Did you know that video game theft costs retailers billions of dollars a year? So says the Entertainment Merchant Association, a group that “advance[s] the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry.” That’s actual theft, mind you. Like, you walk into a store, swipe a game, put it under your shirt, then amscray. The solution to this problem? Not to lower the price of video games so that people don’t have to steal, no, but to install some sort of radio-activated lock. Said lock would make the games (or movies) unplayable until they’ve been unlocked at the cash register.
And this is where opinions begin to diverge. You could take the EMA’s side, and say that theft is a huge problem, and that the only way to solve the problem is to slap on this lock. The other side of the argument is, well, that sucks that you’re losing so much money and all, but I’m an Upstanding Citizen—why should I be subjected to this new locking procedure?
If all goes according to plan, the technology could go into effect in stores by the end of 2010.
My opinion, as if that matters: yet another reason to buy things online. I’d be willing to wait the two or three days it takes Amazon to ship Video Game. But that’s just me.