Used games certainly hurt new games sales but probably help with hardware sales.

I think "killing" is too harsh haha but that's probably one of the reasons they are including bonuses and stuff like that Target mountain in Shaun White

I think the industry has partially brought this on itself. Game prices are high; used sales wouldn't be so profitable if new games only cost $20-$30. Also, games have turned into interactive movies: the only reason to sell Tetris is because you've got a newer, better version. You can sell Twighlight Princess or Metal Gear Solid 4 as soon as you've played through the story. (Do you really want to slog through that long, boring opening section of TP all over again?)

I think downloadable gaming is one solution to this: smaller games at lower prices with no easy resale method. This can be extended to retail games as well. In addition to making games smaller and cheaper, I'd suggest making them something that players really want to play again: let us skip obstacles like tutorials and cutscenes and focus on addictive gameplay and don't create a throwaway game that's going to be replaced every year (sports games, Mario Party, Tony Hawk, etc).

Above all, make the games really good. The OP referred to some AAA games on the used shelves, but in general good games are harder to find used than average or poor ones. How many used copies of DK Barrel Blast are on the shelves versus used copies of Mario Kart Wii?

Three Things

1) I sell games and use the cash to buy new games
2) I'd take less risks and rent games if I couldn't sell it a couple weeks later if I didn't like it
3) I'm more likely to try lesser know titles if I find a cheap copy, making me a potential customer if a sequel is released

Therefore, I think I'm my case, having a used market is helping the gaming industry

I don't buy used games, or sell my games back.

But I'm thinking of changing my rule. Many games have no replay value, and it seems silly to abide by this rule for these games. I think I'll just gift these games to my friends when I'm done with them, it's hard to justify all of us having to pay full price for something we can't really re-use. But neither can I justify Gamestop getting such a large cut from my transactions!

New games should be $40, that would see a reduction in used game sales. Used games can be found for as little $20 to $30, a few months after a $60 game has been launched.

Funny that someone said it'd hurt the HD consoles, as for me I think it'll hurt the Wii more. I'm surprised it isn't really having that much effect already, for me I'd think with a library like the Wii's and an audience like the casual gamer it's only a matter of time until the pre-owned and cheaper market engulfs first hand sales. For the well advertised heavy marketed games not so much but surely stuff like Game Party and Carnival Games can't sell when there are cheaper minigame stuff second hand?

But yeah, it's not killing it, because it's been around for over 15 years without anyone trying to stop it. It keeps the retail industry of gaming alive, which in turn sells more games. Furthermore, with online retail becoming popular, the second hand game market is being used less.

I'd imagine we're not far off the whole market using digital distrubution anyay, they need to stop the whole game sharing thing though lol.

$60 price tag is what is killing sales.

I had no problem grabbing games when they were $40 for a new release. I also did not hear much complaints about used game sales back then either. Unless this has been an on going complaint for years.

Well your never going to get rid of the market for the sale of used goods be it games or anything else you care to mention, just not going to happen, anything a person owns is an asset and will always be within their right to liquidate it.

The only real answer would be to make games that people dont want to sell, and how realistic is that? lol

btw, there is a great site, cheapassgamer.com, which is dedicated to locating great game deals They also have industry insiders posting sales flyers from BestBuy, Gamestop, etc. two weeks in advance.