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iPodMeister gives you an iPad for your old CDs
Want to get a new iPad but a little short on cash? Trade in a bunch of your old CDs or DVDs to a company called iPodMeister and your problems are solved. Sound too good to be true? It's not, reports the New York Times. iPodMeister was founded by a group of musicians and students who realized that though CDs are virtually worthless in the US, they often fetch higher prices abroad. Their business model is to collect your discarded CDs or DVDs, giving you an iPod, iPhone, or iPad in return, and sell your CDs and DVDs for a profit in other countries. A fringe benefit of this is that your old CDs and DVDs actually get used for something instead of just going into a landfill. The cool cats at iPodMeister do have strict rules regarding what CDs and DVDs are acceptable, but note that if you bought your CDs in a record store, you're probably good to go. They do require both the original jewel case (remember those?) and the original album artwork, however. If you've got binders full of original CDs, but no inserts, you're out of luck. So what will the various iterations of the iPad cost you? The full breakdown's past the link below, but you might be surprised -- an iPad ain't cheap.
Sprint offering instant credits for phone trade-ins
Saying that it hopes to boost the practice of phone recycling (with customer conquests a welcome side effect, we're sure), Sprint is now expanding its Buyback Program to cover over 900 devices with an instant credit when you trade them in to any of over 1,000 participating corporate-owned retail locations. Naturally, Sprint isn't about to hand you a wad of cash for these things, but the credits -- ranging from $5 to over $300 depending on the model, apparently -- help cut the bottom line on your account balance, and you can take advantage of the service up to three times per active line every 12 months. Unfortunately, it might not be that great of a deal: in the press release, they specifically call out the Bold 9700 as having a $161.05 -- and considering you can flip a used, locked Bold 9700 on eBay for well over $300, this looks more like a new revenue stream for Sprint than anything else. And who's recycling a Bold 9700 already, anyway?
GameStop offering 50% bonus on every trade-in
GameStop's TV ad proudly proclaims that it's the "biggest trade event ever." We can't really disagree. Starting today, GameStop stores will be offering an extra 50% bonus on used game trade-ins, boosting their usually-paltry offerings into the "sort of worth it" zone. Your old copy of Madden 08 won't really help you much in this promo. Instead, look to capitalize on newer game trade-ins. Using the CAG database, we discovered that Modern Warfare 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Dante's Inferno, and BioShock 2 will net about $35 of credit each. The best bet right now seems to be Mass Effect 2, which will net you a whopping $52 worth of credit (and if you have an Edge card, you'll earn 10% more). Just make sure that, as with many of last year's and this quarter's games, you don't intend to stick around for all that DLC. As much as you may sympathize with the difficulties publishers face in the used games market, the ongoing 2010 onslaught of games -- including Heavy Rain, Final Fantasy XIII, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, God of War III, Pokemon, and more -- might force your wallet to seek out as much help as it can find. [Thanks, Alan S.]
Goozex kicks off half-price sale
For far too long, Joystiq has brought you stories of sales applicable only to certain games. But finally we can bring word of a bargain limited only by ... your imagination. That's because game trading site Goozex is offering 1000 points of its currency for just $27.50. Those of you familiar with the site know that 1,000 points is the price reserved for the newest games, meaning you'll be able to pick up nearly brand new releases for a little over $25. Or, you can buy Another World three times. Imagination! [Thanks, Cole]
US citizens: want to trade at Best Buy? Head north [update]
Update: A representative from Best Buy Canada has told Joystiq that any decision made regarding trades in the US "will not have any impact on Canada's operations at this point." The representative went on to say the trade-in program has been "very successful" in Canada and Best Buy Canada Ltd. has no plans to discontinue it. Original: Although reports indicate that Best Buy America's used games trade-in operations will come to an abrupt end, Best Buy Canada continues to offer the used and trade programs in its own stores. On February 1, Industry Gamers reported E-Play, the company that distributed used game and trade kiosks to Best Buy and Walmart, suspended operations. Currently, neither major retailer appears to be pursuing replacement programs in stores. In Canada, Best Buy and Future Shop both operate under the umbrella of Best Buy Canada Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of its American parent. The company currently runs used game and trade programs within stores of both brands, where customers are given a store credit toward other purchases in the store at each location's customer service desk. The process appears to be modeled closely after GameStop's approach, and the companies even offer similar multiple trade-in promotions (such as drastically slashing the value of games immediately following release). Joystiq has contacted Best Buy Canada Ltd. for comment on the recent news affecting its American counterparts, and whether its own operations will change as a result, but has yet to hear back as of this publishing. [Thanks, Nathan]
Walmart and Best Buy cease used games trade-in operations
Well, that certainly didn't take long. Industry Gamers reports that Walmart's and Best Buy's stab at tapping into the lucrative used games market will soon come to an abrupt end. E-Play, the company that distributed used games kiosks to certain locations for the two retailers, suspended operations earlier today -- and as a result, said kiosks will be shut down and removed within the next three weeks. Neither Walmart nor Best Buy looks to be pursuing similar operations without E-play. We had an inkling that the two retailers weren't seeing significant returns from dabbling in the used games market through third-party vendor E-play, but the brevity of this venture is still a little surprising. Even our "mullet and horn-rimmed glasses" phase lasted longer than eight measly months.
Green Man Gaming exec explains how digital trade-ins work
Ever since Green Man Gaming announced its plans for digital trade-ins last week, we've been scratching our heads and spinning the ol' think meat trying to understand how it's gonna work. Lucky for us then that GamesIndustry.biz got a couple of execs from the company to break down how it all functions in a recent interview. Allegedly, the folks at GMG have figured out an algorithm for calculating a game's worth at any given time based on a handful of (unnamed) criteria. "We sit in the middle as a market maker and we always offer a price on the game ... we always allow people to sell it back to us," says CEO Paul Sulyok. As previously announced, the company will offer a percentage of revenue from each re-sold game to publishers -- something the company expects to get prospective partners signed up with the quickness. Suylok even puts a percentage to it, estimating that publishers will see a "194 percent" jump in "additional revenue per SKU" (in Humanspeak, that means for each individual game). Us? We're just happy to finally get some money back for that drunken purchase of Daikatana. [Via BigDownload]
UK-based site 'Green Man Gaming' to allow digital trade-ins
It seems that the yet-to-launch Green Man Gaming website has figured out a way for consumers to make back some of the money spent on digitally distributed games. According to a press release from earlier today, the company will accept digital trade-ins of used "digitally purchased and downloaded games," though nothing explicit is spelled out in terms of what exactly you'll get for your trade-in. The company's COO (and ex-Play.com head) Gian Luzio claims in the release that publishers will receive "substantial remuneration" from Green Man Gaming (that means money, folks) and the site is planned for a "Q1 2010" launch -- it's said to open up with 400 games and grow to "over 2000" by the end of the year. We've contacted GMG for more info on how this whole thing will work and will update you when we know more. [Via Big Download]
PSA: Scrub your gaming console's memory before selling
Usually, when we label a headline as a "PSA," it's in a joking manner; say, "PSA: Bacon is delicious, good for you." However, we're pretty sure this post constitutes a legitimate public service announcement: Ars Technica recently published an article that the frequent trade-in-ers among us should probably read. In short, if you're not erasing your consoles' hard drives before trading them in, there's a pretty good chance you could be robbed blind. (Or at least robbed astigmatic.) Seriously, if you're thinking about trading in or pawning one of your gaming consoles sometime soon, follow the helpful tips provided in the Ars piece. They'll ensure that you don't accidentally leave your credit card information in the system's memory for its next owner to exploit. You also don't want to leave your Avatar, Mii or PlayStation Home account on there, either. That's how e-stalkers get started, donchaknow.
Disney's Upgrade2Blu Program saves you $8, lets you keep your DVDs
That company with that mouse sure is open to trying new things, and as if the whole Snow White Blu-ray vs DVD box art wasn't interesting enough, now we have Upgrade2Blu. Like other offers, via an $8 rebate it saves you a few bucks on Blu-ray Discs that you already own on DVD, but what is different is that you get to keep the DVD. This makes sense from a company like Disney since it's been including DVDs with all the Blu-ray releases, which is especially useful for kid's movies. You see as much as we want our kids to grow as HD snobs like us, we still wouldn't dare driving more than an hour in the car without a Disney DVD being played in the back seat.
Warner's DVD2Blu trade-in swaps Blu-rays for your DVDs, Leland Gaunt approves
After baptizing the remaining HD DVD faithful, Warner has moved on to teaching new Blu-ray converts the five pillars of faith with a trade-up program. Send in your old DVDs (just the box art won't cut it this time around, better buy some blanks and get to ripping if you still enjoy Training Day on long car trips), $7.95 - $9.95 per movie plus $4.95 for s&h (orders over $25 ship for free) and expect HD versions back in 4 - 5 weeks. Is it worth it? Depends on how many of the 55 flicks on the approved list you own (included after the break) but for most you're probably better off keeping the ones you have and eyeing budget bins carefully, nabbing catalog flicks like Harold & Kumar for less than $15 without any mail-in shenanigans shouldn't be too hard for the truly thrifty.
Toys R Us expands layaway to include consoles, adds hardware to trade-in program
Toys R Us announced today that its "Big Gift" layaway program will now include video game hardware. TRU CEO Jerry Storch states that it was the "number one" request from customers. For those who don't know what layaway is: it's the practice of a company holding onto a "purchased" product until the customer has paid for the item in full. For the TRU program, customers must deposit 20% of the console's total purchase, including tax, and a "$10 service charge." Payments can be made at the store in cash, check, credit card ... wait, what? If someone has a credit card, then -- nevermind. Payment must be made in full before December 6. There will also be a fee for canceled orders and the program is not available in Maryland. The retailer is also expanding its video game trade-in program, which began in September, to include video game hardware. The program begins this Friday, November 20, and works almost the same way as the software trade-in: customers go to the "guest service desk," their items are scanned, an offer is made and they receive a gift card if all is approved. We've listed all consoles and handhelds available for trade-in after the break.
Sony offering ePub upgrade / trade-in program for PRS-500 e-reader
Sony's already made its commitment to the ePub e-book format fairly clear, but it does still have a lingering problem with some older e-book readers that don't support the format. While some of those are beyond hope, the company does now have an upgrade available for the PRS-500, although it's not quite as simple as you may hope. Turns out you actually have to send your reader in to Sony to receive the firmware update, which is completely free of charge and should take less than 14 days. For those looking to make a clean break with the past, however, Sony is also offering a trade-in program for the PRS-500, which will give you either $50 or $75 off the new Reader Pocket or Touch editions. Hit up the link below for complete details on both options.
Pre-order Modern Warfare 2, trade it in by Dec. 13, get $40 from GameStop
GameStop would like to rent you a copy of Modern Warfare 2, it seems, as the company has revealed a trade-in plan for the standard and Hardened editions of the game. If you pre-order the game through GameStop's site, you''ll be eligible to get $40 back should you trade it in before December 13. GameStop will email pre-orderers a coupon on November 15 to that effect, which will only work for trade-ins on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions. Considering this "deal" also applies to the Hardened edition, we have to wonder how the company will handle the included Call of Duty Classic. We've contacted GameStop for some additional info on that and will relay what we hear back. [Thanks, Marques!]
Toys R Us videogame 'buy back' program underway nationwide
According to the gang at Joystiq, the Toys R Us videogame trade-in program launches in earnest today, meaning that any of you cats with old videogames laying around can trade 'em in for the retailer's gift cards, no questions asked. Just take your old games (even going as far back as the Atari 2600 or Intellivison) to the customer service desk of your local store and they'll make you an offer at which point, according to a store representative, the games are then "taken by a third party company that refurbishes them for resale." This year's been pretty tough, but between our old game cartridges, Cash for Clunkers, and Compton's "Cash for Firearms" program, it looks like things might finally be going our way after all! The worm has turned, our friends. Indeed, the worm has turned.
Toys R Us rolls out national game trade-in program, classic games accepted [update]
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/10/toys-r-us-rolls-out-national-game-trade-in-program-classic-game/'; Toys R Us is rolling out its video game trade-in program nationwide today, allowing customers to sell games from as far back as the (OMG!) Intellivision. Those who use the program will receive gift cards for the value of their trade-in, which can be used for any product at Toys R Us, Babies R Us or online at Toysrus.com. Exchanging games works by going to the "guest services desk" with the merchandise, it'll be scanned and, if the value is acceptable, the customer will receive a gift card. We're honestly shocked at Toys R Us accepting trade-ins that go all the way back to systems like the Atari 2600. We're following up for some more details and will update as soon as we hear back. Update: Toys R Us is not getting into the used games resale business, it is merely accepting the used merchandise. A representative for the company tells us the games "are taken by a third party company that refurbishes them for resale." We're still following up to find out what company that would be. We'll update again when we find out.
Get an extra $30 for your trade-ins at Amazon
Game trade-ins are usually only a good deal when you factor in the convenience of not having to deal with eBay -- or when there's a special promotion. This deal from Amazon could boost the value of your trade-ins significantly, if you have a bunch of stuff to trade in.Through the end of August (it's been available since July 19), sending $60 worth of old junk in to Amazon will earn you an extra $30 to use toward your next game purchase. Hey, something to do with those 40 copies of Rock Revolution you picked up on impulse today!
A look at Best Buy's new trade-in kiosk
After learning that Best Buy was testing new game trade-in kiosks in some areas of Texas, we visited our local location to find that one of the new stations had just been set up right by the front door. In fact, a nearby employee informed us that we were the first to use it. Shortly after we experimented with it, we watched a group of Best Buy employees gather around the kiosk in quiet awe.As it turns out, the kiosks aren't just for trading in games for store credit -- you can buy, trade, or even rent used games or movies from the device. The one we looked at had a tiny selection of both games and movies available (less than fifty total offerings), but that's most likely because of the early stage of the program. We snapped some pictures of the kiosk while we were trying it out. Head into our gallery if you ever wanted to see what a game case deposit slot or a disc dispenser looks like.%Gallery-66916%
Best Buy tests used game trade-in kiosks
It's unclear why it's taken Best Buy nearly four years to inch its toe deeper into the lucrative used games market, but an unstable economy has a way of nudging business toward untapped reservoirs of cash. In September 2005, the big box retailer reportedly launched -- and apparently shelved -- a modest trial to buy back and resell used games. This week, Best Buy is rekindling the effort by installing trade-in kiosks in several of its Dallas and Austin locations, blogs CMO Barry Judge.Judge explains that the kiosks scan inserted games for "functionality," and then issue vouchers that are "instantly redeemable" for Best Buy gift cards, which can be spent on any item in the store. In addition, some of the kiosks will double as rental stations for games and movies, and participating stores will also resell used games (presumably those dumped into the kiosks).Best Buy's new initiative follows similar actions taken by Toys R Us, Amazon and Wal-Mart earlier this year, and as predicted by Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian. Sebastian continues to view the surge of business ventures into the used games market as an expansion of GameStop's existing foothold (though GameStop shares briefly tumbled today after the Best Buy news, as reported by WSJ) and argues to Gamasutra that software and hardware companies aren't necessarily being fleeced by the practice. "While many video game software publishers and console manufacturers view the used exchanges as cannibalizing sales, we note that consumers use a large portion of trade-in credit to purchase new products."[Image credit: kylemac]
Analyst: Wal-Mart game trade-in kiosks are no threat to GameStop
Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald doesn't believe Wal-Mart's new automated game trade-in program will pose a threat to GameStop, calling the new kiosks "more of a traffic driver to Wal-Mart's stores ... than something that will take meaningful share from Gamestop's core consumers." Greenwald believes that the instant-gratification factor of GameStop's trade-ins will insulate the chain from losing its market to Wal-Mart's machines. He also said that the credit offered by the kiosks "doesn't seem to be significantly higher than what GameStop is offering to pay."He believes that these Wal-Mart kiosks are just the first of many such automated movie and game kiosks to appear in the near future, some of which, he expects, will not just buy and sell, but also trade products. Despite the oncoming competition, Greenwald calls GameStop "nearly bullet-proof," explaining that the company has several thousand copies of 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Okay, he didn't actually say that last part.[Image via Neocrisis]
