Used Game Backlash and "Premium" DLC: The Death Of Gaming

     In recent months, used games have come under fire from game developers like never before. Even Microsoft is rumored to be working on "new game only" tech for the next Xbox. The used game market has been around since gaming itself, and losing it will take away a signifigant portion of gamers. This, along with the poor quality of paid DLC will insure the death of console gaming.
     First and foremost, developers have the right to be paid for their work. That much is certain, but their attacks on used games are born out of greed. With the price of a new game at $60 on consoles and $40 on handhelds, most people do not have the option of purchasing new. In the current economy, that is the lion's share of a phone bill or a week's worth of groceries that the average family cannot spare. The devs need to realize that its not money they're missing out on due to used games, but money they would never get in the first place.
     The Playstation Vita has imposed an easily-bypassed technology in game cards to prevent trophies from being unlocked. Such tech could be perfected to lock games permanently to one console. Gone would be the days of loaning your friend a game. The proposed solution is a paid trial, which may one day replace demos. If developers and publishers only make one copy of a game, they should only be paid the cost of one sale. One of the worst things to happen to the industry is the Online Pass model which makes users pay for features that were previously free, which brings me to my next point.
    "Premium" DLC has harmed gaming. Ever since Oblivion's horse armor, the disc shipped to retail has been lacking in the name of profits. With the exception of GTA 4 and a select few other titles, nothing substantial has came from any paid DLC. Outfits and gear that should be on disc are instead sold as a separate product. Often, they actually are on the disc and you just download a small "key" file to unlock content.
     It saddens me to see gaming turn to the same cash-grab techniques as other forms of media. Gone are the days where accolades and a comfortable salary were all developers needed to give us complete products. We are in threat of losing the choice to purchase games we otherwise would not have access to. What happened to gaming?