What is wrong with shops selling pre owned games? The reason I ask this is as I was reading an earlier forum post "pre owned market is defrauding the industry". As i was reading a lot of people were against the pre owned market and showed a lot of anger towards Gamestop lol, personally if you ask me pre owned/ trade in market is the way to go, and shops selling pre owned games and allowing trade in is good for us consumers.

Why do I support the pre owned market???

Let me explain my scenario i always buy games from Play.com, these are mostly first day purchases. As you may all know many great games are released simultaneously making it difficult to make the right gaming choice many people like myself can't afford to buy that many top games.

There is a shop down my road called CEX (Computer Exchange) they specialise in exchanges, they only buy from the customers so all their products are 2nd hand or recycled. Cex really comes in handy because some games dont have any replayability e.g Uncharted Drakes Fortune absolute great game but once completed its of no use or Godfather another outstanding game but once completed there is no going back you have changed things lol. That's why trade in is really important i could use trade in credit from both games to get 2 different games all whilst saving money.

I can't speak for Gamestop but Cex really gives the customer a good deal, i always conduct my bussines there. To give you an idea of their trade in standards/value

• New game RRP 40 - 27 cash or 35 trade in
• Old game RRP 20 - 12 cash or 16 trade in

As you can see they give you a pretty good deal so i've I had completed a new game and traded in it would have only costed me 5 pounds. Another reason why I support the pre owned market is that many retailers that sell the new games their prices are downright stealing. To give an example Gears of war is a 2 year old game but many retailers are selling the game at 39,99 pound which is almost $80!! or Gta 4 for 39,99 but you could get it instead from a seller on the same site for 14,75.   

I really feel especially here in the Uk we are being forced to buy pre owned games many retailers that sell new games hardly ever lower their prices whereas Cex lowers their price on a weekly basis, the reason why Pre owned market is the future is simply because the games are soo cheap. For example:

• Halo 3 - 12,00 pounds
• Gears of war 16,00
• Gta4 - 20,00
• Resistance - 10,00
• Mgs4 - 26,00
• Double agent x360 - 4,00
• Forza 2 - 8,00
• Gran turismo 5 - 12,00

As you can see from the list all these game are very cheap i could have listed more and you could probably still find many of these selling at full retail price. I really feel that pre owned market/trade in is the future, which HMV has realised the first non specialist retailer to do so, people is time to smell the Englist tea Pre owned is the way to go lol!!!!

Please Discuss.

Gears of war -  http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=allproducts&searchstring=gears+of+war&page=search&pa=search

Gta4 - http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation3/4-/1021990/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV/Product.html

Halo 3 - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Xbox%20360%20Software/index.php?sku=882224482417&name=Halo%203%20(15)&mode=buy

Mgs4 - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Playstation3%20Software/index.php?sku=4012927050118&name=Metal%20Gear%20Solid%204:%20Guns%20of%20the%20Patriots&mode=buy

F2 - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Xbox%20360%20Software/index.php?sku=882224318983&name=Forza%20Motorsport%202&mode=buy

gt5 - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Playstation3%20Software/index.php?sku=5050053015433&name=Gran%20Turismo%205%20Prologue&mode=buy

Double agent x360 - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Xbox%20360%20Software/index.php?sku=3307210224521&name=Splinter%20Cell:%20Double%20Agent%20(15)&mode=buy

Resistance - http://www.cex.co.uk/products/Gaming/Console%20Gaming/Playstation3%20Software/index.php?sku=711719684688&name=Resistance:%20Fall%20of%20Man%20(15)&mode=buy

It is very good for us, but not very good for the makers of the games.

People get to buy games cheap, while producers and developers see royalties shuffed through their nose, as one game could go through at least two players, but with only 1 time money going to them.

If they sold two games, then they'd get more money.

So from a business stance, it's logical to want to get rid of the pre-owned selling market.

papflesje said: It is very good for us, but not very good for the makers of the games. People get to buy games cheap, while producers and developers see royalties shuffed through their nose, as one game could go through at least two players, but with only 1 time money going to them. If they sold two games, then they'd get more money. So from a business stance, it's logical to want to get rid of the pre-owned selling market.

I agree, but there are so many great games and would be almost impossible to afford all the games at full price so pre owned is the best solution for us consumers.

 

megaman2 said: papflesje said: It is very good for us, but not very good for the makers of the games. People get to buy games cheap, while producers and developers see royalties shuffed through their nose, as one game could go through at least two players, but with only 1 time money going to them. If they sold two games, then they'd get more money. So from a business stance, it's logical to want to get rid of the pre-owned selling market. I agree, but there are so many great games and would be almost impossible to afford all the games at full price so pre owned is the best solution for us consumers.

Short term - yes.

Long term - no.

If developers don't enough money from their games that means they won't make another of that game.  If everyone rushes out and buys used, you get the game for cheap but the developer isn't encouraged to make any more of that game.

Of course I actually don't have a problem with the used games market.  Everything else has to put up with it, there's no reason that game developers should be immune to it.

 

That's not the concern of the developer. He wants money in his pocket for the effort he put into it.

Why should he care that you cannot afford 4 great games? He will want you to work for that money and buy an additional copy of their game, instead of passing on a game that has already been sold.

It's not their issue whether or not you can afford it, when that results in the same thing for them: not getting their money.

Well, I can understand their complaints when the movie industry gets sales from different perspectives: more expensive rental copies, theaters, dvd's, blu-rays and such.

Games have 1) sales... that's it.

If you then lose (let's just put a figure up) 20k in pre-owned sales, that's quite the income you then lose.


They should come up with a system to allow people to rent games for example, so that they can make sure that it also brings in cash for the industry itself.

twesterm said: megaman2 said: papflesje said: It is very good for us, but not very good for the makers of the games. People get to buy games cheap, while producers and developers see royalties shuffed through their nose, as one game could go through at least two players, but with only 1 time money going to them. If they sold two games, then they'd get more money. So from a business stance, it's logical to want to get rid of the pre-owned selling market. I agree, but there are so many great games and would be almost impossible to afford all the games at full price so pre owned is the best solution for us consumers.   Short term - yes. Long term - no. If developers don't enough money from their games that means they won't make another of that game.  If everyone rushes out and buys used, you get the game for cheap but the developer isn't encouraged to make any more of that game. Of course I actually don't have a problem with the used games market.  Everything else has to put up with it, there's no reason that game developers should be immune to it.

good analysis but sales of games  and revenue have gone up each year and this year sales are likely to be higher than 2007 all during an economic meltdown. Is the pre owned market really such a bad thing??

 

papflesje said: Of course I actually don't have a problem with the used games market. Everything else has to put up with it, there's no reason that game developers should be immune to it. Well, I can understand their complaints when the movie industry gets sales from different perspectives: more expensive rental copies, theaters, dvd's, blu-rays and such. Games have 1) sales... that's it. If you then lose (let's just put a figure up) 20k in pre-owned sales, that's quite the income you then lose. They should come up with a system to allow people to rent games for example, so that they can make sure that it also brings in cash for the industry itself.

 

...you can rent games though.  I don't have a clue if it works the same as movies where a place like Blockbuster has to pay more for the game but I always assumed they did.

megaman2 said: twesterm said: megaman2 said: papflesje said: It is very good for us, but not very good for the makers of the games. People get to buy games cheap, while producers and developers see royalties shuffed through their nose, as one game could go through at least two players, but with only 1 time money going to them. If they sold two games, then they'd get more money. So from a business stance, it's logical to want to get rid of the pre-owned selling market. I agree, but there are so many great games and would be almost impossible to afford all the games at full price so pre owned is the best solution for us consumers.   Short term - yes. Long term - no. If developers don't enough money from their games that means they won't make another of that game.  If everyone rushes out and buys used, you get the game for cheap but the developer isn't encouraged to make any more of that game. Of course I actually don't have a problem with the used games market.  Everything else has to put up with it, there's no reason that game developers should be immune to it.   good analysis but sales of games  and revenue have gone up each year and this year sales are likely to be higher than 2007 all during an economic meltdown. Is the pre owned market really such a bad thing??

 

Revenue has gone up because the market has grown. 

Also, you forgot to mention that cost of developing has significally increased.

megaman2 said: What is wrong with shops selling pre owned games? The reason I ask this is as I was reading an earlier forum post "pre owned market is defrauding the industry". As i was reading a lot of people were against the pre owned market and showed a lot of anger towards Gamestop lol, personally if you ask me pre owned/ trade in market is the way to go, and shops selling pre owned games and allowing trade in is good for us consumers. Why do I support the pre owned market??? Let me explain my scenario i always buy games from Play.com, these are mostly first day purchases. As you may all know many great games are released simultaneously making it difficult to make the right gaming choice many people like myself can't afford to buy that many top games. There is a shop down my road called CEX (Computer Exchange) they specialise in exchanges, they only buy from the customers so all their products are 2nd hand or recycled. Cex really comes in handy because some games dont have any replayability e.g Uncharted Drakes Fortune absolute great game but once completed its of no use or Godfather another outstanding game but once completed there is no going back you have changed things lol. That's why trade in is really important i could use trade in credit from both games to get 2 different games all whilst saving money.

I understand where you are coming from and agree but mainly on the exchange factor, the last game I bought that wasn't new from Play.com was GT5Prologue, I exchanged Rogue Galaxy, which I bought from Play.com new and got a new GT5Pro for £12 at a shop called Playtime (very good for old games in general since my Gamestation removed it's PS1 area entirely from the shop). I find an exchange to be a great way to do things, I do not think I've ever bought a newish game 2nd hand though. Sales usually bring prices down but if I could not find them in a store it's usually because they just don't stock it anymore and I'll have to buy 2nd hand.

I'm more inclined to part exchange then buy straight 2nd hand but then someone will buy my game I exchanged no doubt. In the end it's less money for the developers, that's a bad thing.

Although, while I accept places like Game, Gamestation, CEX etc doing thing, HMV is just plain weird, they don't accept preowned CDs or records do they? or movies? So why games?

 

Also, off topic a bit, isn't CEX more for stolen goods? :P and it's 'is the future' not 'are'.