For no apparent reason, the ability to delete old save games and start a fresh new game was removed from Capcom's Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D.
No reason was given by Capcom for the decision, which leaves amble room for speculations that it was done to reduce the appeal of second hand copies of the game.
A lot of developers and publishers are increasingly employing different tactics to decrease second hand game sales. The most popular of those tactics might be the one time codes that are tied to the game's serial number and can be redeemed once to enable some of the game's content. The content unlocked by one time codes can usually be unlocked by paying a 10 fee, but there is no way to start a new game in Mercenaries 3D after the first one.
It is worth noting that Mercenaries 3D is an arcade-style shooting game with no campaign, so replaying levels is not a big deal but you won't be able to reset the unlocks, scores and achievements.
Capcom responded to the allegations by claiming that not being able to start a fresh new game has no effect on the game's second hand sale value.
"The game's value at second-hand in the UK is not affected by whether or not the game can have its data reset," it said. "Customers in the UK will not experience a reduced second-hand value should they wish to trade in their purchase."
