Nickolaidas
Member
It can work a little better than intended, because it usually puts the IP on ice (or outright kills it), instead of immediately forcing a positive change.
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Do you believe "voting with your wallet" works?
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Sleepwalker
Member
It works very well on a personal level. I dont think it's an influential vehicle for change in the industry because its not organized and people have shitty self control
hemo memo
Gold Member
It does. The only thing that will make higher-ups change decisions is what hurt them financially. Low sales, bad reputation which will lead to low sales etc.. On the opposite, virtue signaling and “Free” stuff (it isn’t) will lead to increase sales.
It is the only language they speak. Really simple.
It is the only language they speak. Really simple.
Thesuffering79
Banned
Well it doesnt. No matter how many hardcore gamers hate or like a COD game it will sell millions.
Azurro
Banned
Of course voting with your wallet has an effect, it prevents the company from getting your $70.
You should still be aware that, it is only 1 vote. If enough people hate whatever change, then enough will react like you and the company will take action.
However, if most people don't care or the game sells even better..then your side lost. You'll have to deal with it.
Of course it works. It almost never happens overnight though when trying to reverse a company's entrenched policies. What happens is that a person takes their money from company A and spends it on company B which aligns with their values. If company A refuses to change or modify their company policies that run contrary to market they are serving they go into permanent decline. Companies C, D, and F rise to the top. Hollywood is going to find out very quickly, that newer generations don't want to spend money on their industry. American game companies aren't the only game in town, either. When the money stops flowing, there will be changes. Subscriptions services slow the decline of the entertainment industries bad business decisions. We are either going to get Nintendo style non offensive games, non story driven gacha games, or games that the user decides from the start the race and genders of all the characters thru character generators. I'm surprised they haven't done the last one yet. If you choose every percentage of gender and race in a game how can you be outraged?
realcool
Member
Still early, brother.
anthony2690
Banned
It doesn't work, because it is usually just a overly vocal minority.
Or a lot of the time, these people that say boycott the game, still buy it anyway.
Or a lot of the time, these people that say boycott the game, still buy it anyway.
cormack12
Gold Member
Tough one. The idea is sound if enough people are bothered by it. BUT
1. Sales lost in protest, can be offset by those acquired from support. There's no exact science to graph this
2. Usually the audience is captive and has very few places to go for the same item/game so you have to swallow it
3. There's an entire generation or two behind us who are the real target demograph. Strategies etc. will be aimed at them for forecasts
The real problem is that usualyl in these instances, they might piss off a small core part of the audience but the changes are never drastic enough to unite the entire fanbase in making any wallet protest meaningful.
1. Sales lost in protest, can be offset by those acquired from support. There's no exact science to graph this
2. Usually the audience is captive and has very few places to go for the same item/game so you have to swallow it
3. There's an entire generation or two behind us who are the real target demograph. Strategies etc. will be aimed at them for forecasts
The real problem is that usualyl in these instances, they might piss off a small core part of the audience but the changes are never drastic enough to unite the entire fanbase in making any wallet protest meaningful.
eyesabitdull
Banned
Sure, but at least we're off to a good start and not random one armed female running around shooting things.
martino
Member
Voting with my wallet are never cases of boycott...I de facto boycott everything i don't know, like or want to support.
To me it's more spending money to encourage and support behavior / practice (i can buy game i don't like the genre that much to keep some diversity in the media or on specific platform for example)
Also the way i do it is more to see things i like than to see something other can like disappear.
To me it's more spending money to encourage and support behavior / practice (i can buy game i don't like the genre that much to keep some diversity in the media or on specific platform for example)
Also the way i do it is more to see things i like than to see something other can like disappear.
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xrnzaaas
Member
Depends what you mean by 'work'. If a big publisher is dead set on making some radical changes or pushing some agenda at the cost of alienating certain groups, then they won't change that because of lower sales. But they and their investors will still notice a difference in revenue (which ofc is going to be blamed on something else).
Personally I used to buy games even when the IP's turned to shit because of stuff like injecting MP to SP games or going 'full woke'. These days I'm more careful about my purchases and I have a lot of big IP's on my 'no buy' list.
Personally I used to buy games even when the IP's turned to shit because of stuff like injecting MP to SP games or going 'full woke'. These days I'm more careful about my purchases and I have a lot of big IP's on my 'no buy' list.
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CuteFaceJay
Member
Not even. When you look at the bigger picture. People posting on the forums are a fraction of a fraction of the people who do put their money on the line. It's not like this stuff gets main line media attention every time something goofy happens in the games industry.
Most folks just don't want to get that involved.
Most folks just don't want to get that involved.
MilkyJoe
Member
Like the Xbox One always online scandal?
hemo memo
Gold Member
99% of games not getting a sequel is people voting with their wallet.
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
It def works.
Havent some sequels been cancelled because the first game didnt sell well.
Havent some sequels been cancelled because the first game didnt sell well.
Starbuck2907
Member
Not as much as I would like it too.
But social campaigns mostly made up of bots and crazies terrify almost all companies, even when they realistically have little to do with a product’s sales.
But social campaigns mostly made up of bots and crazies terrify almost all companies, even when they realistically have little to do with a product’s sales.
Starbuck2907
Member
True, but this is often because AAA devs have insanely high sales expectations. Games can sell “well” but not f they don’t meet some absurd projection, they treat it like a failure.
Ellery
Member
Of course it works, but we do share this earth with nearly 8 billion people that might have different things in mind.
One aspect about voting with your wallet that people forgot is also that you kinda do yourself a favour since you release yourself from said purchase/game and save some money. Sometimes you can buy said game later for much cheaper.
A great example of voting with your wallet is Cyberpunk 2077. Even Jim Ryan voted with Playstations wallet by removing it from PSN.
In a few months when Cyberpunk 2077 has all the DLCs + fixed patches we can buy it for 14,99$.
One aspect about voting with your wallet that people forgot is also that you kinda do yourself a favour since you release yourself from said purchase/game and save some money. Sometimes you can buy said game later for much cheaper.
A great example of voting with your wallet is Cyberpunk 2077. Even Jim Ryan voted with Playstations wallet by removing it from PSN.
In a few months when Cyberpunk 2077 has all the DLCs + fixed patches we can buy it for 14,99$.
Hydelol
Banned
Yes, of course it works. But if people like the Call of Duty Boycott group decides to vote with their wallet to BUY the game, well then they won. Just because I don't like something like Micro Transactions and / or P2W stuff, doesn't mean other people think like me. If they decide to spend money on it and are the majority, so be it. Vice versa if the majority decides not to like it.
GeekyDad
Member
Really, without weighing in myself, from what you wrote yourself, you kinda disprove your own opinion, that it doesn't matter. You stated yourself that "If the game is otherwise good or If the greater market likes it? It will sell." They're voting with their wallets. It's just their votes were enough to make the game a win for the company.
HerjansEagleFeeder
Member
Obviously depends on what exactly you mean by saying "voting with ones wallet". Classical liberalism has championed a couple assumptions about how agents on a free market behave (profit oriented, self interest pursuing etc) that have been proven false in the last decades or so. That doesn't mean that majority buying habits don't send signals to producers of goods. It doesn't mean that these signals are always rational or in the consumers own best interest, either.
Ya i came to say this. I dont know if it really affects big companies because they are making tons of money from whales and average gamers who dont really follow this stuff in detail. But I vote with my wallet by buying things I like and want to play and not buying things I dont like/shitty games/MATX filled rip offs etc etc.
Therefore the games I end up playing are usually always good.
Eventually AAA gaming space may completely lose me (it mostly has already) but indies and other specific story based releases will always be there in one way or another.
Amiga
Member
FF14, Battlefield 5.
Amiga
Member
the effect on ND will be on the next games. Disney are already changing with the Mandalorian. they will not admit it though.
Javthusiast
Banned
No. Look at Nintendo.
prinz_valium
Member
If enough people would do it, yes.
But most people don't, so even if XYZ is losing my sale, 2 other buy nevertheless.
But I never buy stuff or spend money on stuff that's bad.
But most people don't, so even if XYZ is losing my sale, 2 other buy nevertheless.
But I never buy stuff or spend money on stuff that's bad.
TexMex
Member
No one voted with their wallet in those examples. What Naughty Dog game didn’t sell well?
Banjo64
cumsessed
I happily wait as long as needed to purchase games when they are sub £30. It’s worked every time.
EverydayBeast
thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Nobody liked RE6 yet it sold millions Capcom understands they can do classic AND thriller horror and so if you feel you accomplished something by not buying a game than by all means be happy.
alabtrosMyster
Banned
It works, but there is no set timeframe or guaranteed result (other wallets may not agree with you, it can take years, what you want may not be reasonable for the other parties involved).
One aspect that is misunderstood is that even if making a product or providing a service is "simple" and requires "barely any skills", but very few people want it as well nobody may be interested in developing the skills to do it, that will either pull the price up (so that people who provide it can make a decent living) or the product/service will become inexistant.
One aspect that is misunderstood is that even if making a product or providing a service is "simple" and requires "barely any skills", but very few people want it as well nobody may be interested in developing the skills to do it, that will either pull the price up (so that people who provide it can make a decent living) or the product/service will become inexistant.
brian0057
Banned
This is dedicated to the "we need government intervention because the market won't regulate itself" crowd.
Star Wars Battlefront 2 physical sales are down 60% from Battlefront 1
Insufficient Force.
ag.hyperxgaming.com
Star Wars Battlefront 2 sales miss targets, EA blames loot crate controversy (update)
Microtransactions to return ‘in the next few months’
www.polygon.com
EDIT:
A few more examples just to drive the point home even further.
Capcom's Better Business Bureau Rating Drops Due To DLC Fiasco
Congratulations gamers. Pat yourselves on the back. Drink a cold one and high-five whichever buddy is closest to you. You've earned it. That's right, score one for righteous gamers and radical consumers the world around, you've effectively put a dent in Capcom's Better Business Bureau rating.
www.cinemablend.com
Capcom reduces Devil May Cry sales target by 800k
Capcom has reduced its sales target for Ninja Theory's Devil May Cry reboot.It had hoped to ship two million copies of …
www.eurogamer.net
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synchronicity
Member
Of course it doesn't work. Things are geared towards the masses in business. The masses stampede predictably and indifferently to the margins.
It doesn't matter to me though. If I have a good reason (to me) not to buy something, no amount of collective momentum will sway me. I'm a stubborn bastard, ho boy.
It doesn't matter to me though. If I have a good reason (to me) not to buy something, no amount of collective momentum will sway me. I'm a stubborn bastard, ho boy.
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