Walmart Accepting Video Game Trade-Ins Beginning March 26

[roseofbattle]

Walmart Accepting Video Game Trade-Ins Beginning March 26

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Customers who bring their games to Walmart will receive credit to be used at Walmart and Sams Club stores.

Walmart announced today that beginning March 26 it will accept trade-ins of used video games. Customers trading in their games will receive store credit that can be used at Walmart and Sams Club stores, meaning those who trade in their games through Walmart can use the credit on things other than games. Additionally, Walmart will begin selling pre-owned games this summer.

"Gaming continues to be an important business for us and we're actively taking aim at the $2 billion pre-owned video game opportunity," Duncan Mac Naughton, Walmart chief merchandising and marketing officer, said in a prepared statement. "When we disrupt markets and compete, our customer wins. They'll save money on video games and have the flexibility to spend it however they want."

GameStop has used the pre-owned games business model to keep itself alive. Walmart already accepts trade-ins of tablets, cameras, laptops, smartphones, and mp3 players. No doubt Walmart plans to edge its way into the used games market to draw more business. The trade-in process will also be similar to other stores' processes. Customers bring their games to a Walmart's electronic department in the original packaging. Employees evaluate the game's condition and award the customer a trade-in value.

Starting this summer, Walmart will sell pre-owned games in stores and online. They will be labeled "Certified Pre-Owned," indicating they are fully refurbished.

Source: Walmart [http://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2014/03/18/walmart-doubles-down-on-video-gaming]

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[CelestDaer]

That's going to be a mess, especially for the first few months. I say this as I worked at a movie store that just out of nowhere decided to take trade ins of used movies...

 

[Deathfish15]

Oh hell, another sector that Walmart is trying to attack and put out of business. They've already attacked/absorbed clothing stores, general retailers, grocery stores, pharmacies, and even banks (before they opened the "Money Center"s in their stores, they either had local bank branches in their store fronts or nothing at all).

Now....NOW they're attacking video game stores, whether they be small mom-and-pop ones or the giant GameStop (which itself absorbed EB Games over a decade ago).

 

[Micalas]

Oh....well it was nice knowing you, GameStop. Say hi to Blockbuster for me.

 

[Baresark]

Damn, so much for Gamestop. The only thing they have going for them is a they sell a large range of accessories that are also pre-owned. But, Gamestop also offers incentives for trade in credit, like an extra 25% trade in credit when using credit to reserve a new game coming out. Sometimes they just do it even. I wonder how the trade in values will differ, if at all.

 

[cerebus23]

Ms and sony want to cut the retailers out period, online distribution ftw and they all have their own services.

Shops will either adapt or die period. walmart is getting a chunk of the used game market before it goes the way of the dodo probably next generation.

Besides gamestop gives peanuts for games you could buy a game walk out the door walk back in try to trade it in and its worth squat but they will sell a used game for 40 50 dollars though.

lets see what walamart offers people for games it would nto take much to outpace gs and then gs would have to match or do them better they had the monopoly far too long.

 

[schmulki]

Hahahaha, oh man this is great on so many levels:

1) As more and more of gaming is being pushed to digital, THIS is the time when Walmart decides to go the used route.
2) What company is even more evil and hurtful to the industries it touches than Gamestop? Walmart! Good, you guys fight it out, I hope it costs both of you dearly.
3) Just imagine the cluster-eff of the average "people of walmart" fighting that the CoD game they bought only 6 months ago is now only worth $5.66 in trade-in (figured I'd go with a number that sounds like it came from walmart). Then imagine the condition some of those games will be in, which go back there, and the mess it's going to be, dealing with that customer service when games don't work.


Honestly, I can't popcorn.gif this enough. The only thing better which could happen is seeing EA throw their hat into the ring as opening brick-and-mortar stores to sell their games (and taking in/selling used versions of other companies' games).

 

[WarpedLord]

Not really a fan of Walmart or some of their business practices, but I'm glad GameStop (who I LOATHE) will finally have some real competition... Maybe it'll put an end to GameStop thinking a 100% markup (or more) on an item that takes a tiny amount of shelf space and is fair.

 

[Ken_J]

Hahahaha, oh man this is great on so many levels:

3) Just imagine the cluster-eff of the average "people of walmart" fighting that the CoD game they bought only 6 months ago is now only worth $5.66 in trade-in (figured I'd go with a number that sounds like it came from walmart). Then imagine the condition some of those games will be in, which go back there, and the mess it's going to be, dealing with that customer service when games don't work.

Not necessarily. When Gamestop had a monopoly then yes that is the case, they could set their own prices. But with this Wal-Mart can say "5.66" and you can say "That's a bit cheep, I'll try GameStop" and that's when the return credit starts to go up. ECONOMICS!

 

[an annoyed writer]

Heh... the two greatest titans in the field of customer-screwing duking it out in one of their lairs. This'll be a fight to see. Now I'm not actually sure who I want to win here: one is my former employer, of which I have no love for, and the other has had a monopoly over that market sector for a while now, fighting real competition again only really recently. I have a feeling I know which WILL win though, and like I said, I don't have much love for them.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

This all depends on how much more they're willing to give for used games over Gamestop. If they don't provide, you know, competition, this will just fail.

 

[sXeth]

Yeah, the video game crowd who actually do trade-ins aren't heavily buying them at Walmart? I think anyways. They tend to be a bit slow stocking anything that isn't a huge AAA super-release, and don't even seem to carry the non-AAA games here. To say nothing of games they occasionally won't carry cause of their random censoring. It seems like they're aiming at a demographic that isn't entirely there.

Depends what they'll offer though, and what they sell the used ones for, and if they put any kind of backing behind it, or just pawn off whatever AS IS FINAL SALE.

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

All this hate for Gamestop... does everyone still think AmazonDOTcom only still sells books? Thats where all the cheap [maybe steam cheap] used games are!

Speaking of Amazon, does anyone happen to know if a game released on PS2 UK will work on a later model PS2 from the US? Ive been thinking of buying this game from AmazonUK. I cant see a LP because theres only one dude who posted the LP of Sword Of Etheria and he did a shite job of recording gameplay.

Also I dont see the Walmart trade-in working out unless they want to open an entire section of the store just for all the Used games & consoles. *Thinks about the one i work at... Its either going to be the Candles, where the PC stuff, the printers, or the cage where all those $5 dvds are thrown in. Im thinking the old DVD cage but theyre really going to get a crap ton of Madden/CallOfShooties

 

[Mersadeon]

Well, this will be interesting to see. Dunno if I actually like the idea. On the other hand, I'm still conflicted about used games in general.

In the end, though, this will be irrelevant to me anyway. Walmart completely botched their attempt to gain a foothold in Germany, and they haven't tried since then. Which is good, because they seem to be completely unwilling to bend to other cultures, which doesn't really work out here.

 

[FPLOON]

The first thing that came to my mind: Team Deathmatch!

Other than that: If Walmart is also going to incorporate either digital trade-ins (*snickers*) and/or a better trade-in value than the rest[footnote]Laugh all you want... Those pennies of a difference CAN go a long way...[/footnote], then this seems to be more geared towards those that are still supporting Walmart one way or another...

Sadly, I'm not one of those people right now...

 

[cerebus23]

All this hate for Gamestop... does everyone still think AmazonDOTcom only still sells books? Thats where all the cheap [maybe steam cheap] used games are!

Speaking of Amazon, does anyone happen to know if a game released on PS2 UK will work on a later model PS2 from the US? Ive been thinking of buying this game from AmazonUK. I cant see a LP because theres only one dude who posted the LP of Sword Of Etheria and he did a shite job of recording gameplay.

Also I dont see the Walmart trade-in working out unless they want to open an entire section of the store just for all the Used games & consoles. *Thinks about the one i work at... Its either going to be the Candles, where the PC stuff, the printers, or the cage where all those $5 dvds are thrown in. Im thinking the old DVD cage but theyre really going to get a crap ton of Madden/CallOfShooties

I think you had to mod your ps2s to run pal games if you had a need to.

Bioses were region specific for like pcsx all you need is the proper bios pal or ntsc and the games will work.

But without modding the ps2 i do not think you can easily swap them.

 

[Roxas1359]

I think you had to mod your ps2s to run pal games if you had a need to.

Bioses were region specific for like pcsx all you need is the proper bios pal or ntsc and the games will work.

But without modding the ps2 i do not think you can easily swap them.

You are correct. The PS2 had a region locked system based on both the system bios, and sometimes a disc based lockout as well.

Speaking of Amazon, does anyone happen to know if a game released on PS2 UK will work on a later model PS2 from the US? Ive been thinking of buying this game from AmazonUK. I cant see a LP because theres only one dude who posted the LP of Sword Of Etheria and he did a shite job of recording gameplay.

No, the PS2 was the last system Sony fully region locked for games. If you want play it on your US system you'll have to modify your PS2. Depending on what model it is depends on how much works goes into the modding. I modified my launch slim model and play my imports on it, but it died so I had to get a new one. The slim model you need to replace the disc cover on the toploader with either a flip top cover, or get a loader to change the BIOs on your PS2. The old fat models required a slide key and the removal of the face plate on the disc tray.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I'm curious to see how far back Wal* Mart will be willing to go. If I'm really being honest here, I'll consider Wal*Mart the lesser of the evils if they accept and sell Gamecube, Dreamcast, etc games from the bygone years to me. It's highly unlikely but Wal*Mart will have that over Gamestop.