With the latest news regarding GAME announcing that they will be ceasing video-game trade-ins, there was a collective cry not heard since the destruction of Alderaan. Many players have no doubt made use of this facility over the years, picking up various titles at substantially reduced costs than that of what they would have been on publication.
It is perhaps a sign of the times that physical media in gaming is on the decrease and that digital media will become our only access to titles moving forward. However, with the death of trade-ins, players will be left at the mercy of publishers and have to pay over the odds for any title they want to pick up and take on.
Will the Decision to Stop Trade-Ins Spell the End For GAME?
As reported recently by Eurogamer, the news concerning one of the UK’s biggest game retailers is a massive blow to fans. No doubt many players have or know someone who has, received a new title, completed it in quick succession, and then traded it in for a tidy sum. Allowing many other fans to pick up a near-new copy at a more reasonable price than what publishers would be charging.
Whilst GAME would allow trade-ins for store credit, their nearest competitors CeX do this for cold hard cash, and it is perhaps this fact that has seen them expand shops, where their rivals are closing many of their own. If CeX continue their trade-in deal, then it will no doubt see them take over what little business GAME may have left, and no doubt many fans will be more than happy to take their business elsewhere for a better deal.
The fan reaction from the BBC reporting has been mixed, with some not surprised by the decision;
Probably the final nail in the coffin for them then…
— Semaj Kroy (@kroy_semaj) January 16, 2024
I find CEX better. For the PlayStation fan there's plenty. Going as far back as PS2.
— Jonny (@jdl0374) January 16, 2024
Sure there may be memories of when you didn’t get paid the price that you expected for a game you were trading in. No doubt many in the community will have stories of trading in a nearly new title to be met with a trade-in offer of half the price. However, these were the perks and pitfalls of the trade-in process, and to see that many retailers are moving from this is quite saddening.
Future generations of gamers will no doubt be brought up with digital formats rather than physical copies of titles, much like how streaming has taken away the necessity for physical copies of DVDs/Blu-rays, and that market is slowly declining. It will sadly become the norm that many future generations will come to view physical media as something archaic.
However, what is more worrying is that it is these future generations who will be left susceptible to the greed of publishers who are more than happy to take the hard-earned money of fans. With the trade-in market being condemned to the past, fans will unfortunately be left with the over-priced offerings as the only option for a new title.
Perhaps it was inevitable that we would see the gaming industry moving to predominantly digital media for future games. However, there are still many fans who like to get their hands on a brand-new shiny copy of a physical game. With the recent news that many retailers are moving away from trade-in deals, many of us will be left to the mercy of money-hungry publishers with their pricey new releases.
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