Question

[Fenrir]

I'm not sure anyone will be able to answer that, but I might has well try.

I've been trying to help the videogame industry lately (I don't buy any used games anymore), but I was wondering: Does buying an unused videogame (from something like Amazon), three years after it was printed, help the developer? I have no idea how this all work.

[DjinnAndTonic]

I've always gotten the impression that the only thing that helps a developer is pre-ordering.

[metroid composite]

I'm not sure anyone will be able to answer that, but I might has well try.

I've been trying to help the videogame industry lately (I don't buy any used games anymore), but I was wondering: Does buying an unused videogame (from something like Amazon), three years after it was printed, help the developer? I have no idea how this all work.

Yes, it can.  I know we got royalty checks for Tony Hawk's Project 8 something like two years after it was launched because they had just started selling it in Brazil (pushing us just over the royalty threshold line).

What it generally WON'T do is cause sequels to be made, keep the studio from needing to fire its employees, and stuff like that.  The decision to make a sequel or not is typically done within two months of the previous game launching; same with whether or not the studio needs to fire half its staff to stay in business.  So if you want more games like the one you're playing, buy early.

I've always gotten the impression that the only thing that helps a developer is pre-ordering.

Nah--anytime within the first month or two will get money to the company in time.  The one thing pre-orders might do is increase the initial print run.



EDIT: although if you really want to give money to the creators, then buy as directly as possible.  Pay them directly if you can (if they offer download from their website).  Buying on Steam still gives something like 70%-85% of the money to the original company (whereas retail is more like 20%).

[Shale]

Obviously buying direct download is better for the devs, but is there any difference between different stores as far as print copies go? Does buying from the publisher's retail site get more money to the developer than if you buy from Amazon, or does it just give more money to the publisher?

[metroid composite]

Does buying from the publisher's retail site get more money to the developer than if you buy from Amazon, or does it just give more money to the publisher?

On paper yes.  Depends what kind of deal the publisher has with the developer--but I would hazard a guess that most deals are something along the lines of "the developer and publisher split the profits", so stuff that's more profitable for the publisher will benefit the developer as well.

Don't take my word for it, though--I've never actually been in an independently owned studio, so I can't really comment on developer/publisher contracts (obviously when I was at Activision, stuff that gave ATVI more money and which could be attributed to our game made our overlords pleased with us).  Maybe I will be able to tell you more a year from now (Dust 514 might get an outside publisher, being a console game and all that).

[Fenrir]

Thanks! I'll keep it in mind.
I'd buy a ton of games from Steam, but I like consoles more. I'm just waiting for Sony and Microsoft to inevitably copy Steam (Please?)

[Grefter]

Not sure how the return is if you buy stuff off PSN or Live, but I imagine they are worse than Steam but better than boxed copy.

[Fenrir]

They're worse or equal to boxed copies.
From what I've seen, basically, you can buy games one or two years after they're released, if they're popular they cost 30 euros (/Dollars, I'm assuming), if they're not they cost 20. The prices never go down. There are some sales sometimes, but that's only available for gold members. (I'm not one) There's never anything as crazy as Steam either.

They released Mass Effect 2 on the PS store at the same time as the release, and it was kind of a success. More than 10% of the sales were downloads, and the price was the same (60 dollars) so the profits were MUCH bigger per unit for Sony and Bioware. Hopefully they'll learn from this (and actually lower the prices some more... But I'm being optimistic. At least prices maybe wouldn't raise even with inflation)
Total ripoff compared to Steam obviously.

[Grefter]

I was talking in terms of cash flow to the developer rather than for the consumer.  The consumer always loses.

[Fenrir]

Oh, right. Yep.

[Dunefar]

Spammer nuked, sorry about the delay.