How Used Game Trade-Ins is Helping the Gaming Industry - Instead of Hurting It

Used game trade-ins and reselling has gotten a very bad rep by the gaming industry over the years and now that Best Buy and Target are stepping into the game trade-in industry, matters are made to seem worse, but the following are several ways reselling used games is actually helping the video game industry and not hurting it.

Trade-in game sells drive more console and hardware sales

Trade-in game sales are usually only looked at in terms of wasted new game sales, but if you've ever owned a gaming system, you'll know that buying games isn't the only expense in gaming. Gamers might be able to resell used video games, but game stores that accept trade-ins don't allow consoles, gaming peripherals, and video gaming hardware trade-ins. Losing money on a game trade-in might seem sucky for game developers but think about the extra video game consoles, controllers, and video game hardware that are sold to support the large sales of video game trade-ins.

Used game sells increase brand loyalty and recognition

Video game manufacturers and developers like to liken used game sales to video game piracy and claim that both piracy and used game trade-ins don't generate profits for the game developers, but much like piracy, video game resells help to create brand loyalty and recognition. Piracy has helped to make Adobe Photoshop the industry leader in graphic design software and a price-tag can't be put on the great advertisement done by video game resells.

Lower priced games makes gaming possible for those that can't afford high prices

Gaming is an expensive addiction/hobby and lower priced resold used games appeal to gamers that either can't afford new games or are looking for the biggest bang for their buck. When Halo: CE launched, I could only afford a used copy of the game, but I've since bought retail copies of every single Halo game to hit the shelves since - including the horrible Halo Wars - and I've even gone as far as to pre-order Halo: Reach. If it hadn't been for used game trade-ins, I might have never gotten addicted to the Halo franchise, but that addiction has since resulted in lots of money for video game developers - from my wallet, that is.

Money from used games often goes towards new titles

The biggest spikes in game trade-ins occur during the release of highly anticipated or new games, and why do you think that is? Lots of gamers use game trade-ins to help offset the expensive price of new titles and the meager profits gained from reselling used video games usually go towards retail copies of new game releases. Sure, some people sell used games because they want cash for games that they no longer use, but most trade-in game profits usually go towards another video game purchase.

For more, read Best Buy and Target's New Trade-In Games Policy Could Further Hurt the Gaming Industry , How Best Buy's Used Game Trade-In Policy Will Hurt the Gaming Industry More Than GameStop Did , and Why Gaming Box Art Should Be Regulated

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