The Nuclear Option on Used Games

April 4th, 2012, 01:44 Posted By: wraggster

If console makers actually cut out pre-owned what would the impact be?
Used games have been a a whipping boy for the industry for a number of years now. I'm not quite sure exactly when it became the oft-cited subject it is today, but I believe it started during this current console cycle, when the price of AAA titles geometrically increased again over the previous generation while the number of top-flight developers and publishers noticeably shrank. With the pre-owned boom coinciding with a significant global economic downturn, it's no wonder that people in the industry are looking at ways revenue is being denied them and lashing out.
I find it ironic on a certain level since the industry has had something of a love/hate relationship with GameStop. While it's the top dedicated video game retailer in the US, and often supported with exclusive pre-order bonuses for games both large and small, it is also the main cog in the used game sale machine. It's hard not to talk about used games and GameStop in the same sentence since their size and logistical advantages mean they generate $1.2 billion in revenue from used games.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-on-used-games

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