Gaming Will the Xbox 720 kill off second hand gaming?

... but seriously, looks like we're going back to some sort of cartridge thing then?

Whoa, to progress... we need to regress???? Can't see this working whatever. And if they kick backward compatability in the nuts again (remember the mk1 xbox... can you really play those games on a 360?)...... STOOPID methinks!

Would serve them right if all the old guard simply walk away and look toward the land of the rising sun.

 

Agreed! I think sometimes we are a little ignorant to xbox being a global product. Not every country has super fast cheap broadband. I think a console without an optical drive should be another generation off. I'm not a fan of Blu-ray (just try an play one on linux with ease...) but I do think hi-definition optical media is still the way forward for now.

I know it sounds silly but whats not to stop them using HD dvd almost like a propriatary format (half your R&D is already done) or using their own optical standard like nintendo do (although costly).

 

What's an xbox?

 

Fair usage policy. That's enemy number two for disc-less console.

 

Toshiba, that's who. You want to start paying royalties for a format that is dead and rekindle the need for dvd fabs to be converted, again? I don't think the industry would buy it.

 

I think there's one thing they're overlooking here.....
At the moment people pay a lot of money for new console games because they know they can sell them on/trade them in and get some of it back. Will people still be prepared to pay those high prices if they can't sell them on? Maybe, but I'm betting they'll buy less new games overall.
Also, what happens if you want to take your games to a mates house and play them on his console? Will you be able to with the new system, or will you have to take your own console round with you?

 

Arguments against absolute digital distribution...

1. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often have monthly bandwith caps. If you exceed the cap, you have to pay for the overrun.
2. If there is a cap, it's quick to reach it if you download a 10-20 GB game.
3. Not everyone has a highspeed or un-throttled connection.
4. Even with marketed "unlimited bandwidth", many ISPs throttle users.

 

If they stop 2nd hand sales, they'd actually close many markets. Asian markets are a large part and not every nation has great internet.

It wouldn't be a practical idea at all. Although cartridges might be possible again.

 

I've always had a rough budget for buying games. If I sell a game it puts money back into my budget for buying more games. Fresh games keep me interested and lead me on to sequels and other titles. 2nd hand games have simply increased my 'total games played' count. If I had to buy them all new I would have played less games ...

 

This quote is in the Game Requiem thread from today but is relevant to the 720. I've only rented the one film through my 360, also today, Final Destination 5, because the last one was on TV last night and I just wanted to wrap up the ones I hadn't seen in a series-catchup style. Buying the DVD of no.2 to keep was still cheaper than the latest rental. Haven't downloaded any games from Live at all though because when it gets turned off for 360, that's it, no guarantee you can carry it to Live for 720 (happy to be corrected).

If Microsoft don't make any more dumb decisions like ring-fencing whichever Halo game will go on 720 only rather than letting Windows 8 users play the same game if Live will be an app, then I'd be less bothered about the 720 going DL only, as I'd have no plans to buy it for over half its life.

Giving people as many legit choices to buy as possible is the key, and if MS takes away the physical disc then they'll save some cash definitely, but it's a balance between who would do nothing but stream vs the lost sales to people who will stick with their 360s to the bitter end.

 

Why haven't Apple been called up on this?

(nb, pretty sure this won't end up a double post, but I did try to post a moment ago without being logged on).

 

Uhhuh, I downloaded GTAIV...took me over two days

 

If Microsoft decide to prevent pre owned games from running on its console it wont succeed, most of the people i know buy a lot of pre owned games because they simply cannot afford a full priced new release. If Sony or Nintendo allow pre owned games to run on there consoles then people will just buy there machine

 

Jim Sterling made a great argument about this in The Jimquisition on the escapist.

His argument was for second hand gaming, saying that it benefits the industry and even the publishers since it allows many people to buy new games, through trade-ins, which they would otherwise be unable to afford. Therefore, if second hand gaming went away, there should actually be a decline in new game sales because many gamers would simply be unable to afford them.

 

Maybe a couple of questions that's peeps with industry knowledge can help with.

What % of a games budget is marketing?
How much does the games industry say it loses to piracy?
What does it cost to make the game packaging?
What slice of margin do the distributors and retailers take ?

Take these numbers off the cost of games for the new XBOX and it might make sense, £20 games would be a fair price to pay for the lack of phsyical media, you could even upgrade to an unlimited internet tariff and still save money. You wouldn't wait for a new game - they could offer it for pre-order and download it onto you system over a week or so, come launch day - your ready to go. (something they can obviously copy from Steam)

Unfortunately I think we all know that if this removes the revenue loss from all the items above - they still won't drop the price of games.

As games consumers I believe we are viewed with like cattle by the large gaming corperates, who look at us as resources to be exploited for as much cash as possible for as long as possible. (and we probably deserve that by buying repetiitve cloned dross like MW3 in huge quantities)

Once your locked into a console you've had it, where else are you going to go for your games ? No wonder PC gaming is back on the increase, more creativity, more competition and better platforms.

Companies like Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony brought gaming to the masses, but it wasn't for the benefit of the masses, it's all about the money... don't ever forget it.

 

Retailer Game just went into administration today. Microsoft may not have to bother trying to get its titles into shop windows after all. They made a good call

 

I see no happy outcome when corporations get greedy and stroppy. They have more power than they should, and sooner or later they will get their way. But what do I know? I just know they are fighting to take our rights away under the guise of "copyright".

It's all BS, once you sell something it aint yours any more. They may own rights over content, but they own squat over an individual item. As soon as that changes, we're all screwed. And it is slowly happening..and we are letting it happen.

 

I never buy secondhand and I rarely sell games, I would be happy to own a download only console if any console at all.

 

You wouldn't be buying games though, just leasing them as we do with Origin / Steam.

 

I don't see how the games companies are being allowed to get away with dictating that second hand games are to be made illegal simply because they did not think of it first and have provided no means for the consumer to trade games back to them. If i am to sell someone for instance a piece of jewellery i made.
Must i be up ion arms if they sell this on again and i make no further profits from this.

I find it ridiculous and sad that it has been allowed to play out in this way. But then the rich cling to staying richer with an iron like grasp.