NeoGAF

Tieno · (10-31-2008, 07:53 AM)

Wow, this came totally out of the blue and sucks.
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Deta...ieuwsoverzicht

Article says it has always been illegal but it was tolerated, not going to be anymore starting december 1st. On that date no new titles will be added. If you don't have permission of the game publisher judicial steps will be taken. Naturally the game industry is happy.

Gamemania (largest special game retailer in Belgium) says rentals make up 10% of their revenue.

Red Scarlet · (10-31-2008, 07:56 AM)

Would you be able to rent from the Netherlands/France/Germany?

Tain · (10-31-2008, 07:58 AM)

Lovely. That's awful for you guys.

I'm just starting to rent games again, actually. Dead Space, comin' up!

WinFonda · (10-31-2008, 07:59 AM)

Time to get the fuck out of Belgium!

Keyser Soze · (10-31-2008, 07:59 AM)

Wow that sucks... I would miss countless games each year if I could not rent

ixix · (10-31-2008, 08:06 AM)

So, out of curiosity, what's the legal standing of renting movies in Belgium? And of libraries?

All I'm finding on the topic through Google is information on real estate rentals and whatnot. Which is actually kind of interesting now that I read it, but it's still not at all what I was looking for.

dodonpalex · (10-31-2008, 08:10 AM)

Don't understand the language on that page so whats the reason behind game rentals being illegal? Something to do with the copys being plain retail versions?

Dascu · (10-31-2008, 08:21 AM)

What kind of bullshit is this?

Quote:

Don't understand the language on that page so whats the reason behind game rentals being illegal? Something to do with the copys being plain retail versions?

It doesn't say anything about the reason.

neorej · (10-31-2008, 08:26 AM)

You can rent games in Belgium? WTF? I've been to tons of stores in Holland, and none of them rented out. Best thing I came across was a small videostore that rented out 10-year old PS2-games.

EdwardTivrusky · (10-31-2008, 08:28 AM)

Google will translate the page from dutch but i couldn't post the link properly.

No reason given but the belgian industry is overjoyed. I can see the games industry in other countries trying the same thing, especially here in the UK.

Acosta · (10-31-2008, 08:30 AM)

It´s the beginning.

Danielsan · (10-31-2008, 08:31 AM)

Can someone inform me about the whole renting process in America, do publishers/developers get payed a small fee for each time a game is rented?

If not than it's just as bad as piracy, only you're paying someone for it.

Mistouze · (10-31-2008, 08:32 AM)

Originally Posted by Red Scarlet:

Would you be able to rent from the Netherlands/France/Germany?

No videogame rentals in France as far as I know >_<

alba · (10-31-2008, 08:37 AM)

Originally Posted by WinFonda:

Time to get the fuck out of Belgium!

Yes... for fuck sake, goddamnit :|

Jonnyram · (10-31-2008, 08:38 AM)

It's always been like that in Japan. Actually we can rent DEMOS, and pay for the privilege :lol

later · (10-31-2008, 08:55 AM)

The article says that it was actually forbidden since forever, but they let it be.. Until now.The Belgian Entertainment Association pressed for this.

Haunted · (10-31-2008, 08:58 AM)

We'll accommodate you, Tieno.

Raist · (10-31-2008, 09:04 AM)

Originally Posted by Red Scarlet:

Would you be able to rent from the Netherlands/~~France~~/Germany?

Forbidden also over here. Since like forever.

RJT · (10-31-2008, 09:26 AM)

In Portugal you also need the publisher's permission to rent games/movies/whatever. And each movie bought by a rental store costs way more than a normal dvd, because of the special license they need. Which obviously makes sense.

Kabouter · (10-31-2008, 09:27 AM)

This is what you get for becoming independent.

Goldrusher · (10-31-2008, 09:29 AM)

Buy, play, then sell to someone else.

Steppenwolf · (10-31-2008, 09:33 AM)

Thats a good thing imo. Renting isn't much better then pirating since the developers see none of this money. And the companys involved are parasites who live on cost of the video game industry.

dk_ · (10-31-2008, 09:37 AM)

Originally Posted by Raist:

Forbidden also over here. Since like forever.

I seriously hope Germany isn't the next.

Notorious_Roy · (10-31-2008, 09:48 AM)

Originally Posted by Steppenwolf:

Thats a good thing imo. Renting isn't much better then pirating since the developers see none of this money. And the companys involved are parasites who live on cost of the video game industry.

How about renting movies. Or a library?

WinFonda · (10-31-2008, 10:04 AM)

Originally Posted by Steppenwolf:

Thats a good thing imo. Renting isn't much better then pirating since the developers see none of this money. And the companys involved are parasites who live on cost of the video game industry.

Not at all. People who rent games are doing so for a reason - because they can't afford to buy every game they wish to play. Let me tell you, people will still prioritize which games they're going to buy regardless of whether or not they're able to rent. And they're still only going to have so much disposable income to spend on games. It's foolish to think that just because you take away people's options to play games that somehow you'll sell more copies.

Furthermore, the companies who are buying the games to rent people, do have the money to purchase the games, and they purchase games indiscriminately, even the crappy ones. They also buy a lot of games. That money goes to the publisher/developer/etc. So what does banning game rentals do exactly for the gaming industry or any industry? Why not just ban the loan of property, period? That is in essence what Belgium is doing.

neorej · (10-31-2008, 10:07 AM)

Originally Posted by Notorious_Roy:

How about renting movies. Or a library?

ZOMG PIRACY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES NOW!

jts · (10-31-2008, 10:08 AM)

I can't rent games here either. I dunno if it's legal or not, there just aren't any places renting them.

How much does a man pay in average for a game rental? and a woman? j/k

Tieno · (10-31-2008, 10:10 AM)

Originally Posted by Steppenwolf:

Thats a good thing imo. Renting isn't much better then pirating since the developers see none of this money. And the companys involved are parasites who live on cost of the video game industry.

I'm not a charity, I can rent movies (though why bother with cheap movies) and I can loan books and cds and all kinds of other stuff. Should be the same with games.

Originally Posted by mio:

I can't rent games here either. I dunno if it's legal or not, there just aren't any places renting them.

How much does a man pay in average for a game rental? and a woman? j/k

At gamemania in Belgium it's 6euros for 3 days (360 or PS3 game), 10euros for a week.

Woo-Fu · (10-31-2008, 10:14 AM)

Could happen anywhere, pretty much overnight.

What a lot of people think---and is wrong---is that they "own" games. You don't own them, you own a "license to use" or "right to use" LTU/RTU for the software in question. The publishers can simply modify their EULA to preclude transfer of ownership for the license in question and totally kill used sales.

They know this. They also know that they need the dedicated retailers like Gamestop who rely upon used sales to generate their profit margin.

Stalemate until digital distribution becomes king. :)

Tempy · (10-31-2008, 10:16 AM)

What about doing a licensing deal like with the movie industry?

burnfout · (10-31-2008, 10:17 AM)

Originally Posted by Red Scarlet:

Would you be able to rent from the Netherlands/France/Germany?

Forget about The Netherlands, I've never a next gen game for rent here.

FirewalkR · (10-31-2008, 10:18 AM)

Hmmm... lol?

sinnergy · (10-31-2008, 10:18 AM)

It's forbidden for years in The Netherlands allready.

Crayon · (10-31-2008, 10:19 AM)

I wish I could help. Maybe we could invade belgium or something. Libertate it into a pile of smoldering rubble.

Who the hades is the guy in your avatar?

Woo-Fu · (10-31-2008, 10:23 AM)

Originally Posted by Tempy:

What about doing a licensing deal like with the movie industry?

This could work for rented titles, if not for "used" software. I don't think either camp is forward-thinking enough to develop such a solution, though.

Pizza Luigi · (10-31-2008, 10:47 AM)

:lol

I'm pretty close though, in The Netherlands

DoctorWho · (10-31-2008, 10:54 AM)

Originally Posted by neorej:

ZOMG PIRACY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES NOW!

Now we know why the Library of Alexandria was burned down.

Wolves Evolve · (10-31-2008, 10:54 AM)

Originally Posted by Steppenwolf:

Thats a good thing imo. Renting isn't much better then pirating since the developers see none of this money. And the companys involved are parasites who live on cost of the video game industry.

Well, just know that there's people like me out there, who, on this issue at least, spend much of their time making sure your dreams are crushed forever. The banning of game rentals hurts game sales everywhere its been enacted, without fail, everywhere in the world, everytime. So maybe - just maybe - this time you're right and people will buy more games. Who knows. Who fucking knows. Maybe this one time, right?

Industry lobby groups, once again, run by people who don't know what the fuck they are doing.

Gibb · (10-31-2008, 10:59 AM)

had that "WTF" moment too when I got up this morning and heard it on the news..

will this spread over the rest of europe?

Creamium · (10-31-2008, 11:01 AM)

Came out of the blue? Really? This was known for months. Game Mania has stopped putting up new games for rental for a long time now and by the end of the year they're selling their entire library

It fucking sucks

FF_VIII · (10-31-2008, 11:07 AM)

Luckily we can still rent in Ireland

M°°nblade · (10-31-2008, 11:07 AM)

I think this is good news, if only to stop the achievement/trophy whores who shamelessly rent games like avatar only to boost their gamerscore. Now you've got to buy them like the rest of us. Hehe.

TheOddOne · (10-31-2008, 11:15 AM)

Gekke belgen :lol :lol

Cheesemeister · (10-31-2008, 11:16 AM)

Originally Posted by Jonnyram:

It's always been like that in Japan. Actually we can rent DEMOS, and pay for the privilege :lol

Yeah, I know. Remind me why I'm moving there again?

itxaka · (10-31-2008, 11:20 AM)

Originally Posted by Gibb:

will this spread over the rest of europe?

is wrong

that will be the day I start pirating games and givem them for free in the streets.

Seriously, WTF. Sorry for you guys.

Outcast2004 · (10-31-2008, 11:31 AM)

Originally Posted by Danielsan:

Can someone inform me about the whole renting process in America, do publishers/developers get payed a small fee for each time a game is rented?

If not than it's just as bad as piracy, only you're paying someone for it.

No and no i'ts not. Not that lame ass argument again.

koene · (10-31-2008, 11:32 AM)

Originally Posted by Kabouter:

This is what you get for becoming independent.

Hehe, watch out with those words.

Darunia announced me this news a long time ago. But even now it hits me in the nuts, hard! Especially in times like these, with too many games and too little money in the pocket.

Luckily we can still 'rent' (lend) games to each other.

Raist · (10-31-2008, 11:33 AM)

Originally Posted by Notorious_Roy:

How about renting movies. Or a library?

Because there are special deals and agreements for that. Retail versions can't be rented, and vice versa.

For some reason it does not exist for video games, so stores that have games for rent do it illegally. At least in France. Dunno if it's the same in other countries.

There were a few stores that did it some years ago (very rare) and they all were independant stores. You'll never see this kind of offer in Micromania / Game / whatever. And since independant stores are almost dead now, it's highly unlikely to find a store renting games now.

RJT · (10-31-2008, 11:41 AM)

WTF is the confusion here? Have you ever read a user license for any copyrighted material? Of course you can't rent it, unless you get a special permission.

The game industry is just too immature to get a licensing deal, like the movie industry has. Games are all about that one-day massive sales and cutting the life of old games, while other industries make a ton of money with old books, movies, or whatever. If EA ruled the movie industry, there would be no movies on television, no pay per view, no movie rentals. Just those precious theater tickets.

Danielsan · (10-31-2008, 11:47 AM)

Originally Posted by Outcast2004:

No and no i'ts not. Not that lame ass argument again.

How is it a lame ass argument? The company that rents out the games has no real permission to do so, they are making money of the back of the developers. It's practically the same as one person buying a copy in stores uploading a torrent and letting thousands of others download it, or better yet one person buying the game in store, pressing a bunch of bootlegs of it and selling them for his own gain. In both situations the developer and publisher only see money from the initial purchase.