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Gamestop buys Kongregate
Gamestop bought Kongregate. I hope this doesn't mean bad things for our flash games.
If Gamestop ruins Kongregate, we must build a clone of the old Kongregate.
If Gamestop ruins Kongregate, we must build a clone of the old Kongregate.
Comments
The only example you might come up with is Disney buying Marvel. However, if you look at the history Disney has a track record of waiting awhile and then messing around with their acquisitions. It's too soon, and that's why they haven't done anything yet.
...Where will I go to play Don't Shit Your Pants now!?
We certainly should be concerned about Google's giant check to Zynga, however.
downloadable and flash games to play."
Gamestop is fucked.
For example, someone doesn't know Steam even exists. They go to a store, and there's a Steam kiosk. They play with it because it has free demos, just like we would play the Nintendo Kiosks in the Toys 'R' Us back in the day. Then they see they can buy the game right there and then for a few dollars. They buy it at the kiosk. It prints out a slip of paper or sends them an email. They go home, they now have Steam and never go to the kiosk again. One brick+mortar stupid person is now converted to buying digital goods.
The question is why Gamestop, a brick+mortar store, would want to do this.
More concerning to me is that Gamestop was the full extension of our right to first sale. Gamestop disappears when first sale rights disappear (since no digital distribution means to date afford us this right). The used market for media is bigger than the new market in the long run, as it will always have a larger library and near zero cost.
I actually very strongly disagree with Penny Arcade today on the issue. If a game's sales are hurt by the used market, so what? Physical goods have the same problem. Are they seriously suggesting that, because I can buy a used Pontiac Sunfire cheap, that this somehow is immoral in the face of buying a brand new one for much more money? Are they suggesting that Pontiac should have some interest in what I do with their product after I'm done with it?
Too long; didn't listen:
Acts of charity are commendable and encouraged, but not mandatory. If you want to limit yourself to only purchasing new games, and not pirating anything, for the sake of charity towards the creators, good for you. However, other people are not evil, bad, or wrong for not doing so.
i.e., should Steam be required to allow me to transfer any game I own to any other person who has Steam at any time (obviously disabling my own copy upon completion of the transaction)?
My answer is yes. I think we need positive legislation protecting first sale for digital goods.
Edit: I don't think there needs to be legislation protecting first sale. If a company adds some sort of protection or incentive to prevent you from re-selling don't buy the product.
Secondary market is perfectly legal, yet gives exactly the same compensation to the content creator as piracy per transaction.