THQ feels cheated on pre-owned games

Some videogame publishers beat around the bush when discussing additional online fees as they pertain to pre-owned games. Electronic Arts said Project Ten Dollar was not created to protect itself against pre-owned games. EA sees the service as a way of enhancing the customer’s experience when they play games. THQ on the other hand is not so politically correct. THQ simply does not care about people who don’t buy new.

THQ’s creative director Cory Ledesma told CVG where THQ stands on pre-owned games.

“We hope people understand that when the game’s bought used we get cheated,” Ledesma said.

When someone purchases a used game from a retail outlet such as GameStop, no percentage of the profits is given back to publishers. Publishers only make money on the initial sale. Theoretically if THQ sales 1 million copies of a game that are eventually sold back and re-purchased, THQ loses 1 million additional sales.

It was recently announced that used copies of Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 will require an additional $10 fee to access the online features of the game. The idea behind this goes back to used sales. Retailers typically sell used copies of recent games for $5 less. If a consumer spends $10 to play online, their $55 investment becomes $65. Not only do they end up paying roughly the same price as a new copy, but they miss out on additional content THQ provides new buyers for free.

Ledesma says THQ doesn’t lose any sleep over buyers of pre-owned games.

“I don’t think we really care whether used game buyers are upset because new game buyers get everything,” Ledesma said. “So if used game buyers are upset they don’t get the online feature set I don’t really have much sympathy for them.”

Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 comes out on October 26, 2010 for Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP and Wii.

Via [CVG] Read [Industry Gamers]