Well since you put it that way...
We're pretty much in agreement. I just want the devs to not be so dependent on the pubs.

In my ideal world, every developer (and musician, but that's a different story) would go indie. Publishers would be a thing of the past. I view publishers as somewhat similar to Gamestop, in that they are middlemen who often appear to do nothing more than grab a chunk of the profits from the people who actually create the games.

I think you're trying to save face. Whatever. Maybe you have a handle on the internet to defend. I don't agree with you now because that would be like agreeing with your earlier posts, which I sure as shit don't.

Less competition has never been good for the consumer. Thinking that publishers will lower their prices if they don't "lose" as much money to used sales, is naïve.
Yes, DD should be able to offer much lower prices on all games, especially new ones. And yet that doesn't seem to happen. I wonder why not? The thought "let's see, for the DD version we don't have any expenses for production of physical media, printing of manuals, design of covers, shipping and logistics, so why don't we deduct those expenses from the price of the game" is one that would simply never occur to a corporate suit.

Right on. I was going to post something like that, (and I assume CymTyr was going to also) but it didn't seem like it would do any good to argue something like that even though it's true. Personally, I've never seen a game for sale for $10 one year after its release unless it's been a pretty awful game in the first place. Let's also think about three or more years down the road. Unless a game was a bestseller, you can bet that it's probably been discontinued and no longer available in retail, only in used games.

A thought just occurred to me - you don't hear book publishers bitching about secondhand book sales (at least I haven't heard it, and a couple of google searches didn't reveal any bitching).
I'm certain that the secondhand market is a much bigger problem for book publishers than it is for computer game publishers (at least real PC games, console games with their inbuilt short play-time and general low level of replayability might be different), given the sheer number of 2nd hand bookstores out there. In every city I've lived and paid attention to such things, 2nd hand bookstores have outnumbered 2nd hand game stores (or game stores with a 2nd hand section) by at least 3 to 1.
I guess what I'm saying is that the game publishers should suck it up and accept that people will do legal things.

The difference is that book publishers can't do anything about it and game publishers can... that's all it boils down to. Game publishers have the technology to restrict access and consumers accept that (Steam, Xbox Live), so why not take advantage of it?

And as we saw with the whole Kindle 1984 affair, when they DO have access to the technology they are not afraid to abuse of it.

Counter question: what makes games that much better then about every other product worldwide, so that game publishers are allowed to enforce that? Would you accept something similar for your music CDs? Bought used? Sorry, it only plays the first minute before skipping to the next song. Or a used car? Sorry, won't drive on highways, no Sir.
I know I wouldn't.
So yes, it all boils down to what I quoted in bold. And yes, I'm one who accept this - for a price where I feel is right with those limitations. Which boils down to just sales for 10 or less, in some special cases 15 bucks. So, from 1-2 new games each month, I'm down to about 3 full price purchases per year and getting everything else on sales - now why doesn't that strike me as the business model of the future?
I own over 1000 music CDs and well over 500 computer games, all bought legally, mostly brand new and I don't pirate stuff. Do I feel treated as a valuable customer by such companies? No. Do I support such behaviour? No. What can I do? I adjust.

I accept it on the PC because it's an open platform, which means there are ways around it. They can try to restrict what I do with my boxed retail game all they like, but they can't really. On consoles and other closed systems it's a much different affair, and I don't think I would ever accept a Steam-like process on an Xbox, which is undoubtedly going to come.

Steam like processes are already popping up on Xbox as well as PS3. The PS3 just came out with a service to download full retail versions of games (Like InFamous for example, and Burnout: Paradise) that are tied to the account. So it's not too far off!

I did not know that. That is kind of scary really.

Actually, there's lots of evidence that suggests that the consolidation (and thus less competition) in wireless Internet has helped customers, as it has allowed them to become more efficient and improve coverage, as well as offer lower rates. I'm not sure it's naive, but I think it is a bit foolish to suggest that less competition has never helped the customer.
I don't know about you, but I picked up several < 1 year old games on Steam for between $5 and $15 during the Steam Summer sale. Furthermore, a part of the reason for high prices in digital distribution (as well as the desire for more money) is the fact that retailers would be very unhappy (i.e. possibly stop shelving their games) if they were being undercut by digital distribution services.
If you look around (CAG is a great source), you can find many "AAA" (although I loathe that term) games on sale for very cheap in a fairly short period after games get released. If you're willing to use DD services, Steam often offers games for very cheap. In addition to their Summer and Winter sales, Valve has also discounted Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 75% less than a year after release, and most people would argue that those games are successful.
Books degrade in quality over time, so there's an incentive to getting a new book over a used book. Games, however, do not have the same issues in that regard.

That's great, but am assuming everything won't be available though, and the sales won't carry over.
Maan Gamestop is such a money pit. Buying/Returning policies are like a pyramid scheme, they make everything on overpricing "used games" and trying to convince pre-orders you can get yourself online. They chase customers away by trying too hard to be relevant in my Mario purchase, I need to give them more information than when I see a doctor.
They buy a MINIMUM of popular titles from distributors on release date. They undercut their providers and customers through their own overpriced used market, that can't compete with the real one outside the strip mall/plaza (GASP!), and searching for a solution to a pipe dream they've created?
When they have a niche title and fulfill their actual purpose as a boutique games shop, it's already opened?!?!! The staff is slightly annoyed at you for buying, because it was their copy to share and take home. "Used" by the whole shop and not worthy of their paltry 5 dollar discount?
Just use e-bay and forget them fools. Especially if you gotta hear how their snake-oil business model is relevant and in search of a solution for changing times.
Everybodys whining, where's Arnold?