Buying and selling used games has proven ultra-lucrative for Gamestop, who in 2008 revealed sales figures of $8.8 billion. Despite the current global recession, Gamestop expects that number to grow by another billion dollars in 2009. Such sales figures are proving too large to ignore, with Walmart being the latest to test the used game waters.
According to Gamasutra, Walmart has leased store space to Ohio-based E-play, and third-party automated kiosk company. As part of the limited pilot program, "Video Game Buyback" stations have been placed at 77 of Walmart's 3,656 U.S. locations.
The way it works is users looking to sell their used games will scan the UPC code from the game's case. A value will appear on-screen, and if the owner decides to sell, he will then need to enter in his credit card and driver's license information. Once the game is inserted and authenticated, the value is then put on the credit card. Because of the authentication process, buy backs are limited to Xbox, PlayStation, and Wii console games.
"I can't see this having tremendous appeal to hardcore gamers, unless the credits are substantially higher than those offered at GameStop," said Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter." Even if this takes off, it's not going to make much of a dent in the used market. I don't see it being a big deal."
Image Credit: Shacknews
Comments are closed on this article
Print
