Quote: "How much do we have to break this down for you guys before you will understand the difference?"
All I'm seeing as a comparison is that games don't depreciate in value so much from being previously owned, which is a comparison one can make with many physical goods. But a used game is indeed worth less than brand new, especially if the quality of the physical media isn't so great (scuffs and scratches).
I know that the actual data itself doesn't degrade (apart from in more severe or unusual cases as you mention), but we're talking about games that are tied to physical media, rather than an account. And I do think the condition of the media is what matters, even with a long warranty.
Quote: "here's an interesting question: Is buying used games any more morally justifiable than piracy? Considering money does not go to the publisher/developer in either case."
That is indeed an interesting question. My response would be that by buying used games you are at least helping perpetuate the video game economy, even if the money does not go to the developers directly. I'd abstain from spending 70€ on a game that I can't re-sell, nor even lend to friends.
It means you'd be buying something that has no value beyond entertainment, which is sort of like renting a video game or going to the cinema (which brings me around to the point that a game that you don't really own physically shouldn't be so expensive).
At least now you can justify the high prices as a sort of investment, allowing you to sell the game on when you've played it, allowing you to afford another.
Quote: "But it is a digital store, I don't think they could reflect the exact same system in a normal retailer, but perhaps if game developers and major game retailers started talking to one and another I am sure there could be a similar system developed that benefits the gamer, the retailer and the developer. "
Perhaps, but remember that virtual (web) space costs a tiny fraction of real store space, and so traditional retailers have to sell the games at enough of a profit to cover costs. So I don't think we'll ever see the kind of deals we see with online retailers such as Steam.
If you ask me, we should do away with traditional retailers and do all purchases online; that way we can have both better deals, and the developers can earn more money. If we're going to talk about re-sale of used games hurts developers, why not also talk about how traditional retailers also hurt the developers?
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"Sideboobs are awesome. Getting punched in the face is not." - Jerico2Day on violence and nudity
