Used game sales.

Lots of people out there preach about how they're damaging the industry. Killing sales and hurting developers. Let's have a closer look at this issue.

I find the argument given by many developers and publishers that somehow they're being cheated because they don't get a cut of used game sales completely insane. They often say that they make $0 off of a used game... that's a lie, they already made money off that EXACT game when it was new. And quite frankly the idea that they should have some right to damage the re-saleability of YOUR property, like EA is doing to sports titles with their online pass idea, flys completely in the face of the common sense property ownership expectations of consumers.

If a used car lot sells someone a 2000 Ford Mustang, does Ford get a cut of that sale? NO. Should they? Most people would find that notion completely ridiculous, yet isn't that cutting into new car sales in exactly the same way as used games cut into new game sales?

If I sell my old TV to my neighbour, and 6 months later he sells it to his cousin, should I get another cut? NO. I ALREADY GOT PAID. Should I expect to? Should Sony get a cut when I sell that TV in the first place? It's cutting into their sales isn't it? Haven't people put their time and efforts into designing and making that TV? Don't they deserve to be compensated for their efforts? Guess what - they already were!

If you game publishers and developers out there are feeling the pinch of the game sales market finally catching up to all other marketable used consumer products out there, you have the same solutions available to you that all those other product producers in the free market have available to them: including Innovating to create "New and Improved!" products that people want to upgrade to, or creating products of such value to the consumer that they form a sentimental bond with the product and "collect" it, rather than reselling it. Quit trying to milk the consumer for money that you don't deserve. You sold a new product to someone and got paid fairly for it -The End- you don't get to follow the consumer home with your hand in their pocket. And if you want to try, expect to get smacked down for it by consumer backlash - one way or another.