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CAPCOM's attempt to kill used game sales - wow

Archive: 35 posts

Buying used video games is great for gamers who don't want to pay full price for the latest hits. You know who doesn't like used video games? Game publishers. In a very sad twist, Capcom's fighting back against the second-hand game market with a game that can only support one save file ? for life.

It's been confirmed that Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D for the Nintendo 3DS is a game that once finished, cannot be reset for complete replay. According to both the U.S. and U.K. game's instruction manual "saved data on this software cannot be reset."

Basically what Capcom has done is make Mercenaries 3D a one-time play affair. Once you've unlocked all the goodies and played the entire game, you will not be able to erase the game's save data and start fresh as if it were a new copy. Consider this: lending Mercenaries 3D to a friend, a little brother or sister will be worthless because they'll only be able to continue playing the game with your saved settings and create their own.

We get that game publishers don't make any money off sales from used video games, but killing off the ability to hit the reset button is just taking things too far. It's like saying Upperdeck is entitled to a cut in my autographed Michael Jordan basketball card I sold at a garage sale for $10,000 some 25 years after I bought it.

While it can be argued that used video game sales are actually more damaging than piracy, its still a lowball move for Capcom to make, especially with a franchise as large and significant as the Resident Evil series. Will other publishers follow in Capcom's footsteps to take a stand against the lucrative market of used video games? We really hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/06/capcom-tries-to.php

Discuss		2011-06-27 19:59:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

It's quite a nasty move really, all we can do to stop it catching on is to voice our opinion on the matter and deny them our money.2011-06-27 20:26:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

Wow. Not really going to be a popular move. Greedy, greedy people...2011-06-27 20:30:00

Author:
piggabling
Posts: 2979

What if every industry did that? One driver cars that are sent to the landfill when the owner wants a new one? Clothing that would spontaneously combust if worn by another person?

Once purchased I believe I can do whatever I want with what I've purchased in terms of resale. At least with physical objects (books, games, cars) Digital media seems to be a different situation nowadays.

Now if CAPCOM wanted to be jerks about it they could do download games only with some form of code that can only be used on one machine. Well if they wanted to be slightly less jerks than they are being now.		2011-06-27 20:35:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg00zeBsRK1qdbjng.gif
...what?		2011-06-27 20:41:00

Author:
wait wtf
Posts: 853

Well, it's not like I needed another reason not to get a 3DS, but I guess this will do.

What happened to you, Capcom? You used to be cool. 		2011-06-27 20:42:00

Author:
Gilgamesh
Posts: 2536

This is just crossing the line, euphemism, driving past it in a bright red ferrari, in a panda costume yelling "LOOK AT ME!". I for one like to get my money's worth out of games, that means playing through story mode twice (possibly 3 or 4 times if it's amazing). We're in a recession fgs! I for one certainly won't be purchasing this, I'm confused how they can get away with such daylight robbery... 2011-06-27 20:55:00

Author:
abyssalassassin
Posts: 717

Thats one nasty move there CAPCOM.
I wasn't getting the 3DS either but this is just being jerky. :C


"saved data on this software cannot be reset."
Meh, LBP PSP has a built in data remover. (Profile Crash)		2011-06-27 21:12:00

Author:
nysudyrgh
Posts: 5482

Reminds me of EA and some of their PS3 releases: you need to buy an "online activation code" to use most online features. The games usually come with a free code for use on purchase, but it can only be used once - which sucks, considering that me and my brother play on different accounts. 2011-06-27 23:16:00

Author:
gdn001
Posts: 5891

I played a game on the DS that did that. Kind of a fail, really.

All I had to do was corrupt the save data on purpose, then I could format it.

I wonder if they have any plans around that, or it formatted save data is just gonna be a game killer or something...

Really, it is a cheap move. They really shouldn't be able to do that, and I can see it backfiring. I know a bunch of people who won't buy new games, even if they can't find it new. No profit anyway.		2011-06-27 23:43:00

Author:
KlawwTheClown
Posts: 1106

I played a game on the DS that did that. Kind of a fail, really.

All I had to do was corrupt the save data on purpose, then I could format it.

I wonder if they have any plans around that, or it formatted save data is just gonna be a game killer or something...

Really, it is a cheap move. They really shouldn't be able to do that, and I can see it backfiring. I know a bunch of people who won't buy new games, even if they can't find it new. No profit anyway.

Dont let Capcom know about epic glitching.		2011-06-28 00:21:00

Author:
Cactii
Posts: 426

This almost doesn't even bother me, because there's absolutely no way I'd buy a game with this feature. The only effect this feature will have is stopping me from buying any game that has it.

God forbid there's any missable items in that game.		2011-06-28 00:27:00

Author:
Dexiro
Posts: 2100

This almost doesn't even bother me, because there's absolutely no way I'd buy a game with this feature. The only effect this feature will have is stopping me from buying any game that has it.

God forbid there's any missable items in that game.

^ Exactly what is going to completely destory that game's marketing.
If theres literally no replayability, why would you even bother buying it? Capcom is a jerk!		2011-06-28 00:36:00

Author:
grayspence
Posts: 1990

Just read that the 3ds version of Super Monkey Ball has the same issue.2011-06-28 00:45:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

I wouldn't buy any games without any replay value.

This is just so ridiculous.. I don't even know how to respond..
:|		2011-06-28 05:22:00

Author:
midnight_heist
Posts: 2513

OK, I only have 1 hour lunch break and a lot of ground I want to cover

Used Games

Ever since I left Canada over 10 years ago I have lived in places where it is not possible to rent games (including Japan). This means that in order to enjoy as many games as possible my only option has been to constantly trade-in games I have finished playing through (fyi I am not Bill Gates) for which I get a certain amount of trade-in value and I always have to pay money on top of that. With the emergence of the "online pass" this has also meant getting less trade in value (assuming I used the code) which I fully understand and appreciate. Publishers do not see any revenue from the lucrative used games market and this is has been their way of taking a slice from the pie, fine, we get it. However, I think Capcom has now when past the point of no return and the implications are worrying. This will being me to my next point:

Greed

I believe the trend began with the rise DLC, the trend of "how do we get even more money out of gamers?" DLC is now ubiquitous, almost every single game will feature some kind of DLC, a lot of it questionable. How do we determine "value for money" when considering DLC? Is the equation price?extra hours of entertainment=worth it? This is of course a subjective question largely dependent on the type of game we are talking about (fighters or shooters would seem to make the most "sense" as far as DLC is concerned) but I for one do not believe in it. Perhaps because I grew up in a simpler time, perhaps because I am always looking for the next gaming experience and generally move on from a game once I am done with it. Either way I believe DLC was the first step from the industry as a whole towards enticing gamers to part with more money (yes it's optional blah blah blah but this can easily be approached from a psychological angle which I simply do not have the time to delve into right now).

The next step in the trend I believe will be subscription based services. Acti announces CoD Elite, there is a lot of confusion, there is a lot of raging, we still don't know exactly what we will be getting if we join. Putting all that aside I think it portends a future where all online elements will be subscription based. This applies not only to the actual online gameplay but also websites that have their own communities linked to the game with full stat tracking, vids etc etc. I do not think this will happen tomorrow but in 10-15 years? Possibly, and Elite is simply the first step in that direction.

Finally there is an issue of the actual game prices which is directly connected to the used game market and the necessity many people have to resort to trad-ins. Put bluntly, why the hell are game so expensive? The argument used to be about shipping, packaging and retailer costs but how does this apply when Mass Effect 2 is released on PSN simultaneously with the disc release? How do those costs apply then? Personally I prefer to have a physical disc but if I could buy all game digitally for 25-30%% less then let me assure, I will have a disc-free home. This also menas I would not be able to trade-in which is perfectly fine because I could afford to buy a lot more games! I wonder when publishers will come to this realization, that they could potentially make a lot more money but lowering the cost of games.

People power

The final point I would like to make is the power we have as consumers. We speak with our wallets, our wallets speak loudly. As Rabid-Coot pointed out the only way to make a relevant point on the issue is to deny the companies your money, it's as simple as that. The problem is I do not think there will ever be enough people to take that stand...There is hope though. The internet keeps us connected and gets information where it needs to go in the blink of an eye. Gamers are voicing their opinions on various blogs, forums and social networking sites and have proven that it can make a difference. Case in point, EA announces pre-ordered EU copies of BF3 will get "physical warfare" DLC. Gamers across the internet go into a frenzied rage. EA soon announces that the DLC will eventually be made available to all. Coincidence? I don't think so.


Well, it's not like I needed another reason not to get a 3DS, but I guess this will do.

What happened to you, Capcom? You used to be cool.

I could answer that question but Helba on Kotaku already summarized my thoughts (except the Resi 4 comment, that’s just silly)


Capcom, I thought you'd ****** me off with all the ridiculous DLC for MVC3 of characters that should have been there from the start.

I thought you'd ****** me off when you drove Megaman's creator out of the company.

I thought you'd ****** me off when you took Resident Evil and turned it into a shooter instead of a survival horror game. [RE4 and beyond].

I thought you'd really ****** me off when you handed our beloved Dante over to a foreign studio and let them rape the character and tear out the soul of the game.

I thought you'd made me furious when you fired all your local, internal development teams and decided to just license your franchises to the "magic" studios in the "West".

But this? I thought that was a momentary lapse in judgement, what you did with the PSN titles and saves on certain games. If this is your actual, deliberate strategy, you might have just lost a customer. A customer you've had for 23 years.

Chew on that a while. In the meantime, gonna give more of my money to Namco-Bandai, Nippon Ichi, Konami, and Square-Enix. More of my very large disposable income.


http://kotaku.com/5815929/used-copies-of-resident-evil-the-mercenaries-3d-will-be-forever-haunted-by-the-last-owner

Lastly a conversation I had on Twitter with @CapcomEuro


OCK__
CAPCOM's attempt to kill used video games sales. Wow, wow...wow. THAT is some bull****. http://bit.ly/kLgYSQ @CapcomEuro #no #dontdoit
17 hours ago

CapcomEuro Capcom Europe
@
@OCK__ this feature does not remove any content available for users, and the game is time/score based so makes little difference 2nd hand
4 hours ago

OCK__
@
@CapcomEuro yes but it does not allow a new user to start from square one. I have no interest in the 3DS but start doing this with the PS3 and my 20+ year love affair with Capcom comes to an end, MANY feel the same way...
4 hours ago

CapcomEuro Capcom Europe
@
@OCK__ They can start where they like. And tech differences mean that this oversight can't be replicated on your PS3
4 hours ago

OCK__
@
@CapcomEuro time will tell just how deep this rabbit hole goes. I think there is a good reason the entire gaming community is in an uproar, whether that's a blog like Kotaku or a forum like http://reddit.com
3 hours ago

CapcomEuro Capcom Europe
@
@OCK__ because they think it's something it isn't? You save on your HDD not on the disc on your PS3
1 hour ago
in reply to ↑

@OCK__
Oliver K
@CapcomEuro yes we all know that...Capcom would be wise to heed the voice of the gamer and avoid hubris, thanks for the replies.		2011-06-28 12:55:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

CAPCOM are just damaging their own company. Who do they think will agree with them and follow their footsteps. While they obviously lose money from trade-ins its better if thet can at least get people to buy the game at first, this is going to make people turn their backs on CAPCOM.2011-06-28 13:02:00

Author:
craigmond
Posts: 2426

Lately I'm worried that everyone always blames politicians, big corps, but no one looks at what he does.
The problem is us, "we the people" too.
Because people doesn't want to renounce on things, to make sacrifices, to prioritarize on a thing over another.
People can't buy anything, can't play everything and so on, so you have to be a man and make decisions.
But "we the people" are so greedy that we want everything, so we download softwares, games, music for free somewhere.
It's a fight between sellers and consumers, a war that leads to nothing.
Because the more people will get angry at corps moves, the more they will try to obtain stuff in the cheapest way, but the corps will retaliate with higher prices and silly stuff like this of RE: Mercenaries.
It's always greed, but not only from the corps' side.		2011-06-28 13:16:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

Well, I have a 3DS - as do a few of my friends - we were 'considering' getting this game when it came out;

That is, until I showed them the article. And now there's no way.. in fact, I will be questioning every single Capcom purchase in future, to see if there isn't some more deserving developer that needs my money more than Capcom do.

Consumer Power!

If only there were more gamers that actually had a conscience and cared who makes their games.

And how does this sit with our statuatory consumer rights regarding first-sale doctrine? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine)		2011-06-28 14:18:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Finally there is an issue of the actual game prices which is directly connected to the used game market and the necessity many people have to resort to trad-ins. Put bluntly, why the hell are game so expensive? The argument used to be about shipping, packaging and retailer costs but how does this apply when Mass Effect 2 is released on PSN simultaneously with the disc release? How do those costs apply then? Personally I prefer to have a physical disc but if I could buy all game digitally for 25-30%% less then let me assure, I will have a disc-free home. This also menas I would not be able to trade-in which is perfectly fine because I could afford to buy a lot more games! I wonder when publishers will come to this realization, that they could potentially make a lot more money but lowering the cost of games.


Games are so expensive to buy now because they're so expensive to produce and they want to make their money back as quickly as possible and in some cases they'll be using a cheap game to offset the loss made on an expensive flop.

Games don't tend to stay expensive for long though, I buy all my games new but simply waiting a month or 2 gets me the game at half of what it cost at launch.

I hav't seen anything definite about the reason for digital versions but i think it is because of the games RRP.

Mass Effect 2 has a ?49.99 RRP
The digital version launches at ?47.99
The physical version gets the usual 20% off thanks to competition amongst retailers launches around ?40
Now the games a few months old and the price of a physical copy has declined to around ?25 but the digital version is stuck at the RRP.		2011-06-28 15:33:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

Games are so expensive to buy now because they're so expensive to produce and they want to make their money back as quickly as possible and in some cases they'll be using a cheap game to offset the loss made on an expensive flop.

Games don't tend to stay expensive for long though, I buy all my games new but simply waiting a month or 2 gets me the game at half of what it cost at launch.

I hav't seen anything definite about the reason for digital versions but i think it is because of the games RRP.

Mass Effect 2 has a ?49.99 RRP
The digital version launches at ?47.99
The physical version gets the usual 20% off thanks to competition amongst retailers launches around ?40
Now the games a few months old and the price of a physical copy has declined to around ?25 but the digital version is stuck at the RRP.

We could spend all day speculating on the issue of game prices but no matter how hard I try to understand it there is zero justification for a digital version of a game costing the same as a disc. Yes we have the RRP but shipping/packaging used to be a big argument as to why games cost as much as they do. I imagine Sony takes a cut from selling things over PSN but surely it does not equal the sort of mark-up a retailer puts on it. Also, yes games are more expensive to produce but the market is also 100x bigger then it was 20 years ago, therefore the two should cancel eachother out. Then again what do I know, I only have a background in business and my wife is an economist

On the issue of buying new games, 90% of the games I buy/trade toward are day 1 purchases, brand new, factory sealed. I do not trade-in all games and a point always comes where there is nothing left to trade/amount of new releases eclipses what I have to trade. Case in point, this Oct/Nov there are at least 8 games I would like to buy day 1. Out of those I will need to buy 5 outright which is a fair bit of money. As adults we have the advantage of having more disposable income but the kid who shares the same passion and love for gaming and has to save up and make tough choices about what to pick up? Not so lucky (and let's not trivialize the issue, gaming can be an important psychological escape for kids who are living in hostile environments, of that I can assure everyone but that's another topic for another day...). David Jaffe made a long post via Twitter a few weeks ago which basically boiled down to the following 2 points:

1. Games are f-ing expensive and he fully appreciates the need for people to trade-in games (while acknowledging it is a problem for publishers)

2. The entire industry needs to rethink how it does business so it is fair to ALL parties.

Jaffe is never afraid to voice his opinions, I wish more industry heavyweights had the balls to do the same. This all comes back to the main topic, Capcom's idiotic move that essentially kills resale on the Resi game. I read that many retailers are now selling used copies dirt cheap...		2011-06-28 20:13:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

Hopefully other companies do not follow... I thought the gaming industry was moving forward but with these online passes and stuff like this I feel like it is just being set back.

I buy used games when the price is significantly lower, I've bought a used game at 40$ when the New price was 60$. That basically is a no brainer there. But when it is just 3$ less for the used, if it includes an online pass or not i'd buy the new just for 3$ more and the satisfaction of opening the plastic :/		2011-06-29 06:01:00

Author:
Snrm
Posts: 6419

Actually, Games Prices have been fixed for decades.

I can remember my Dad buying himself PGA Pro Tour Golf for the Sega Master System - and it cost him ?40... and that was 20 years ago.

I remember buying Doom 64 on the N64 for the princely sum of ?60, that was more than 10 years ago.

So actually games prices have went down in recent years, in real terms, when you factor in inflation etc.

Games pricing comes down to psychology - what is the maximum amount they can charge you while still being able to justifying the price?
It turns out that price is around ?40.
The actual sale price of the game has nothing what-so-ever to do with development costs/shipping/packaging/server hosting etc etc... and everything to do with the "psychological maximum". They all retail at the same price regardless of who developed it, how long it took them, or how big the instruction booklet is. All of the games publishers and retailers got together and decided on a price fix years ago - it goes totally against "The Free Market Economy" ideal - and could be argued that it's illegal price fixing - were it not for the existence of a second-hand market.

Without that second hand market - they are just profiteers.

I mean, think about it. If the cost of developing games is "so much more expensive" for this current generation of consoles, then how come they still charge exactly the same price for the games as they did for the last generation?
The answer? - they've been ripping us off for years 		2011-06-29 08:53:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

According to our sources, EB is set to ’recall’ the game from sale tomorrow, ironically the game isn’t meant to be out yet. Our source says that this is due to the game not having the ability to be started fresh, meaning that any resell of the game is basically useless. It also means that any game bought would instantly be ’preowned’. In Australia, EB Games has a 7 day policy providing you bring the game back as new. This wouldn’t be possible with Mercenaries. A recall we believe means EB are removing the game from sale from their stores, if you bought one already - you’re safe.

http://www.vooks.net/story-20260-EB-Games-Australia-recalling-Mercenaries-from-sale-over-save-file-debacle.html

There's also the possibility that this is because they broke the release date


We have another thought on this as well, this simply could be an excuse to pull the game back from sale until the 30th, they did just break the street date on it. However if it’s about the save file and other retailers follow suit, it could make it very hard for Capcom to find a market for the game.

This is aparently another reason why digital is so expensive retailers are still a strong enough to be able to deny publishers physical retail if they feel they won't benefit from stocking the product.


I mean, think about it. If the cost of developing games is "so much more expensive" for this current generation of consoles, then how come they still charge exactly the same price for the games as they did for the last generation?

Last generation was a ?40 RRP with retailers reducing it to ?30 day one (atleast once internet retailers forced everyone down) This generation has a ?50 RRP but everything starts at ?40

Also USA has gone from $50 last gen to $60 this gen and europe has gone from €50 last gen to €60 this gen		2011-06-29 08:59:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

Very well said indeed:


Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is out in stores today and I was quite looking forward to buying it. My 3DS is finally getting some attention after a post-launch release drought and I was hoping to keep up the momentum started by Ocarina of Time 3D with Capcom's debut offering.

However, the news that it will contain persistent save data that cannot be reset has caused me to rethink my purchasing decision. After talking to gamers, GameStop, Capcom, and weighing my options, I have decided to keep my cash and wait for something else.

I will respectfully abstain from purchasing The Mercenaries 3D.

The driving factor of my decision is that I feel I would be supporting a cause I have staunchly opposed for many years -- the fight against used games. I support the secondhand game market because I believe it is ultimately beneficial to the games industry -- I think it helps poorer gamers afford brand new titles with trade-in credit, and I believe it generates greater exposure to an intellectual property, in that those who buy a game used are more likely to buy the sequel brand new if they enjoyed it.

These are long-term benefits to the used games industry, but unfortunately, publishers only ever think of childish, short-term gratification. They want their cash now, and they feel entitled to that cash even after they made an initial sale. Features such as online passes -- that hold content to ransom unless users input a purchasable code -- inconvenience new and used consumers alike, and eventually devalue used games, which could have long-term ramifications on the market. As someone who cares about the future of this industry, as well as consumer rights, I cannot in good faith support any move that fights used games in a direct and potentially damaging way.

Capcom has stated that the used market was not a factor. I can't say I am wholly inclined to believe it because ... what other factors could there be? I'd love for Capcom to set my mind at rest by explaining what DID factor into the decision, but the truth is -- it hasn't. I asked a very direct question while chatting with the publisher -- what influenced its decision to stop consumers erasing save data? My conversation with Capcom ended there. No answer was given.

Regardless of Capcom's justifications, however, the fact is that The Mercenaries 3D does represent harm to the used game market. Reports of GameStop's refusal to accept trade-ins for the game are increasing, and store managers have personally told me that their computers outright block the game from being processed. In essence, this has quite smartly locked The Mercenaries out of the used game market, and could easily inspire other 3DS game publishers to pull the same stunt.

It's not hard to imagine those publishers already fighting used games -- the likes of Electronic Arts and THQ -- are salivating at the prospect of games that are effectively immune to used sales.

Some will argue that, due to the non-linear nature of the game, this won't effect anybody. However, a used consumer will potentially risk buying a game that has all content unlocked, and a range of user-inputted high scores rather than scores set by the game itself. Some of you might not like unlockables, but I know I'm not alone when I say that the appeal of a non-linear, arena-based game like this personally lies in the discovery of new skills and fresh stages, a gradual release of content that keeps me invested in playing, rather than a complete explosion of gameplay with total access from the outset. Some of you might be fine with having all the content and somebody else's high scores -- I am not.

Even outside of that, I know of gamers who like resetting their data. Ars Technica's Ben Kuchera stated today that he regularly starts all types of handheld games again from scratch.

"I wasn't sent a review copy, was going to go out and buy it, but MAN that's just a direct attack on your customers. I can't support it," he Tweeted. "I really like wiping my save game files on portable games to start from scratch. Do it all the time. That makes this a **** deal for me."

I'm not a big data-eraser myself, but I understand why some like to do it, and I totally agree that Ben has a right to be perturbed by this. It's yet another instance of control being taken away from gamers -- a worrying theme of this generation.

Not to mention, Capcom's decision will inevitably lead to an increase in hacking. When you tell gamers they cannot do something, a certain subset of them will invariably take that as a challenge. Every time a company claims that its hardware is impossible to hack, the hackers rise to the challenge and prove them wrong. Capcom blocking the erasure of saved data is akin to painting a great big bullseye on every copy in stores. People will find the exploits that allow them to wipe data, and that could easily open the doors to other types of exploits that publishers won't like.

Ultimately, I'm not outraged by any of this, but after rationally examining the situation, I feel that I would be undermining my own principals if I gave monetary support to a game that directly conflicts with something I unequivocally, proudly believe in -- the importance and value of the secondhand game market. Whether Capcom truly did this to fight used games isn't the issue. The fact is that Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D does have an impact on the ongoing conflict, and as such, I abstain.

I've got too much respect for this industry and its consumers to support something that represents a direct assault on used games.

http://www.destructoid.com/respectfully-not-buying-resident-evil-the-mercs-3d-204798.phtml		2011-06-29 13:49:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

HMV won't be taking trade-ins.

http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/29/hmv-to-refuse-resident-evil-mercenaries-trade-ins-in-uk/

Also the game has been review bombed on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Resident-Evil-Mercenaries-Nintendo-3DS/product-reviews/B002I0GKA4/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending


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mercenaries 3d(1)		2011-06-29 14:03:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

http://www.vooks.net/story-20260-EB-Games-Australia-recalling-Mercenaries-from-sale-over-save-file-debacle.html
Last generation was a ?40 RRP with retailers reducing it to ?30 day one (atleast once internet retailers forced everyone down) This generation has a ?50 RRP but everything starts at ?40

Also USA has gone from $50 last gen to $60 this gen and europe has gone from ?50 last gen to ?60 this gen

But that's still down from the generation before - where the price to manufacture N64 cartridges pushed it up to ?60.

And I bought Cod Black Ops - 'The' current AAA+++ title to own (even if it is a generic, soulless yearly update/rehash) - for ?26 from a supermarket retailer on the release date. Even though the RRP for that was a ridiculous ?55 - I don;t think 'anywhere' actually sells it at that price because no-one will pay it.

Over-all, games prices have remained steadily average - as have DVD and Music CD prices.

The price of anything is more down to a willingness to pay for it, than what it actually costs to make.		2011-06-29 14:40:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

I am a proud 3DS owner, and have been touting it highly over the PSP and PSV, but this makes me sad for the system. I will not be purchasing this game after all... Hopefully the second Resident Evil on the little handheld will not be so militant or else my second favorite horror franchise may no longer be gracing my shelves.2011-06-29 15:30:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

It's also up on the genetation before PS1 games had a RRP of around ?30 i think (I was a late adopter and didn't reall buy much new so I could be wrong) but going even further back I have Street Fighter 2 special championship edition for the Mega Drive with the receipt in the box and that was ?40 no idea if thats RRP though.

Prices have fluctuated across the generations but you're right that they know the level they'll sell at and things will settle at that until they experiment with a higher price point like COD has done and I've heard the next FIFA will be doing the same, fortunatly intense retailer competition keeps the price down on those. Inevitably they'll try the higher price on more titles and if it works we'll just pay that little bit more for everything.		2011-06-29 16:29:00

Author:
Rabid-Coot
Posts: 6728

To be honest, Capcom is setting themselves up for a big flame war. If any other company decides to follow suit (for God knows why), then gaming forums will band together to retaliate. Consumers will drop their loyalty, and others will pirate and manipulate the game's coding to bypass the one-save dilemma.

The worse thing to happen to Capcom is that hackers decide to take this out on them, but I don't think that'll happen until other companies do this too. I just hope they don't.		2011-06-29 19:32:00

Author:
CyberSora
Posts: 5551

That was pretty **** low, CAPCOM.

But, if you all didn't know..

You can't even erase the data for Dragonball Z:Supersonic Warriors for the GBA, which was before all of this.		2011-06-29 20:52:00

Author:
Unknown User

And this is why the word must be spread when companies try to pull this sort of BS:


Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D's lack of a save data reset function is probably a one-off, Capcom has insisted.

Fans were in uproar last week after it was revealed that Capcom denied anyone playing Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D the ability to delete their saved game file and start from scratch.

In a video interview on Capcom Unity, Capcom US boss Christian Svensson responded to the controversy and suggested it won't happen again.

"It's fair to say there was never quite the malicious intent the conspiracy theorists out there would have you believe," he said.

"It's also fair to say in light of the controversy it's generated I don't think you're going to see something like this happening again."

Last week Capcom said the move wasn't an attempt to curtail used game sales, but was in fact in keeping with the title's "arcade fighting game" feel.

"There was no intention of lessening the experience of the game," the Japanese game maker said.

"Essentially, RE Mercs was treated like an arcade fighting game. You unlock characters, levels, etc and they just stay unlocked as they would in an arcade machine.

"There was no hidden motive to prevent buying used copies. It's not some secret form of DRM. It's simply the way we designed the save system to work with the arcade type of gameplay."

In Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, all mission progress is saved directly to the Nintendo 3DS cartridge, where it cannot be reset.

After the news broke UK shop HMV announced it would not accept the game for trade-in. Game, however, will.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-07-04-capcom-resi-evil-save-system-a-one-off

There it is, people power. I love CAPCOM's explanation as to why they made Mercs the way they did, now these guys are really taking the ****...		2011-07-04 17:47:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

The consumer is (almost) always right.2011-07-04 18:16:00

Author:
gdn001
Posts: 5891

The consumer is (almost) always right.

Who do companies make the products for?
If not the consumer, then for who?

If they are making stuff the consumers don't like - then who is right? The producer or the consumer?		2011-07-05 03:26:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Who do companies make the products for?
If not the consumer, then for who?

If they are making stuff the consumers don't like - then who is right? The producer or the consumer?
The part where they are not right is the trollscience part. 		2011-07-05 17:00:00

Author:
gdn001
Posts: 5891


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