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Dave Bonnewell's weekly column gets running on its second week with a look at the EB/Gamestop merger called Previously Enjoyed.
The whole article is here. Dana Massey |
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10/24/06 4:54:49 PM#2
I assume you are talking about the demise of "previously enjoyed" PC games only, since Gamestop carries, always has carried, and will probably continue to carry used console games.
Also, I highly doubt large corporate entities like Wal-Mart, Target, or Circuit City will stop carrying video games at any point in the foreseeable future, as regardless of how much market share they have, they still make a tidy profit from selling them. Agent_X7 AKA J Star |
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Kawika
 Novice Member
Joined: 8/30/06
"Clone me and answer my clone. Do it, I command it!!" |
10/24/06 5:04:00 PM#3
Yeah, I can't speak for console games, new or used. I haven't plugged in a console in almost a decade lol. |
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10/24/06 5:38:39 PM#4
Yea. You may want to clarify that then if you can, since that's a huge step away from not being able to buy used games "in any way, shape or form." They definately do sell a nice slew of used games, though they don't cary used games for the obsolete consoles afik. I mean, they're even supposed to say something about being able to buy and sell used games when you call a store on the phone. |
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10/24/06 7:46:51 PM#5
It's rather an odd topic. The merger isn't new by nearly 2 years now. EB Games stopped taking PC titles before the merger was even approved. They're NOT going under the same name (that was decided against long ago). And, you're article implies that they don't take any used titles back when they do an ENORMOUS business in used console games. *confused at the timing and purpose* |
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10/24/06 7:55:20 PM#6
Download an emulator and play console games on your PC. Ebay isn't so bad - I've received 90% of purchases in less than a week - and postage vs gas is pretty much a wash for me here in Upstate NY. There are also a few newer game exchange services - I think one is connected with 1-up or IGN <p align=center><a target=_blank href=http://www.nodiatis.com/personality.htm><img border=0 src=http://www.nodiatis.com/pub/20.jpg></a></p> |
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10/24/06 7:56:00 PM#7
That's weird because I always shop at Gamestop and they've always had used games. Not to mention the older games that you'de probably buy used are fairly cheap(It's $20 for a copy of 'Freelancer' right now, for example.)
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10/24/06 8:42:43 PM#8
I used to work for EB Gamestop. Although I can't comment on any truth behind the statement that they would no longer be carrying used games of any kind, in any way, shape, or form, I can say with certainty that if that is true, both companies could be in a lot of trouble financially. Don't let fiscal reports fool you, a goodly portion of both companies revenue comes from the sale of used games and consoles. Think about it....whenever you buy a used game, or console, all the money you spent goes into the hands on the company that sold you the game, not the company that made the game. I can attest that they don't pay royalties...they opperate like a pawn shop. Unfortunately, this damages the gaming industry in ways you can't imagine. Hundreds of thousands of dollars diverted from the hands of developers and creators of some of your favorite games, all funneled into the pockets of a third party. They pay very little for each game they take in for trade, and the mark-up for those games can be rediculous. A new release title could be bought back for 1/3rd what you paid or less, marked up, and resold for a few dollars less than the brand new copy. When that "previously enjoyed" game gets sold, the companies that developed and produced it see nothing. As a result, on those companies reports, they see that their "Hot New Title" isn't selling so well, so the next game gets cranked out for less money, resulting in a cheaper to produce, and far more likely "poorly produced but for more cost effective" and less fun game....or no game at all. The same thing goes for systems themselves...but the real money is in the games. So I, for one, can't help but think that if anything, companies like Microsoft and Sony may have....leaned...on EB Gamestop. Sony has stated on more than one occasion that it believes that "Digital Download" is the future of gaming purchases. Microsoft has also toyed around with the Digital Download model with X-Box Live features. For the gaming industry, these models are pure gold...less production costs, and pure profits for the companies themselves...with no middle-men, and no risk of product loss through a corporate machine that pushes "Previously Enjoyed Games" down a customers throat the instant they walk in the door. When I still worked in the industry, there was talk...rumors mostly...that if Sony and Microsoft ever went purely with the "Digital Download" model, that companies like EB Gamestop would have to take a page from the "Best Buy Corporate Catalogue" and set up "Download Stations", or they could be looking at a serious profit loss. In the grand scheme of things, however, I can't see anything but good coming from this if it's true. If the companies that make the games actually see better profit from those games...there is a good chance we, as gamers, could see a serious improvement to the quality of games we purchase. Because really...."Previously Enjoyed" only tends to save a few dollars...you'd spend more than that on gas driving around to various stores tyring to find a "Previously Enjoyed" copy of the game than if you just ponied up and bought it new. |
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10/24/06 9:07:52 PM#9
The key word is 'could'. More profit does not always equal better games or business. Look at EA. They're selling in-game money for their Godfather game on the 360. That to me isn't sending the gaming industry forward any. The other thing is that we the consumers matter in all of this as well. I don't have an exact figure of how much money I've saved on used console games over the years, but at this point I'm pretty safe in saying it's past a few hundred dollars. Now yeah, if you expect to save money on a used copy of Legend of Zelda a week after it was released, then you're basically wasting your time at that point. But I myself am a collector and a big RPG and platformer kinda guy, and there have been a lot of less mainstream/popular titles I've had the chance to pick up for great prices a year or few years after they released. Those same games don't get any easier to find, and become incredibly difficult to find new at a gamestore say two years after they came out, so used is really the only way to go. And let's not forget many folks who do their gaming by trading or selling their old titles for other used/new ones. If anything a move like that would help the independent game stores that offer used games from a number of console generations.  |
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10/24/06 10:21:17 PM#10
The key word is 'could'. More profit does not always equal better games or business. Look at EA. They're selling in-game money for their Godfather game on the 360. That to me isn't sending the gaming industry forward any. The other thing is that we the consumers matter in all of this as well. I don't have an exact figure of how much money I've saved on used console games over the years, but at this point I'm pretty safe in saying it's past a few hundred dollars. Now yeah, if you expect to save money on a used copy of Legend of Zelda a week after it was released, then you're basically wasting your time at that point. But I myself am a collector and a big RPG and platformer kinda guy, and there have been a lot of less mainstream/popular titles I've had the chance to pick up for great prices a year or few years after they released. Those same games don't get any easier to find, and become incredibly difficult to find new at a gamestore say two years after they came out, so used is really the only way to go. And let's not forget many folks who do their gaming by trading or selling their old titles for other used/new ones. If anything a move like that would help the independent game stores that offer used games from a number of console generations. All true. My post was mostly rhetoric, I'll admit, but just as you say "could" is the key word in my post..."Independant game stores" are the most potent words in yours....we're not talking about independant anything here, we're talking about a multimillion-dollar corporation. Also, you're talking about purchasing hard to find games used. I respect the hell out of ANYONE who plays the classics, or who searches for those hard to find games, but that's honestly not where this company makes its money. They make it on the new release games that come back days later because someone beat it already, be it by honest to god skill or cheating, saw the end, and declaired it not worth keeping...they make some of the cash back on the title, but the company reaps pure profit off it's resale, a game they had no hand in making. That does hurt the game industry...which was really the point of my post. Hard to find games notwithstanding, the supposed move to stop selling used games hurts the corporation the most...the industry itself gets the raw end of the deal on used game sales. The consumer suffers in the long term as well, because with a fair portion of profits being directed to the retailer for used games, less quality games come out. The industry doesn't look at us and see individuals....they see dollar signs. |
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happydan20
Novice Member
Joined: 12/12/04
If not for waiting, would we ever notice that time passes? |
10/24/06 11:10:29 PM#11
I really think you need to amend the article. You need to clarify that you're talking about PC games.
I know this is mmorpg.com and that might imply that we are talking about pc games, but there mmorpg titles for consoles. I shouldn't have to scratch my head and read the comments for clarification.  Other than that, nice article, I like your style. |
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10/24/06 11:44:35 PM#12
You can still get "previously enjoyed" console video games at Game Crazy (Hollywood Videos -video game branch)...
 !!!
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Put in a note to make it clear he is talking about PC games.
Dana Massey |
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Kawika
Novice Member
Joined: 8/30/06
"Clone me and answer my clone. Do it, I command it!!" |
10/25/06 1:52:55 AM#14
Thank you for making the necessary changes and I apologize to everyone for the confusion. :) |
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Lunar_Knight
 Novice Member
Joined: 5/29/03
Bite my lip |
10/25/06 3:44:08 AM#15
Mad props on the Monty Python quote, I thought I was the only person in the Western hemisphere with a copy of Spamalot! But as far as the topic goes, I hate corporate consolidation. No competition generally leads to low quality product and price gouging. Mom and Pop stores are just ants to be crushed by the flip-flop sandal of the fat bully that is corporate America! And you know who is the worse, Starbucks! These guys just- *sniper fire from a Starbuck's hired assassin* *thud* "Always look on the bright side of death..." "Just before you draw your terminal breath..." "Life’s a piece of $#!^, when you look at it..." "Life’s a laugh and deaths the joke its true..." ..................................... ...but time flows like a river... ...and history repeats... -Leader of "The Fighting Irish" in DAoC on Hib/Kay- |
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10/25/06 5:49:38 AM#16
This is not a subject I care much about because mostly I only play MMORPGs. But I enjoyed reading it none the less as it was well written and witty. Please, sir, may I have some more?
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shae
 Novice Member
Joined: 5/06/05
"Don''t take life seriously because you can''t come out of it alive." - Warren Miller |
10/25/06 9:08:35 AM#17
Woot!!! I work for the enemy now Hehe, I've been working for an EBGames part time here in Canada since I started University about 3 years ago, I love the place. I get to have my fill of crazy gamers once every couple of days, lots of gaming of course and I love the people I work with. We were told to take all used "PC Games" off the shelves about 2 weeks ago and apparently we were one of the last districts to be told to do this. We still sell tons and tons of xbox, PS2, gameboy, DS games though. There was alot of reasons I'm for doing this, CD Keys and Customer Support for the varying gaming companys has always been a huge pain in the ass and alot of disks now can be so expertly recreated, you'd hardly tell it wasn't the real thing. Not that it doesn't happen with console games but much less so for sure. I was kinda bummed out about it too but I guess we're lucky where I live. There's another fairly big chain called MicroPlay and they just signed a big deal not long ago with another big company called Jumbo Video to have their stoors share the same space. They sell new and used PC games and they have some really great people working for them, always a good option when you dont' want to come buy from your's truly |
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10/25/06 9:51:14 AM#18
I was really very impressed with the writing style and content of the article this time, and feel this staff writer is coming along nicely in a short period of time. As to the message itself, bemoaning the loss of PC games on the Previously Enjoyed shelves, I'm not sure I share the sentiment. As another poster has already mentioned, the used game market is hugely beneficial to the game stores, and of no benefit to the game industry, except in providing an outlet to buy games physically. However, since there are plenty of other retailers out there that sell games aside from stores devoted specifically to this task, I don't feel they need this kind of support. I'm particularly disappointed that there is such a large disparity between what a person bringing in a game to sell gets versus what the buyer of that game must pay. A typical model on a brand new, popular game is $25 to the seller and $45 to the buyer, or almost 100% profit for nothing more than slapping a sticker or two on the game and putting it out on display, and giving the buyer a pitiful $5 discount (or closer to $10 if they opt to buy the store membership card). To me, that seems a bit greedy, and I've decided that if I want to buy a used game, I'll use just about any other venue BUT stores like EB or Gamestop. |
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;)
- but I am wary of trying them so far, myself.
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