Why is buying used games such a big deal nowadays?

[JWeinCom]

What has changed from before? Gamestop.

People always compare video games to other products like cars, houses, etc to point out why used games are not a problem. There are two differences between games and other items though.

a) Games do not depreciate. Assuming it is still readable, a used copy of Super Mario Galaxy and a new copy are exactly the same in terms of the content they provide.

b) The largest retailer of new games (by FAR) is also the largest retailer of used games and they are VERY aggressive about selling used games as opposed to new.

Whenever you try to buy a game that is more than a month old at Gamestop, they will offer you a practically identical product that is less expensive. This is a problematic business model. The impact of Gamestop's insane market share over the industry and their pushing of used games is a bad thing.

Basically the problem is not person to person sales that are the norm in any industry. The problem is when that person to person selling becomes replaced by a massive company that forms a near monopoly over the second hand market and aggressively pushes second hand over new. This isn't a particularly healthy business model.

The problem with the XBox One is that Microsoft is making customers pay for what Gamestop is doing. I think that overall it is a good thing for the industry if publishers made an arrangement with Gamestop to receive a portion of revenues generated by used games. Taking away consumer rights to accomplish this end is a bad thing.