I can see where you're coming from, but I think the level of distaste this will bring about in poorer (generally younger) consumers will lead to problems, years down the line.

Videogaming has to nurture new fans, like any other form of entertainment.

EDIT - Besides, considering the majority of game sales occur outside of the first week (to a cautious estimate of 75% or so), by looking to eliminate the preowned market entirely isn't what they're essentially saying 'can we have 75% more money, please'? Seems a bit excessive, no?

Again a possible but highly unlikely scenario, methinks.

ryhanon

you posted the same comment on the article site. We get it, your a publisher and developer apologist. I am and for the consumer. No way in hell single-player content should be locked...period. Around 30-40% of gamers are not or chose not to hook up online whether its a money issue, geographical issue, or whatever.

Reality is that second hand markets in all walks of life have been around forever and will continue to and if a company choses to lock out such an option, well then consumers will go elsewhere.

If we as consumers allow this to happen then when will it stop? Will we have to give a cut to car manufacturers when we sell our used car in the future?

This whole Intellectual Property rights has gone to far and is now violating consumer rights.

Noone ever brings up the consumers right to property they purchase. Are we going to become a rent only society or are we going to be allowed to own something we paid for? Ask yourself that question.

@DevilishSix

"Reality is that second hand markets in all walks of life have been around forever and will continue to and if a company choses to lock out such an option, well then consumers will go elsewhere."

Good. That's exactly what we need. The bottom line is that right now consumers *aren't* going elsewhere and until something drastic changes they never will. That's my point exactly. Once they do, the publishers / developers have to respond.

"If we as consumers allow this to happen then when will it stop? Will we have to give a cut to car manufacturers when we sell our used car in the future?"

I'm not sure I understand your point here. Are you implying we give a cut to publishers today when we sell a game? No, we don't.

Comparing the used game market to the used automobile market is ridiculous. Don't believe me? As I explained in another comment earlier, often the argument goes something like this: "Every other thing has a used market, like cars for example... why are video games special?"

They're special because the time it takes the original purchaser to turn around and sell a car is usually a very long time. There aren't significant numbers of used vehicles out at the used car lots at the same time those same vehicles are being sold new. The car manufacturers see very little revenue loss as a result because, since it takes so long for significant numbers of these used vehicles to accumulate, there is very little product overlap. Also, a used car (and any other used items for the most part) experiences wear and tear. It's old, beat up, has several thousand miles on it, etc...

In contrast, video games are turned around and put on the used shelves in significant numbers within a month of release (sometimes the same *WEEK* they're released). In addition to that, they're digital products that experience absolutely no level of degradation. Oh sure, the disc might be scratched, but if it's scratched to the point that it becomes unplayable you just return it for another copy.

As unpopular as online passes or codes for single player content may be it is, in my opinion, perfectly acceptable. Think of it as "wear and tear", standard degradation of the used copy of software you purchased. Without it, the used purchaser gets exactly the same experience as the new purchaser, only at a discounted price and the developer sees nothing from that sale (the people who actually produce this product and *SHOULD* be getting paid for it - the idea that they've already been paid for it at the time of the original sale is a logical fallacy). This matters because those sales cut into their bottom line in a very short span of time after release. If the game industry were more like the automobile industry there wouldn't be significant numbers of used games available until a good year or more after release, thus not cutting into a publishers bottom line in any significant way.

I'm all for consumers rights, but not at the expense of the rights of the individuals who actually spend the time and effort to create the content we enjoy. If you think the games are too expensive and the publishers / developers are too greedy (a sentiment I can even agree with at times), then the answer is very simple: DON'T BUY THE GAMES! Nobody is forcing you to buy these games. You're doing it because it's a hobby and you enjoy playing them, it's not a necessity. What *is* a necessity though, is that the publishers and developers that produce the games get paid appropriately for them. Otherwise there's nothing for you to play and enjoy because nobody can afford to make them.