60 (proposed pricing on PS3 Game SKU's) to play the game, not to own the game. This of course chaps my keister, because if I'm dropping that kind of money I would like to think I have something to show for it, not just a permanent rental.
I would hate to think that at some point down the line I will no longer be able to pick up boxes of old video games at a garage sale because it's illegal. Last weekend I picked up a box (roughly 3x3x3) full of NES/SNES game, extra controllers, and a power glove, and there's some level of joy in that. Well I don't see myself picking up the new Sony system at it's current price point any time soon, so I was eagerly waiting for the garage sale mark down, but apparently that may not be in the cards anymore.
\\drew
UPDATE: Sony is attempting to alleviate fears of the consumer by denying their involvement in this rumor, which I think sends a wave of sighs across the gaming community.
There are big talks going on today concerning a proposed (or rather, a rumor-milled proposal) governmental push by Sony Entertainment to make the selling of PS3 games illegal on the personal level. Article Here
This is a heated debate and has been toyed with before. The main issue here is that the industry as a whole claims a downwards spiral in their profits due to companies such as EB Games and Gamestop (which are now one and the same) reorienting their marketting plan to sell as many used games as possible to maximize their yearly gross. The issue with this is that developers and publishers make their money based on the number of "New" games sold, not used. (Hypothetical Warning) So when a company like Gamestop sells 500,000 copies of GTA:SA, 200,000 copies may be used, which means that the developers lose out of the sale of almost half the titles sold. This of course hits the industry hard, while the retailers are making out like bandits.
I personally don't know where I land in this argument, having worked in the gaming industry for years, it angers me to think that we're losing money because of the middle man, but on the same token as a consumer I'm always inclined to want the best deal. When I go to a store to buy a new game I'd like to entertain the notion that I now own a full version of the game, this is mine, and I'm free to do with it as I please. But now it seems that Sony is pushing to say that I'm spending $60 (proposed pricing on PS3 Game SKU's) to play the game, not to own the game. This of course chaps my keister, because if I'm dropping that kind of money I would like to think I have something to show for it, not just a permanent rental.
I would hate to think that at some point down the line I will no longer be able to pick up boxes of old video games at a garage sale because it's illegal. Last weekend I picked up a box (roughly 3x3x3) full of NES/SNES game, extra controllers, and a power glove, and there's some level of joy in that. Well I don't see myself picking up the new Sony system at it's current price point any time soon, so I was eagerly waiting for the garage sale mark down, but apparently that may not be in the cards anymore.
\\drew
UPDATE: Sony is attempting to alleviate fears of the consumer by denying their involvement in this rumor, which I think sends a wave of sighs across the gaming community.
posted by Drew at 9:59 AM
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