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.
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.
Did anyone requested? 
