In a surprising turn of events Eurogamer is reporting that prominent UK video game retailer GAME is apparently stopping video game software trade-ins. Trading in games was a hallmark of the company which obviously also sells new games and hardware. Talking of trading in hardware, that won’t be affected, it is just software. The company will apparently still stock pre-owned games until their backlog of pre-owned games has run out across stores. GAME will apparently still accept trade-ins until 16th February.
UK: GAME to apparently cease video game trade-ins
If it’s anything like Gamestop, GOOD. Trade-in’s have always been a scam. They give you four dollars for a game they will resell only five dollars cheaper than a New copy.
The game retailers have to make a profit somehow, yes they resell games for more then the trade in value it’s not a scam it’s called making a profit.
GameStop buying a used game off a customer for around 4 or 5 dollars and then reselling it for almost the full price of a new game goes far beyond just “making a profit”. It’s unethical at best and a flat-out scam at worst.
What I don’t understand is why you’d want to defend a multi-billion-dollar corporation using such a practice. These companies are not your friends.
Seriously dude.. this is how retail and many other industries work. I’ve always been a fan of Game. Found they give me a decent amount of credit towards new or secondhand purchases.
The “this is just how the industry works” mentality is why so many companies get away with being anti-consumer, because people like you will constantly make excuses for them no matter how bad they get because “that’s just how it is”.
The practice of paying customers ridiculously low rates for their second-hand games and then reselling the same game at almost the full price of a new game is objectively anti-consumer and unethical, and there is nothing you can say to make me think otherwise.
No one is FORCING these consumers to sell. They literally have a choice.
I’ve nothing against Game. If I don’t like it. I don’t accept their offer.
A scams literal purpose is to make a profit so I don’t know why you think “making a profit” somehow disproves something is a scam.
Because the 2 are different things. A scam is obtaining information under false pretences.
“Hey, your used copy of “Video Game X” is only worth $5. That’s all we can give.” And then they resell it for $45-55.
And we can just drop the semantics, really. It’s just taking advantage of a customer, who has a high probability of being a kid. The kid wants a new game but has no money/allowance, the store offers a solution to trade in all the kid’s old games towards one new game. Kid goes for it. It all has that same energy of those payday loan places. It’s giving an impulsive person a bad deal.
I’m the customer. If I don’t like it. I just walked out the shop door. No semantics about it.
Your argument is completely wrong. They do this because that is how they make any profit. After they take into account rent, utilities, staffing, shipping services, online services etc etc. and add that in that alone can skyrocket the price. Then they have to add the profit margin mark up which is typically 20-50% for games. So in the end they have to upscale the items way more. So that $5 trade in went to $20 automatically and then add another $10 for profit so it sells for $30.
Newer games that are selling for full price usually get you about $15-$20 and then add that $20 for services and then the profit margin and your looking at $50-60 for a used game.
So no it isn’t a scam and is how business works. GameStop is a great example. If they made a huge killing on what they do then they wouldn’t be almost bankrupt all the time, Game is ending the trade ins because it doesn’t have the traction it use to have. We now have eBay and the likes which doesn’t carry the overhead or profit margin and that is why they are cheaper.
Your just grasping at straws and not knowing anything about business I can understand how you would think what you do but it is not at all how it works.
@DJohn
Do you really want to be that person who defends Gamestop? I mean, we haven’t even opened the huge can of worms of their horrible employee policies like quotas and upselling (or “downselling” in the used games case).
Also, the reason they are going bankrupt is because of the rise of the digital marketplace. They can’t make money if no one buys new games from them AND can’t trade in their used copies. Their trade-in racket (and probably hardware sales) is what’s kept them in business this long tbh.
But we can just agree to disagree… unless you are their PR person then I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
I am not defending GameStop and their employee policies are what they are just like everywhere else. The problem there is newer generations thinking their owed something when their not.
The issue at hand is you are trying to say their selling used games for this exuberant amount of profit and they are not. Do you really think a game is worth $70? If you do then you are seriously being a hypocrite because the pricing is done the exact same way for profit.
As for them going bankrupt it is not because of digital it is because people tend to go to eBay, marketplace, Amazon or Mercari to get their used games games because they are much cheaper there because of almost no overhead cost from the sellers. Physical media is very much alive but when these stores cannot compete with the pricing elsewhere because of all the overhead it tends to kill them.
Also I don’t shop at GameStop, I buy and sell on the platforms mentioned above and others as well. I am just speaking from an actual business sense. Their pricing is just but it is not at all something that can compete in the internet age where people can go elsewhere easily.
They’ve pivoted more to selling other things like toys/plushes/nerf guns/cards etc in recent years, which HMV have started doing too. I worked at gamestation (before GAME rebranded them back to GAME) years ago and was told that the company only made £3 on the sale of a Wii Console and games weren’t much better than that.
Aww, look at all the good little corporate shills here, barking like the good little dogs they are for their corportate overlords.
Don’t worry, I’m sure if you continue to lick their boots they’ll throw you some scraps eventually :)
Probably they’ll buy TLOU2 “remastered” on PS5 just because of “guitar mode”. Shills gotta shill.
No one shops at GAME anyway.
I would’ve described Game as the retailers where non-clued-up grannies and parents got their games from for giving as birthday and Xmas presents, but given Game only exists as cupboard sized sections in Sports Direct stores, they’re not even that.
Scammers or not, GameStop, Game, whatever you wanna call the overall company is on it’s last legs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the GameStop in the small city closest to me has also closed down. They might as well try going the Amazon route & just be an online store. It could be their best bet to stay afloat. Or not. 🤷
They are actually looking at going online. They have also tried and will be trying other ways to make some income because of the lack of game sells new and old.
Your comment is dead on and GameStop has been fighting to stay in business for years actually and the only thing that has saved them was that boom in stock from morons who bought it just because. They are way over valued right now.
But this article is talking about these companies stopping the sales of preowned games. I stand by my comment that what’s killing them is that other platforms are available that allow people to buy for much cheaper because of the lack of overhead. Now big office store and even the small ones cannot sale used games much and many smaller ones are concentrating more on all media and vintage games where game stock won’t even bother with older stuff even online.
I give them 5 years tops, Reggie even left the company.
I might have my issues with Reggie, but I believe they made a huge mistake in losing him.