Is buying used games morally wrong?

[hoshichiri]

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.

The funny thing is, they ARE making new cart system games these days!

https://smile.amazon.com/Retroism-Unholy-Night-Darkness-Compatible-nintendo/dp/B06Y3RB65T/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516841601&sr=8-3&keywords=snes+game

https://castlemaniagames.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fcastlemania-games-exclusive-holy-diver-collectors-set

And this isn't counting the multitude of hacks & homebrews made by fans.

The simple truth is, there's plenty of places to get 'new' cart games, which means plenty of proof for the big publishers that the market just isn't that big. Anyone complaining that they need to make new games for cart systems, either aren't looking or are too lazy to bother finding where to buy things. (or alternatively, think things like 'Nintendo should make new Earthbound carts so I can buy them for less than $50'.)

[DreamsDied13101]

I only buy new games if they are still in print, and I try to buy them from brick and mortar retail stores if they still have then in stock.

I do this because I like my games pristine. I normally only buy sealed retro games unless the cost is too high also. I also do this to support the company and the retailer when games are still in print. It doesn't make you a bad person to buy used, but it definitely cuts in to the sales of a game along with games retaining their value at retail. I came from the era where a game was $90 new (inflation) so games are so cheap these days.

I am scared how many people pick up their new games on Amazon and digitally. When Amazon finally kills their retail competitors (only Walmart has a chance of surviving) they are not going to be offering deals any longer and we will all be stuck paying what they want. Also digital hurts my heart because the games will be gone some day and we are going to be sad when they go.

[sworddude]

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.

The funny thing is, they ARE making new cart system games these days!

https://smile.amazon.com/Retroism-Unholy-Night-Darkness-Compatible-nintendo/dp/B06Y3RB65T/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516841601&sr=8-3&keywords=snes+game

https://castlemaniagames.com/shop?olsPage=products%2Fcastlemania-games-exclusive-holy-diver-collectors-set

And this isn't counting the multitude of hacks & homebrews made by fans.

The simple truth is, there's plenty of places to get 'new' cart games, which means plenty of proof for the big publishers that the market just isn't that big. Anyone complaining that they need to make new games for cart systems, either aren't looking or are too lazy to bother finding where to buy things. (or alternatively, think things like 'Nintendo should make new Earthbound carts so I can buy them for less than $50'.)

My thought were if really big publishers like nintendo themselves would make brand new carts and retro consoles not some ex employees who went ahead on their own making 10.000 20.000 copies of a game. remaking old games and old hardware wich were already released wich is a bad idea in my book since people complain about even lower end prices.

Besides even though it was made by snk that game was a failure not to mention that the brand new price was 35 when it came out I'm suprised that the price is still that high.

[jonathonstriker]

The original idea of used is not to avoid buying directly from the company that makes it, or to make 125% profit on something from the 1980's, but to buy something you want, that someone else no longer wants. You want a game, but you want to save money. So you look for used. The person selling it no longer wants the game, so they sell it cheaper than new. You got a good deal. Some people do it with cars, computers, musical instruments, etc.
If you feel guilty, it's because of where your mindset is.
You want Mint CIB games? You want games when they first come out? You need to buy them new.
Can you wait on a game? are you on a budget? Are you backlogged on titles already? Did you just become interested in an older release title? Just buy it used and enjoy the game.

[undertakerprime]

If the concern is that the original publisher isn’t getting your money, and therefore the actual game makers aren’t getting paid, just look at it this way:
If something is USED, that means that someone, at some point in the past, bought it and the game makers did get paid. After that, the game owner is free to do what he/she wants with the cart/disc, short of illegal activities like piracy. Most retro games are not available for purchase anymore, so there’s no way the original game makers could make more money from it anyway.

Now, for retro games that are available for online purchase, I honestly can’t say if the original game makers are getting any of that money. Many of the development companies don’t exist anymore, or the programmers are working elsewhere. But, I would estimate that 80% of my collection was bought at retail during original release, and I don’t feel like I should have to buy them again to play them on newer consoles.

[turf]

Marv, I see your point.  I think it's valid.  If you want to support a developer, be it a giant like Nintendo or a tiny studio, they only see the cash from buying new.  It's a legit point. 

Now, is there anything morally wrong with buying used?  Nope.  Not in the least.  It's just a personal choice. 

[bikingjahuty]

Nope, not one bit. Someone bought the game brand new and that money went to the devs/publisher. Once that game was bought, physically that is, it is property of the person who purchased it. Since they own it they can do whatever they want with it, and any value it has is a result of the demand placed on it by the market. If Publishers wanted to make sure they got money every time a game were sold they'd have to move to an all digital format, which many have done.

[doafan]

It's all our fault

Don't know what the hell are you trying to say here, I mean you are purchasing an used game, a game that somebody else had to purchase new (where the big N received their money) in my particular case I can't afford to purchase a new game the day of it's release, not even six months later it's release and not because I don't wanna do it the reason is because I can't afford it, in my opinion you aren't doing any damage to Nintendo cause you are purchasing after all an original title, you have the right to be ashamed of yourself if you adquire a pirate or an ilegal version of a title but this is not the case so relax a little dude 

[pizzasafari]

Of course not. Every physical product in the world has a secondhand market, regardless of how expensive or time-consuming it is to make. And if you don't buy that secondhand game, someone else will.

It's a basic right to sell something you own, refusing to buy from people trying to sell their property to make some money back is a terrible, anti-consumer idea.

[Nickkchilla]

Why would purchasing a used game be "morally" wrong?

Unless of course, the used game was purchased with stolen cash.

The publisher has already received their money from the initial purchase.

[shadowzero]

Used cars.  This been going on longer that video games been around.

[chrismb]

lmao there is no way i'll buy  game for 60$ if I can get it for 20

[maximo310]

LOL i don't even know how you reached this conclusion. I'd rather save money by buying used purchases so I can use that towards longer term goals like most people.

[Cartagia]

LOL i don't even know how you reached this conclusion. I'd rather save money by buying used purchases so I can use that towards longer term goals like most people.

Because that's the narrative that games' companies have been trying to push since the internet became a thing.  Especially now that they want to force "games as a service" down everyone's throat.

[cirno]

The issue I have with this idea is that the game companies that whine about this are losing absolutely nothing. It's rich folks who already have more money than they could ever need trying to secure more money. Chances are, more often than not the 0.0001% of profit you deprive them of isn't going to hurt them in any way.