EA calls the used game market a "necessary evil" even though they want it gone

2/13/13 8:35pm

During a recent interview with Gamasutra, Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen states the company would love if the used game market were to disappear although also admitted the industry would take a huge hit if it really was gone.

The biggest issue is retailers still make up a large portion of their sales while consumers benefit from the trade-in system which helps them fund more new game purchases. By removing the used games market, both are affected to the point the industry can't expect to stay healthy.

"It's one of these classic double-edged swords," admitted Jorgensen in a Gamasutra interview. "In one way the used game business has been critical for the health of the retail channel, and having a healthy retail channel is an important thing for us.

"Would we like to sell everything at full price and not have a used game market? Sure. But I think the used game market's a little like any other kind of market where it creates liquidity. The fact is, that liquidity benefits us in some fashion. So if someone goes in and trades in a game, there's a good chance they're going to buy another one of our games. And so if there's a liquid market, I think that that's not a bad thing at all."

During the same interview he also stated while he can't directly comment on rumors of Sony and Microsoft both considering banning used games next gen, he did hint the always-on internet connection rumor might be a reality. It would also be the stepping stone towards the idea of getting rid of the used market in the future.

"I can't really comment on where the next generation boxes are going to be relative to used games. I will say that the trend in the business is to have that always-on connectivity and connect with a customer, and to the extent that the software identifies a certain customer is going to create some issues going down the road in the used game market. But I do believe that the consumer likes it, and it's been good for the retail channel."

» Source: http://www.destructoid.com/ea-wants-used-games-gone-but-admits-their-benefits-244837.phtmlhttp://www.destructoid.com/ea-wants-used-games-gone-but-admits-their-benefits-244837.phtml
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