Gorankar
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2000
- Messages
- 11,107
How do we give gamers first crack at new cards, without resorting violence against people that mine crypto?
I know this has generated more than just a little bit of hate against crypto miners, but let's please avoid the calls for violence.
It is a bit of a problem though isn't it. One goes to buy a new video card and they are mostly all out of stock, and what you can find is way over MSRP. New cards are just around the corner. How can we get those cards, at least most of the first production run or two, into the hands of gamers rather than miners?
My very rough idea, is for the major AIB's to sell exclusively, short term, through the boutique PC builders, (Alienware, Falcon NW, Maingear, and the like), and through the primary PC gaming services. (Steam, Origin, GOG, etc.) Through those services create priority lists for those cards and any backorders. (Someone with a Steam account that is multiple years old, has multiple games, and over a certain number of hours of gameplay would be given priority over someone with few hours of gameplay or games.), Limit the purchases to one or two cards a year through those services. Then open it up and have the cards pop up on Amazon and the like after we have at least had gamers take the first crack at those cards. It is not perfect, but I think it might get more cards into the hands of more gamers sooner.
B4 the "if you can't afford to overpay $$$ for a luxury good, maybe you should choose another hobby" types open up their yaps, it is the principal. Sure I can afford $600 for a $450 msrp video card, but it pisses me off to do so. Especially when the card is going to be relegated to some crypto farm somewhere.
As an aside, I am not against crypto currencies. They have their uses and there are fortunes being made on them. I am however less than pleased with one of the consequences. That being the shortages, and resultant price rise of video cards.
I know this has generated more than just a little bit of hate against crypto miners, but let's please avoid the calls for violence.
It is a bit of a problem though isn't it. One goes to buy a new video card and they are mostly all out of stock, and what you can find is way over MSRP. New cards are just around the corner. How can we get those cards, at least most of the first production run or two, into the hands of gamers rather than miners?
My very rough idea, is for the major AIB's to sell exclusively, short term, through the boutique PC builders, (Alienware, Falcon NW, Maingear, and the like), and through the primary PC gaming services. (Steam, Origin, GOG, etc.) Through those services create priority lists for those cards and any backorders. (Someone with a Steam account that is multiple years old, has multiple games, and over a certain number of hours of gameplay would be given priority over someone with few hours of gameplay or games.), Limit the purchases to one or two cards a year through those services. Then open it up and have the cards pop up on Amazon and the like after we have at least had gamers take the first crack at those cards. It is not perfect, but I think it might get more cards into the hands of more gamers sooner.
B4 the "if you can't afford to overpay $$$ for a luxury good, maybe you should choose another hobby" types open up their yaps, it is the principal. Sure I can afford $600 for a $450 msrp video card, but it pisses me off to do so. Especially when the card is going to be relegated to some crypto farm somewhere.
As an aside, I am not against crypto currencies. They have their uses and there are fortunes being made on them. I am however less than pleased with one of the consequences. That being the shortages, and resultant price rise of video cards.