Publishers dont get royalties or anything from second hand sales. Are they hurting the business? Or are they helping it by holding onto hard to find games?

I think they're helping people. I know I but a lot of games I wouldn't normally buy if they were so cheap.

At the same time they are also hurting some people... as I know people who have bought a system and games, traded them in, rebought the system, traded them in.

I think they're a pretty nuetral force working like a pawnshop. Good for those who only buy. Bad for some who sell. Pretty uneventfull for the retailers, as a lot of the games people get used might turn them on to new genres or upcoming sequels.

I think they help by selling older hard to find games. However they hurt people as well. Hmmm...I agree with Kasz216 then. They are a Neutral force.

Double edged sword. I've bought a game for $50.00, and traded it in for a whopping $20. The store then turns around a sell it for $45.00. I get screwed out of the value of the game. The game company loses the sale. At the same time, the store makes a crazy amount of profit, and someone else who may not have bought the game because it was $50.00 may be swayed by the "amazing" $5.00 they are saving.

I know I have a TON of games in my library that wouldn't be there if I had to pay full retail. Still, part of me can't help but think THIS is why new games cost $60 bucks!

I rarely buy second hand now that games are on disc, I would say there is nothing wrong with the idea of second hand games at all, of course they should be sold again or else what a waste of a disc.
however if particular stores are doing what d21lewis said then i would say that particular store is totally wrong.... Something reasonable along those lines would be...bought for $50, sell to store for $20 (not bad) and they sell it for $30-$35 tops....second hand games being $5 less is stupid.

Well, to be totally honest TWRoO, that's how EBGames/ Gamestop operate. However, if the customer is willing to subscribe to a magazine (which I have done), they get an additional 10% off of their used games. Also, a game like Halo 3 will probably fetch $35 because they know it won't be long before it sells again.....I bought a used Halo 3 on day 2 for $50!

I've also been fortunate to trade in games like Marvel vs. Capcom, Shadow Hearts, and Chrono Trigger (my biggest gaming regret) for MORE than I paid for them. Like I said-- Double edged sword.

There are places by me that are a lot more fair with it.  Games are rarely are games over 25.  Usually ones over there are games still new in the wrapper.  If i didn't have so many games to play i'd of given the Onimusha series I try.  I could of got all  1,2,3 for 18 dollars total.

There are places by me that are a lot more fair with it.  Games are rarely are games over 25.  Usually ones over there are games still new in the wrapper.  If i didn't have so many games to play i'd of given the Onimusha series I try.  I could of got 1,2,3 for 18 dollars total.

Let's be honest, don't say Second-hand game stores. Call them by their name. "The Glorified Pawn Show" Gamestop/EB Games

Gamestop/EB aren't the only ones...

Generally I view this as a bad practice for the industry, at least as far as current games go, as the developers/publishers lose the sale. For older games not currently available new, then it's a fine practice and benefits everyone.

However, my son has made a fine practice of buying used, playing and reselling so he ends up paying no more than a rental usually and sometimes even makes a profit on the resell!