We’ve had numerous discussions about the pros and cons of the sale of previously owned by virtue of right to first sale games – with most of you who engage in the dark and evil practice saying that you fund new games sales by selling off your no longer brand new games. Gamestop, possibly the largest dabbler in second hand forms of interactive entertainment media, insists that it’s actually good for the industry.
“We are not ashamed of the pre-owned business and in fact we believe that it’s good for the industry,” GameStop CEO Paul Raines said to Gamasutra. “The knowledge of how this model helps drive sales really resides at the publisher level. We have not been successful in communicating to developers how this business really helps.
“We’re really not cannibalizing new game sales. That’s a common misconception,” he added, saying that people tend to keep their new games for a month and a half. “So my answer to developers is that we are driving growth in a category that needs to grow. We think there’s a real lack of awareness as far as how it’s good for the industry. The transparency you’re seeing from us is because we want people to know about it, helping people understand what we’re trying to do for the industry.
“A lot of our consumers tell us that the pre-owned business has allowed them to learn more about video gaming. There’s a disconnect between a lot of the blogosphere and what consumers tell us.”
Numerous developers and publishers believe that resold disc-based interactive entertainment is detrimental to the gaming industry, as they’re not privy to a slice of the pie – with Silicon Knights’ Dennis Dyack going so far as to say that the trade in refurbished premium-price games will be responsible for the downfall of the entire industry.
Last Updated: August 7, 2012
