Amazon Will Now Buy Your Used Games

[Marcus Yam]

Much to the displeasure of developers and publishers, the used games market just got bigger. Amazon launched on Thursday a used games trade-in program where gamers can send in their unwanted software in exchange for Amazon credit.

Amazon Will Now Buy Your Used Games : Read more

 

[Guest]

“Problem is, it's not a sustainable market. The more that people's money goes toward used games, the less goes into making new games. Without new games, there aren't any used games.”

Bull$hit. All the used games were at one point a new game.

It's impossible to buy a used "Gotta have it" game when it's first released, since they're all new. By the time there is a market for that used game, there's more topselling, "new" games.

A used game has something of a half-life if you will, each time it changes hands, there's less and less a chance that it's worth selling or even playable.

The game gets scratched, it changes hands, gets scratched again.

If game publishers worried more about making fun, quality games with replay value, than how many units they can move, they wouldn't need to worry so much about the re-sale of their older products.

Anything that pisses off Big Brother, I'm down with.

 

[NuclearShadow]

I just love how they make the reselling of games sound like the end of the game industry. In truth however the sales of used games most likely doesn't harm them at all since most people sell or trade in older games where the sales have already halted.

Could you imagine if we applied this to the car industry? Imagine the car industry fighting against used car sales with their defense being it makes them lose profits because people aren't forced to buy brand new cars. So once you own a car your stuck with it or you junk it. This is exactly what the gaming industry is saying with video games.

 

[NuclearShadow]

Oh and I would also like to point out that the used game market is basically a must for places like GameStop because they actually make a extremely small profit whenever a new game is sold. (something like a few dollars out of the $50) This means if a game fails to sell all its new copies before a price cut is a must it could actually lead into a loss for the store. So these types of shops rely on the sales of used games and would most likely go under without them.

 

[gasaraki]

That comment's so bull crap. What about the used book market? The used car market? If I buy something, I have the right to sell it to anyone of give it to some one else to sell. It's not going to kill anything.

 

[grieve]

Imagine real-estate! Lol.. that is just a pathetic statement.

 

[techtre2003]

The used and rental market has been around as long as video games have been. As a kid, for every Nintendo game I got through retail, I had 5 from garage sales, pawn shops, used game dealers in magazines, etc... and the titles I didn't buy, I rented from the local video store. I'm sure I wasn't the only one like that. That was in the 80s. I'd say video games have done alright since then despite the used market!

 

[djayjp]

Person A buys New Game X, then sells it for New Game Y, Person B buys used game X, then sells it for Used Game Y... etc., no problems here. New games will always command the highest price/demand, if a used game is in short supply and in high demand (i.e., a just-released game), then it will command a high price, thus giving the user/seller (person A) more money to buy more new games.... New things will always command a higher price and demand than old things (especially with technology, except in exceptional circumstances). By going download/digital-distribution only (which means you can't truly keep it or take it), publishers cannot increase their revenue except for small purchases (due to convenience/impulse) because you can't magically increase the flow of money into the system (vg industry). Besides, with game rental services this all shouldn't be a problem for consumable/short-term games (i.e., play through once and you don't want it).

 

[djayjp]

[citation][nom]grieve[/nom]Imagine real-estate! Lol.. that is just a pathetic statement.[/citation]

Last time I checked, real-estate wasn't manufactured... 😉

 

[g-thor]

Note to the gaming industry:

If it's such a lucrative market (trade in old games for new), then why aren't you letting your "valued" customers send you old games you sold them and giving them credit against your new games? Give us a garunteed return on our purchase toward future purcahses, then you get to keep it all, and you can re-sell the old games yourselves.

Time to cut the BS and admit that your greed exceeds your grasp.

 

[falchard]

Most new games for the PC are being sold over services like Direct2Drive and Steam. Awesome method, but leaves no used games.

 

[jaragon13]

[citation][nom]falchard[/nom]Most new games for the PC are being sold over services like Direct2Drive and Steam. Awesome method, but leaves no used games.[/citation]
Hey! I know! Some company should adopt Steam's methods and stop *****ing!

and LOL at the statement.
Sounds like incompetence and greed to me...
If you don't suck then you won't lose all that valuable money. Although,the real setbacks today are more the companies leaning over the game designers' backs,forcing games to be made on their schedule and bad marketing ethics/skills

 

[jaragon13]

[citation][nom]djayjp[/nom]Last time I checked, real-estate wasn't manufactured...[/citation]
Huh? I could of SWORN it was.
Atleast,according to Merriam Webster,it should be *shrug*
http/www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manufactured

 

[djayjp]

[citation][nom]jaragon13[/nom]Huh? I could of SWORN it was.Atleast,according to Merriam Webster,it should be *shrug*http/www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manufactured[/citation]

Hmmm, well, I guess if you count subdivision of property as the production of new 'product' then it might work... 😉 but you know what I was saying-- that there isn't really any new land being made/discovered (not to mention no one is publishing it lol).

 

[sanctoon]

[citation][nom]techtre2003[/nom]The used and rental market has been around as long as video games have been. As a kid, for every Nintendo game I got through retail, I had 5 from garage sales, pawn shops, used game dealers in magazines, etc... and the titles I didn't buy, I rented from the local video store. I'm sure I wasn't the only one like that. That was in the 80s. I'd say video games have done alright since then despite the used market![/citation]

I'm a bit younger than you, but 54 out of my 61 Sega games was second hand

 

[Dekasav]

Exactly! 90% of money most people make from selling their used games goes into buying new games. I don't know anyone that does otherwise. So, it could improve the market for new games if it becomes easier/more profitable for an individual to sell their old games.

 

[bunz_of_steel]

wanna cut cost how bout cutting out the CEO's and SVP's HUGE salaries and bonus!!! That alone would save Million$. Whateva I could care less what they say. If they make a good game that provides ongoing fun and enjoyment people will buy it.

 

[koss64]

Its a pity they dont do PC games yet, want to get rid the copies of Frontlines Fuel of War and possibly get something back for it.

 

[hillarymakesmecry]

The PC is dead. I kind of wish I hadn't built such a good one now. Developers are abondoning the format. With direct downloads, I now have to pay $50 for each game. No thanks. I'll stick with the $15 second hand market.