IndustryGamers spoke with Tony Bartel from GameStop about the company's used games business, which accounted for over 45% of its gross profit in the last quarter.
Quote:
Bartel continued, positioning his company as an “enabler” for the average game buying consumer: “If you stop and think about the role GameStop plays in the industry, we literally enable gamers to come in and sell their unwanted games and buy the new games. That's an important distinction – we are totally focused on helping gamers afford the games that they want to play. So for instance, in the case of Modern Warfare 2, over 20% of the purchase price that people paid for it across the world is being paid for at GameStop by credits that they get from trading in games. And that number has increased this year; it's higher than it's ever been. So that indicates that our model is working extremely well in allowing more people in this difficult economy to afford the games they want to play.”
I am getting tired of the posturing from both publishers and the PR bull-oney from Gamestop on this matter. If developers want to end the wholly legal and justifiable trend of reselling there are many actions that will facilitate that. Whining like a stuck pig bleeding out its ass and eyeballs is not on the list, but it is what most of them do.
Coded DLC released for free on a periodic basis as well as the aiding of mod authors all make a purchased product more desirable to purchase as well as hold onto; ask Valve. For that matter, see if they'll share just how well their convenient digital distribution system with actual savings passed onto the consumer has been working for them.
If we can't get a win-win-win (customer, Gamestop, developers) then at least the current system is win-win-lose. The developer (rather than the publisher) usually take the worst drubbing in this case, sadly. Royalties go up the more units that are sold and there is less residual income. Particularly for "gamers games".
That said, Gamestop totally rips off the people that do trade in games. They give very little (if you're lucky 50%) and sell for just shy of retail. There aren't a lot of places that get that kind of regular return in most (legal) marketplaces. My personal opinion is that they are no better than pawn brokers who prey on the desperate or used car salesman who know you're in a bind.
If developers really want to take the food out of GameStop's mouth, then they need to start digital-only distribution. This can work for titles like Torchlight, where the retail box is released later on or not at all, but until AAA titles can be distributed without hitting a physical shelf, GameStop will turn a massive profit on this. 90% of people I know (myself included) have an edge card and regularly trade in to GS.
I don't see the digital only model happening for a long while for consoles due to fear of lower sales from not having physical advertising.
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isn't it a good thing for ebgamestop to rip off people trading in games? If they offered people $40 to buy back a new $50 game, wouldn't even more people be churning used games?
Look around you, the very people enabling the used game industry are gamers. Gamestop doesn't buy used games from an evil syndicate, nor are they selling used games to the mentally ill.
gamestop shouldn't bother socially justifying its pawn shop business model, and gamers shouldn't whip out their high horse armor whenever sales figures surface
Look around you, the very people enabling the used game industry are gamers.
Not me. People have the right to do whatever they want with their games, but dealing with GameStop is akin to swimming in feces, in my opinion. I truly feel disgust just thinking of any kind of financial dealing with them at all.
Amazon is the bees knees. Terrific selection, service, and good prices if you're patient.
Also if they sold some of these used titles for 40 or 45 there would be a hell of a lot more people rebuying that used game instead of the new copy. I know when I go into that store, if I want to buy the game I will buy it brand new every time for that lousy 5 dollars more. Not sure I would always make that choice if I was saving 15 dollars per game.
The publishers may have done some deal with the devil in that they forced GS to sell at the $5 less then new price. This would push you to buy new over used. Let's face it if you have $64 for a game you certainly have $69 to buy it new.
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I am getting tired of the posturing from both publishers and the PR bull-oney from Gamestop on this matter. If developers want to end the wholly legal and justifiable trend of reselling there are many actions that will facilitate that. Whining like a stuck pig bleeding out its ass and eyeballs is not on the list, but it is what most of them do.
Coded DLC released for free on a periodic basis as well as the aiding of mod authors all make a purchased product more desirable to purchase as well as hold onto; ask Valve. For that matter, see if they'll share just how well their convenient digital distribution system with actual savings passed onto the consumer has been working for them.
This is basically what I have said myself a few times. If Dev's want to keep their jobs they need to keep buyers OUT of Gamestop, and keep buyers seeing a higher value in new games versus used games.
Good idea's are;
1/ Include a onetime use code for extra content that is only released with new game purchases.
2/ Then charge $15 for same said content to download online, so used buyers end up paying $69.99 for what new buys pay $59.99 for.
Yes I am against used video game sales. They are partially responsible for me spending an extra $10 on every new game so far this generation.
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