You'd think illegal downloading or piracy would be a bigger issue for the gaming industry but some developers have set their sights on stopping the selling of pre-owned games. Presumably because each pre-owned sale not only means one less official sale for them but that they also don't get the royalties shops must pay when ordering shipments. David Braben, founder of Frontier in particular is a supporter of a move towards the destruction of pre-owned games, suggesting either special codes or digital downloads.

David Braben, founder of Frontier (Lost Winds, Thrillville) has some interesting ideas that developers can use to avoid consumers from trading in their games to get newer ones. In an interview with DevelopMag, Braben proposes that “struggling” developers should utilize unique box codes or create single-use incentives.

Braben ultimately concedes that downloadable is really the only route to go in terms of avoiding pre-owned sales, considering that consumers can do nothing with them other than keep them on their hard drive.

Bale Fire via destructoid.com »