New vs Used and Preorder Incentives

New games have a great feeling with them since you can play the game you've been waiting for now. It is expensive at first but you have invested yourself into getting this game day one. Others you buy later when you can get 5 or 6 titles for the price of a new game for those rainy days. Also buying early can mean I get a cool figurine or fun weapon that I can use in the game as long as you preorder.

I get the whole used game fight and I just want to give my thoughts on some ways to help developers and consumers. 

Online pass is nice and a very smart idea to curb used games sales. If you buy new you'll get all the content if used you'll have to pay a little extra since your buying at a reduced price. Paying for multiplayer for a used game I'd say is worth it if you want to play online. Develoeprs have to keep up the servers and the sale of the game goes towards keeping those up so why not support them.

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Preorder incentives are a hot button issue with me. I feel bombarded with all this buy here commit and get all this. It's just to much these days so I stopped preordering altogether. Ultimate Super Beefy Collector Editions are getting old. Some are nice but I can't afford it and justify it anymore. I'll never buy another again I've quit that habit like some do with smoking. 

I hate that preorder incentives are only available once and not handed as DLC later that's just me. Some are smart with an extra weapon and other nice perks. Just don't dangle levels and plot points, make it available later via DLC and I won't get pissed at you. I like how some games do put them out as DLC later and sometimes free, kudos to those games. If quests and plot points are one time only I hate you with a passion because I want to experience the story to its fullest and do all those quests. Please release those later as DLC and I will buy them even if I waited to get your game at a reduced price.

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The whole idea of games locked to consoles is a nice way to curb used sales. It is annoying that if you want to get rid of a game or let a friend borrow it no one can't play it now. I hate buying used because of the retailer situation with developers. I'd like to see developers get some share of the used game sales so this doesn't happen because buying games used is a huge part of a games life cycle. 

For this to do well and not hurt gamer's wallets they will have to drop prices on new games a bit faster or altogether. A massive amount of gamers will not buy games at $60 knowing it has no resale value because they live off trading new games in for the latest ones. Parents will be more inclined to wait on purchasing a game and if it can be traded in if its not what they expected they will not buy it. Used game sales has played to large a roll for some people to not care.

I don't mind this change because it will bring it to the realm of Steam sales which is far superior to the traditional. Blizzard does the same thing with battle.net so I can download all those titles I registered I have bought previously. Never have to worry a game is not there for me to play on my PC. I question buying a game and returning it after seven or so days. Does this mean all sales are final and a disgruntled parent can't return a game anymore? Time will tell how it is handled but I look forward to a Steam like system on consoles.  At least I will take comfort in knowing a game that's always there for me to download and not have to search stores to buy.

If consoles come with a massive hard drive say 1TB or more I'd consider buying games digitally. Steam is doing very well and I like that I can download and play a game anytime I want. I buy it once and forget about it. I get a new PC no worries it's always there. Console games will head this route no doubt but price drops and hardware will need to change. Lower priced games and more hard drive space is what it comes down to. The inevitability console games will turn to a Steam based model for distribution is just on the horizon with the next generation of consoles.