How Best Buy's Used Game Trade-In Policy Will Hurt the Gaming Industry More Than GameStop Did

Best Buy and Target recently decided to accept a similar used-game trade-in policy similar to GameStop's trade in Policy, and while both are damaging to the gaming industry, following are several reasons why Best Buy's Policy sucks even more.

Best Buy will make used game trade-ins more popular

GameStop's used game trade-in policy has been a thorn in the gaming industry's side for years, but GameStop is a small fry when compared to the number one electronic retailer, Best Buy. Best Buy appeals to more than just gamers and will attract customers to their used game trade-in policy that likely would have never been attracted to the idea in the first place. Stopping in at a Best Buy and stumbling into the game trade-in policy is a way different experience than driving to a local GameStop with the intentions of selling and buying used games.

Trade-in cash won't always be spent on games

Best Buy's used game trade-in and reselling policy differs from GameStop's in two major ways; used game sellers will be paid in Best Buy gift cards and the money rewarded for used games won't always go right back into gaming merchandise. At GameStop gamers have no choice but to buy more gaming merchandise with their used game cash, but at a major electronic store, the used game gift card cash can be spent on anything from computer accessories to home appliances. At least GameStop helped to fuel more video game and video game accessory sales, but Best Buy's video game trade-in policy could rob video game developers completely blind.

Used games will conflict with retail copies

Another major issue with Best Buy's decision to dabble in used games sells is the fact that it will dramatically affect their retail game sells. Best Buy hardly ever marks down game prices and you're bound to see the standard $60 price tag on games regardless of if they are new releases or a year old. Having discounted used games alongside these expensive retail games will usually result in customers that opt for the cheaper priced used games instead - and will further stick the knife into the gaming industry's back.

For more, read Why Gaming Box Art Should Be Regulated , Stupid Reasons Gamers Buy Bad Games that They End Up Hating , and 9 Video Game Series that Need to Die, but Keep Coming Back

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