Topic: The Used Game Debate

The rumours are flying about Durango/720 not allowing gamers to so much as boot used games on their systems. The reckoning is that when you first load a disc, the console registers that disc as being tied to that particular machine (or account). If you put the disc into another machine, it won't boot.

As I say, these are rumours, but the idea is that it will crack down on used game sales, meaning more revenue for the publishers.

What do you think about this? Is this something that would stop you from buying a 720? Do you think it will even happen?

It's an interesting one...

Years ago, this would of sounded crazy and would cause a huge backlash. But realistically this is already happening with digital download sales, you can't "sell" them to others, or take them to another house to play like you can with a retail disc.

Therefore, it actually wouldn't surprise me if this happened, the disc is basically just another way of "downloading" the game to your system. It's a giant package of data.

It wouldn't affect me personally too much as I don't sell my games, but can see how it would have an impact on some gamers and the retailers.

Change is certainly afoot!

It certainly is, although I'm really not convinced that it will happen with Durango/Orbis. It would be tantamount to suicide in a lot of people's eyes.

A feature about this whole thing is coming very, very soon.

I hope that this is not true since I tend to buy alot of my games used.  With a family and other expenses I just cant afford the price of new games.  Of course is this does turn out to be true than I guess I will have to wait till games become Platinum Hits or whatever it is that MS calls them and they drop in price.

Of course I am sure that modders will find away around this as well if this turns out to be true.

It may not mean more revenue for the devs and publishers, mostly because games may end-up in the bargain bin and therefore barely making what they were before.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the publishers and developers losing out initially, it would be retailers. Its a lot harder to sell a £40 game with a £10 profit, than it is to sell 10 used titles at £10 with a £1 profit built in to each one. Plus when 10 customers come in to buy used games, they might be tempted to pick up that £40 title while they're at it.

Eventually, I think that we'd see more budget releases, as given that a lot of gamers SOLELY buy used titles, the industry would have to have some sort of cheap offering for them at retail. The retailers' refusal to stock high-priced titles that they know won't sell would eventually twist the arm of the publishers, I think.