One of the biggest issues coming out of E3 this year was the status of used games in the industry and consumer rights on the new, upcoming platforms. Microsoft has a very murky, unclear message about their stance on used games, other than the fact that they’re working on restricting them in new ways. Sony has a very hands-off approach and is keeping things status quo on the new consoles. Nintendo issued a statement saying something along the lines of “make better games and people won’t trade them in.” Avalanche Studios, developers of the Just Cause games, stated that games were too short and encouraged people to trade in their linear 8 to 10 hour experience. Cliff Bleszinski, former designer at Epic Games, stated that Triple A budgets can’t coexist with the used game market. I’m of two minds on the subject.

Bleszinski’s comment is the one that was the most interesting to me and gave me a reason to write this. It reads like an ultimatum; “Choose between saving money on used games or the bombastic $60 experiences you’re used to.” I don’t believe that the problem lies in the developers for making games that are too short or of lower quality and I don’t think it’s a problem that lies with the hardware manufacturers either; I think it’s a problem of unreal expectations from publishers who don’t give quarter to anyone they’re working with. The problem with publishers is that they only want to see profit and don’t understand that appealing to the consumer is the most sure-fire way to do it. Sony won a lot of support at its E3 conference because it told the consumers what they wanted.

If publishers want to lessen the impact of the used game market, they need to compete with the used game market, not try to eliminate it. Steam, iTunes and Netflix competed with piracy by creating an alternative that was just as fast and just as convenient. Publishers need to make an effort to create an alternative to used games that benefits the consumer. The online pass system didn’t benefit consumers; it only worked as a punishment system which is why there was so much negative reception. Platform holders can help create a system, but publishers need to give some ground to make it work.

The problem with the strategy of the Xbox One is exactly what I just stated; there’s no benefit to the consumer and it only works as a means of punishment. The 24 hour check-in and the restrictions on discs only work as punishments for the consumer. The policy for digital games is a lot more open and interesting, allowing users being able to share their library with their friends. That’s a policy that more platforms should emulate, as its very consumer friendly and holds benefits for a digital library I’ve never seen before. Microsoft’s created a system for digital games that is a lot more beneficial than any other system, but no one can see that because they’re trying to force people into their vision of the future. It’s an issue Microsoft had with Windows 8 and its very touch-friendly interface that translated poorly to a traditional mouse-and-keyboard setup. Microsoft is trying to force their vision of the future and callously disregarding anyone who can’t or won’t follow them.

The way that Sony should reach that same future destination is by incentivizing users without forcing them, which is where the role of the publisher comes in. What Sony should do with PlayStation Network is offer day-one digital releases at a lower price than most retailers would sell used games. Incentivize users to buy the game new in a system where they can’t resell it by making the games cheaper there. Sell games at $60 at retail and $50 or $45 on PSN and people who can buy games digitally will. Disc-based copies of the game still have the same freedom that physical games have nearly always had, but digital copies have their own benefit outside of “you don’t need to get up to put the disc in.” Publishers need to create an environment where copies of games you can’t resell are more enticing than copies you can. Publishers need to give up some of their perceived profit to protect themselves from the money they’re losing from used game sales.

The world isn’t ready for a shift to purely digital games. Many places don’t have the infrastructure to handle being forced into consoles or games that require a constant online connection. The strategy of the Xbox One has a lot of collateral damage that they’re flippantly ignoring. Used games are a problem that should be solved by the people it effects the most; the publishers. The responsibility and blame shouldn’t lie with the developers for not making a long enough game or a game of high enough quality to keep. It shouldn’t lie with hardware manufacturers to obediently create systems that take rights away from the consumers for the publishers. Publishers need to create systems that consumers want to be a part of, they need to create a system that benefits those that embrace the new but doesn’t punish those that can’t or won’t move on from the old system.

Don’t force the future, incentivize it.

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