The industry is in financial straits right now. The industry took a 22% drop in profits in the year 2012 and publishers keep looking for reasons why their games are making less money. Some like EA, took initiative against piracy. Others like Quantic Dream's David Cage believes that the used game market can potentially hurt profits.
Knowing full well between the difference of the new and used purchases, I thought I would share what games I buy new or used and why.
Games I buy new are nothing that will surprise you. Games from publishers I'm fans of like Valve, WayForward and other such companies always get my new purchase. Simply because I really enjoy their work and wish to support it the only way I physically can. Take Portal 2 for instance. I bought the game new for $60 conscious of the fact that I was getting an additional copy for free. I would have gladly paid an additional $60 for said second copy on the grounds that I simply loved the game that much. To this day I still see Portal 2 as a masterpiece despite its brevity.
Another more obvious example would be Nintendo games, but not necessarily for financial support. Nintendo software is usually well off. I often buy Nintendo games new for Club Nintendo rewards. Rewards like this add value to a game in my opinion and I would like to see other publishers adopt this sort of "bonus when new" model as oppose to things like the ever annoying online pass or bonus day one DLC promotion.
A used game on the other hand is often a game that's been out for a while that I may have wanted to play, but only ever had a mild interest in playing. One example was Brutal Legend. Despite my interest, I never played the game until a year or so after its release. After having played it (and at a price under $20) I regretted this decision, finding great enjoyment in the title and choosing to follow and support Double Fine more closely. This even inspired me to go back and download the Xbox Original version of Psychonauts.
Other instances have been games I don't normally enjoy supporting, such as a CoD or Assassin's Creed game. I'm aware this isn't very impactful since buying a game used or new shows that there is at least one person demanding it. But in this case, I save a little money and the money goes to the retailer as oppose to the publisher.
So what factors do you take into account when choosing to buy used or new?
Nagoshi Studio’s YouTube channel with the Gang of Dragon trailers appears to have been removed following reports that NetEase will stop funding.
Dear team,
Xbox has always been different.
We started with a simple idea. Games should bring people together through shared experiences. That led to the first Xbox in 2001, Xbox Live in 2002, and new ways to connect, from friends lists and achievements to parties and play across devices. Today, Xbox reaches over 500 million players around the world, with some of the most important franchises in entertainment.
re-evaluating exclusivity 💀
PS players will need to go back to pretending to dislike Xbox games
Or meaning since it’s doing so good they might just do everything day 1.
They didnt say re-evaluating their multiplatform approach.
🤣🤣🤣 Xbox is so dead. I know you scared🤣🫵ӿ 97;
Even when the topic is strictly Xbox he can't stop talking about PlayStation. Xbox has basically become the hate of PlayStation... and not much else.
This whole mess is the result of bad decisions and strategy from those who have "the vision" inside the company.
Hurt over video games 🤣🤣
Lmao we all grew and got jobs but apparently you stayed home broke 🤣🤣.
Man I love loyal dogs like you. MS kicked Spit and slapped you around but you still come back on all 4s.
Good little boy 🤣🤣
My only question is what games are PlayStation gamers gonna play now? They don’t really come out with new games anymore. I’m looking forward to wolverine, but after that then what?
Lmao
There’s no way after everything it’s going back, the damage is done
What you are seeing now is the new management telling what the core fanbase (aka…you) want to hear so they are pumped full of hope and are more likely to invest in the next Xbox console
When Phil took over after the awful Xbox One reveal he did the same thing, he told people what they wanted to hear for damage control.
It’s crazy people are getting suckered into this again.
FWIW..... wasn't the new management speaking to the other staff.... not so much us (regular folk)?
And you'll now go back to again thinking exclusives suddenly matter, that multiplatform is no longer the future, or that revenue from multiplatforms doesn't matter, like all you flop flopping xbox grifters lol.
The whole post just sounds like the previous phil corpo slop talk to me, whole thing reads like a nothing burger lol.
“re-evaluating exclusivity”
She also said this.
“The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward.”
I don't know if they have a model anymore it's flipped so many times since the xbox one reveal
There's a bunch just like him but that's what happens when some rely on dreams, hope and wishful thinking. lol
"pretending"? Bro gears hasnt broke 1mil on ps5, and starfield hasn't passed 200k, Hellblade 2 was even stated to be a financial disappointment in sales on its own console, let alone ps5. Im not saying people don't like them, but they certainly aren't setting the community on fire, Forza may be different tho
Xbawx is ''re-evaluating exclusivity''... Translation: After throwing all sort of crap to the wall to see if something sticks but clearly nothing worked, we, including our lord ''in charge'' Phil came to the conclusion that exclusives indeed do matter so please forget if we ever said otherwise.
Yup, I feel it in my gut, next gen belongs to xbox, PS6 is cooked...
Someone can’t sleep after those 5 million forza games PURCHASED by PlayStation owners🤣 🧌 💥
Well with the decreased price of gamespass even with cod off it there is no way it is profitable given the cost of making their 1st party games (not if you actually include that cost in gamespass costs which they typically dont but should) they will just make a loss without the sales on
If they go back to exclusive games it at least shows that they are finally getting it. They would be turning down immediate money for something that will potentially workout in the long term.
Only issue is they've already opened Pandora's box. A lot of their base has moved to PC or jumped to PS. So will be a long road to get back on track.
We have been saying this from day one exclusives are a must if you are going to be selling hardware look at Nintendo and Sony before Jim Ryan. That's the proven formula. You had some that were deluded and blinded by loyalty accepting that multiplat was the future and that MS was merely getting ahead of where the industry was headed, but at least they can finally see the light and agree with what everyone has been saying for a decade+
True, blame it on the rabid fanboys. MS can do no wrong and spinner this multiplatform move. While the actual fans moved on.
I feel like with the new Xbox coming they are hoping to bring back those old fans and then if it goes well. Bring back exclusives.
If the new console is performing like series x and one. Naw they staying multiplatform.
Actual fans dont move on... they can add to their hobby while waiting for the next new release. If you believe what you typed then I guess PS fans moved on too.... you know, since its been a Sahara for 1st party games this gen.
Funny world where Sony is pro consumer and Xbox is not? At least according to what you loyalists have been saying all this time 🤭
@itveds For how many years have you been doing this sad stuff? For how many years have you been creating fake accounts to troll? For how many years have you always been cl vnn
Pathetic incels with nothing better to do than argue over a box... Because they don't have any good games to play on theirs, obviously. If your precious box is so special, why don't you shut the fuck up and go play it?
I think it's too late, xbox sales were diving even before ABK, they got even worse since then even long before the full multiplatform push. I'd be surprised if they even went back to timed exclusivity at this point, Helix is basically a PC and is going to be expensive, they already struggle to sell cheaper xbox consoles, it will be low volume and they'll have a very small 'console' base to sell to, which has already been conditioned to just play via gamepass anyway.
I don't see them removing PC from the equation. Considering MS has a heavy enough investment in the PC market, it would be foolish to abandon them. I could see them taking away games from PlayStation or ensuring they are timed exclusives at the very least. Say what you will but if Call of Duty ends up becoming a timed exclusive to Xbox machines, that would hurt PlayStation, don't pretend like those games don't sell millions.
They would lose out on a lot of CoD sales tho. Doesn't PS make up most of the sales?
Their lifeline of solely the Xbox consoles is dry. Good-Great games on a 1st party scale can't be made at a loss so willingly - sent to the Xbox to only sell limited copies.
They invested billions scooping up studios and need to start making returns.
Sucks that nearly every company is publicly traded and have to be so shareholder biased but that's how it is.
Their words are strong but it'll take time to see what their actions accomplish. Lowering the cost of Game Pass and taking CoD off of it was a good clear start.
More like, allot of their base just played game pass. So now they need to encourage them to start buying again.
What exactly is the long term goal with exclusives though?
Because for the most part, the hardware side of things has never been the most profitable, even sometimes being subsidized for a period before breaking even. And that’s before the hardware component nightmare we currently live in.
The whole point of exclusives was to get more people to buy your console in order to have a bigger install base, which meant even bigger software sales.
But if their ports to PS5 are selling (for the most part it seems) quite well, then other than negating the cut Sony takes there, unless you are REALLY increasing your software sales on your own console, it probably doesn’t make that much of a difference?
Honestly I don’t even understand Sony’s decision to scale back on it for PC unless they weren’t even recouping the port expenses. They released ports when the hardware sales never really dropped, and now that all consoles will undoubtedly take a noticeable drop in sales due to the ridiculous prices, that’s when they decide they don’t want to sell to a larger install base to more easily recoup dev costs… it’s just weird
Despite all of that, it's clear that Microsoft's Xbox division is broken beyond repair.
PlayStation is currently draining money on flop after flop. It's Sony that needs to re-evaluate their strategy
Wonder how much money was lost on perfect dark, hellbalde 2, 300 million lost revenue
by putting cod on gamepass. The recent Jason schrier news that Xbox has cancelled dozens of projects, spent 70 billion just to see Xbox sales further collapse and gamepass see little growth.
The fact is this has been PlayStation's most profitable generation and they are making loads of money and selling plenty of consoles and games. While MS won't give you any sales figures or profit numbers for Xbox, says it all really.
It isnt. But I dont think they mean in 'games', rather, footprint.
They own the OS but as far as gaming is concerned, Steam dominate. I imagine the VAST majority of people who use the Xbox app/launcher are PC gamepass subs. No ones buying their 3rd party PC games through Xbox PC.
and many gamers prefer SteamOS for gaming over Windows too. If only Valve would be more uncompromising to the anti-cheat makers that locked out non-windows players, more pc gamers would have moved onto SteamOS by now and not looking back to Windows. overall, Win11 is a terrible, bloated, unoptimized OS which is not what many people want
Insider Gaming writes: "Marathon was one of the best-selling video games in March 2026 in the United States. On Wednesday, Circna released the best-selling games of the month, and it featured six new releases along with two games returning to the top 20 after previously falling out."
Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
well it's not on Switch / Switch 2.. so their number would be zero.
The game had a decent launch however the userbase numbers are dwindling on Steam.
“ Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
Does it hurt you to hear a SONY game was BEST selling ?
You gotta let go of those OBCURED feelings 🤷🏿
I mean the only reason MLB was the best selling title was because it was multi-platform. Likewise with Marathon. Will ring true for MS games. Only Nintendo titles are truly flexing their muscles when they chart as they are only to be found there.
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
I’m sorry did you wrote something smart ?
Or are you trying to to be funny because you failed at both
Now kid run to mommy legs the grown ups are talking.
Don’t bother writing anything I will not respond to a bratty child like you
Yeah sure, yet the player count is no where near what they want for a AAA game with so much money behind it
Why people are trying to spin this game like it’s done overly amazing is baffling to me.
It won’t even be a blip on peoples radars by the end of the year .
You must me typically wrong cuz those Steam chart numbers (AKA where the game sold the MOST) is less than what Hunt has, and Hunt didn't cost $500 million to make lol
I always buy preowned games mainly because there are no rental stores within 40 miles of me aside from RedBox - if I don't like the game, I can return it within a week for a full refund or exchange.
The second factor that compels me to purchase preowned games is the price; if I can save money (whether it be a mere $5 or a nice $10) I'll buy it preowned. On a rare occasion, if there's an online pass I'm missing out on (that is if I even want to play the game online) or any other incentive to buy a new copy, I'd consider it.
Third is the developer and publisher, more so the former than the latter. I love to support developers that I appreciate such as Bethesda, Rockstar and Square Enix (for Tomb Raider) and I will - nine times out of ten - purchase a product from them brand new. Grand Theft Auto, Tomb Raider, Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age and Mass Effect games are usually an automatic first day pick up for me, because I know what to expect and I am never disappointed - on the rare occasion that I am, it's never enough disappointment to regret paying $60. I will not however support Activision by purchasing their products brand new.
Lastly is the rare event in which a new copy is cheaper than a preowned copy. I've purchased new copies of games from GameStop that were on sale making them cheaper than a preowned copy. I'll usually purchase the preowned copy first and if I like the game enough, I'll return it and purchase the lesser priced new copy.
I wrote a piece on new versus used games awhile back as well. It's a nice subject to shed light on.
http://n4g.com/user/blogpos...
First of all, thank you for making proper use and spelling of "straits" in your opening sentence.
Second, I either buy brand new games or I buy heavily discounted games (either new or used) several years after they come out. There's not much in-between for me because I always have a huge backlog to play. So, like I said. If it's a game I just gotta play, I buy it new when it comes out. Otherwise, it's crammed to the end of the backlog list.
Third, devs need to understand that when their games are good, they aren't typically sold back to the game store. Game stores know this. The price of (for example) a used Mario Kart game or a used ATLUS RPG is going to be pretty close to retail. But when you have crappy yearly installments, or just a crappy game in general, people sell it back quickly before the value drops.
Buying used is fine if the games been out a while IMO, but I would discourage people from buying every brand new game used since if we all did that the industry would be in trouble for sure.
I would say if there's a developer you like and you want them to keep pumping out great games, support them by buying their games new, for everything else it's entirely up to you, for now at least.
Interesting synopsis there. I used to buy used games before along with new games. I remember one day I went to Game Stop for my Christmas shopping in 2010. I ended up buying Monster Hunter Tri and No More Heroes used for the Wii, while I picked up Uncharted: Drake's fortune new. It was after that trip that I saw some statistics about video game sales which led to my decision of buying games new from now on.
It would have to be under certain conditions, though. First, I will reserve a game I'm interested in (so I have a guaranteed copy ready for myself). Second, I will research the details of the game, which include watching gameplay videos and interviews and try a demo if it's available. Third, I will make a decision of whether or not I believe I will be satisfied with my purchase.
There are games that I have the feeling that I knew I would like regardless of my approach, but there are times when I look at a game and say, "Eh? Maybe?" Then I rely on reviews and rentals to try it for myself. Such is the case with Colonial Marines. Dodged a bullet there! Switched my reserves to better games and gave that shameful adaptation of Aliens a 4 out of 10 through a rental.
I think gamers just need to do their research before making a purchase. It will make them smarter consumers that way. Also, they will have the knowledge to know that they don't have to worry about not getting their money back.
If I can buy ODST and Forza 4 in a bundle for twenty five bucks I will buy it everytime.