CrystalShadow said:
-Sigh-
Welcome to the situation in England. More or less. Although they do seem to be taking it to a new extreme here.
Both Game and GameStation, while still having dedicated second hand sections routinely mix new and used copies together on the same shelf.
The second-hand sections contain older titles you can't find new anyway, and the other section contains a more or less random mix of new & used games.
The only dedicated 'new only' section is PC games, and then only because you can't really sell second-hand PC games. (Although, believe it or not, Gamestation does. - Which came as a huge surprise to me.)
I don't know what game shops you're going to pal. I live in Southampton, there's 4 GAME shops here and one Gamestation and none of them do that. Well, I haven't been to Gamestation for years so I don't know if they do that.
Regardless, the video game market in the UK is in a position that there are what? 3 major video game retail chains? GAME who are ridiculous. Seriously, I went to buy a game there once, couldn't see it on the shelf, asked someone if they had it and they told me the game was a Sony exclusive and wouldn't be released on the 360. So I went to HMV and they had it. HMV. I forgot they even sold games.
Then there's Gamestation. Who are owned by GAME and I'm convinced they only exist so there's an illusion of choice.
Apart from that, there's CeX which is more a pawn shop than anything else. They mostly sell games, but they also sell electronic goods and porn with dodgy titles. They only sell pre-owned games, but at least their rates are fair, both for buying and selling.
But buying video games on high street in this day and age is a mugs game. Here's my advice, from me to all gamers. Use http://www.shopto.net/. Free 1st class delivery and they dispatch games so quickly.