GameStop: "We Wouldn't Be Here" Without Used Sales

[Outamyhead]

I don't see what the big deal is about used games? How are they any different from used CD's or used DVD's?

Because the money isn't going back to the publisher or the developer, all straight into the pocket of Gamestop. That will soon change though with digital downloads becoming the norm.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I don't see what the big deal is about used games? How are they any different from used CD's or used DVD's?

Or used cars? The used car market is huge and few people buy them new as they can be so expensive.

So all the publishers have to do then is to make the discs self destruct in a couple of years.
That's what the car companies have done. My first car was the same age as me. I doubt that now-a-days you'll find many new drivers driving 20 year old cars but that used to be the norm.

It's not really relevant to me anymore but when I used to buy used games, they were a lot cheaper than a new copy. What I don't understand is if you plan on buying a used copy of something at Gamestop, why not buy it new, it's only another couple of bucks over the $57 used price.

The funny thing is that the Publishers weren't complaining about this until the consumers started complaining about this: you never heard the publishers complain when gamers were buying games for $5-15. Probably because they knew that these people would otherwise not buy the game at all.

The main problem is that Gamestop has horribly gouged the used game market so much that even games on ebay reflect their used prices.

I don't know how it is where you're from, but where I am cars today are far more reliable than 20 years ago. In the bad old days your car would simply fall apart if you didn't constantly repair it. The build quality was awful. It's much better nowadays.

That?s funny because everyone I know would have to disagree.
I?m not saying that we should go back to making cars out of steel but the fact of the matter is that the plastic and fiberglass parts they use now just don?t hold up as well. That could be the only reason but I also think they are engineered to die after a certain amount of time/duress. This ensures that they will need to manufacture more in the future. If cars worked perfectly for an indefinite amount of time, the car companies wouldn?t be able to employ the amount that they do.
I can think of several cars from the 70s owned by friends and family (some of whom really didn?t take care of them: I can think of a couple with rusted through floors) that ran well into the 90s and in a few cases the new century. All of the newer cars owned by those same people don?t last 10 years.
My NES still works and that?s over 20 years old, I doubt I will be able to say the same about my ps3 in 18 years.

Everything?s become disposable. I guess it?s better for industry but don?t fool yourself into thinking a ford made this year is nearly as tightly put together as one made in the 70s.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I don't see what the big deal is about used games? How are they any different from used CD's or used DVD's?

Or used cars? The used car market is huge and few people buy them new as they can be so expensive.

So all the publishers have to do then is to make the discs self destruct in a couple of years.
That's what the car companies have done. My first car was the same age as me. I doubt that now-a-days you'll find many new drivers driving 20 year old cars but that used to be the norm.

It's not really relevant to me anymore but when I used to buy used games, they were a lot cheaper than a new copy. What I don't understand is if you plan on buying a used copy of something at Gamestop, why not buy it new, it's only another couple of bucks over the $57 used price.

The funny thing is that the Publishers weren't complaining about this until the consumers started complaining about this: you never heard the publishers complain when gamers were buying games for $5-15. Probably because they knew that these people would otherwise not buy the game at all.

The main problem is that Gamestop has horribly gouged the used game market so much that even games on ebay reflect their used prices.

I don't know how it is where you're from, but where I am cars today are far more reliable than 20 years ago. In the bad old days your car would simply fall apart if you didn't constantly repair it. The build quality was awful. It's much better nowadays.

That?s funny because everyone I know would have to disagree.
I?m not saying that we should go back to making cars out of steel but the fact of the matter is that the plastic and fiberglass parts they use now just don?t hold up as well. That could be the only reason but I also think they are engineered to die after a certain amount of time/duress. This ensures that they will need to manufacture more in the future. If cars worked perfectly for an indefinite amount of time, the car companies wouldn?t be able to employ the amount that they do.
I can think of several cars from the 70s owned by friends and family (some of whom really didn?t take care of them: I can think of a couple with rusted through floors) that ran well into the 90s and in a few cases the new century. All of the newer cars owned by those same people don?t last 10 years.
My NES still works and that?s over 20 years old, I doubt I will be able to say the same about my ps3 in 18 years.

Everything?s become disposable. I guess it?s better for industry but don?t fool yourself into thinking a ford made this year is nearly as tightly put together as one made in the 70s.

Two words my friend British Layland

 

[BloodSquirrel]

That could be the only reason but I also think they are engineered to die after a certain amount of time/duress. This ensures that they will need to manufacture more in the future.

No, that's not the reason.

Cars today are built to increasingly stringent emission standards, which in turn means being far more complex and far less durable. Anything with a computer inside of it is going to be more prone to eventually failing, and it's harder to fix it when it does. Fuels are also made differently (emissions again), and aren't as good for engines as they used to be.

Consoles are also much more complex than they used to be. Graphics hardware, in particular, has mostly advanced in the last few years by becoming larger, using more power, and putting off more heat.

Everything's become disposable.

By consumer preference, really. We'd rather pay $100 now and buy a new and improved version for another $100 in two years than pay $200 for something that will last four years. We also want cutting edge tech, which is less reliable. Oh yeah, and we want it as small as possible.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

I don't see what the big deal is about used games? How are they any different from used CD's or used DVD's?

Or used cars? The used car market is huge and few people buy them new as they can be so expensive.

So all the publishers have to do then is to make the discs self destruct in a couple of years.
That's what the car companies have done.

I don't know how it is where you're from, but where I am cars today are far more reliable than 20 years ago. I guess it?s better for industry but don?t fool yourself into thinking a ford made this year is nearly as tightly put together as one made in the 70s.

Two words my friend British Layland

Win.
that brought a smile to my face.
Seriously, it's amazing what they got away with.

 

[Treblaine]

*snip*

I like your "only morons walk into a store to buy something" attitude, along with your pretentious "I'm too awesome to fall for marketing and sales pitches" BS.

I mean sure, if you're a misanthropic troll who only emerges from under his bridge to feast on the raw flesh of passing goats, you have little use for friendly sales associates. However most people who actually have money and use it to buy stuff are still interested in helpful and knowledgeable people to assist them in their shopping experience.

While stories abound of retail horror, most people who work at game stores are genuinely interested in the hobby and very enthusiastic about helping other people to enjoy it as well. This means building a rapport, chatting about other games they may like, and generally creating a positive atmosphere which creates repeat customers. Removing the human equation is not wise, nor does it make you more "enlightened" or "hardcore" to scoff at personal interaction at a direct level.

Ignore sales and communication skills at your own peril, my friend.

I have nothing against them personally, no misanthropy here, they are just doing their job. But you can't deny the conflict in interest here in going to the people who are actually profiting off the sales of games on advice on which game to get. You understand conflict of interest, right? Friendliness has nothing to do with it, it is a matter of manipulation and exploitation.

Friendly, chatty and positive atmosphere are great but games are EXPENSIVE and being sold it with a smile is little solace on limited income. It is NOT worth paying as much as 2x as much to buy a game from a human being with cash as opposed from a robot online.

That is the elephant in the room with the price difference from online and how it is almost entirely down to the cost of the traditional store model; the inefficiencies of stocking games and actually paying staff. Not to mention any conversation I have with Retail Store staff inevitably turns to how they are being marginalised by online retailers, downloadable games like Steam, Ebay and so on. I just find retail stores, in my town at least, understocked and over-priced compared to what online can offer. They are not that great for information and advice, I've heard worse bullshit told to me in Retail Game stores than in these forums and you can't object as (this is just my experience) the manager is always right - rather than the customer is always right.

Trust me buddy, I DO value human interaction but NOT when money is involved, not when it comes down to jobs, businesses, individual wealth to buy here or buy there. I want discuss games in a forum like this, where we all have the same agenda: we want to play good games and not pay more than we have to. I wan to chat about games with my friends and peers.

I have NOTHING against the downmarket (that's not a pejorative term, that is an actual term in economics) and I really think Game Retail Stores should excel at those, it's a business model they should thrive with. I just don't see what these stores have to offer me, they have poor information and advice, their products and services aren't competitive and on top of that they have virtually no support of my key area of interest, PC gaming, if they aren't outright hostile towards it.

I wish them all the best and for a certain type that really do approach video games casually (rather than as a hobby) Retail Stores will always be there for them and they would do more to cater for them than try to get me to buy Halo ODST for £40.

 

[sosolidshoe]

I don't see what the big deal is about used games? How are they any different from used CD's or used DVD's?

Because the game companies feel that they are "losing" sales to used games.

And the makers of CDs, DVDs and cars aren't?

The simple fact is, there is no debate about the ethics of used game sales, it is entirely a fiction of the larger publishers and devs, and has been bought into wholesale by retards(yes, some game developers are retards, if they believe this nonsense). If more people are buying used than new, then developers and publishers should be looking at ways to improve their product or reduce their costs and pass that saving on to us, not claiming that gaming is a special case when it comes to secondhand sales.

 

[jibjab963]

Gamestop would crash to the ground if it didn't get sales from used games? Everyone should stop buying used games then from Gamestop. I hate them and there sell back scams.

 

[silversnake4133]

I actually kind of like Gamestop. I'm not a frequent customer, and only buy a game from them about every four or five months, but I can't deny the appeal of their used game selection. Yes I know their trade-in is a money scam but then again what isn't with any retailer that offers trade-ins? This is the basics of Capitalism here, yeah it's ugly, but that's how it works. FYE is the same way, it's just incorporated less often because of how frequently they cut prices or refresh their selections. (Goodwill is another example, however with that retailer, they pretty much want you to DONATE the items they sell. Which means you wouldn't get ANYTHING back in return for the clothes/goods save for a smile and a thank you. The same with some low-income furniture warehouses... you get the point.)

The only time I ever buy a new game is when it's one that I really want and have the revenue to offer up for it (i.e. Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin's Creed, Pokemon etc). However, I'd much rather buy a used game because it's saving me money. So what if it's only a few bucks, well that's a few bucks I still have to invest in. With the economy in the toilet anymore, people are extremely stingy with their money, and that's why places that offer trade-ins, and used items are so popular. If people are so jaded about the trade-in deal, perhaps they should just stick with store credit or invest in a game that they really want and would provide them with ample entertainment for many years to come.

I've mostly noted as well that the games where the used tag is slightly marginal from the new price, are usually more mainstream or popular. For instance, the used price of Professor Layton and the Curious Village is about 30USD while something like Pokemon Trozei is only 10USD. Why is this? Professor Layton is more widely known than Pokemon Trozei even though the latter game is from a much more widely successful franchise.

So basically it all comes down to Capitalism. It doesn't matter if you're buying games in a store or downloading them online. You're still putting out your hard-earned money for entertainment, and if it's such a controversy over how people should get their games then perhaps we should just do away with the whole thing altogether. This really does seem like the case for the phrase "money is the root of all evil".

 

[NEDM]

True statement, Gamestop wouldn't be around without it's used games sales. The sales people are dreadful, usually have no idea about any games, only push things they have a heavey backstock of.

I don't fault them for selling used games though, as it's better than people throwing them away, or letting them sit in your grandmother's basement for 50 years with your dad's baseball cards.

I don't like the mark up they have. $2 credit on a game they will sell at $40. Probably why I've only ever traded 2 games in to them, a copy of madden 2001, and GTA VC with a big gash on the disk. The sales person didn't even think twice when I used the credit from the copy of VC to buy a new copy of VC. She now runs the store, and thus my belief that they are run by fools continues.

 

[PissOffRoth]

With new cars, don't they lose about half their value when you drive them off the lot or something insane like that?

Rofl, not half. But it is something ridiculous like 20 or 30%. It's really quite stupid. Still, it does hurt the automotive industry, as can be seen by the shit-shape of the Big Three right now.