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GameStop confirms new four-tiered trade-in pricing policy
GameStop announced a new trade-in pricing policy today, which simplifies the company's current pre-owned purchasing structure. Set to launch August 18, the program will enforce four price points "depending on whether a customer chooses cash or in-store credit for their items and whether they are a PowerUp Rewards Pro member," the announcement states. The announcement serves as a confirmation of last week's report of an incoming change to GameStop's trade-in program, which stated that the flat rates for traded goods would rise by 20 percent, on average. As an example, GameStop noted that a game valued at $20 would be bumped to $22 for PowerUp Rewards Pro members that opt to receive in-store credit and drop to $16 for non-members only seeking cash for their games. GameStop's senior VP for pre-owned business Jason Cochran said the previous trade-in structure included 10 different price points. [Image: GameStop]
Fewer than half of GameStop customers know about trades
If you're a regular shopper at GameStop, you've probably heard it more times than you can count. If you've worked there, you might know the line by heart. "Thank you for choosing GameStop, where we buy and sell used games, how can I help you?" Although that phrase - and slight variants - might feel to us like they get repeated ad nauseum, GameStop president Tony Bartel told VentureBeat that only 40 percent of the retailer's customers know they can trade in their old products for in-store credit or cash. Bartel says even fewer know they can trade in mobile devices like phones and tablets. Despite fewer than half of its customers knowing about trade-in options, VentureBeat reports that GameStop saw $1.2 billion in trade credit spent in-store annually, with Bartel claiming that 70 percent of trade credit goes toward purchasing new games. Hey, that reminds us: The Last of Us Remastered is coming out on Tuesday, and GameStop is offering 50 percent off when you trade in a PS3 copy of The Last of Us. You know you can trade in your old games, right? [Image: GameStop]
Walmart dips into trade-in market this month, selling used games in summer
The used game market just grew immensely, as Walmart announced plans today to begin taking video game trade-ins across the United States, putting itself in direct competition with GameStop. Starting March 26, those trading their games in at more than 3,100 Walmart stores will receive a gift card usable at any Walmart or Sam's Club location in exchange. All exchanged products are then "sent to be refurbished and made available for purchase in like-new condition starting this summer." The retailer will accept online trade-ins for all games, but will only allow in-store exchanges for hardware. Walmart provided an exchange rate calculator on its website to give customers an idea of trade-in values. As for functional hardware, when including all the accompanying cables and one controller, the Xbox One has a current trade-in value of $390, the PS4 is $375, the Wii U Deluxe is $120, a 3G-enabled Vita is $95 and 3DS XL is $105. Working copies of Grand Theft Auto 5 currently exchange at $27.72, Dead Rising 3 is $38, the PS4 version of NBA 2K14 is $35.42 and Super Mario 3D World is $38. [Image: Walmart]
Walmart's used games for gift cards trade-in program opens March 26th (video)
After many rumors and even a brief trial program, Walmart is finally following Best Buy, Amazon and, of course, GameStop in taking trade-ins of used games. It will start accepting your old games on March 26th, in exchange for store credit usable at Walmart and Sam's Club, whether in-store or online. Once it has the games they'll be refurbished and then this summer, go on sale for "a great low price." It's all very familiar if you've ever traded a game in before, but Walmart says it will "pay more for used games, sell new and used games for less, and give our customers the flexibility to spend their money how they want." Your move, GameStop.
Trade in your PS3 or Xbox 360 this week, get at least $100 at Best Buy
Those looking for a little extra dough for the holidays or for their new PS4 or Xbox One systems may consider trading in their current-gen consoles. Best Buy has those folks in mind this week, as it is offering a minimum $100 gift card for all working Xbox 360 and PS3 systems. The deal is good through participating Best Buy locations until Saturday, November 23. While the condition of the system and added accessories will affect the value Best Buy places on the used goods, any console with a broken factory seal, is cracked or has water damage will not be eligible for trade-in. We told you to not bring your Xbox 360 down the water slide.
GameStop discounting used Xbox 360 and PS3 systems
Ahead of next-gen console launches this November, GameStop is cutting the prices of its used PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware from October 11 to October 24. During the promotion, customers can pick up the original Xbox 360 for $99.99 (previously $129.99) and the Xbox 360 Slim 4 GB system for $119.99 (previously $179.99). All pre-owned PS3 hardware is marked down to $149.99 (from up to $259.99). GameStop is also throwing in any used game priced at $19.99 or less for free with any used hardware purchase. Additionally, those with GameStop's PowerUp Rewards loyalty program card in hand can get in on the promotion a day early and also receive a 30 percent discount on used PS3 and Xbox 360 accessories. That is on top of the 10 percent discount program members receive off their used purchases.
Gamestop defends Xenoblade price tag, Metroid Prime Trilogy being restocked
Gamestop's inventory of pre-owned Xenoblade Chronicles copies seemed to inflate overnight on August 10, when the game showed up at previously dry retail locations and online for $90 a pop. Xenoblade is a famously hard-to-find Wii role-playing game that was sold only via Nintendo and Gamestop on first printing, and until now it seemed retail stock teetered on nonexistence. We contacted Gamestop when Xenoblade was resurrected last week, and today the company issued a response: "Gamestop regularly receives feedback from our PowerUp members regarding old titles they would like us to bring back, such as vintage games like Xenoblade Chronicles. We were recently able to source a limited number of copies of this title to carry in our stores and online. "In fact, we have sourced several more vintage titles that will be hitting stores in the coming months, including Metroid Prime Trilogy. "As always, our pricing for these games is competitive and is based on current market value driven by supply and demand. PowerUp Pro members always receive a 10 percent discount and earn PUR points on pre-owned purchases." There's no word on the source of Gamestop's fresh copies. Nintendo has yet to respond to our requests for clarification, regarding whether this is a reprint or simply a surprising windfall of pre-owned games. Really, all of this comes down to one, simple question: How much is five stars worth to you?
GameStop reminds console makers that used games matter at market
Used games are an essential part of the video game marketplace, generating more than $700 million in trade credit toward new games each year, GameStop President Tony Bartel told Forbes. Bartel defended the importance of used games in next-gen systems, noting that "recent surveys" suggested 60 percent of game customers would be less likely to purchase a console that couldn't play used games.Bartel wouldn't want to see the pre-owned business evaporate, since used game sales have been known to represent almost a quarter of GameStop's annual revenue. Bartel noted that regardless of next-gen capabilities, there were 100 million current-gen consoles in the US, so that market wouldn't disappear any time soon.GameStop has been banging this drum for years, noting in 2009 that 75 percent of trade-in credit applied directly to the purchase of a new game. Bartel told Forbes that 70 percent of trade-ins went toward new games and hardware per year, of more than $1 billion total trade-in credit.The PlayStation 4 will be able to play used games, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida confirmed.
Pocket Gamer: How to get Trophies in used Vita games
We've seen Sony's own tips and tricks for the Vita, but as the device ages (six days old already!) more and more will appear, as Pocket Gamer shows with its tutorial that explains how to renew trophy-earning functionality in used Vita games.Upon booting up a pre-owned Vita title, players will get a screen that reads, "You cannot earn trophies in this application. Only the first player to use an application can earn trophies. To earn trophies, you must link the Sony Entertainment Network account of the first player to use this application with the PS Vita system." Pocket Gamer says the following steps will render that warning useless: Go to the main menu and hold down the screen for two seconds, until little bubbles appear on the upper-right side of each game's icon. Hit the bubble you want and click "Delete." A screen reading "All data related to this application will be deleted" will pop up. Hit "OK." Load the game and you should be good to go.This process won't delete the previous player's trophies, Pocket Gamer adds.
Gamestop's Buy 2, Get 1 Free on pre-owned goods offer is back on
Every couple of months or so, GameStop gets bored with its usual routine of selling all of its used games and accessories, so it goes on weekend-long tears where it starts giving them away with the purchase of two other items. Fortunately for all of us, this is one of those weekends.
Treyarch combating trade-ins by supporting Black Ops multiplayer
Developers and publishers have gone to some pretty drastic measures to prevent having their new products put through the Gamestop wash, such as EA's Project Ten Dollar, or Ubisoft's highly controversial "Pre-Owned Smart Bomb," which, upon sensing a player's intent to trade a game in, destroys his or her entire city. However, according to Treyarch's Mark Lamia, the developer hopes to combat resales of Call of Duty: Black Ops by making its multiplayer component positively unquittable. "We're going to support the hell out of Black Ops," Lamia recently explained to MCV. "That will be our focus post-release: making sure we keep our fans engaged, and hopefully as a result, they'll want to keep playing our game and won't want to trade it in." A noble goal, but people really love trading in their games, guys. We're afraid of how things might escalate if Treyarch fights to keep their wavering attention. "No, wait, don't go," they might say, "now the game has dinosaurs!"
7-Eleven to begin selling used games for $20 and below
[Flickr user Emples] Beloved Slurpee vendor 7-Eleven plans to nab a share of the video game re-sale market by soon offering budget-priced pre-owned titles as part of a partnership with Game Trading Technologies, which announced the program today. The new initiative, excitedly dubbed "GREAT GAMES BELOW $20," is currently being introduced into more than 3,000 U.S. 7-Elevens (or roughly 50 percent of all franchises), with plans to eventually extend the service to most locations. "The program is available to all 7-Eleven U.S. franchisees, and we hope to have most U.S. stores on board by September," said GTT president Todd Hays. The partnership will have GTT providing 7-Elevens with a "broad selection" of used games for "various" platforms at price points of $19.99 and below. If the selections are actually decent, we fear for how costly our surprisingly frequent late-night hot dog runs might soon become.
Used game retailers respond to 'Project Ten Dollar'
It's unsurprising that most game retailers who dabble in the pre-owned market feel jilted by an initiative EA CEO John Riccitiello calls "Project Ten Dollar" -- after all, it was designed to reclaim some of the revenues earned by secondhand sellers. A number of representatives from used game retailers recently spoke to GamesIndustry (login required) about the perils EA faces by bundling DLC redemption codes with new copies of the publisher's games. Chipsworld exec Don McCabe said consumers won't prosper under this new system, as copies of the game will lose their resale value, but retailers will "just readjust [the price] bearing in mind you have to buy the voucher." Marc Day, CEO of SwapGame, says diminished resale value will do more harm than good to the publisher's bottom line, as "customers who trade in for cash or credit do so to acquire new games they could otherwise not afford." Check out GamesIndustry's full article for more retailer opinions on EA's new DLC strategy. It's an interesting read on what might turn out to be a pretty vicious cycle.
GameStop 'Buy 2, Get 1 Free' used game sale starts tomorrow
You've probably got a ton of brand new games you want to purchase, but with Christmas just around the corner, the available funds to buy things for yourself are likely dwindling. Tomorrow through Sunday, GameStop's got a helpful solution: A Buy 2, Get 1 Free sale on all used games. The sale is both in-store and online, though you'll need to use code B2G1FREE, along with SAVER to get free shipping on $25-plus orders. Just so there's no confusion, we're not suggesting that you buy used games for yourself to save money, far from it. We just can't help but think how much extra cash you'd have left for Assassin's Creed 2 if you got everyone on your list a second-hand copy of Wheelman. [Via CheapCollegeGamers] .nounderline a { text-decoration: none; } Check out Joystiq's Black Friday Game Deals Hub or jump to a retailer guide below: Best Buy | GameStop | Kmart & Sears | Target | Toys"R"Us | Walmart For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals, Cyber Monday Sales, And other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com
Toys R Us testing the waters of the used games business
When you happen to stumble upon a $2 billion sales arena which requires almost no initial investment to enter, it makes sense to jump right into it -- regardless of the tremendous girth of said arena's reigning champion. This appears to be the modus operandi for the giraffe-fronted retailer Toys R Us, who is currently entering the used games racket for a trial period in select stores nationwide, as evidenced by an in-store advertisement snapped by Cheap Ass Gamer user phear3d.Speaking to a clerk at the store which contained the promo (embedded after the jump), phear3d learned that the trade-in program is being tested at certain stores over the next few months to see if the company wants to incorporate it on a wider and more permanent scale. We spoke with a corporate Toys R Us representative, who confirmed the program is being tested "in a couple New York stores." He informed us the used games program is not occurring at the Times Square location, but wouldn't give specific locations when asked, as the company doesn't "really give information about tests going on in [its] stores." Furthermore, he couldn't discuss the details of the program, as that also falls under the purview of "testing," which the company won't elaborate on. If you've seen a sign for the program at your local store, please feel free to let us know the location and we'll try to get the details.Hopefully, we'll see a return to the now-defunct "Geoffrey Bucks" system of the late '90s -- we've always thought the one thing missing from modern used trade practices was tangible, non-transferable paper currency.
Pre-owned iPhones fetching crazy prices post-iPhone 3G launch
This little phenomenon has been going on ever since lines were wrapped around buildings as consumers waited impatiently for the iPhone 3G, but even now, original iPhones are fetching wild prices on the secondhand market. In a weird twist of economics, Apple's iPhone actually maintained the majority of its value even after its successor hit the market. Why, you ask? Put simply, first-gen iPhones purchased from eBay or other pre-owned resellers arrives sans an AT&T contract, and of course, it can be (relatively) easily unlocked to work with some other carrier. PSA: if you're still sitting on your old iPhone for no apparent reason, now would probably be an excellent time to test the market.[Image courtesy of IFOAppleStore]
Target trialing online sales of pre-owned electronics
Although you may be accustomed to picking up your used wares from locales such as GameStop, Target is hoping that the scavengers of all things pre-owned will stop by its online electronics site, too. The retailer is currently testing online sales of used gizmos, including iPods, camcorders and HDTVs. Reportedly, the company made the call to start selling these goods after noticing that many returned items came back in "perfect working order," but it has yet to decide whether it will continue the business. We also heard that refurbished consoles would be up for grabs, but after running a quick search, we came up empty handed. Still, we'd be awfully careful before we ordered, say, a pre-owned iPod, from Target -- you really never know what you're gonna get.
Rumor: no pre-owned games for PS3?
According to GamesRadar (who struck out on their last PS3-rumor at bat), Sony might be looking to prevent the sale of pre-owned games by using a software licensing system similar to the one employed in the PC software space. The rumor goes something like this: instead of purchasing the actual game, you purchase a nontransferable license to play the game, and the physical media is just a distribution method (think Microsoft Windows). While Sony does own some patents that might be used to this end, the issue is far more complicated than the technology and motivation behind it. Sure, Sony and most publishers would love to cut off the parasitic used-games industry, but would they do it at the expense of angering both retailers and consumers? Considering the dubious origin of the rumor -- "retail sources" -- and GamesRadar's past inaccuracy, it's far too early to get upset over this one.Next-Gen offers their (similarly skeptical) take on the rumor, getting responses from an expert in retail law and two publishing sources who, though admittedly in favor of such a plan, concede that the story is unlikely.[Thanks, SickNic and Kerina]
