People aways told Me to beware of EA.....

eh, PC games have ALWAYS run on this CD-KEY type system its not that bad.
its probably also implemented to stop all the people who are modding there xboxs and stuff too.

and I have to agree its messed up to abuse there return policy on used games. Just rent a game if you plan on playing it for a week. Don't make it so gamestop might be forced to cancel there return policy because people abuse it too much.

although i find the price that gamestop pays for your game REDICULOUSLY LOW sometimes. The 30$ or w/e you get back when its a new game isn't that bad though, but it has to be a new game.

 

Emp, I can't really get behind that reasoning. I'm a consumer, I'd rather directly act in my own interests, instead of paying extra for the notion that I'm 'supporting the artist'; really, my footprint is too small for it to matter most of the time. A few extra bucks in their pockets might encourage them to make More of A Good Thing, but all too often the macro-level business decisions and sales will win out against any odds I personally might be able to influence. I can't argue that it's irrational for them to chop up their content and sell it the way they sell it, but I object to the ideas that make it legally possible and an acceptable business practice.

So, like I said, fuck 'em. If the seller wants to hijack the transaction entirely in their favor, then I will try my best to do the same. Capitalism at its finest (/sarcasm).

 

As far as the Gamestop return policy, I've only done it about two, and I know Gamestop has made much more money off of me than they've lost by me doing this. This doesn't completely justify it, of course, but they abuse the consumer by giving them $3 for a game (in money you can only use at their store, mind you) and then turn around and sell for $15-20 just as much as I abused them by saving about $30 for playing 2 games for a week each. It's just the nature of capitalism and its many loopholes.

Part of me thinks the amount they give you on game trade ins in artificially low so they can push those "extra 10% if you trade in towards such and such a game" promotions they have every other week.

 

Sorry Sixtwo for the Mistep.

Sega actually released Excellent Football games for 20 bucks before EA flex Muscle a few years back. Used games are just that "Used". I guess EA should've got mad when we trade and sold Snes and Genesis cartrides also. You can't stop the selling of used games because thanks to the economy its in bad shape so everybody searches for the bargain.. My main gripe was will other companies pick up on this? I for one don't buy used game because i want the brand new feeling of opening that plastic and read the instruction manual lol!

I guess in the long run its not that bad cause i don't by EA games.

BTW Vanquish is pretty Good.. Im buying that first day.
Now if we could Get FS on Thanks Giving im Good Money.

 

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2010/8/25/

 

This guy makes a great point:

"I am a gamer and a developer (art and animation side of things). Theres a lot to say here, but it really boils down to this:

What other customers expect a used product be be identical to a new product? Buying a used car comes with increased wear (and thus decreased function). Buying a used book means you are risking page damage or a broken binding. Buying anything used means that you get a cheaper price for decreased function or increased risk. It also requires a little more awareness on the part of the customer to make sure they are aware of what they are getting. In the video game case, if you know the game wont have multi-player used, you can adjust what you are willing to spend on it, the same way you might offer a few hundred dollar less for a used motorcycle due to rust."

 

Uhm, oh ah, yeah, that.

Ouch, stepped into the Dutch to English literal translation trap there. Origin of such beautiful gems as "please give my compliments to your cock" (kok = chef in Dutch).

 

I will not agree with you on this. Gamestop provides a service in giving me something I want (money toward games) for something I don't want (games with which I am finished). I don't have to do any work for this trade. I walk in with games. Clerk takes them. Clerk gives me credit. It's easy.

If I were to sell my games on eBay I'd need to photograph them, write descriptions, pay for listings, hope they get bought, and ship them out when they did.

GameStop gives me a choice. I do not have to do business with them. If I agree to trade my game for $4 toward other games, I do not care much what they do to my old game. It now belongs to them. They could shred it. They could ask $100.00 for it. Not my business once they make the deal with me.

I am glad they offer a satisfaction guarantee. If I buy something I do not like, I can return it simply for not liking it - even though I already tried it. This is unheard of in most businesses.

I'm glad I can get more for my games if I wait and take advantage of an advertised special.

I don't want GameStop to pay everyone more for used product and go broke. Money to cover their operating costs need to come from somewhere. In their case it's the sale of marked up used games taken in trade for some money to be used in their store. This is a clearly understood, low pressure, non-deceptive practice.

GameStop is not a car dealer that purposely marks up used product to the cost of a new product and expects me to do research so I don't get ripped-off and then battle over the price before I can buy. If I do buy, I may even end up with a defective product and have no recourse other than to get it fixed. Fortunately, I do not HAVE to go their dealership to buy a car.

 

If that's their mentality, why is it wrong for it to be mine toward the price of a game? There is a bigger picture, and that's publishers and devs trying to double down on this notion of total ownership/sales rights over a commercially transitory and easily reproducible end product.

Also: the point that Tycho made about not being their customer makes a great deal of sense on their end. For me, it's just a convenient rationale to continue to give consumers the short end of the stick.

I understand the devs' and Tycho's perspective, but I still don't feel any pull to continue to support people who will play shell games with what you get out of their product, if I am presented with the option. (Obv. the shell game is the nature of the business when it comes to certain things, like another person pointed out)

 

Somehow this seemed topical.

 

Servers don't run for free.

 

DUUUHH!!!!!!! Its not our fault EA choose To run their own Servers for different systems.