74 replies to this topic

[havocide3]

Alright, I e-mailed an analyst covering MSFT(Microsoft), GME (Gamestop), and SNE (Sony) with some of these thoughts on Friday and he said he'd research and get back to me. Honestly, this is great for Microsoft and the game developers, but really shitty for Sony and Gamestop.

It has been rumored the "720" will be getting blu-ray compatibility. Why this is good? The PS3's main advantage over the 360 was the ability for Blu-ray. This was really shitty for game devs because they would then have to design a game to fit on a xbox 360 disc and wouldn't redesign it for the Blu-ray to take advantage of the extra space. For instance because Gran Turismo 5 is ONLY on the PS3, they utilize the extra space on the disc and the game is badass because of it. People would want a blu-ray player and a gaming console so they would get the PS3... if they can now get that in an xbox, they now have that option.

The single use thing sucks, but look at it this way. These $60 new games have a "trade-in factor" priced into them (aka they inflate the price because the games can be traded in and resold). If they're one time use games, they can sell it for say $50. If Playstation doesn't hop on this technology (Which may have to be licensed from Microsoft), then the games for the 360 may be cheaper. If you only buy new games, this is great for you. Why would you buy a new console where the new games are $60, when you can buy a different console for roughly the same price but the new games are only $50? Most people don't think about whether you can trade in games for money when you buy them, they think about it after they bought a console and are stuck with it.

Since this single use idea is so new and a year and a half away, we don't know too much about it yet. For all we know it could just be a license... if you want to trade it in, you can connect to XBL and deactivate the license and you now can trade back a used game. There are a ton of unknowns still

Edited by havocide3, 29 January 2012 - 10:44 AM.

[iargue]

Since this single use idea is so new and a year and a half away, we don't know too much about it yet. For all we know it could just be a license... if you want to trade it in, you can connect to XBL and deactivate the license and you now can trade back a used game. There are a ton of unknowns still

And it could be a rumor created by sony to kill the xbox. Who knows.

[havocide3]

Due to limited space on the console hard drives, downloadable versions of the games aren't really a viable option. That being said, the price of games may drop for the companies selling them but I doubt you'll see a drop in price passed onto the consumer. The distribution companies will simply be making some extra profit.

Especially Bluray discs :x

Edited by havocide3, 31 January 2012 - 12:16 PM.

[Leaf]

Just wondering... maybe its a stupid question but when does Microsoft make money from game's anyways? it makes no sense that they would do that. Doesn't their money come from the system and Microsoft products? so how would making it so you can only play the game you buy on one profile benefit them?

If its just for Xbox live then its nothing new. I have 2 xbox accounts and for some reason it wont let me play the games i bought on 1 on my other account. Which is the stupidest thing ever, i think. I mean i spend $20 to buy mass effect 1 on my side account and then i cant play it on my main account? wtfuck? mass effect cost $20 anyways... $14 used. In that case i should have just bought the game at gamestop and then it wouldnt be taking up 6GB of ym hard drive AND i would be able to play it on any damn number of accounts. I personally think its a bad system they got in place.

Asside from that it sounds really good. Im tired of PS3 fan's always saying, "Well we got blue ray player on our system"
and the only thing i want to say back is, "oh yea and when the fuck was the last time you used it?"

Edited by LeafMashes, 31 January 2012 - 01:43 PM.

[Unseen]

Microsoft own bungie, which created Halo etc

As for the Blu-Ray player, I use it all the time.

^ This, and when I don't use it, I still like the option of having it.

[redlion]

Alright, I e-mailed an analyst covering MSFT(Microsoft), GME (Gamestop), and SNE (Sony) with some of these thoughts on Friday and he said he'd research and get back to me. Honestly, this is great for Microsoft and the game developers, but really shitty for Sony and Gamestop.

The single use thing sucks, but look at it this way. These $60 new games have a "trade-in factor" priced into them (aka they inflate the price because the games can be traded in and resold). If they're one time use games, they can sell it for say $50. If Playstation doesn't hop on this technology (Which may have to be licensed from Microsoft), then the games for the 360 may be cheaper. If you only buy new games, this is great for you. Why would you buy a new console where the new games are $60, when you can buy a different console for roughly the same price but the new games are only $50? Most people don't think about whether you can trade in games for money when you buy them, they think about it after they bought a console and are stuck with it.

Since this single use idea is so new and a year and a half away, we don't know too much about it yet. For all we know it could just be a license... if you want to trade it in, you can connect to XBL and deactivate the license and you now can trade back a used game. There are a ton of unknowns still

Those $60 new games don't have a trade-in factor priced into them. They have an inflation factor priced into them, and a PPP factor priced into them. Game developers don't give a shit about the secondary/used game market because after the game is initially sold, they've made all the money they're going to make. The price will not come down. Ever. Until the value of the dollar increases exponentially against foreign currencies. Which it won't.

And I think the point of a single-use failsafe is to prevent people from selling them on to other Xbox owners. They wouldn't allow you to deactivate your account and activate another... from a profit perspective, that's just silly. Destroys the purpose of linking a fresh game to an account in the first place.

To be completely fair, games running through Steam have been locked to an account for a long time. A notable example of this is Counter-Strike 1.6... So I don't think that Microsoft can utilize it as their own concept and cash in on it requiring others to pay a licence fee.

I doubt it would drop the price of games at all. Steam Games for the PC (at least in Australia) did not drop at all. But they were cheaper if you bought them directly through steam (which means download the game install of getting a disc which means your saving them money on the shipping, boxing and distribution. Due to limited space on the console hard drives, downloadable versions of the games aren't really a viable option. That being said, the price of games may drop for the companies selling them but I doubt you'll see a drop in price passed onto the consumer. The distribution companies will simply be making some extra profit.

^^
The main difference that I can see between the single-use policy for the upcoming Microsoft system and the single-account policy maintained by Steam is that the account is key. My brother plays TF2 on my Steam account even though he's 200 miles away on a computer I never touch. All I had to do was give him my username and password and he's in. I don't know the hard limit, but Steam allows multiple computers linked to a single account. I doubt the new Microsoft system will be similar. I don't know for sure, but I doubt it.

[Leaf]

Microsoft own bungie, which created Halo etc

As for the Blu-Ray player, I use it all the time.

i knew that but since bungie doesn't technically own halo or any part of the franchise anymore what would be their motive to do this in 2013?

[Elindoril]

Asside from that it sounds really good. Im tired of PS3 fan's always saying, "Well we got blue ray player on our system"
and the only thing i want to say back is, "oh yea and when the fuck was the last time you used it?"

Oh I don't know, maybe all the time, considering all I ever buy are blu-rays.

5,000 posts!

[redlion]

Oh I don't know, maybe all the time, considering all I ever buy are blu-rays.

5,000 posts!

It's really the new standard def for merchandise.

And congrats I'm coming up on the big 15k, although I doubt I'll notice it when I do. I remember my first couple of big landmarks, 1k, 2k, 5k, but now I just keep posting XD

[Kass]

Just a question, are they going to make all new gamertags on the 720? If so I'm definitely buying it and getting an OG

[Elindoril]

It's really the new standard def for merchandise.

I just do it because I have the player anyways, why settle for the DVDs?

[redlion]

I just do it because I have the player anyways, why settle for the DVDs?

I don't know that I would call it settling. But I understand your point, nonetheless.

[havocide3]

Profit split from a typical new videogame is: 20% to the console maker, 20% to the retailer, 15% for marketing, 30% to the publisher, and 15% to the developer.

Just wondering... maybe its a stupid question but when does Microsoft make money from game's anyways? it makes no sense that they would do that. Doesn't their money come from the system and Microsoft products? so how would making it so you can only play the game you buy on one profile benefit them?

Do you ever wonder what is stopping you from downloading the iso off the internet and burning it to your own DVD and playing it? Some protection crap. They charge developers to deliver the game on their console.

Those $60 new games don't have a trade-in factor priced into them. They have an inflation factor priced into them, and a PPP factor priced into them. Game developers don't give a shit about the secondary/used game market because after the game is initially sold, they've made all the money they're going to make. The price will not come down. Ever. Until the value of the dollar increases exponentially against foreign currencies. Which it won't.

If a company can sell 4 games for $60 or 5 games for $50, the developer would choose selling the 5 games because it yields an extra $1.50. Using this 4/5 model, $1.50 doesn't sound like a lot. When you sell 1m copies, that is a lot. You sir are way wrong if you think devs don't care about the secondary game market, because that directly impacts their number of copies sold. If people can only buy new games, then they get a cut off the top of the sale. Used product sales at Gamestop have a high 40% profit margin, and was also in the mid-high 40% in total revenue for the company. Trust me, the devs want that money any way they can.

This is good for almost everybody. Who is it screwing? The second-hand video game buyer.

Edited by havocide3, 31 January 2012 - 07:36 PM.

[Elindoril]

I don't know that I would call it settling. But I understand your point, nonetheless.

It's usually a tad cheaper when it comes to anime and the likes.

[Leaf]

You know why it's called the xbox 720? When you see it, you turn 720 degrees and walk away

LOL...

Scot if im looking at it and i make two 360 degree turns....

im still looking at it.

[Badger]

Oh man... you guys think you have it bad having to buy new games for $60.
Over here, the price is often jacked all the way up to $130.
I doubt the prices for new Xbox 720 games will be lower if this is true, for anyone.
It's money, after all, and companies are greedy.
The whole not being able to buy second hand games just makes them even more money.

Might have to finally switch to Playstation.

[Unseen]

LOL...

Scot if im looking at it and i make two 360 degree turns....

im still looking at it.

Spoiler

That's the funny part of it, some people actually said that. Unless you're trolling me and already knew that.

[Electromanio]

Soooo many people don't understand the Xbox 360 joke. The person who originally said it wasn't a troll or an idiot. He liked the Xbox 360. He was saying that you do a 360 turn and play it. The fact that so many people saw it as a guy who didn't understand what a 360 turn was an unintentional troll.

It reminds me of the "Fuck bitches, get money" phrase. They way that was originally used was to mean "have sex with bitches and get money at the same time"