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I dunno. It's a lot more complicated than that. If you think about it, everything you ever bought could theoretically be resold. Be it your TV, a car, a lamp, a table. Aside from consumables, anything can be resold if you want even if its used and even if there still is a major first hand market for it.
So why doesn't the same rule apply to digital products? If I buy a license to use a piece of software why can't I sell that license to someone else? Even though the game itself is not mine, the license is. The license is as much mine as my table or my TV. How can a company even forbid me from selling it? People would cry out in anger if Samsung would forbid them to resell their TV.
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The difference is that physical products are physical and digital products aren’t.
When you buy a physical copy of a game, you’re paying for the license and the box, the disc, the manual etc. The license for the game is inextricably tied to the disc in this case – if the disc breaks, your license is toast.
The value for the physical copy of the game is tied directly into the physicality of the product:
- How many of those discs have been produced? Am I still able to buy a new copy?
- Is the disc scratched or worn? Does the console still read it properly?
- Is the manual included? Is it torn or damaged?
- Is the box broken or damaged? Is the boxart still in its sleeve?
All of the above can affect the retail price of a used game.
The issue is that none of those can be applied to a digital license for a game because there is no physical product, there is no potential for wear and tear, and there is no lack of availability.
When none of the factors that make buying a game used worthwhile exist, what’s the advantage in buying it used? And what’s the point in selling your license when there’s an infinite supply of brand new licenses that anyone can buy?