They may have a solution that ”makes everybody happy,” but they aren’t announcing it yet. Needs for used buyer not to feel ”like he’s a criminal”.
”We have to show the used gamer that new is premium, because you get everything for free in there,” THQ top executive Bilson told GamesIndustry.biz.
”We actually have some other programmes in the works that aren’t as punitive as locking out the used guy, that are more positive. I think we’re going to be able to announce that on a Fall product. If it works, it’s the kind of idea that GameStop likes, we like, new gamers like, used gamers like it…”
”We may have come up with something, and I haven’t announced it yet, that makes everybody happy. And that always makes me happy, because I don’t want to be fighting retailers, I don’t want to be fighting any of them.”
”I’d rather come up with a system where everybody’s making money and everyone’s happy, and the guy who needs to buy used can buy and not feel like he’s a criminal - like sometimes we want him to feel. Or that the guy who buys new gets the benefit.”
EA recently unveiled their Online Pass system which stops second-hand buyers from accessing the multiplayer function of their games until they pay $10 for an unlock code. This code is of course given freely to those who buy first-hand. THQ won’t follow this.
”With this one we’re not going to lock out the multi-player to the used gamer, we’re not,” Bilson confirmed. ”We’re going to let them experience some of it but not all of it. And then he’ll have to pay a nominal fee to get all the maps and all the stuff. That’s not official, I’m saying that today, that’s just what I’m thinking. We won’t lock that down until January.”
There you go - until January 2011 we won’t be quite sure how publisher THQ plans to keep second-hand buyers wanting more of their multiplayer without strictly depriving them of all of it. Do you accept EA’s Project $10 as necessary ‘evil’, videogamer?
