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Heavy Rain developer Quantic Dream believes it lost one million customers, and "between €5 and €10 million", to second-hand sales.

"I can take just one example of Heavy Rain," Quantic Dream co-founder Guillaume de Fondaumiere told GamesIndustry.biz. "We basically sold to date approximately two million units. We know from the Trophy system that probably more than three million people bought this game and played it.

"On my small level it's a million people playing my game without giving me one cent. And my calculation is, as Quantic Dream, I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second-hand gaming."

At the heart of the argument, believes Fondaumiere, is price.

"Now, are games too expensive?" he asked.

"I've always said that games are probably too expensive, so there's probably a right level here to find, and we need to discuss this all together and try to find a way to reconcile consumer expectations, retail expectations and also the expectations of the publisher and the developers to make this business a worthwhile business."

Fondaumiere believes the global recession gave rise to the second-hand video game market. He understands that without it, less games would probably have been bought, due to the removal of trade-in discounts.

But, at the moment, "we're basically all shooting ourselves in the foot", he declared.

"Because when developers and publishers alike are going to see that they can't make a living out of producing games that are sold through retail channels, because of second-hand gaming, they will simply stop making these games," he said, or move exclusively online.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-09-12-used-market-cost-heavy-rain-1m-sales

Wow, lol. He really doesn't understand the second hand market.

 

[Raide]

Just be glad someone is buying Heavy Rain. Else it would be meeting up with ET in the desert.

 

[SmokyDave]

How did he rule out two or more people in the same household playing the same copy?

 

[Momo]

This bullshit again

 

[JaseC]

New copies should have come with a one-use code that disables the voice of Ethan Mars.

 

[Q8D3vil]

i'm ashamed to say i'm one of the 2 millions who bought it

 

[Danielsan]

"Playing my game"

Get the fuck over yourself man. Our game, you twat.
Also lent my copy to a friend of mine. He finished it. Tough shit.

 

[cvxfreak]

I lent my copy of john tv. Guess that makes us evil.

 

[Data West]

How did he rule out two or more people in the same household playing the same copy?

The majority of game company people think everyone who didn't buy their own copy is a dirty thief. HOW DARE YOU SHARE

But of course, WE'RE the self-entitled ones.

 

[Osietra]

What did he expect? Past remarks about only wanting people to play it through once....

 

[Teknopathetic]

More like 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth keeping and 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth buying new.

 

[jgminto]

Well there is also rentals and more than 1 person per household. I do hate the second hand market and try to avoid it whenever I can. Way worse than pirates.

 

[JaseC]

i'm ashamed to say i'm one of the 2 millions who bought it

I also bought the game, but never finished it. Don't intend to, either.

 

[[Nintex]]

"we're basically all shooting ourselves in the foot",

Ok, we now know you have a GAF account, show yourself!

 

[Anteater]

What about all those lost sales from people lending the game to their friends :O

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

Complaining about used games sales is the only thing more irritating than publishers blaming piracy for their shitacular game failing to sell 4 million units.

 

[Wrestlemania]

"High cost of new game cost us 1m sales"

 

[onken]

Yeah but we have no idea how many of those are loans, multiple accounts, people that borrowed it and went on to buy it themselves etc. That would put the second hand rate at well under 30% I reckon, which is actually a lot lower than I would have thought really.

 

[Data West]

What about all those lost sales from people lending the game to their friends :O

You disgusting monster.

 

[Stabby McSter]

More like 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth keeping and 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth buying new.

i borrowed it from my friend, and i even felt ripped off

 

[Truant]

Used marked saved a bunch of people from spending retail on a shitty game. | OT

 

[Jarmel]

Just be glad someone is buying Heavy Rain. Else it would be meeting up with ET in the desert.

Hahaha. Damn this thread is cold.

 

[eek5]

"I would like people to play it once … because that’s life. Life you can only play once … I would like people to have this experience that way," explains Cage. "I’m fine with [people reloading saves to avoid bad endings], but the right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it’s going to be your story. It’s going to be unique to you. It’s really the story you decided to write … I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it."

:lol

 

[panty]

For the love of god, please Quantic Dream go and take a lesson about PR-talk.

 

[The Praiseworthy]

Heavy Rain was pure epic... I don't understand why it's so cool to hate it now?

And thank god I never buys a used games.

 

[BY2K]

"On my small level it's a million people playing my game without giving me one cent. And my calculation is, as Quantic Dream, I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second-hand gaming."

Jesus Christ, who the hell does he think he is!? How more selfish do you need to be...

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Online pass.

To get the real ending acts!

 

[Pranay]

Heavy rain was a really good game

 

[daviyoung]

I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second-hand gaming

Oh to be a struggling artist with the weight of the world on your shoulders. He must know how van Gogh felt.

 

[The Bookerman]

tough luck big man, you told me to play it once, and that's what I did. Returned that shit to Eb.

 

[Dash Kappei]

Well there is also rentals and more than 1 person per household. I do hate the second hand market and try to avoid it whenever I can. Way worse than pirates.

L O L

 

[Broder Salsa]

Heavy Rain was pure epic... I don't understand why it's so cool to hate it now?

Well I understand the hate for the story or at least the way it was told, but other than that it really was one of my favorite games this gen.

 

[Noshino]

"Playing my game"

Get the fuck over yourself man. Our game, you twat.
Also lent my copy to a friend of mine. He finished it. Tough shit Cage.

Just like movies, books, and every other for of entertainment... despite the fact that you bought a unit, its still their game.

Oh, and this isn't Cage lol

The majority of game company people think everyone who didn't buy their own copy is a dirty thief. HOW DARE YOU SHARE

But of course, WE'RE the self-entitled ones.

Sharing isn't the same, actually I don't recall anyone complaining about sharing games (not psn game sharing)

 

[duckroll]

"On my small level it's a million people playing my game without giving me one cent. And my calculation is, as Quantic Dream, I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second-hand gaming."

Man, remind me that if I ever buy a game that this guy works on, I'll make it a point to lend my game to as many friends as possible so they don't have to give him a cent either. Self-righteous prick.

 

[Mithos]

"I would like people to play it once … because that’s life. Life you can only play once … I would like people to have this experience that way," explains Cage. "I’m fine with [people reloading saves to avoid bad endings], but the right way to enjoy Heavy Rain is really to make one thing because it’s going to be your story. It’s going to be unique to you. It’s really the story you decided to write … I think playing it several times is also a way to kill the magic of it."

All Endings Trophy/Achievement says HI!

Maybe not add trophies/achievements that need different routes then crazy man. ^^

 

[Momo]

Heavy Rain was pure epic... I don't understand why it's so cool to hate it now?

You thought it was epic, others didnt

And thank god I never buys a used games.

Why not?

 

[Data West]

Just like movies, books, and every other for of entertainment... despite the fact that you bought a unit, its still their game.

Oh, and this isn't Cage lol



Sharing isn't the same, actually I don't recall anyone complaining about sharing games (not psn game sharing)

Of course not. That'll be after they're done crying about the used market. 'Amazon sales made us lose a bunch of money :'('

 

[Dr_Boris_Goltz]

Press X to Jassssoooon...

Rotate both sticks clockwise to come across as a sneering douche bag.

 

[Zaptruder]

ITT: Neogaffers claw wildly at the proverbial face of another developer who speaks out against the used game market.


My take: Whether the developers are right or wrong on the subject, you're already seeing economic pressure towards developers to shaft the used games market, be it the use of single use codes or an increased emphasis on digital distribution. This pressure will simply continue to grow, until we reach the point where the physical games market is deprecated and the issue of used games and the brick and mortar stores that carry them, brushed aside into niches - as the market's ability to economically support the large gaming chains of today continue to dry up.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i can't wait for them to get rid of the retail middleman so they can offer us lower prices while still making more money because of an increased slice of the pie for them!

 

[dwu8991]

"On my small level it's a million people playing my game without giving me one cent. And my calculation is, as Quantic Dream, I lost between €5 and €10 million worth of royalties because of second-hand gaming."

Man, remind me that if I ever buy a game that this guy works on, I'll make it a point to lend my game to as many friends as possible so they don't have to give him a cent either. Self-righteous prick.

Both of you sound arrogant.

 

[Gravijah]

And thank god I never buys a used games.

How do you buy classic games that are no longer possible to buy new?

 

[The Praiseworthy]

Why not?

Because I like to support the team who made me this good game ( I only buy good games that I trust ).

How do you buy classic games that are no longer possible to buy new?

Never been there.

 

[TGMIII]

Heavy Rain was pure epic... I don't understand why it's so cool to hate it now?

And thank god I never buys a used games.

People have been shitting on it from day one and rightfully so, I don't actually know how people dealt with the piss poor voice acting to begin with.

 

[_Alkaline_]

Justice.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

i can't wait for them to get rid of the retail middleman so they can offer us lower prices while still making more money because of an increased slice of the pie for them!

Increased share, definitely. Lower prices, very unlikely. With Steam it works because there's competition and aggressive sales but on the closed ecosystem of consoles, DD is probably going to be 50/60USD for new releases for a long time.

 

[Castor Krieg]

i can't wait for them to get rid of the retail middleman so they can offer us lower prices while still making more money because of an increased slice of the pie for them!

You mean get rid of retail middleman, while keeping the same price, thus earning more money?

I do hate the second hand market and try to avoid it whenever I can. Way worse than pirates.

You for real? Perfect consumer right there.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Warhawk tested lower price but retail cried.

 

[Gravijah]

Never been there.

Wow, weird. You've also never bought a game from a friend?

 

[DR2K]

More like 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth keeping and 1 million people who didn't think your game was worth buying new.

Or 1 million people wanted to save $5-10. It's almost always this reason in regards to a used purchase. I primarily buy used because of it.

The fact that HR managed to sell more than a 100k is one of the biggest shockers in gaming. Well deserved though.