I just read a very good article about the attempt to establish a business selling used digital products and the way in which the company is going about doing it. The article is a very good source of information regarding IPR and the modern market. I think it is something that everyone on these forums should read given the implications for game and for companies like SD &IC that sale stuff in the pure digital form via Impulse and arguably on disk. Would you like to know more? Then follow the link to enlightenment.
I usually buy my games from GameStop because they have a large selection. But I only buy new copies of games that have been out for a while, so they are cheaper. I've also bought from stores such as Meijer, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc... I'm basically a sucker for a game that costs less than $20 when it used to retail for $50-$60 plus.
Even when I buy my games from GameStop though, I always buy a NEW copy. Not a USED copy. I do this because the only person that makes money on a USED copy is GameStop, not the developers of the game. I want to support those developers by buying their game, so they can get money for their next project and continue to make games I enjoy.
I also don't buy used games because not everyone treats their games that nicely, and I don't want some ripped manual with my game, or a scratched disc, etc.. Nor do I want a bunch of USED stickers all over the box.
But the main reason is so the developers get a piece of the sale.
The reason I bring all of this up is because you're talking about transferring digital copies of games around. The developers aren't going to make anything off of you giving the game to your friend, and that's a real bummer. If your friend gives that game to someone else later down the road, and then that person gives it to someone else later, and so on, that's a bunch of people who got to play the game without the developer being paid.
As I said, I'd rather that everyone who likes the game enough to own it, goes out and buys their own copy, in a manner in which the developers get paid. That way, they can stay in business and continue to make games that these people would enjoy playing.
~C
Although the interesting thing here is that since SD is the distribution platform, you could easily snag back a "piece of the pie" if someone were to resell their copy, so from that perspective you could still get money back.
On a larger scale, reselling digital software is a lot like "renting" a game instead of owning it. I certainly don't want to just rent, but on the other hand if I bought a copy of a game and will never play it again, why can't I give it to my brother to play? Or resell it? This is the one down-side I've never really considered until now in that each game purchase is a sunk, non-transferrable purchase. Until reading this article I also didn't view DRM as a way to filter out the secondary market, either.
Hmmm.... very interesting to think about. I don't think this changes my impression of Impulse too negatively, but it does pose some interesting implications that aren't obvious on the surface.
Does Steam/Valve handle this in any way (I'm not familiar with that distribution network).
@Lord - Steam does not allow transfer of titles except those purchased exclusively as gifts.
I also suggested for SD to consider doing "ownership" transfers for a nominal fee before. Say $3 -$5 per transaction from Impulse accounts as well as adding titles to Impulse that people purchased the real world media for with a valid registration of course. That way it would get a "cut" so to speak and develop its customer base and if enough people do it, especially for add title to the account from store purchased titles it could be real marketing incentive for other developer to support Impulse more and would also work well with the GBR.
It's rare for me not to buy a game on day one. If I do, I'll buy the new if avaliable, but I'm not going to shun the used if that's all that is avaliable. Like piracy though, I don't think it's a lost sale for the developer per se, is without the transfer/sale, the other person won't get it. It may be slightly worse due to the fact that the pirate may buy the game to support the company, while the used game purchaser won't.
I understand why Stardock does its DRM- it's to prevent resale, which is understandable. Stardock's DRM is good because (Yes, Impulse is DRM, but I don't complain about Impulse for the reasons below)
a) They don't overcharge
It's non-intrusive
c) You get a service for it (lots of post-release support)
This is why I put up with Steam, despite hating it. TF2 does enough post-release support to make Steam worth it.
Impulse is a lot better as a service then Steam. It just needs to catch up on the games end, which is the hard part.
Which is why allowing transfers for a nominal fee as well as adding supported disk based software purchases to accounts and transfers from other DD services would inherently serve SD interests since Steam does not allow any of that stuff. You would get more support, more options and better value all working together with the best design philosophy in the industry. It is a win-win for SD and the customers.
I think that defeats the entire purpose of platforms such as Steam and Impulse. Ultimately those platforms are out there to make money for Valve/Stardock, and encouraging resales is lost business for them, and at a much higher proportional rate then piracy is. The percentage of people buying a used copy who would buy a new copy is much higher then the percentage of pirates who will buy a copy.
I do believe that you can get a license for a game cheaper then the game itself via Stardock support if you get a used copy, but I don't know what the portion of the purchase price is. I know there's been mention of that. However, used PC software sales are minimal now, so I don't see this as a huge issue.
I would like to see a no-questions asked refund within 24 hours if you don't like a game at all. (maybe minus a fee) Sometimes you buy a game, then realize you'll never play it.
I'd also see to see Stardock more aggressive on price cutting on older games, outside of sales.
Then again, I'm unsure if those two measures would be good for Stardock, and that's what matters in the end.
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