I realize that not everybody here plays games, but the grey market case should be quite interesting for everybody since it's a major problem not only for consumers, but for developers and companies as well.
In short, a grey market like G2A.com is a place similar to eBay, Amazon or our Polish allegro, where users are allowed to sell their games to other people. This way instead of buying a game at its full price, you can get it much cheaper from another user, spending very often even up to 4 times less than what you'd have to pay buying directly on a platform like Steam. In theory it's awesome pro-consumer service, as long as you don't dig too deep to know what is actually going on...
Here is a nice 20-minutes long video that explains the situation in detail:
2. What is your opinion about grey market websites when it comes to games? Do you consider them a good source of cheap products?
3. Do you prefer buying products (in general) from official shops, or maybe other users on websites like eBay or Amazon?
4. Did you know that some developers and publishers would prefer you to actually pirate the game, instead of buying it on a grey market? Is piracy really worse than buying a game from other users?
Thank you for reading.
http://kotaku.com/g2a-scammer-explains-how-he-profited-off-stolen-indie-g-1784540664
http://www.polygon.com/2017/4/7/15223622/g2a-gearbox-bulletstorm-ultimatum-collectors-edition
http://twinfinite.net/2016/06/dev-going-buy-g2a-please-pirate-game-instead/
In short, a grey market like G2A.com is a place similar to eBay, Amazon or our Polish allegro, where users are allowed to sell their games to other people. This way instead of buying a game at its full price, you can get it much cheaper from another user, spending very often even up to 4 times less than what you'd have to pay buying directly on a platform like Steam. In theory it's awesome pro-consumer service, as long as you don't dig too deep to know what is actually going on...
Here is a nice 20-minutes long video that explains the situation in detail:
Questions
1. Have you ever bought a game on a grey market like G2A? Did you have any problems with your product? If you never did, maybe you could share some experience with using other similar sites, like eBay?2. What is your opinion about grey market websites when it comes to games? Do you consider them a good source of cheap products?
3. Do you prefer buying products (in general) from official shops, or maybe other users on websites like eBay or Amazon?
4. Did you know that some developers and publishers would prefer you to actually pirate the game, instead of buying it on a grey market? Is piracy really worse than buying a game from other users?
Thank you for reading.
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBakPg6x63Qhttp://kotaku.com/g2a-scammer-explains-how-he-profited-off-stolen-indie-g-1784540664
http://www.polygon.com/2017/4/7/15223622/g2a-gearbox-bulletstorm-ultimatum-collectors-edition
http://twinfinite.net/2016/06/dev-going-buy-g2a-please-pirate-game-instead/
Comments
I think grey market may be a great website when it comes to games. Especially when you want to buy some without spending a lot of money.
Personally I prefer buying things from official shops. Then I can be sure that I'm paying for original product that has never been used. Using shops like eBay I can't have that assurance. Sometimes when I can't find some product in official shops then I use for example Allegro.
I like buying products in official stores - I've got warranty, I'm sure it's legal (there is many people selling stolen stuff)
If it comes to games in many of them there are codes to launch-up, so when you're buying from someone else there may be a problem with it
I'm really against downloading games instead of buying them - because it is just a robbery. But thing, that makes it worse are explanations of people who did this. Guy from my high school bought xbox because pirated games may be launched there, because games from official store/website are expensive.
Then why are you buying console(computer for gamers) if you can't afford game? I hate it. It is so lame, to make your stupidity and the fact that you're just a sharpie into smartie - sure, it is always cheaper to stole than buy, but it doesn't make it right.
I've used eBay many times, fraud is possible there too, but there may be items that you will not find in the official stores, I mean vintage and collectors items, in this case you have no choice. Also since eBay uses PayPal for payments buyer is protected, PayPal sets a two week delay for a refund.
I'm not super rich and I'm not spending gigantic amount of money on games - but I do wait for a nice discount and buy legally for half, sometimes even quarter of original place. And I support developers this way too :).
Equipped with the knowledge you get the real option to make a choice. A choice not only on price, but the choice in:
– taking a risk(no matter if its a small or big risk ) or going for the safe bet.
– being unsure where the key is obtained via any specific way ( sales, bundles or less pretty circumstances) or being 100% certain where the product is bought by the retailer
To be honest, my favourite way of doing shopping is online shopping. Let me give some advantages:
- Save time,
- Comparison of prices,
- 24/7 availability.
I haven’t really heard about such websites and I think that their operation is really interesting.
Isn’t fencing illegal? They basically act as a fencing company and even if they do it unknowingly they should be charged in court.
Knowing that some developers would prefer people to pirate their product rather than buy it on a grey marked shocked me, it really shows how bad it is for game industry.
Some developers would rather me pirate the game instead of buying it on grey market because they don't profit from it in both the cases but the grey market does in the latter case. So not only you pirate the game but also support the grey market with money and traffic. That's no good for game developers.
For the suggestion, I asked my boyfriend and he told it's a great resource of the cheap games, so I tend to believe him :)
I don't mind buying things from sellers other than official shops, if they are reliable and product is full-valued (having manufacturer warranty etc.).
I can't come up with an idea why some developers and publishers would prefer people to pirate the game, instead of buying it on a grey market.
I'm not a big gamer, I didn't buy any games through the codes, because when I buy a game I like to have it physically at home, just to collect it. But I see no problem with selling games by codes. The seller must be trusted and it is nothing wrong with it I believe.
In my opinion piracy is a bad thing. Even if developers would like us to steal their games rather than buy from other users.
Still i consider that a good site to get cheap games. Let's be frank. Prices of games ar skyrocketting lately. Even some of the old games are horrendously expensive. Places like g2a give people a possibility to get game for better prices or even sell their own games (bought but not used or/and produced). And that's why i prefer those shops. Unless i want a game to stand proudly on my shelf then i go to empik or use amazon.
The main problem of devs is reselling. Which looks like this:
Guy buys a bundle (let's say 500 keys) of newest games and sells them for 1$. With no money going to the devs. See the problem?
Or Guy produced the game. He asks Valve to grant them 1000 keys for their game on steam. And then sells 500 of those not giving any profit to steam. That's why. Personally i think pirating is a bit problematic. It would be good if everyone pirated the game to play it as DEMO version and then buy the game if they liked it but in reality it doesn't work that way.
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