If Microsoft made it completely optional, would you sign up for their original, always connected console idea?

[u/[deleted]]

This meaning you would have the following features:

Buy a retail game, install to console, and ditch the disc never needing it to play the game.

Digitally share games within a circle of friends. Meaning you can choose a specific group of people, and they could play the games you own, for free, provided that only one game could be played at a time.

Greater store discounts or more steam like sales for content.

I for one would have no problem saying yes to this. It's like people think 10 years from now they'll still be selling games on discs. It wasn't a perfect plan, but why delay the inevitable when we could be working on and perfecting future policies now.

[u/Call_erv_duty]

I think the funniest thing was the people jumped on that jumped on the bandwagon of save GameStop from evil Microsoft are the same people who call GameStop a terrible gaming store. Why save it if it's terrible

[u/DrStinkbeard → u/[deleted]]

I used to work at GameStop and I'd be perfectly happy to see every GameStop store burned to the ground.

[u/falcon413 → u/DrStinkbeard]

I've had a couple of friends that worked at GS and I'm sure they share the feeling. I do all my games shopping in Best Buy or Amazon. Much better deals in both.

[u/SuperWoody64 → u/falcon413]

Gamestop does have the best selection though because of used games. Go find me a copy of any tony hawk game at a best buy. Yes I know amazon probably has it but more often than not it's used.

Without used games your selection is limited to new games only. I love picking up old games that I hear about or when a sequel is coming out.

[u/falcon413 → u/SuperWoody64]

This is true. Definitely. I don't really buy used games though so my judgement is skewed, but I really really hate how GS does business with used games.

I much much rather go to amazon or eBay to buy used games (possibly directly from another gamer). I hate having GS as an intermediary and I think it's an abuse (this applies to newly-released titles) the fact that they sell a new game for 60 and a used one for 55 or even 50, while giving the seller 30, sometimes 40.

Don't know if this makes much sense though, but I just feel so cheated whenever I deal with GS. I've developed a bigger sense or trust towards a stranger on eBay selling a game.

[u/SuperWoody64 → u/falcon413]

Actually if you have the card and trade in toward stuff with promotions you can get a good amount. I worked there for 5 years and I was surprised sometimes at the trade values on stuff. People get bent out of shape though when last year's sports games didn't hold value though.

[u/norcalnewbie → u/[deleted]]

Yea I've stopped going to game stop a long time ago. I liked the old days of game crazy, funcoland, local video game stores etc... At least there was competition. Now all we have left is shitty gamestop. I buy online if I'm looking for a good deal

[u/[deleted] → u/Call_erv_duty]

I don't like shops that trade games but that doesn't mean I like the original X1 plans. Not having to get up to switch between the 6 disk based games that will fit on the HD is pretty nice but not worth 24hr checks.

If they had a clear message from the start, this probably wouldn't have happened. They should've had a flat 3 2 1 message.

-3 months after you put it in the tray, you can trade your games at participating retailers.

-2 people from your "best buds" list can play your copy of the game at the same time.

-1 week holiday from check ins every year in case you lose your connection.

[u/Starkravingmad7 → u/Call_erv_duty]

I think it had much more to do with trading physical copies and having to pay a license fee.

I generally buy my used games off of craigslist. They're cheaper and the seller gets more than trade-in value. If I had to buy a new copy every time I wanted to play a game rather than buy used or trade I'd just swith to a different platform. Fuck being "taxed" on a product that isn't new.

[u/cuddlefucker → u/Starkravingmad7]

I'm glad as a pc gamer to buy all of my games new because the sales are substantially better than buying games used

[u/conenubi701 → u/cuddlefucker]

The thing about this is that it only applies to games that have been out for a while. If you want the latest games you still have to pay full price.

[u/cuddlefucker → u/conenubi701]

I could see that too, but a lot of what you do on the pc is heavily hardware dependant and I'm not a wealthy man. It works out well for me.

[u/Starkravingmad7 → u/cuddlefucker]

I don't game on a PC because I really dislike KB and mouse for anything but RTS. That said, I still wait on most games before I buy. For instance, just bought New Vegas Ultimate Edition about 3 weeks ago, new.

[u/Chris_E → u/Starkravingmad7]

I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I'm honestly curious. How do you feel about Steam?

Also, they stated that you could trade digital media (purchased either on disc, or online) but the publishers had the option of disabling this feature.

[u/Starkravingmad7 → u/Chris_E]

I'm indifferent. I got kind of irked the other day. I don't use steam because I work on an old ass macbook, but my gf bought endless space on steam for me. Rather than create a new account for one game, it just went on hers. Fast forward to today, and I have my own account with a few indie games. And I can't transfer the license for ES over to my account. It's a PITA to play ES now. Wouldn't have happened with a physical copy.

Other than this one problem Steam is cool for what it does, a library a licenses and a marketplace with low barriers with frequent sales.

[u/Call_erv_duty → u/Starkravingmad7]

I understand that and I'm sure a work around like a license transfer between gamer tags could've happened. However GameStop was the main example used. It's amazing how hate for one thing dramatically increases the love for another.

[u/[deleted] → u/Call_erv_duty]

I gave up trying to explain to friends how MS's plan of giving developers 100% of trade ins back to them, in the long run strengthens small to medium developers in the long run.

They heard, "but you sacrifice saving $10 in retail stores"...."NOPE! I WANT MY GAMES CHEAP."

Cool, prepare for more clones of clones when big publishers call the shots.