Is buying used games morally wrong?

[marvelvscapcom2]

Hello Everyone .   

I was just thinking about something that made me really sad today and I wanted to check in to see how other's feel about the topic .   I was sitting thinking about the Nintendo Switch and how happy I was with it's early success announcements and upcoming fun .  I really get happy when I hear about it's success because I love the innovation and care Nintendo took with it.  But than I just realized that out of the switch games I own,  only about 5 of which I actually bought new.  The others I bought used on Ebay for cheaper prices.       Meaning Nintendo didn't make money from that sale and I didn't pay the rightful content creator at all. How do I support a company yet spend my whole life taking from them? I pretend like I'm a fan but really I don't care about Nintendo I care about myself.

All these devs and companies that defined my life, 9 times out of 10 I didn't even repay them for what they gave me. I'm so ashamed.  .  From the blockbusters to the Game Crazys and everything in between.  I spent my life giving to a second hand party rather than the company I loved.  So how can I sit here before all of you and call my self someone who loves video games?   I play video games.  I don't love them at all. I'm selfish and a piece of scum.  I hurt Nintendo more than I help by buying 3rd party.  I'm a shell of a man.  The funds never went to the Big N which is where they belonged and Ive done this for years without ever paying attention.     

I just wanted to ask everyone's opinion on this or maybe someone can help me reason it because I'm probably over thinking things.   But I get even more sad when I look at my Wii U collection.   Wii U failed as a console.  Probably because of fake fans like me .   I bought almost all my wii u games used.  It's like buying an artist painting off someone else while the artist get's nothing.  It's starting to eat at me the amount of times I did this .   I dare to call myself a game lover when I have deprived every publisher, developer, creator, company and franchise that I loved and fed corperate resellers like gamestop.  Who am I.   I walk around the house trying to fight mirrors and I can't stand the thought of what monster always was.  I feel it's too late.  Every since I was a kid I probably took thousands in profits from companies i love without even knowing. 


Where do you stand on this conflict.  Do you buy all your new games new to make sure all the benefits of their game go to the rightful content creator or do you buy used games like me?  Do you feel guilt . 


I think today I solemnly swear to never buy a used game unless it's of a previous gen console that isn't able to be purchased anymore.  I want to give to the rightful people who deserve it.  But I feel the damage may be done.  I'm to blame for digital only if it happens.  He who hasn't bought a used game cast the first stone. 


 It's all our fault

[ignition365]

No guilt.

I actually rarely buy games used... modern systems that is.

I buy them when they go on sale or day one.

[burningdoom]

Absolutely not. Gaming is the only industry out there that whines about used sales hurting them. There's used sales on EVERYTHING. Houses, cars, electronics, appliances, music, movies, clothes...EVERYTHING.

The gaming industry needs to stop pointing fingers and start looking at what they should be doing to fix sales problems.

[sleepyevening]

It depends on the company. I buy new for companies/publishers I want to support, but if the company is doing something I consider scummy, then it's used all the way.

[arkaneer]

It’s an interesting point.

Firstly, please don’t be so hard on yourself. The fact that you are questioning yourself clearly shows you are not a ‘piece of scum’.

I like supporting some developers and have often bought games on day one even if the reviews are bit dodgy. I like story driven single player games, so I go out of my way to buy these because I want publishers to keep releasing them.

I’ve only just started collecting games. For many decades I have sold my games to fund buying new games. It was the only way I could afford to keep playing new releases. That makes me as ‘guilty’ as you.

My circumstances are different now. I can afford to hold on to my games and for the time being I will be buying new.

But I certainly won’t feel guilty if I buy the odd game second hand if I want. I think the industry has done well enough out of me on the whole.  Certainly my wife would say so!

[desocietas]

Nope. I'd rather give value to things that others don't want/need rather than everyone buying new and old stuff getting trashed.

[98dgreen]

Nope

[hexen]

Absolutely, positively not. The good old fashion concept of owning what you pay money for and being able to do whatever you want with it should be defended forever, and this applies to re-selling or lending. The consumer is not obligated to anyone but themselves in terms of what saves them the most or if they want something at all. I don't think you have to worry too much as most cases of things people really want involve them paying the full price at retail ASAP, people who buy things later are either unable to expend max money on entertainment due to budget or where never going to buy it unless it was at a lower price (less interest).

I know you like to wax philosophical but I'm not with you on this one, buddy.

[oldgamerz]

well if lets say Nintendo wants to make money on something old than they should still sell that older console and stop abandoning all their older consoles. IF any game company wants to make all the money they can get they should continue to make the older consoles. bottom line is re-releases are not enough especially now they only sell digitally mostly. 

SONY if your reading this bring back the sales of PlayStation 3's after all you do sell CD's and all the Playstation 3's can connect to stereos AND hold an entire CD collection

I know how you feel MVSC II I have the same thought but if they want to make more money then they should still manufacture older systems as long as they know retro consoles and games sell they should know better then

[burningdoom]

well if lets say Nintendo wants to make money on something old than they should still sell that older console and stop abandoning all their older consoles. IF any game company wants to make all the money they can get they should continue to make the older consoles. bottom line is re-releases are not enough especially now they only sell digitally mostly. 

SONY if your reading this bring back the sales of PlayStation 3's after all you do sell CD's and all the Playstation 3's can connect to stereos AND hold an entire CD collection

I know how you feel MVSC II I have the same thought but if they want to make more money then they should still manufacture older systems as long as they know retro consoles and games sell they should know better then

Yeah, but the thing, most gamers just aren't like us. As popular as retro gaming/collecting has become, it's still drop in the bucket compared to your average, modern games. Most of those guys just don't care about collecting old systems or games, and many of them just trade in old consoles to pay for new stuff.

So Nintendo and the like really wouldn't make too much off of re-releasing old consoles, at least not compared to their new consoles/games sales. So why put forth the effort?

[sworddude]

well if lets say Nintendo wants to make money on something old than they should still sell that older console and stop abandoning all their older consoles. IF any game company wants to make all the money they can get they should continue to make the older consoles. bottom line is re-releases are not enough especially now they only sell digitally mostly. 

SONY if your reading this bring back the sales of PlayStation 3's after all you do sell CD's and all the Playstation 3's can connect to stereos AND hold an entire CD collection

I know how you feel MVSC II I have the same thought but if they want to make more money then they should still manufacture older systems as long as they know retro consoles and games sell they should know better then

Yeah, but the thing, most gamers just aren't like us. As popular as retro gaming/collecting has become, it's still drop in the bucket compared to your average, modern games. Most of those guys just don't care about collecting old systems or games, and many of them just trade in old consoles to pay for new stuff.

So Nintendo and the like really wouldn't make too much off of re-releasing old consoles, at least not compared to their new consoles/games sales. So why put forth the effort?

I will agree with that

they would probably lose money big time, besides for nostalgia they already have done the right thing with the e shop or playstation network, It's just online but available to everyone for a low price if you really need it. It's a very small group retro gaming as a whole compared to current gen. 

Gameplay wise you have a great controller and the grapics are usually a bit better. It's basicly the same thing if done right just without the original console.

[kamikazekeeg]

Not even in the slightest is it wrong.  Companies make a product and you are allowed to choose how you want to buy a product.  Sometimes I can't buy something, because I can't afford it right now, so I'll wait for a big sale or I'll buy it used.  There are other ways to support a studio or game outside of game sales too.  Nintendo in particular makes more than enough that you NEVER have have to feel bad about not buying new from them.  The Wii U failed because of Nintendo, plain and simple.  They made a bad console no matter how much people might like it.

Don't ever feel bad for a major company like Nintendo.  If they make a good product, and do the right things, they'll make bank, like they are with the Switch.  They don't hurt because you decided to not buy the horribly over-priced 1-2 Switch brand new.  It's just bad fanboy behavior to act like you owe Nintendo anything.

Now smaller studios can be something you want to support with a new buy, because they don't have the scale or money of other companies.  Like I'm going to re-buy Shovel Knight on Switch eventually when it's fully finished, because I appreciate that dev and this is one way to support them, because they could use it.

[oldgamerz]

I can agree that everything bought used takes away from the creators and patent holders. and we don't really need retro consoles for retro video games. Most sales everything from CD's Movies and Games used take away from actual new sales and give the money to a different business or individual. and ROM'S are even more sneaky especially if the ROM's contain custom modifications to the original developers game.

I used to download ROM's on my old PC so I know about ROM's. And I will admit used consoles and most used games  is usually a lot cheaper then new. but sometimes in the modern world E shop and PlayStation network has the games  cheaper then used. It's simple I am on a budget so

 I buy used video games but again SONY and E shop have the most expensive used games. I assume for less money then most sell them for. The popular used video games. Mario Kart 64 example or any Mario game as an example

[sworddude]

I can agree that everything bought used takes away from the creators and patent holders. and we don't really need retro consoles for retro video games. Most sales everything from CD's Movies and Games used take away from actual new sales and give the money to a different business or individual. and ROM'S are even more sneaky especially if the ROM's contain custom modifications to the original developers game.

I used to download ROM's on my old PC so I know about ROM's. And I will admit used consoles and most used games  is usually a lot cheaper then new. but sometimes in the modern world E shop and PlayStation network has the games  cheaper then used. It's simple I am on a budget so

 I buy used video games but again SONY and E shop have the most expensive used games. I assume for less money then most sell them for. The popular used video games. Mario Kart 64 example

Let's be honest if your on a budget and you find even the lower end good retro games to expensive 50 $ and less why would you spend 40 - 60 $ each on brand new snes games because it would not be cheap if they would actually produce them games in the current era. I don't see why so many people want brand new snes games when they complain that even the lower end good games are to overpriced.

E shop and psn costs a few $ to 10$ max it's pretty reasonable and allot cheaper than used games, prices can be low since it's just online so no costs for producing them just placing the original rom online since they own it.

if anyone would suggest that they should remake brand new retro consoles and carts they would usually not complain about even the old retro game prices since it would cost quite allot, there are no savings except for the medium high value and high end stuff in cib excellent shape.

[hoshichiri]

HELL NO is buying used morally wrong!

1) It increases the value of new games. I know that sounds silly, but hear me out: if you know you can sell something months or years after buying it, you'll pay more for it. Becuase you know it will retain value.

2) Someone still had to buy the game new. So, Nintendo (or whatever publisher) did get their money- just from the first buyer. Who, by the way, no longer has the game- they'll need to buy it AGAIN if they choose to replay it. Since they buy new normally, the odds they will later are higher.

There is certainly a case to be made for buying new games, but it's more applicable for smaller indie titles. Bascially, if there's a specific kind of game you enjoy that doesn't come out very often, and you find out about one, try and buy it new- to show support for the series/genre. Goodness knows I'd preorder a new Klonoa game. But first party Nintendo stuff like Mario & Zelda? They know people want it, you're not proving anything buying that.