Gamer's Perspective Editorial
Trade-ins are an integral part of the video game industry but are we the victim of daylight robbery?
First let’s focus on the negative aspects of trading in items at global stores such as GameStop and EBGames. It may be all well and good disposing of your older games for shiny new ones but the simple fact is you're being ripped-off; perhaps blinded by the appeal of playing the latest and greatest titles.
Big chain stores are making an average of 200% on every game sold and with DVD trade-ins, at times; reaching a shocking 600% profit for every movie they get their grubby little hands on. I haven't even mentioned the addictive nature of the system itself, especially for the younger generation who tend to be blinded by naivety when it comes to the sentimental value of certain gaming titles. You tell a child they can have a brand new game for free at the price of trading in a few older or completed games and they will most likely welcome the offer with open arms. This is one of the reasons why game collections are becoming less prestigious and some gamers are finding themselves with only a handful of games to their name.
Don't get me wrong there are many positives to the trade-in system, such as walking into a store and picking up some quality games for much cheaper than you ordinarily would. In that respect the system does cater to gamers with perhaps less money or even children who still attend an educational institution and have no steady income. This, of course, will get more people playing video games and that can't be a bad thing right? Plus with the abundance of trade-ins now available for purchase it leaves gamers with a much bigger selection to choose from. Trading in games is also the perfect counter to the tedious ritual of collecting annual sports titles; instead these outdated versions can help contribute towards the latest installments in each series.
It's hard to tell whether trade-ins are a good thing or a bad thing, when you break it down it's easy to see both sides of the argument and both present pretty strong cases. For me, personally, trading is a necessary part of gaming. I do, however, feel the trade-in system needs modifying to cut out inflated prices. There should be some “standards agency” somewhere forcing these massive gaming chains into incorporating minimum trade-in values that will help protect the seller from unfair transactions.
Agree/ Disagree? If so, feel free to email us at mail@gamersperspective.com or join us on our forums.
By Craig Bryan Contributing Writer Gamer's Perspective
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