The Changing Landscape of Used Game Sales: GAME Ends Accepting Used Games

With the recent announcement that GAME, the largest British video game retailer, will no longer be accepting used games, it marks the end of an era in the gaming industry. This change in policy was reported by Eurogamer, and if true, it signifies a significant shift in the gaming landscape.

GAME has been synonymous with video game retail in the United Kingdom, similar to GameStop in the United States. Established in 1992, the company was acquired by Electronics Boutique in 1999, resulting in a rebranding of all EB stores to GAME. However, like GameStop and many other physical retailers, GAME has faced numerous challenges in an increasingly digital market.

In 2012, GAME declared bankruptcy due to financial difficulties, with major publishers refusing to supply them with games. Since then, various new owners have attempted different strategies to stay afloat, including diversifying their product offerings with plush toys, Funko Pop figurines, board games, Pokémon cards, and anything else that would attract gaming enthusiasts. However, throughout it all, GAME has always maintained its practice of accepting used games. Until now, it seems.

This decision appears to be part of a global trend where physical media struggles to find its place in an overwhelmingly digital world. In January of this year, Best Buy announced that it would no longer sell DVDs and Blu-rays, and physical stores worldwide are closing their doors, causing many employees to lose their jobs. However, as someone from the UK, the acceptance of used games at GAME has been a norm for me. It felt like a natural part of the gaming community.

For many years, I spent my Saturdays and holidays in GAME stores, both as an employee during my teenage years and later on as a customer. I even bring my child (who has never seen a VHS tape or held a DVD) to our nearest GAME store for various video game-themed birthday parties. I have traded in games and rejected those that were too damaged.

The practice of accepting used games has always been a double-edged sword. From the perspective of major publishers, they despise it because it allows customers to recoup some value from their owned products without having to repurchase the same games. It becomes a joke for them. However, for customers, it is scandalous to pay a significant amount for a product that the store has already sold at full price, only to receive a minimal discount on its resale.

I still remember a game that was recently released and priced at $60, with customers receiving around $55 for trading it in. The difference was even more significant for older games, where I would offer around $3 and sell the game for $15. This is how free markets work, but for the store, it was incredibly easy money.

Regardless of these musings of an old-timer, it is hard to believe that the used game market could become so devalued that GAME would abandon a part of its 30-year-old heritage.

We attempted to contact GAME to verify the rumors, but the store is now owned by the troubled Frasers Group (formerly Sports Direct), which owns a large number of stores on every British high street, and they have limited press contacts.

If this decision indeed sets a trend, it is likely that retail chains in the US will follow suit. Perhaps it is time to clear the shelves and secure store credit before it’s too late.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about GAME’s Decision to Stop Accepting Used Games

The source of the article is from the blog lokale-komercyjne.pl