Piracy seems to be the universal scapegoat for the industry at the moment. Well now there's something even more ridiculous. Epic Games President, Mike Capps, is blaming “lost sales” (how does Gears of War 2 selling over 2.1 million copies on its first day count as lost sales anyway?) on, not pirates, but 2nd hand game sales. That's right he's saying that renting games and buying used games is hurting the industry. Seriously where the hell do these people get their ideas? Last time I checked, when a book doesn't make a top sellers list they don't go “IT WAS THOSE USED BOOK STORES AND LIBRARIES, THEY ARE RUINING OUR SALES (Next time, Gadget, next time!)”. Come on what's next, are we going to start blaming game sales on reviews (“Well they already read the review, so now there's no point for them to buy the game, that must be the reason!”)?

Mike Capps said in an interview (found here):

“We don’t make any money when someone rents it, and we don’t make any money when someone buys it used “

Orly now, I suppose Blockbuster just pulls copies of the video game out of thin air when they sell them, they don't have to buy a copy first at all or anything. You better alert the movie industry, I'm sure they are completely unaware of the alchemists Blockbuster secretly enlists to synthesize movies and games to rent out.

Here's one of the ideas Mike Capps said that has been suggested to prevent this “atrocity”:

“If you want to fight the final boss you go online and pay USD 20, but if you bought the retail version you got it for free.”

Really? I just love paying twice for a game, that will make me buy it! All these companies are doing is making people NOT buy their game. Maybe companies have forgotten, but they don't just pull profits out of nowhere, it requires for the user to actually accept the terms and pay money for a product. If you make worthless products, no ones going to buy them, simple as that. There's no need to blame anything but yourself for making shovelware. Now if you make a good game, and start making all of these policies that inhibit the consumer, NO ONE'S GOING TO BUY IT EITHER.
It's ridiculously depressing to think there are people who don't have the logic to see they are sabotaging there own products with outrageous statements and ideas to protect said statements like what Epic Games is pulling. Well at least there is hope, there are companies that understand you can't make money without a happy customer. Stardock (a game developer, although more well known for creating windows blinds) even has it's Gamer Bill of Rights, my favorite right being:

8. Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.

What that's from the old Gamer Bill of Rights? Oh wow it's like they are reading my mind, here's number 10 from the updated one:

10. Gamers shall have the right to sell or transfer the ownership of a physical copy of a game they own to another person.

Keep in mind these aren't just made by some random gamers, Stardock may not be a well known developing company, but they are a successful one (just look at the sales charts).


I feel like I've made this post before.......oh wait I have. This is the same concept they try to pull with DRM, only with even worst logic and reasoning. Seriously I still can't get past it, renting and reselling is ruining your sales? Come on this sounds like the "my dog ate my homework" of the business world.