It’s “very possible” GameStop will die when PS4, Xbox 720 come out, says GameStop manager

In a Reddit AMA, a GameStop manager had grim thoughts about the company’s future saying GameStop could be doomed during the next-gen console era.

[Gametalk]

In my opinion, used games market should not die ...

[Godmars290]

Tell that to people who buy PC games. there was only ever a small window when they first came out were they could be resold.

[Lone_Man]

the article is focusing on console...so dont go off the track..

[jon1234]

here come the pc elitist

[Godmars290]

@jon1234 & Lone_Man:
Oh FFS!

Is it impossible for you two to think of anything other than yourselves?!

[iGAM3R-VIII]

But the PS4 doesn't block used games so I do not know why he says PS4 and Xbox 720. AND HAVE SOME FAITH IN YOUR STORE YOU ARE THE MANAGER AND YOUR JOB IS TO PUT FAITH IN YOUR STORE

[MikeMyers]

"the article is focusing on console...so dont go off the track.."

It isn't off-track considering consoles are becoming more and more like how PC gaming is. The PS4 for example is very much like a PC architecture and will have a hard drive. We are already seeing games only available in digital form on consoles as well. All first party titles from Sony and some 3rd party games are also trying to curb used sales by requiring an online code in the current generation. That will likely increase.

[Majors]

As ive stated a few times before with used games, Places like Gamestop, Grainger games and Blockbusters.. They should be made to supply all used games with online codes, so the buyer is getting a full game no matter what.
If these companies buy codes on either scratch card or via till receipts then the developers will get something back for all used games sold.

[darthv72]

will continue to sell so long as there are people willing to buy. There are plenty of retro gamers who are looking for old school games from the 2600, colecovision, nes, snes, master system, turbografx...etc

Just because "new" systems may not support used games does not mean the market (in general) will die. I myself have been on the hunt for many games from even the PS2 and xbox days and i generally would find them at gamestop but it seems they are transitioning from even the PS2 generation to only carrying PS3, 360 and wii/wii-u generation of console titles.

Game trader is another outfit that is getting the older stuff when gamestop is no longer carrying it.

Then there is always flea markets or...ebay.

[Godmars290]

The question isn't whether or not people will want used games, but how long will the mainstream used game market exist should they be blocked on the PS4 and Xbox3? That is the "bigger picture" people need to be concerned with if they want used games to continue.

Another limitation to this argument seems to be anyone asking what happens to Gamefly and game rentals. Publishers really miss the value and existence of that market. Gamers as well apparently.

[MysticStrummer]

Does GameStop even sell PC games anymore in their stores? It's an honest question, I just don't remember seeing them in there for a long time.

Anyway, GameStop's shaky future has more to do with their own failure to keep up with market trends than new consoles. There are simply better ways to buy games now, so they need to adapt or die. I'm an old school gamer and still like to go in there to browse or buy, but I won't shed a tear if they go away.

Also, this is an article about consoles and GameStop, so bringing PCs into a console article yet again isn't going to get you good responses in general. Do console players constantly try to inject consoles into PC articles? Again, it's an honest question. I don't game on PC so I don't look at PC articles or comments, but it's incredible how often PCs get brought up in console articles.

[kingPoS]

I hear you on that. GTA San Andreas is one of the few pc games that I've come across that lets you install with abandon. lol

[Muffins1223]

Yes it should,or atleast be changed to where the developers get money for the bought used game

[freezola75]

I am with your sentiment @ Gametalk. However, I think it should definitely be revamped somehow.

Having been employed by Gamestop before (last time I was working there was in 2011), I have seen those ridiculous trade in offers for games be the major problems that gamers had with GS.

PC Gamers were getting shafted too... I forgot the reason that GS didn't do used PC games (something about a key code) but I remember we had two small endcaps for PC games where I was working,

I thought to myself, "they've gotta be kidding right?"... and as the years went by, the shelving for PC games all but diminished. I didn't understand that, still don't.

But to their credit, they have revamped their own power up rewards program to give you better deals, sort of.

That's because other places like Best Buy and Gamefly has begun to do their own trade in programs.

Also, I've noticed that majority of the GS stores were big Microsoft advertisers. Meaning they (MS) spent some serious money to promote the X-Box 360.

I think at that last Gamestop conference in Vegas, they were privy to some of those Next Gen plans which would effectively cripple their sales, spelling the end and the chopping block for 500 stores nationwide!

While I don't really have anything against used games at all, I seriously think that it could use a revamping -not a phasing out.

But brace yourselves gamers.. the time of used games most certainly hangs in the balance for us.

Peace

[SonyPS360]

You worked at gamestop and have never heard of a CD key for a PC game?

[Roper316]

I disagreed only because the devs / publishers don't get a cut. Less sales / profit for the dev / publisher means less games for us gamers which is a bad thing.

The only thing I buy from GameStop is PSN cards or consoles I would rather pick up electronics then order & have them ship UPS or Fed Ex.

What else bothers me is these people who buy used games complain when things like online passes are used. Well if it wasn't for people like them buying the used games and the devs / publisher were getting the money they deserve there would be no such thing as a online pass.

[3-4-5]

Once everybody freaks out and realizes they've been getting 90% of their niche games from Gamestop then people will realize their true value.

We need Gamestop for all the random unknown games they keep on the shelves 4-10 years from now.

I want to be able to go in and buy some games from 4-5 years ago at a decent price/cheap......games that most don't know about but are still good, or the limited releases from the RPG genre.

I'm not about to order all my games online.

If at 3pm on a Monday I want to play a specific game, it's nice knowing I can drive 8 minutes to Gamestop and go pick it up, and not have to wait a week to play a game I want to play NOW.

[MuhammadJA]

People should stop being cheap and support the devs. The faster DD takes over, the better.

[ajax17]

Agreed. I used to be afraid of buying used games until I learned that blu-ray discs have a special coating that makes them more scratch resistant.

[DivineAssault]

I like buying used games & trading sometimes.. I support the devs that really deserve it at launch & buy used if im not sure about keeping it or not.. To me its better than renting them because if i like it, ill keep it.. If not, ill exchange it for something else i wanted..

Sony is giving devs the option to block games on the discs so some games might be playable but it might be rare.. U dont need to install or be online though so ill live.. I have a great internet connection but i dont want to be dependent on it.. There might be a outage or maintenance going on when i wanna play something...

MS might block ALL used games like PCs.. The rumors say that it installs all of em onto the HDD which means ppl will need LOTS of storage.. Also that always online thing just to play.. Bogus imo & i wont get it if true..

[silkrevolver]

I switched to Amazon for physical releases anyway.
Screw Gamestop constantly trying to shove "disc insurance" down my throat.

[Pro_TactX]

Seriously. The God of War 3 release was the last time I stepped foot in a GameStop. The clerk was so pushy about the disc insurance. I told her that I was always very careful with my discs, and that BDs were scratch-resistant anyway. She started arguing that point and I just had enough of it and left without buying the game.

I understand that employees have a job to do, and they are expected to push preorders and insurance, but when I say no, I mean no.

[FunkMacNasty]

Really? I dunno what GameStop you and silkrevolver shop at, but disc insurance is like $3 dollars, so I don't know what incentive they would have to push scratch protection..

Also seems a bit odd that you were ready to leave with a high-profile new release, but suddenly decided against it because of a salesperson trying to sell additional services.. I guess you have a stronger conviction than me. I probably just woulda said "no" and left with the game rather than drive to somewhere else to pick it up, wondering if it was sold out.

[Pro_TactX]

I am the type of person who will walk out without buying a game purely on principal. The clerk became argumentative, and I don't have to deal with that. There are plenty of retailers at my disposal that will just let me buy a game I want, and respect my decision when I decline additional services.

Also, the incentive to sell $3 disc insurance is that it is almost pure profit. Odds are most people won't have an issue within the coverage period, which is especially true with scratch-resistant discs.

I am more than happy to drive elsewhere to get a game, or in the case of GOW3, order it from Amazon and wait a couple of days. I vote with my wallet.

Edit: It is important to note that the aforementioned encounter that day was not just one negative experience. It was just the last straw. I had several other negative experiences with GameStop prior to that. When I preordered Far Cry 2 for example, I came in the day after release (keep in mind GameStop is supposed to hold preorders for 48 hours), and the clerk tried giving me an opened disc. The manager told me that another employee had taken that copy home to play, so it didn't count as used. I ended up just getting a refund.

I gave GameStop a few strikes. I won't shop there again.

[ItsMeAgain]

The Gran Turismo 5 XL Edition was the last one I bought from GameStop. Can you believe that the person was putting on my purchase bag a pre-owned copy without even asking me? The only reason I got GT was because that edition included some of the DLC. If I had not paid attention and let her do that I would have been really pissed off when trying to input the code at home (since that code had probably been redeemed already).

Now, I buy anywhere but GameStop. One costumer, and more potential costumers lost. They better take a good look on how they are doing their business.

[MysticStrummer]

lol Wow. They ask me if I want the insurance, I say no, and that's the end of that. They don't push preorders either, other than to ask me if I want to preorder anything while I'm there. Sounds like you found a real winner.

[rainslacker]

It can be pretty hit or miss in the customer service side at GS. The one I go to regularly they never bother me because they know me. It's usually new employees that go off on those pushy tactics, and I've noticed that they tend to be young and likely have no sales experience to just know when people aren't going to buy.

I've had bad experiences at GS, but other than one time which was truly offensive(was literally called stupid for not wanting an Xbox back when the PS3 was first launched), I've always just felt it was lack of experience on the part of the employee. When your company has a high turn over, and typically hires younger people then it's to be expected. I've personally noticed the older employees, or the ones that you can tell have been there a while, usually know when no means no.

It's also worth pointing out that those pushy add on sales actually do work sometimes. For companies that rely on upsales to bring in more money, it's not about getting every customer to purchase one, it's about getting maybe 1 in 10 to purchase one. Same with McDonalds, Best Buy insurance things, or any other modern day retailer. I think you just had bad luck, or an asshole sales associate.

[TheTwelve]

Gamestop angered me right at the beginning of this gen by their concerted effort to push the 360 down my throat. It was the bias that bothered me.

Then the whole thing about getting very little back from used games...an infamous problem of theirs.

Then they completely screwed up my Vita pre-order. (lol)

I am done, done, done with Gamestop. Hopefully all of the people who work for them will find jobs again, if this grim prediction comes true.

12

[greenpowerz]

You mean GS tried to push to you what was newly hot at the time?

I remember when GS started doing that as well. Has nothing to do with your xbox allegiance implication? And everything to with what was the hottest item at the time, bringing most the people in the shops. They did it with Wii up until the Xbox 360 became the dominant console in NA.

They pushed PS2 on people when it was boss even in the earily part of this generation.

LMAO at the other comments in here. Suddenly blocking used games isn't a big deal because they buy their games on PSN anyways.

Gamestop charges almost full price for used games unless they're doing poorly on the shelf or past the interest point(kind of old in bens) Gamers wouldn't really be effected one way or the other.

[TheTwelve]

That would be understandable "greenpowerz", but it went beyond just 360 promotion --- they would argue against me buying anything involving PS3!

I honestly thought, at one time, that Gamestop had it out for Sony.

All that has died down now, but this left a bad taste.

12

[rainslacker]

Well green...when I was laughed at and literally called stupid for not wanting an Xbox back when it was "hot", then yeah I take offense to that.

I have nothing against any company pushing a product that is hot, but at the same time they have to understand that consumers make their purchases for their own reasons.

Back in the day I heard GS employees spewing all sorts of FUD about the PS3 and saying completely untrue things about the Xbox to make it seem better when asked about it by customers. So in this case it is wrong, because it is a disservice to the consumer.

It doesn't matter what your console allegiance is, when it comes to sales, the most important thing is to listen to what the consumer wants, and help them make their purchase to give them the best value for their money based on their criteria. For a company like gamestop, which arguably requires repeat business, it is not about getting the most up front.

[Trunkz]

One word: Blockbuster.

Nice knowing you Gamestop, you shouldn't rely on Used games.

[BrianC6234]

I already buy most of my games on PSN so it's almost there now. If all games are available digitally next generation it will be bad news for Gamestop.

[SpadeX]

For every retailer that sells video games actually not only gamestop.

[BrianC6234]

But most retailers aren't like Gamestop. They sell a lot of things. Gamestop is all about games. Target and Best Buy will have lots of other things to sell. Losing some sales from games won't hurt them much. They might even decide to not sell many anymore. They could free the space up for something else.

[Darrius Cole]

@Brian
But reducing the shelf space at stores would hurt the entire game industry, not just Gamestop and other video game speciality stores.

[Stefanrules7]

I hope you enjoy not being able to play your psn purchased games on the ps4 without having to buy them again, and get somebody to take a picture of your face when they shut down ps3 servers in a few years so you cant even play all those games on your ps3

Lesson - digital only is bullshit

[Oschino1907]

Anyone who has a Playstation Network Account also has a Sony Entertainment Network account. All of your purchases from music, movies, games, etc... Are all linked under a single account.

Expect in the comming years to has access of some sorts to any and all content you have purchased through Sony on all devices (smartphone, media player/blu ray, tvs, tablets, pc/laptops, playstation, etc...).

Only way I could see something not working is if the publishers/devs of the game shut the game down themselves. Sony isn't Microsoft, expect PS3 to be supported till 2016 with new content and who knows how much longer afterwards if demand is still there.

Sony has been working hard to bring all their divisions together under a common identity. Sony Entertainment Network is that, and it's only just starting, expect big things the next few years.

Sony loves to be at the leading edge when it comes to next gen entertainment/products. I see a totally unified network, top quality streaming with more content and devices in which to enjoy it then anyone else has to offer under a single brand.

[rezzah]

Sometimes people may want to purchase a game, but dislike the practices of developers/publishers and buy new games used.

Other times people may be generally poor, or might be having random financial problems.

Sometimes certain games are no longer published. If people cannot return used games others will not have access to physical copies. This may seem pointless to those who prefer digital copies, but the world is bigger than one view.

I'm sure there are other variations of (consumer) pros for the used market.

[dcbronco]

Price is not a good argument when it comes to used games. Gamestops prices can be beat on a regular basis. And popular games is $5 cheaper so it's not really a big deal. And bad games will quickly drop in price new. Gamestop should not have decided to base their business on exploitation. An article a few days ago showed that everyone that buys used games offers a better deal than Gamestop. But I already knew that because I compared offers.

Gamestop dying would me nothing to the industry. They only offered convenience in some cases. Let them die.

Out of print games may be one need. But the move to digital could offset that. A company could set-up a Steam like service for out of print games. That would create a new company not based on cheating people.

[LordHiggens]

5 bucks is 5 bucks...I'll save 5 dollars any day...

[dcbronco]

$5 bucks is five bucks to you. It the loss of $30 to the developer. It a loss of $10 to the console maker. I'm not sure why so many people believe companies can survive as cost go up and everyone looks for a way to get around paying the content maker. Gamestop makes most of it money by preventing the actual content maker from making money. Keep thinking your 5 bucks saved will get you more new games. It will only kill developers.

All of the things gamers say they detest like micro-transactions and re-hashed gameplay are a by-product of the need to raise more income. The big companies will last because they have millions and government support. But the small developers that innovate will continue to die. Save your five buck, kill a developer.

And I know, no one has proved that used games kill developers. It is surely not the only thing. But I'm sure there are developers that might be still around if people had bought a lot more new copies and fewer used. If you believe millions more in income wouldn't have helped them, you're kidding yourself.

[maniacmayhem]

A game bought used was once bought new. How is the developer losing money? Not everyone can afford $60+ a game and especially for a mediocre title.

Gamestop has its issues but has a lot of benefits also. Just a few months ago I picked up a game that has been out of print for a while now for 30 bux. USED. I'm sure if this particular game was re-released digitally or a HD remake they would have sold it for $50-60 bux.

As you said there hasn't been one report of used games killing a developer. Low sales, bad game and poor management usually does that on it's own. Used games is an excuse for devs and publishers to squeeze more money out of the consumer so they can make their quarterly bonus and plan a trip outside the country.

Trust me on that.

[rainslacker]

And GS isn't the end all be all for used game sales. There are plenty of places to buy recent used games for more than $5 off the purchase price. Ebay, flea markets, Amazon, craigslist, personal sale, Gamefly, etc, all routinely have great prices on used games.

The GS argument is old, and counter-productive to the topic of used games. It's an argument used to justify the blocking of used games by saying, this is how it is.

[dcbronco]

Rain, if I'm a developer I want used games blocked. People see the number of developers that have gone out of business and don't seem to care. Whether a developer only sells 15-20% more copies with no used games available it could be enough to keep peoples doors open. Some go out of business because they were bad companies. But there are good companies just hanging on.

Gamers need to learn to accept re-hashes, shorter games, more casual games, higher prices or less effort in general. You can't continue to expect AAA titles from developers putting millions on the line only to have a bunch of opportunist come along and make more money by exploiting uninformed customers.

Gamestop is making hundreds of millions in profits each year mostly on used games while more and more developers go out of business. You have to see something wrong with that. Gamestop takes no talent. I will continue to pay the people with the talent.

[rainslacker]

If a developer can't adapt to the changing market, then why should I care? Developers aren't going out of business because of GameStop. Could one or two be saved? Maybe. But it's pure speculation on your part to assume that it is the used game market that is causing this. You know what I've noticed? When it comes to a good new game release, it's rather hard to find them in the store within a month of release. Why do you think GS gives more, and charges more for that game? Because it's hard to get used.

The issues with today's game market lies in the new game market, not the used. The market CAN NOT bear a price increase on games. If it could we would already see new games releasing at $70+. At the same time places like GameStop CAN NOT survive with the paltry mark up that video games have. Video game mark ups are one of the lowest for any consumer branded product. To make matters worse, we as consumers demand more from our games, and development and marketing budgets have soared to what amounts to a high risk investment, and likely a loss scenario for the AAA market. But in this regard the consumer holds the power. We don't want to spend more. It doesn't help that games are often not even seen as being worth $60, and then the publishers themselves are instituting their new money making schemes, or anti-consumer practices which only further disillusion the consumer.

It's very apparent by reading this site every day what a majority of us think, and we're the ones most likely to pay more day one to begin with. What the hell do you think the moderate or casual gamer is going to do when they probably care less about the people who make these games than we do?

We, as consumers, do not need to learn to accept anything. It is the developers and publishers that need to adapt to the changing market and stop trying to hold on to principles that have existed for several generations.

Also...is GS making hundreds of millions in profit each year? Aren't they struggling pretty hard right now. They're reorganizing, and some of their recently reported losses are due to ineptitude on the business side of things, but never once have I considered that publishers don't want GS(or a similar store) to exist. All publishers work closely with GameStop, and they would be stupid not to. GS is still the number one seller of NEW games in the world.

We are all consumers. Sometimes by reading this site I think that people don't understand that basic principal. We have a lot more power than we know, but we give it up way too readily, and companies go under because even though we preach about supporting developers we still aren't seeing the value in what we're spending OUR MONEY on anymore. If GS goes out of business, we have other avenues to purchase games. It won't be the end of the world. But they provide a service to gamers, and using the arguments that your using are deflecting the real issues with used games and soaring development budgets.

GS is moot to this argument, because as I said, they are not the end all be all of used game sales. It's something put out there, and expounded upon by those that don't care how many of our rights AS CONSUMERS are stripped away from us on a yearly basis.

[dcbronco]

I don't think it's all about used games. Bad developers will always disappear. There are some that need to. But it is naive to believe that a popular item won't sell just because it's five dollars more than a used copy. And the new copy can usually be found for less anyway.

But I'm not worried about bad or dumb developers. I just think that more people would buy a game if there was only one way to get it. You seem to believe that bootleg videos don't take away from movies sales. It's no different. Everyone won't go to see it at the theater. But a certain percentage will go to the theater if they had no choice. There is no reason to believe they wouldn't. People do what other people do.

Okay, we all hate the money making schemes like micro-transactions. Then spend the extra five dollars so the developer can make more money. You lost me at reading this site and thinking. This site makes it apparent most don't. Way to many opinions on this site are based on what someone heard or what the majority thinks or what a certain group thinks. There is not an abundance of individual thinking on this site or pretty much anywhere else.

But on your point of who will care for the developers, that is where the developers are adjusting. They are starting to make cheaper casual games. Or Arcade games. "Hardcore" gamer go on and on about exclusives and then never buy then. How much does Sony lose on all of their games. Or how little to they profit. The fact that they are console maker and publisher may be their only saving grace.

Business is give and take. You can't demand so much that you kill the thing you want. And that is what gamers are doing. They act like spoiled brats that want it all with little or no understanding of the entire eco-system. I read comment after comment about how great Journey was and TGC is. Well they almost went under with good sales and used games were no issue at all there. So it must be far worse to have another company competing directly with you undercutting your product and they have none of the expense you have to bring that product to market.

I've looked at Gamestop reports and I missed the losses. I have only looked at a few quarters but have yet to look at a whole.

Just did. The lowest I see is a profit of 288 million in 2008. I guess it's just not enough.

As far as giving away consumer rights. You're talking to the wrong guy. I'm mister boycott. There are plenty of stores I won't go to. GS is one. Once they tried to offer me $25 for a three week old game while having that same game used on the shelf for $55 I was through. Someone would have to explain the genius they used to earn that $30 because I couldn't see it.

The fact that so many will go there and be cheated is exactly why I know a certain percentage will pay full price if they had to. They are so pressed to get a new game that they allow themselves to be cheated by GS so they can get something else. The developer could use that income. Also on consumer power, I won't be buying another Mass Effect game until I know what it is. They got there money for that rip-off ending. Now they have to win me back.

BTW, football is my favorite sport and NFL games were my favorite video games. I haven't bought one since NFL 2k5 because Madden sucks and I refuse to pay for the re-hash crap no matter how much I love football. I went years without Madden once it fell off. Don't know what they paid for exclusivity but I won't be helping to pay for it.

But we both agree that the industry problems are far more than gamestop. The press and even console makers are too.

[rainslacker]

It's not even always about being a bad developer. Sometimes companies just do things that make no sense. Rayman Legends for example. it could have released to absolutely no competition and been a highly desirable title for the Wii U last month, but instead it got delayed until September. Never mind that Rayman has never had stellar sales, now they're going to be putting it up against the winter line up, as well as a looming console launch.

I don't personally care for the bootleg analogy. It's comparing piracy to 2nd hand sales, which isn't appropriate. With 2nd hand sales, there is always a first purchase. One active copy per user. That being said, it's hard to say if people would still buy new when the game is only $5 more. One thing to keep in mind, despite that $5 off, if your a Power-Up reward member, it's actually $11 off the original price. Much more tempting. Worth it considering your not supporting the devs? Not to me, I always buy new when given the option. But the options don't always exist. Publishers don't support their game more than 6 months after release unless they issue a GOTY edition...another issue which has caused some people to just wait it out for the better release. That whole debate though has been done repeatedly, so won't repeat it here.

"Business is give and take"

This is my exact point. If publishers want retail to stop selling used games, they have to make it worthwhile. The market itself seems to be very against a price increase in games. Even if N4G isn't typical of reality, it is at least somewhat representative of it. Even Jack Tretton said, in not so many words, that the market will not bear that increase. We want more because we wants what's new, and yes I will agree that sometimes you have to pay to get that increased quality. But there is a tipping point where you lose more people than you gain in profit. It's the very reason why DD isn't the norm.

GS recent losses were reported on here yesterday. It was for their previous fiscal year, and mostly involved bad decisions on operational cost. Revenue was reported to be down only a couple percent.

When I spoke of consumer rights, I didn't mean it directly in relation to you. Just in general. It's something that irks me. I don't like it when others so readily accept anti-consumer practices and make excuses. People speak up as if they speak for everyone, and very rarely do I see people who aren't content with the situations really say anything. I did so for many years because I just felt like whatever, it doesn't really affect me that much. But I came to see that apathy on many peoples parts only made matters worse, so now I throw it into discussions where I feel it relevant.

The industries problems are the industries problems. But it's trickled down to the consumer. It is easy to argue how we are both at fault, but I kind of feel that most of the meaningful discussion is lost in the fray. Even us discussing it doesn't achieve anything, so this is all philosophical. The people that run the industry are well aware of the issues though(one would assume), and there is no doubt discussion on this topic on a regular basis. I do think it's important that we gamers and consumers make our thoughts known though. I just want these companies to find a way to do better without punishing the consumer. It's a bad road to travel down, and there are those that are getting tired of it.

I think really it is just coming down to companies are trying to make the most profit, as opposed to a respectable profit. I don't want devs or pubs to lose money, but I don't want to be seen as a cash-in by those that control what we play.

[dcbronco]

There are a bunch of reasons developers go out of business. I'm not putting the blame strictly on GS.I'm saying that it would be beneficial to developers if they were the only "game" in town. Judging from the $5 is $5 dollars people, they want the game but want to save $5. So if there wasn't a way to get the game for $5 less they would buy it the way that pays the people that spend millions to make it. Which translates to more sales and more profits which leads to more smart developers.

On bootleg movies, the analogy is pointing out that people that went to theaters in the past are less likely if they have the $5 bootleg option available. I know that for a fact from growing up. Bigger screens and sound are the only way to fight that. Or make movies that the bootleg audience won't watch anyway. And $49 is still no better for Power members when they bought it for $25 or less and aren't capable of making anything. Plus you can always find the same game new somewhere within a week or two for $39.

Business is give and take for Amazon and to an extent Best Buy. GS is all take. They are a no talent company that made 288 million in their worse year in the last five. While many developers folded.

Make it worth it? GS wouldn't exist without the games. Like you've said they need to adapt. Not just consumers. They have no talent and that is why they will die in the next five years. Europeans were smart enough to use other means, Americans are a little slow on the uptake but we'll get there. I hope, we can be really slow.

Sony is not a good company to use when talking about public feedback. They are stupid enough to dig their hole deeper and deeper to appease a few people that then turn their backs on Sony when they release all of those exclusives. But people might not be able to pay more, so they have to expect less. Shorter games, fewer features more micro-transactions. Can't have it all.

The Goodwill impairment is taken now but it isn't based on a bad deal or anything. My understanding is it could be based on a transition. Like their move to phone and mobile services and a fall in sales because people are waiting for new consoles to buy. Eventually those things will change as the consoles do launch and sales will increase a ton. It comes off as another accounting trick to me, not the same as when MS had to dump their advertising acquisition. More tax dodging. I sure the government really test the accounting. Just like they always have.

I wasn't taking it personally. I was just pointing out how I fight back. I agree people do things when they know it's not in their best interest. Companies know exactly what they're doing. Stock markets don't crash by accident and a lot of people understand exactly what is happening when they crash. But people believe in catch phrases not facts. The market alway goes up in the long haul. As long as you don't retire during a major crash. Which only occur every 8-10 years. Which means it barely goes up for the average Joe. But goes up a ton for the insiders and politicians. Somehow people ignored that Senators still made substantial gains on their investments during the crash.

That's why I vote independent on the national stage. The major parties are mostly crooks. SO while I want companies to make decisions based on what's best for all, I won't be waiting on that. Most are in it for the money. You have to support the ones that aren't and get what you can out of the rest with as little interaction with them as possible. Bad companies die or adjust when people walk away from them. They can only exploit, they have no real talent(not aimed at GS there).

[TheDivine]

GameStop is needed. They keep old games in rotation and keep costs down. Look at when they stopped selling gamecube games. Until then the games were readily available in any GameStop for dirt cheap. Afterwords they quadrupled in price and have to bought on ebay or amazon for outrageous prices because you can't get them anywhere. Used game shops are a great thing for us gamers whether you like GameStop or not.

GameStop is great to me, the people are awesome, they give good preorder items, and we wouldn't have Xenoblade without them. With no used games we would pay 60 with no price drops ever and old games would be gone for good. It's a grim future.

[dangerousjo33]

oh no we are losing the only place 2 buy new n used games ohh wait a min no its not bye bye gamestop llol

[Summons75]

Oh? Common Microsoft save the gaming industry from these tyrants!

[Stefanrules7]

Yes lets get rid of gamestop and bring in the microsoft nazi party to "reform" the gaming industry with their greed and opression. Also microsoft would like games to have lits of dlc released over 5 years, dlc is bad enough now imagine 5 years worth for every game!!!!

[Summons75]

Wow, someone is butthurt. I didn't say anything bout nazi's or reforming. Just get rid of something that has been plauging developers for years. You know why we have so much dlc? Because devs feel they need to add more to the game so people don't trade in their games to GameStop. Yeah within the past few years its gone way out of hand with content purposely left out by publishers say or outrageous prices for things that should have been part of the game to start with but if dlc goes back to how it should be with full expansions, new content and other goodies then there wouldn't be a problem to being with. GameStop has been killing the industry for years and its time for them to go. I worked there and it was a nightmare, I got written up because I gave a customer a good experience by showing them a game they don't normally play, explained it and showed a couple videos on their monitor and they wanted that NEW game instead of the used call of duty they originally wanted. They came back praised the game and wanted other games like it but I got in trouble because I didn't push any used games.

[Newmanator]

It's also "very possible" their $10 for a month old game ripping off won't be missed.

[xursz]

They usually buy it for around 30 and sell it for 50.

If you think about it this actually keeps a balance in the new/used market. You don't always want to sell your games if you don't feel like you're getting what its fully worth and you don't always want to buy used if you can buy a brand new copy for a few bucks more, with booklet included and such. And if you don't feel like GS offers enough for your games then cool just sell on ebay.

Contrary to what some people think, Gamestop isn't out to kill the game industry. Imo there's more advantages to the used game market than there is faults, including trade-in value to buy more games, redbox rentals, sharing with friends, etc. just to name a few.

Back to my above point, let's say GS buys your games for 40 and sells for 45. Then who the heck is going to buy the new copy for 60? Nobody, that's who. Altogether it doesn't make sense to give gamers the "best value" in this sense.

I hope some of that made sense, I had a few beers so I'm probably all over the place.

[Gaming_Guru]

Used games is ok, but I find places that generally do sell used games are way too over priced. Games in general will drop around 66.67% of what they were, of their current price. Places like Game Stop will buy your game with about 66.67% deducted from the full price currently and will raise the price to 91.67% closer to the current price of a new game.

I would not hate used games if developers got the piece of the pie similar to digital rental services like Netflix or Cineplex Store. They screw way too many people to earn their nights pay.

[inFAMOUS_KRATOS]

only one way it could die possibly is if

sony - microsoft

makes it where developers have the option to " block used games " or be " always connected "

the world of social media etc etc, is very possible that internet will play very big role in the game market this time around.

[Stefanrules7]

Opinions like that are going to kill gaming!!!

[Oh_Yeah]

Buying used games isn't much different from piracy..the only difference is someone is making money off of their hard work where as piracy is free. It actually hurts the devs more so because there are a larger number of gamers buying used compared to pirating. Either way the devs see none of that money. Even when games are sold new, they don't see the full 60$ from each copy due to distribution etc. Devs are thinking of ways to cut down on both sides..and the answer is pretty simple, offer the digital version at half the price...sales will skyrocket, people will be buying less used games and physical copies and less people will go out of their way to hack because of cheaper prices..sure there'll be some who still want to pay the full 60 for the case and disc and want to be able to re sell etc but I'm sure that number will be a hell of a lot less.

[Oh_Yeah]

The devs agree. http://www.destructoid.com/...

[BX81]

I buy used sometimes. I dont have an issue with used games. If devs wanna stop crying about used games make a business model for it. If ur done with ur game send it back to them and get a % off one of their future titles from their website and they can resell the used game for profit. I dont agree with changing the gaming industry. People have the right to sell what they buy.

[Oh_Yeah]

I have nothing against used games...most of us all have bought plenty, I was just making a point that if they sell newly released digital copies for 30 it'd benefit the gamer and the dev, they'd pull in more sales and we'd save more...instead of one game you can buy 2 or use that extra money you saved on something else...that money saved will add up to alot more than selling your game back to places like gamestop once you think about it, but yeah I like the idea of being able to give the copy back towards a discount on their other games.

[Britainz-Fin3st]

Oh Yh.

I used to avoid used games, they had a bad stigma about them but now, when i see how cheap they are i do not buy new games. You can go into a CEX and buy 6-7 games for the price of one new game.

[BX81]

I'm not big on digital, but if it was $30 I would buy digital instead of a disc. It also might push the sales of hard drives as well.

[patsrule316]

"There’s also the ugly rumor that the Xbox 720 will require an always-online internet connection, which, if true, means the console WILL block used games." should actually read "There’s also the ugly rumor that the Xbox 720 will require an always-online internet connection, which, if true, means the console COULD CONCEIVABLY block used games."

I don't think that always on means used games are automatically blocked. Always connected has other uses besides blocking games. And further more, does always connected even mean that connection is required? If your internet connection is down, does that mean you can't use the system? Until they actually make the announcement and explain the system, it is all just speculation, and none of us know. It is just a lot of guessing at this point.

[RE_L_MAYER]

Well at least if gamerstop closes I wont have to worry about preorder bonuses from 1 retailer out of like 5

[Britainz-Fin3st]

Used games wont die.

They will make something like an online pass to unlock the game with each game getting a unique code, then if its traded in you either buy one online when you boot up the game or you buy a unique code when you purchase the game. Money could be split between MS & Sony and the publishers.

[josephayal]

GameStop is ranked number 255 on the fortune 500 list of 2012

[WickedLester]

Retail managers can be idiots. I dont necessarily think Gamestop will die. But they will have to evolve and adapt. They always have really. Back when I first got into gaming and GS was still called Electronics Boutique, the employees wore ties and my local store sold a TON of PC productivity software, sound cards, video cards, modems, RAM, etc. The PC hardware/software and video game hardware/software ratio was about 50/50 back then. This industry has always evolved and I'm confident that GS will find a way to evolve with it.

[cyclindk]

Not for some time I'd imagine though... so many last gen games still in need of "trading," and reselling. And those consoles, or at least Playstation 3 will be supported for a good while after PS4 launch with new titles.

[LordHiggens]

I only buy used...it's cheaper. If a console comes out that doesn't support used titles it simply won't be bought until it implements that functionality. Simple.

[GraveLord]

So Gamestop won't last 8 more months? LOL.
I'd take that bet.

[SonyPS360]

I hate how the first comment is always followed by a huge wall of replies just because people want to be near the top.

Anyway, used games are going to be phased out unless developers start making money from them. That's just how it's going to be.

[PooEgg]

Wake me when the CEO of GameStop has a comment.

[0pie]

it would be awesome if gamestop die:)

[Gamer-Z]

You know what the sad part is it's that Microsoft doesn't give two shits about Gamestop even though GS pushes the Xbox brand a lot more than PlayStation. I personally never understood why GS prefers Xbox over PS and now the irony is MS is looking to lock out used games whereas Sony is going to continue to allow it.

[songoku]

this is about consoles only and ps4 is a console not a pc, just cuz how powerfull it is doesnt mean its like a pc cuz consoles look like consoles and pc looks like pc. its not rocket science to see how different they are and just google pc and ps4 images that will show you what is a console and a pc. look at this link to know what is a pc and what is a console.
http://www.gameplayer.com.a...