How often does it happen? You pay $60 for a new game, take it home, beat it in a weekend, and then take it back to the store and trade it in for credit toward something new. In today’s era of shorter games with less replay value, many people are turning to the used game market to get their fix, buying games at discounted rates and then selling them back to the store once they realize they don’t want to play anymore. Some may consider it to be little more than a glorified renting process, but it has meant big bucks to GameStop and other second-hand game retailers. Now, publishers are trying to curtail the market, and EA has an idea that just might be crazy enough to work: give consumers reason to keep coming back to your games.

First off, you have to understand that developers and publishers hate the used game market because they aren’t making any money. They only get a percentage of new game sales, and once a used copy goes out the door, that profit all goes to the retailer, none to the game creators. It’s like when you sell your old textbooks to a friend at the end of a semester: none of that cash is going back to McGraw Hill or anyone else, rather it’s all heading straight for your "beer and porn" fund. So while many publishers are attacking retailers, making threats and demands in an attempt to curb the second-hand games market, EA is attempting a different tactic, offering online playability and downloadable content that will keep you attached to a game, reluctant to give it up to anyone, especially a used games retailer.

According to Jens Uwe Intant, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Publishing for EA Europe:

"What we’re trying to do is build business models that are more and more online-supported with additional services and additional content that you get online. So people will see the value in not just getting that physical disc to play at home alone, but actually playing those games online and paying for them.

"It’s actually also a very interesting discussion to ask how much cannibalization do you really have on second-hand sales? That’s such a complex subject, we’re not going to be overly confrontational, we’re going to solve it with better, more interesting and online offering going forward - and that should actually solve the whole current dilemma."

It’s an interesting theory, and one which EA seems to be putting into practice with a few of its current games. Look at Rock Band for instance, where weekly downloadable content has kept gamers interested long past when the finally tackled "Green Grass and High Tides." Or even better, take the case of Burnout Paradise, where regular, free updates are continually revitalizing the experience and keeping people interested in a game that may have otherwise faded from our collective consciousness a long time ago. Seems EA has stumbled onto the fundamental truth of gaming, if you keep things fun, people will keep playing. Who knew?