Mike Mauler, Executive Vice President of GameStop International, recently spoke to MCV regarding why he feels that used games are not the threat that game publishers originally thought they were:
The point he is trying to make is the one that GameStop has argued for years and that is that people trade in games in order to buy new ones. He makes a valid point considering how many sequels this industry produces each year. Would people continue to buy the new Madden year after year if they weren’t able to get rid of the old season’s game for some cash? Or would they just keep their old copy? If you have seen the overflow of used EA Sports games in your local GameStop you may understand the point he is trying to get across.
When asked about the online pass system that EA and THQ have implemented in games like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and this year’s UFC game, Mauler responded that it doesn’t affect his customers very much:
While Mauler makes some interesting points about how trade in games can lead to new game sales he completely skirts around the issue of actually selling those trade ins. Yes, EA may like people buying the new Madden every year, but I imagine they are not happy when GameStop sells the traded in copies for money EA will never see. After all, isn’t the entire point of DLC and online passes just a way to keep you from trading in the game or squeezing some money out of people who buy used games?
I think Mauler is making a lot of assumptions about how game makers view the used market. If publishers have shifted their viewpoint about used games, why do they continue to do everything they can with multiplayer, DLC, Online Passes, and other features to keep you from trading their game in?
Source: MCV
