Used game section of Gamestop

[Gino]

As I was scanning the walls of the XBOX 360 section, I can easily tell which games were overhyped and busts. So I realized a couple things. There were many over hyped games, and there was one that definitely wasn't. Probably the game that lined the wall the most was GTA4. Followed by Army of Two, Fuel of WAR, R6V2, Assasin's Creed, and Gears of War. So then looking at the price, I could tell they were still selling at about $44.99 which was still kinda high. I was then curious wondering, how many COD4 used games were selling and at what price. At first I couldn't find one, then I noticed that there was one not in it original case. What baffeled me was the price. $54.99. This game came out nearly a year ago and still selling used close to the original price? And you don't even get the original case? Games that came out six months later selling at much cheaper prices. Its all about supply and demand.

It helps me feel at peace not moving on to other games. Until SWBF3

[Kamui]

PS2 used section has some nice classics that are 9.99 or 14.99.From the xbox section though I did buy Call of Duty 2.

[The_Blunt]

There is a reason why there are over 10 million players that play Call of Duty 4 online.

I knew there were a lot of us out there, but just how many?
Well, I received the reports this week and it looks like our COD4 online community stands at over 10 million strong (Xbox 360 / PS3)!
That’s all unique players too, so 10 million different people have logged on for online multiplayer since buying the game in November.
Those stats don’t include people who have never logged into MP, only those apart of the Online Community.

https://www.iamfourzerotwo.com

[Zabka]

No doubt that COD4 is probably the largest console MP shooter out there since it was a best seller on two huge platforms. Halo3 was huge, but no PS3 sales. RB6V2 was more of RB6V (which I loved), but an awful port to the PS3 again. Ao2...huge defiiciencies in the game. GTA4---replayability is rather limited I would think. I don't know. I got bored after an hour. The list goes on. Well supported games tend to do better as well.

But to your point, I just got back from gamestop and saw lots of COD4's used. So it is also a local market thing. But don't forget--they don't just put out what they buy back. There is a strategy behind what they make available used and what they make available new. New games offer the retailer very little profit. Used games are huge margins.

[Kamui]

Yea Zab,I hear that in gamestop they tend to open the new games and make them as "Used" apparently.It seems they do this with certain games.

[Zabka]

Kamui, they probably don't do that a whole lot. This is how I understand the economics--

new game is about $60. The wholesale cost is about $50. (This $50 goes to the publisher, the developer, etc). So, gamestop makes $10 off a $60 purchase or a 17% gross margin. (10/60=17%)

An example of a used game. MGS4 costs $54 I believe used right now. I just got $25 for my trade in. That means they make $29. That's a 54% gross margin.

So they have no reason to open a new game and sell it as used. It only makes sense for them to BUY a game used and mark it up.

[RaTix]

It's the same type of business strategy a lot of college bookstores use for textbooks as well. Stores always make more profit off used goods then new. That's why a lot of publishers are pushing their online services now a days. That way each year the students have to buy an access code that only comes with a "new" textbook, or purchase the access code separately. It makes up for the loss of revenue from the used book sales.