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Topic: Mobility

Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

Summary: Game publishers don't like the second-hand game market because it eats into revenues. Capcom is planning to counter that by releasing a game for the Nintendo 3DS that can only support one save file - for life.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

Game publishers don't like the second-hand game market because it eats into revenues. Capcom is planning to counter that by releasing a game for the Nintendo 3DS that can only support one save file - for life.

The game is Resident Evil: Mercenaries 3D and according to the game's instruction manual, the "saved data on this software cannot be reset."

Image credit: Tiny Cartridge

So essentially, not only are you paying $40 for a game that you can't pass on, but it's also a game that you can effectively only play once (in terms of unlocking achievements and so on - I understand that the actual game can be played over and over). Interestingly, Amazon.com is currently offering an $8.75 gift card to those who trade in this game. I can't see this deal lasting long ...

While the used-game market might be hitting publishers bottom-lines, I think that silly tricks like this might do more harm than good in the long run. But game publishers are known for making boneheaded decisions and not only sticking with them but also running with them. This could be the beginning of a disturbing trend.

[poll id="645"]

Topic: Mobility

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39 comments
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  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    Well, as I understand, you can often play older games on the new 3DS, so I assume there will be an updated console that plays 3DS games in the future. So this is going to be a bit of a problem for consumers, as it will be a good reason not to upgrade to the latest product.

    Possibly a better method would be to make the game 'download only' so there is never a hard copy that could be sold on.

    Anyway, I think the second hand market is good for the games companies, as most people who buy a new game will sell it on, for about half the price, to people who would have never paid the full amount anyway. So if they stop the secondhand market, they will also have to bring the price down significantly on new releases. A classic case of having your cake and eating it.
    Will T
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @Will T
      To kill the Game Resale market is to shoot themselves in the foot. Literally. Without outfits like Gamestop around people simply will STOP buying new games altogether, instead of trading in old games that were beaten for newer ones.

      I shall never buy a physical game that you can't resell. They charge too damn much to take that right away. Now if they slashed the price of the game by 75% I'd tolerate it. I'd tolerate it if it was a digitally non-transferrable game. (No hard copy.)

      But while I hold a piece of hardware in my hands that is the software, I shall OWN it. No excuses. They charge too much for that for you not to OWN that copy.
      ZazieLavender
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    The game publishers are making more money writing games for devices like iPhone, iPad, etc. I think this and decisions like above would cause more game publishers to move away from the console market and go to a market where money is! I, for one, am playing more and more on my iPad2 than on Wii. I love the fact that I am playing more hardcore games than casual games on Wii. Spiderman is a superb game! Dead Space, Infinity Blade, I can go on...
    browser.
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @browser. Does zdnet censor the word ********?
      EDIT: i suppose they do
      nickswift498
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    Wow, Capcom might want to check out the results of the poll on this site. If they're only trying to ditch 97% of their consumers, this is a good idea. If they're looking to continue making money hand over fist, not so much.
    swmace
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    Capcom can kiss their customers goodbye if they think anyone is going to stand for this nonsense.
    nickswift498
    Reply Vote

  • $40 for a new game is a bargain!

    Well, for a PS3 ... them suckers run you $60. Quite frankly, I gravitate towards the pre-owned section in Game Stop. The game has to be so compelling that I'm willing to pay full price for it, like Resident Evil 4 on the Wii (really wish it was in HD).
    davidr69
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    If Capcom was smart, they'd dive head-first into the secondary, resell gaming market. Make a marketplace for folks who have finished their Capcom games can put them up for sale, and others could buy the second-hand games, and Capcom gets a cut of the transaction.
    bigsibling
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @bigsibling Totally agree. In fact, the download-only games would be a prime candidate for this treatment. Let people sell their download-only games to somebody else for half what they paid. The key gets transferred. The original owner can no longer play it and the new owner gets it activated in their own name. The game company basically gets a cut of selling the same copy of the game twice. If they had a realistic view of which gamers will pay full price versus which will -never- pay full price, they would jump on this idea. Unfortunately, they are like the recording industry. They are under the delusion that every person who uses their product would have paid full price for it. That is never the case and if they had a brain, they would see that to be true.
      BillDem
      Reply Vote

  • I'm only an occasional gamer

    and yet I wouldn't put up with this stupidity. I was >< close to buying Spore when it was released. Then I heard all the DRM bullpucky they threw into it, and walked.

    I play Xplane 8.01, and v9. Guess what? The first day I got it, I went to the net and got a crack to get rid of the need for the master CD to be in your drive at all times. I am NOT going to play a game and carry around a master CD that could be damaged and rendered unusable.

    If a causal user doesn't put up with this stupidity. Do they honestly think this new trick is going to stop piracy, and stop the rental market? They've tried all sorts of stupid tricks, and nothing has worked.

    - Kc
    kcredden2
    Reply Vote

  • Capcom not alone...

    I acquired the new Mortal Combat for the Sony PS3 when it was released. I was very suprised to find a "Kombat Pass" code for access to online features. Essentially, if I were to pawn the game (not that ever do), say to GameStop, the code that I used cannot be transferred. It states on the card that it's a single use code. Hence should the game be resold through a reseller such as GameStop, the new user will be required to purchase an "Kombat Pass", providing their old enough to play mature rated games, else the "Kombat Pass" will be unavailable for purchase till such time.
    gt90v12
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @gt90v12 Homefront was the same way. You had to enter a one time use code to play online. You could still play the single player game no problem.
      VincenttheITguy
      Reply Vote

  • stupid tactic

    All this will do is make gamers go for cracked versions of the game.
    rengek
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    I'm not sure about the rest of the contributors here but IMHO putting this information at the bottom of a page, in a hard copy document seems rather sneaky, I rarely think oh I need to read the manual completely when I pop a new game in. It seems that this might have a serious side effect. I know that my 14 year old doesn't read the docs, most games are plug and play about the only time you really need to check a manual is i f the game has complex multi function key maps. Hopefully they have a notice on launch that the game has only one game save slot. Similar to that of DVD region selection.
    Aride4ever
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    I'm not about to rent games rather than buy them.
    bargeemike
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @bargeemike
      Then you either have too much money or FAR too few brain cells.
      Onaka
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

        @Onaka

        I am pretty sure you misunderstood the above poster. He means he is not going to pay a retail price of $40 for a game he can not resell or replay, as though it were only rented.
        michaellashinsky@...
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    Thankfully, I'm not a true "gamer".
    When I saw the last PS3 come out and saw it was download only I thought, who will want that? It's "good" for them, but not for their customers. Enough people learn about it and it dies just like DRM on music eventually did.
    About the only ones that can get away with one license stuff are the massive multi-player worlds like WOW. Not for me, but at least they can make some claim to needing to pay for the hardware and network, etc.
    What Capcom really, really, wants to kill is the game rental companies. I'm guessing enough bad publicity will put the kibosh on this right quick. Turn their plans for the next multi-million dollar release to crap since people will wait to prove they won't get ripped off again.
    richard233
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

      @richard233
      Ps3 is a hard disc game console??? You mean the PSP Go handheld??
      Fletchguy
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Capcom plans 'one-save' game to kill resale value

    One more reason for piraters to pirate. And for normal consumers to get screwed. Thanks alot capcom.
    wendellgee2
    Reply Vote
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