GameStop used games revenue estimated to be $2 billion
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jan 23rd 2009 at 11:25AM }
Further on in the piece, the WSJ covers how publishers are trying to incentivize customers to buy new, by adding extra content that can "only be used once." It leads by using Gears of War 2's "Flashback map pack" as an example of "an effort to diminish the appeal of buying a used game." That certainly would be worth noting, if the pack wasn't available to purchase now on XBLM for $5.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Obie @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:30AM
Ya know I can proudly say that I didn't go to GameStop a single time during the whole year of '08.
Amazon and Best Buy FTW!
Stephen @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:14PM
playswitch.com and amazon.com
Screw Gamestop and their $10 trade in price for my two week old game.
BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:05PM
i didn't go to GS once either. i do everything on ebay. i can sell a game for at least $40, buy one for $30, what the hell do i need GS for?
Smurfy @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:05PM
I didn't either, but the nearest GameStop is something like 6,000 miles away.
Peter Moore @ Jan 23rd 2009 3:07PM
Hhm, that quote in that image is pretty familiar...
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/02/gamestop-officially-acquires-nzs-gamesman/
(Second comment)
:)
slycooper_rocker [psn:slycooper_rocker] @ Jan 23rd 2009 6:13PM
@ Smurfy
wow. i have 3 gamestops less than a mile away from my house and at least 7 in my city. and i live in birmingham, alabama, not a bigger place like los angeles or something.
player66 @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:30AM
Well, I'm glad someone's making a profit in this climate.
Haggard @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:41AM
Off of other people's creative efforts, no less
random-yeti @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:53AM
One day games will be so cheap because they're only be second hand games and crappy iPod apps for $2
Santa & Jesus aren't real, but I still want presents
Chin-Poh (I wuv you Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged!) @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:39AM
Digital distribution FTW, Steam FTW!
Markster @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:41AM
Re: "That certainly would be worth noting if the pack wasn't available to purchase now on XBLM for $5."
Yes, you can still purchase the game used, and then repurchase the incentive material, but you miss the key point:
Consider that you can buy GoW2 new for $60, or used for $55. When the new copy comes with a $5 bonus, the real cost of the two items are both $60. If the price is the same for a new or a used copy, people will buy the new copy.
Gehodra @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:00PM
Used for $55? I don't think I've ever seen used for more than $40.
Shagittarius @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:09PM
Gamestop sells used games for 54.99 all the time.
NOT ME @ Jan 23rd 2009 7:27PM
well if you have the card you can just take 10% off that 54.99
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:46AM
I just want to say that Resistance joke was solid gold.
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:48AM
If you buy games at Gamestop, odds are you're a sucker. That's what eBay is for.
If you trade in games to Gamestop, odds are you're a friggin moron. That's what eBay is for.
If you are too young to use eBay, stop wasting your parents' money at Gamestop.
AirIntake @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:56AM
You can find good deals at Gamestop if you are patient and wait for prices to drop. Getting GRAW 2 & Rainbow Six Vegas for $12CAD each and Beautiful Katamari for $15CAN sounds good to me. I bought over 50 original Xbox games for between $5 and $10 to fill out my collection. eBay is way too risky compared to Gamestop, as I have a 100% chance of receiving the game at Gamestop, and can easily exchange it if it doesn't work.
melloncollie @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:59AM
Actually,
I can get 26% off of any used game at Gamestop. So for me it makes more sense to buy from Gamestop used.
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:03PM
There is nothing risky about eBay as long as you know what you're doing. I have purchased dozens of items and was only mildly dissatisfied with 1. I have also sold dozens of items with no problem.
No matter what kind of deal you can get at GS, it can't beat deals on eBay where you find misspelled listings or just badly described ones that nobody else bids on, resulting in buying items for 80-90% off.
Also, if you're a decent writer, you can buy used games off eBay, play them, then sell them with a better description than the original seller and turn a profit.
AirIntake @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:15PM
Sorry, but eBay is crap and not worth my time and effort. Between getting screwed by sellers, and items lost during shipping it's just not worth it to me. I value being able to get the game right now, and have it work right now. I do not wish to track down a seller that looks legit enough, wait a week for it to ship, have to deal with the courier when he can't deliver it because I'm at work and nobody's home, drive to the courier depot to pick it up, deal with the seller if it doesn't work, deal with PayPal and eBay if the seller isn't helpful, wait for investigation, wait for the refund to come through etc etc. Sorry, just not worth it. I probably pay $2-$5 more for the games I get at Gamestop, but I'm more than happy to pay that to not have to deal with the farce that eBay has become.
KCVocals @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:23PM
If you can find the time and have the patience to put up with eBay for getting your used games, more power to you. There is no need to call people morons because they don't do exactly what YOU do.
I would rather go into my local GS, get the used game I want right then and there, be able to see the product before I buy it to make sure that it's to my liking, and leave happy, knowing that if I don't like it, I can return it within a week for a full refund. I don't remember seeing that guarantee on eBay.
Not to say that I hate eBay, far be it. I have found deals like what you were describing before. I've even turned a profit by finding those deals and trading them in to GS.
Mabui @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:30PM
Brought to you by Ebay!
Find it on Ebay!
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:13PM
"Between getting screwed by sellers, and items lost during shipping it's just not worth it to me."
Pretty sure you made this up. If not I'm sure you could easily post links to the auctions you won that went awry.
"I do not wish to track down a seller that looks legit enough"
Here is my two step process: 1. Do they have a lot of sales and a 99%+ approval rate? 2. Is the description in good English?
"have to deal with the courier when he can't deliver it because I'm at work and nobody's home"
Simple idea: Have it shipped to your work. Unless you work in retail that shouldn't be an issue.
"deal with the seller if it doesn't work"
Honestly, how often has that ever happened? Once?
I probably pay $2-$5 more for the games I get at Gamestop"
Haha right.
Used Soul Calibur 4 on eBay, mint condition: $30
Used Soul Calibur 4 at Gamestop, sans manual: $50
Gonzo @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:33PM
ebay and amazon are fine as long as your seller isn't from Hong Kong. Gamestop on the other hand is pretty much always a ripoff; so it comes as NO SURPRISE whatsoever that they make that much money ripping off gamers; especially now that they kind of have a monopoly on the gamer store market.
The only time Gamestop might even be worth is when they have the buy 2 get 1 free sale. I say might because even if there's only one other person on the line you have to wait a half hour for them to try to sell him every preorder (the biggest ripoff since layaway) coming out the next year, a magazine subscription, and membership to whatever fruity club they started. Then you have to ignore them while they try and sell YOU all that same crap too. Then if you're lucky the moron behind the counter might actually put a game (if your really lucky, you'll even get the right game, if they actually have it) in the box and give it to you before you really feel the need to stab him in the eye with a DS stylus. Pretty much any annoyance you can imagine happening to you in a game store, has happened to me at gamestop so I never go there anymore.
AirIntake @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:38PM
Auction 5181488213 - Seller didn't ship laptop, had to mess around with seller to get refund.
Auction 5184402149 - Laptop was broken and not as described, seller cancelled eBay account and disappeared. Had to go through Paypal dispute. Lost $50 between what I paid and what Paypal refunded me.
Auction 280227581054 - I was the seller and the item was lost during shipping (or buyer lied). Had to file a claim with Canada Post. Lost the item, and Canada Post insurance only covered half of the value.
Those three were quite enough screwing around for me.
There are a lot less sellers to go through since I live in Canada. It is often difficult to find a reputable seller in Canada selling the games I want. And if I buy from a seller outside of Canada, I don't save any money due to shipping costs.
My boss wouldn't appreciate me shipping things to work all the time, and I've already stated I don't want to wait for shipping, so it doesn't really matter where I ship it to.
I've dealt with sellers and buyers more than once. And really, how many bad experiences do I need to have before I stop using the service? How many burgers with hair on them would you eat from a restaurant before you stopped coming back?
I do research, I buy older games, and I never pay more than $25 for any used game at Gamestop. I haven't tried to purchase Soul Calibur 4, but I wouldn't until it dropped below $25.
Sorry, but you obviously have more time than me to spend on finding used games. Great for you. I prefer to just go to work to earn more money so I can afford games I want without having to jump through hoops.
raindogtoo23 @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:38PM
And really; why WOULD you buy a used game from Gamestop when 99% of the time you can find a new copy of the game for cheaper at any other store.
If it is cheaper, it's never more than $1 or $2.
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:50PM
The real problem here is that you live in Canada.
Just kidding.
Kind of.
Spud27 @ Jan 23rd 2009 11:55AM
Instead of publishers providing bonus content as 'incentive', why don't they stop selling the game for $60. Paying $40 for a game is more incentive to buy new than some random 'use only once' content. They'd probably sell more copies of it at a lower price as well. The technology for next gen systems has been around long enough that it should be cheaper for them to produce the games at a cheaper price.
tmontana213 @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:00PM
$2 Billion that they pretty much swindled from us...
Gordo_Scarface @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:02PM
Fuck best buy!
baby sea tuna @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:09PM
Um...okay?
AwesomeTown @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:18PM
Yea, you tell 'em!
Fuck Bed Bath and Beyond, too!
The Dark Wayne @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:25PM
I do not care for the China House down the street that charges double for the sugar dumplings!
Chin-Poh (I wuv you Yu Yu Hakusho Abridged!) @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:27PM
You guys better hurry up and fuck Circuit City before its necrophilia!
KCVocals @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:05PM
Oh look, a dead horse. And me with my baseball bat...
Jack Tretton @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:22PM
Maybe now Gamestop can afford Stanley Steemer to wet-dry vac the Doritos and locker room odors from the carpets in their stores.
Morris_The_Grey @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:39PM
The gamestop in Joliet/Crest Hill, IL (formerly Funcoland) at one point literally smelled like pure shit! It had the smell for months! I think it was because of the Chinese buffet next door which IS the shit. That means the buffet is the best and had a broken sewage pipe that ran under the gamestop.
Greg Peevy @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:27PM
Game Stop is a ripoff! I only preorder new games there. If it's something that's been out a while i'll buy new at BestBuy or Target. They usually have them on sale for cheaper, plus I don't have to pay full price for a game that's been opened but is still technically "New". I want my money to go to the publishers. Not some company that makes their money off of schmucks that are so desperate for money they will trade a game to them for pennies on the dollar. I agree with someone who said they should reduce the prices. I would buy a lot more games if they were only 40 dollars compared to 60.
Wiinterfang @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:33PM
I buy my new games a gamestop and I buy some really cheap used ones =).
off course I also sell some of my games and get rip off but I need to buy Top Ramen to feed myself.
aj @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:47PM
I dumpster dive for all my food, because if I don't buy games THE DAY THEY COME OUT for 60$ then my self esteem is critically wounded and I feel bad about all those game developers who are unemployed because the games industry is only making a couple billion this fiscal year instead of tens of billions.
In fact, I should probably just live in the shelter downtown. The money I pay toward rent could support the CEO of Ubisoft, who needs it more than me.
Wiinterfang @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:48PM
aj your comment was delicious.
PSN: Aggie_CEO @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:35PM
42% seems awfully low......in 10 years when Download rates are a LOT higher than they are now and our PlayStation's and Xbox's have 3TB HDDs Gamestop wont be worth shit.....
dave smith @ Jan 23rd 2009 12:46PM
the way to solve this is to reduce the demand for the used games. An example: some new game comes out today. It sells like crazy for six to ten weeks and then starts to drop off. at that point everyone who was going to pay full retail price has already done so. when the drop off starts, the smart publisher makes the game available via Steam, XBLA or PSN. Same game, electronically distributed, lowered price. the publisher and developer get percentages. Many people who won't buy at $60 ( myself included, except for maybe 2 to 3 games a year of the 30 I buy )will buy at $40, or $30. this way revenue can still flow and the overall effect is that publishers and developers not only make more money, but actually reduce the used game market by addressing one of the core problems: New games cost too much money for many people to buy everything they'd like to. Pointing a finger at gamestop for discovering and capitalizing on a giant market opportunity doesn't solve anything. Making adjustments to marketing stategies to compete with them does.
Smurfy @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:11PM
Late Steam releases? No thanks.
SidearmS @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:05PM
So, how many of you rent then? Hands?
You are worse then the folks who buy at Gamestop. Gamefly gives deeper discounts than Gamestop, but I do not see the graphs, charts, and general BITCHING about THEM.
And developers still gain nothing. But Gamefly is a dirty little secret for all you Gamestop bashers, even though we Gamestop customers actually OWN the games we busy used - outright.
You want to hate on Gamestop? Your choice and I can not stop you. But WAKE ME when we actually get Gamefly data to compare to this. I am pretty sure Gamefly, who is hiring for positions in Seattle (probably for ANOTHER warehouse center) is raking in money at a pretty good clip as well.
REAL GAMES JOURNALISM would have researched the Gamefly rates too. But since this is just another Gamestop bashfest, take your board with a nail in it and head to the back of line... the dead house will be here all day.
XBox 360 - This is not Games Journalism, this is just another excuse to bash ONE (just one) of the ways people get used games.
Smurfy @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:12PM
l0l yew never own games.
DEEZNUTZ @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:17PM
Care to elaborate?
Gamefly cannot just buy a game at $60 and profit off that game by renting it. They have agreements with publishers that allow the game to be rented, and pay more money on each copy they buy for rental purposes, or pay a royalty for each rental transaction.
Netflix has the same model. Not sure what you're gripe is regarding the renting of games, but I'm sure publishers are OK with it and are compensated at some level for it. On the other hand, Gamestop makes a profit and the developers/publishers get nothing from that.
Time is running out for Gamestop though, so they better enjoy this used sales model for the little time it has left. Come next gen, you can be sure gamestop will be cut out of the used games market outright.
WiNG LifeinaGame.com @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:20PM
Wrong on several counts:
1. Gamefly, unlike Gamestop, actually bought the new games originally (ie devs got money) whereas Gamestop bought their used games off impressionable teenagers.
2. Gamefly does not sell pre-opened games as "new"
3. Gamefly does not try to sell you shitty subscriptions to shitty magazines.
4. If you're going to diss Gamefly, you might as well hate on Netflix. But be warned, that's basically Internet Suicide.
Alien Lord @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:27PM
This makes me glad we don't have GameStop in Canada but we do have EB Games, still they don't sell pre-opened games as new games and I think they have better trade in prices.
SirFishouse @ Jan 23rd 2009 1:05PM
Love the Locutus joke. Clever.