What's worse: pirating a game or buying it used?

[neogaffer1]

Note, I'm not talking about stuff like DLC where you can't even buy it used. I'm talking about the base retail game. When you pirate it, you give the publisher and dev no money, and you're literally stealing the game. With buying it used, you are buying it, but only the retailer gets any money off of it--the pub and dev don't see a dime.

What are your thoughts GAF?

 

[Ryaaan14]

Pirating a game.

 

[Crayolan]

One is illegal.

 

[Rektash]

One is perfectly legal while the other isn't ;D.

 

[DJ_Lae]

Pirating. The used game (at least initially) started as a proper sale.

 

[Ibuki]

Of course pirating is worse, but they both give the same amount of support to the people who developed the game.

 

[Cloyster]

The illegal one.

 

[DrArchon]

Pirating easily. At least someone is getting money from you when you buy a used copy.

 

[Isotope]

I would like to take a guess and say that the illegal option may be worse.

 

[MilkyJoe]

Pirate, when you buy a game used you are potentially giving someone some money towards another game. It's the natural circle of life.

 

[DorkyMohr]

Are you suggesting retailers don't deserve resale money?

 

[oneida]

is this a joke

 

[Syriel]

1) Buying used is legal. The seller is exercising first sale rights.
2) Pirating is illegal. People try to justify it because they can't admit they're too cheap to pay for something they want.

 

[GeordieMark]

Pirating. No question.

 

[Dougieflesh]

Pirating.

 

[Regiruler]

There is a limited physical supply of any given game not in continuous printing. It's not particularly obvious, but S&D are actual factors that can discourage purchase of used titles.

 

[SliceSabre]

The illegal one.

 

[batman2million]

When there's a game I want to play from a company that I don't want to support, I buy it used.

But yeah, pirating.

 

[Quadraphonic]

When you buy used, you allow the market to exist, by causing demand.

This allows for people to buy games new and trade theirs in.

If you didn't buy used, people couldn't trade games in. If people couldn't trade games in, those funds wouldn't go towards buying the new games.

 

[Mithos]

Paying full price for a digital game is the worse one.

Spoiler

the illegal one really though

 

[Aaronrules380]

How is this thread a thing?

 

[Neat Machine]

they both give the same amount of support to the people who developed the game.

That's not really true. Maybe on an individual level.

 

[Kevtones]

Pirating used games

 

[Felix Lighter]

Pirating a game is absolutely worse. Buying second hand isn't unique when it comes to games. It's a part of the market that publishers and devs should have to deal with like manufacturers of any durable goods.

 

[Molemitts]

You wouldn't buy a used car.

Spoiler

/s

 

[Majestad]

Is this a real question? Lmao. Pirating of course, wtf?

 

[EpicBox]

Piracy. Duh.

Used games actually contribute healthily to the gaming economy.

 

[capitalCORN]

Used games. You're deluding yourself that you're helping the developers.

 

[espher]

Pirating is worse, but as you note both are of equal 'value' to the original seller. The secondary market leads to more new purchases, though, so there's some iterative value there.

 

[LakeEarth]

I know publishers hate the used game market, but there's lots of people who can only afford buying games Day 1 by selling their old games. It also is a large contributor to keeping game stores afloat.

So yeah, piracy is worse.

 

[BokehKing]

This year I went all digital, but the last 20 years all I did was buy used or rented games

Guess that makes me a horrible person

 

[21XX]

What's worse -- something illegal or something legal?

 

[8bit]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALZZx1xmAzg

 

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

Is this for real? Of course pirating. Buying used is not stealing.

 

[Snkfanatic]

I can't understand how this is even a question.

 

[Aaronrules380]

Used games. You're deluding yourself that you're helping the developers.

I mean, at the very least used game sales can actually be tracked much more reliably, which is actually useful information for devs and publishers even if they don't make money off of it

 

[neogaffer1]

I feel the "one's illegal" argument isn't very strong. Like, it's illegal for me to give more than the donation limit to a political candidate, but if I gave the limit myself and then used a spouse's name to give more money, it'd be totally legal. They're both immoral (and arguably the legal one is more immoral) and have the same result, but one is legal and the other isn't.

Not that I'm saying piracy has any moral ground or anything to stand on.

 

[capitalCORN]

I mean, at the very least used game sales can actually be tracked much more reliably, which is actually useful information for devs and publishers even if they don't make money off of it

Doesn't matter. It's thought crime.

 

[bumpkin]

One is illegal.

This post nails it.

And I guess depending upon how you feel about the whole used game debate and publishers not getting "their cut", the other is potentially immoral.

 

[Aaronrules380]

Doesn't matter. It's thought crime.

this is a joke, right?

 

[MilkyJoe]

Used games. You're deluding yourself that you're helping the developers.

Of course you are, I trade games to buy a new one, the new dev gets paid and the person that buys my old game helps the store stay in business to sell games and potentially become a fan of of a series that they were not necessarily willing to take a punt on.

 

[MrGummy]

Both bad, but one can potentially get you in a lot of trouble.

 

[Murugo]

A used game was once purchased from the publisher long ago.

Unless it was bootlegged.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

is this a joke

Seriously, wtf lol.

 

[ChuChuRocket]

Ure PC Masterrace pirate everything get more shit ports and less exclusive. U will be fine

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

I guess piracy can lead to someone buying a new copy, where used games won't?

 

[psylah]

Piracy.

 

[James Scott]

One is illegal, so that one.
They don't make money on either transaction, but GS and whoever sold it do so the seller can use that money for games.
If you pirate one game you'll likely pirate the sequel if you can

I guess piracy can lead to someone buying a new copy, where used games won't?

The used copy was new once

 

[Guevara]

What's worse:

Killing a man just to watch him die.

Or giving an "AAA" game a review score of less than 8/10?

 

[DevilSnake]

Buying a game used still supports your local game shop, even if the developers sadly don't see anything from it you're still helping support a business & people's jobs.

Also you always have the option of DLC to aid the developer with a used game. Piracy helps no one.