Nielsen: Gaming time, used game sales at all-time high
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Jul 6th 2009 at 6:30PM }
Furthermore, used game sales are also higher than ever before. Since January, the average number of used games purchased in a six-month period has risen from 3.01 to 3.51, accounting for 36 percent of all games purchased. The firm also reports that subscription to game rental services like GameFly is on the rise, stating that some gamers may use such services as a substitution for purchasing new games.
What say you, Joystiq readers? Has the economy driven you to purchase more used games?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Saria the Cat @ Jul 6th 2009 6:34PM
Actually, less games, usually used, and more home-cooked meals.
Bubbameister33 @ Jul 6th 2009 6:49PM
Best comment ever!!!
EGOvoruhk @ Jul 6th 2009 6:52PM
I'll trade you games for some home cooked meals!.. cooked in my home of course
ArchiGamer @ Jul 6th 2009 6:53PM
Home-cooked meals? Are those microwaveable?
Saria the Cat @ Jul 6th 2009 7:05PM
@Archi: The leftovers are microwaveable. :)
Dance Mofo @ Jul 6th 2009 6:35PM
on the brink of getting laid off from my job, i got a PS3 and some games.
Jack_Jackington @ Jul 6th 2009 6:50PM
I hope you used company money
j.howlett @ Jul 7th 2009 8:23AM
i got my ps3 right when i got hurt and was out of work. it made being stuck in my room easier and the demos off psn made up for games since i had to pay bills.
Drew @ Jul 6th 2009 6:36PM
I don't think I've ever bought a used game... aside from Morrowind, which I do not count because i lost that same day.
masteratt @ Jul 14th 2009 5:25PM
Nah, I've always been a cheap bastard.
I do play more games though because what else is there to do in a hot boiling summer day. Go outside and burn? No thanks.
Jack Tretton @ Jul 6th 2009 6:41PM
I rent then keep from GameFly, especially brand new releases -- I'm the only person to ever play the disc and the discount is great. Although, as of late I haven't kept many new games; I think the last might have been Valkyria Chronicles.
But I did buy a "like-new" copy of Armed and Dangerous for Xbox for $.99 at Amazon last week.
Nytemare @ Jul 7th 2009 1:06AM
I was tempted to keep VC from Gamefly, it was in excellent condition.
But, I had Red Faction and Devil Summoner 2 to buy DX
(T'would be funny if we got the same VC disc)
Lunastra78 (PSN: lunastra78) @ Jul 6th 2009 6:43PM
New PS3 games can cost as much as US$ 80-90 in my country so i always wait till games gets price drops and order them from England. Still waiting for Motorstorm2, Killzone2 and Resistance2 sales. :-/
The only used games i got was from friends who sold them cheap.
Toop @ Jul 6th 2009 6:48PM
I went into EB Games (aka Gamestop) and they were selling used copies of Resident Evil 5 for $64 CAD. I couldn't believe it, then saw that Future Shop (aka Best Buy) was selling it used for the same price. I have gotten some games used (at much lower prices), but no one in their right mind would be paying these prices.
Joe G @ Jul 7th 2009 11:11AM
A friend and I just launched a new site for gamers into beta: http://www.gamestaq.com
We were pretty much fed up with the rip off that is Gamestop, so we're giving our way a try.
Buy back rates and used game prices are always the same.
Resident Evil 5: $40
COD W@W: $40
Killzone 2: $40
Fight Night 4: $40
COD 4: $24
Punch Out: $30
Conduit: $30
Hope you like it.
Jared @ Jul 7th 2009 2:32PM
@Joe - Ever heard of half.com??
ArchiGamer @ Jul 6th 2009 6:49PM
The last time I bought a used game was FFX-2, bought I wasn't able to buy it new for various reasons.
Gamer4Life @ Jul 6th 2009 6:53PM
I buy a lot of new games but sometimes I wait for a good price for a used copy on games that only mildly interest me, like Turok for 360, still I buy more new games then used.
I buy new more then used in part to support the developers so they'll continue to make great games. I wish more gamers would think about the developers and buy games new and for good systems (I'm looking at you PS3 fanboys) to support those who matter most in the industry, DEVELOPERS!
Hydrophobicfish @ Jul 6th 2009 7:20PM
Did you just imply that the playstation was a bad system, and people should abandon it, in order to support the Xbox?...
Not only that, but in the same breath, standing on a soap box saying we need to support the developers, but you're telling people to abandon an entire system?
goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 6th 2009 7:36PM
This is the wrong time to start yelling support your developers. Fan service is all but dead anymore. On the console side of things you've got Bungie, Insomniac, and Team ICO still giving people what they want (in the case of Insomniac, still churning out family-friendly 3D platformers while their rivals move onto more mature themes). Valve obviously still has fan-service cornered on PC.
There just isn't anyone out there making games for gamers. Developers are a business first and foremost, and that is transparent now more than ever with "premium" DLC, buggy games, and my personal favorite... Finding out that game you have been playing for 10-20 hours was just a lead up to a sequel announcement after the end credits.
I don't really like to buy used games, and I'm an advocate for supporting devs, but damn... Developers really need to try harder at selling me a complete product that I'm proud to own and share with others. In other words, last generation kicked tremendous amounts of ass; This one? Not so much.
Gamer4Life @ Jul 7th 2009 2:40AM
@Hydrophobicfish I actually have multiple consoles not just a 360, I say don't support PS3 cause it is a bad platform, it hurts developers while all other platforms don't. I'm not suggesting you toss your PC, Wii, or DS/DSi just don't support PS3 because sony use the cell processor and blu-ray, not to mention that nasty psn policy of making developers pay for their content downloaded.
Chief Oddball @ Jul 6th 2009 6:51PM
Up until a little less than a year ago, I used to hit the game stores on the day of release, pre-order lots of big titles months in advance, and would only buy used games if I was looking for something very old or rare to help complete a collection.
Nowadays, I don't buy games unless Gamestop is having a sale (like the increasingly common Buy 2 Get 1 Free promotion). And then, of course, I pick up used copies because the sales never apply to new titles.
I don't pre-order stuff anymore, either, mostly because I no longer feel compelled to get games on release day. But I fear the developer-starving taint of used games and money-saving promotions may have corrupted me permanently...
SmoothC911 @ Jul 7th 2009 1:53PM
agreed; I used to preorder most everything but with the rising costs of gaming I am trying to save where I can
I now usually wait a bit until I can find a used copy of 'new' releases or, if it was one I'm not craving, will wait until I can find it for $30 or less (at minimum)
the good thing is that I now play through a game until I've seen just about anything, and I've played some great past games I didn't until recently (since they were cheap; Halo 1&2, GoW 1&2, MGS trilogy, Shadow of the Colossus, KotOR, etc.)
Ballistic H @ Jul 6th 2009 6:54PM
There you go, digital download is still not the future. Otherwise, people wouldn't be able to sell their games at all and get some cash back to buy another one.
Chin-Paaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! @ Jul 6th 2009 7:07PM
At least Steam offers nice deals every now and then unlike purchasing full games from Playstation Network and Xbox Live, I don't mean smaller arcade titles.
cuteSAVAGE @ Jul 6th 2009 6:58PM
Funny that they all decline around the holidays. Even in the rough '08 holiday season parents were still afraid of disappointing their children with something other than shiny new shrink-wrapped video games.
Jrinswand @ Jul 6th 2009 7:14PM
I stopped buying used games months ago. The main reason is because I believe used games are like a cancer of the video game industry.
I have been playing games that have lots of replay value (Elder Scrolls games and TF2 FTW) and I can't remember the last time that I bought a game as soon as it came out. It was probably years ago.
Dante G @ Jul 6th 2009 7:18PM
I'd rather wait for price drops and sales than buy used games. I think I've bought only one used game at gamestop, which was ICO for $15. I couldn't find it anywhere else brand new, so I bought it used.
ihatereading @ Jul 6th 2009 7:25PM
Never bought a used game, probably never will.
ihatereading @ Jul 6th 2009 7:30PM
Gotta have things new. For some reason I dont like the idea of playing a game that someone else has already played. In the same breath, I also have never sold any of my games. Every game I buy gets put away on a shelf after I'm done with it.
Renting games on the other hand, Ive done a few times.
Chin-Paaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! @ Jul 6th 2009 7:37PM
And yet when you rent a game, you are also playing a game that someone else has already played. : 0
AJ Harper @ Jul 6th 2009 7:42PM
This probably explains why it now takes me forever to get a game from Gamefly these days. Their prices on used games suck as well these days. I don't think they have as much inventory as they used to compared to demand. What a bummer.
Arcana @ Jul 6th 2009 7:47PM
Those cheap fucks
Major Grapes @ Jul 6th 2009 8:25PM
$60 bucks is a lot to pay for a (single-player) game that, more than likely, you won't play for more than a week or two.
Adeese @ Jul 6th 2009 8:51PM
And that's exactly why I am a GameFly member. I just can't justify paying full price for a game that I'll only play a few times.
Games with lots of replay (FPS online shooter, long RPGs) I can totally see buying, or maybe if I really like it. Some games, I just can't justify the price.
Edicius @ Jul 6th 2009 8:50PM
I always buy used. Unless it's a really big title that I don't want to wait for, like GTA or Gears of War. I can't be paying full price.
nick @ Jul 6th 2009 8:51PM
I'm spending more time playing games because there's absolutely NOTHING on TV anymore.
j.howlett @ Jul 6th 2009 9:33PM
i haven't brought a used game for myself in a long time. i usually wait for a deal or price drop if i don't want to pay full price. if it's a spur of the moment purchase or something i might bite if i'm with the kids maybe. i still keep an eye out for good deals but i like to get new unopened games.
Robert @ Jul 6th 2009 9:39PM
when games cost 65.00 after tax I find it more economical to rent from Gamefly for 40 bucks a month, I am able to rent up top 4 games at a time. I used to purchase all my PS2 games, but 40 bucks on average for a great game i could afford to 60 plus bucks a game in todays economy is foolish. So i get 4 times the fun for the price of what I used to pay for 1 game on my PS2. I understand games cost far more to make today, but so far several so called games where poor quality games. far cheaper to rent and if I really like it I can buy it from Gamefly for a huge discount and trade in are worth far more then Gamestop so it is a win win for my family.
Levi (God Hand Defense Force) @ Jul 6th 2009 11:05PM
Almost all the games I buy are used. This is true now more than ever because I only have a part time job right now, so the gaming fund is a bit dry these days.
I feel that this is an appropriate song for the good news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1xRPCiczNM
DaMan09 @ Jul 7th 2009 2:05AM
Hell, I don't "buy" games anymore, I just use Goozex. That website is so awesome.
Joe @ Jul 7th 2009 2:32AM
the last used game i bought was Saints Row. And that was only because my brand-new copy got scratched in the Xbox
Muu @ Jul 7th 2009 8:23AM
What do you mean by "take that, crumbling economy?" It's pretty obvious that gaming is becoming substituted more and more in place of other forms of entertainment, because of its cost-performance. If anything these stats just go to show how much of a rut the American consumer is in today -- to the benefit of Gamestop and Gamefly, of course.
samik @ Jul 7th 2009 8:51AM
Whats really annoying is when they sell used games for just 5 bucks less, and place them next to the new games section.
paperless @ Jul 7th 2009 8:56AM
When i got my Xbox 360 i started buying used games more than new ones and i see no reason to prefer them to new ones aside from some exceptions (like Halo Wars limited edition -> i want to buy it but not used because it has some codes i want to make sure are intact).
Fable 2, PGR4, CoD:WaW and Halo 3 are all used and in excellent condition :D The ones i bought new were at a really good price (i got mirro'rs edge for like €15, FIFA 09 for €11 and Bioshock for €15).
Even if i had a job i doubt i'd stop buying used games.
tsukasa1288 @ Jul 7th 2009 11:24AM
I understand your argument that games are cheaper if purchased used, but to say that you prefer used games and to choose used version of a game over the new version even if you do have the money seems kind of crazy to me.
Just to make sure, you do realize that its not GameStop or Amazon that make the games you enjoy, right? By you purchasing used, only the retailer itself sees any of your money, while the publisher and developers of the game see nothing.
tsukasa1288 @ Jul 7th 2009 11:11AM
I'm steadfast in my refusal to buy used or trade in my games. That is unless the game I am looking for is no longer available new, but at that point in time in the games life cycle, I don't think it really matters anymore to the developers.
paperless @ Jul 7th 2009 11:53AM
I understand that but i try to look after what's best for me, i'm in no position to be worried about the money developers are making. Yes, i want them to make games, good games, but i'm more aorried about my wallet than theirs, sorry if this sounds harsh or something but it's how i feel.
Btw, i just ordered Halo Wars Limited Edition :D