When retails pre-owned argument breaks down

Retail’s defence of pre-owned is a simple one.

Consumers trade in their games so they can buy new ones. It helps inflate sales of newly released titles, and the specialist retailers all have stats to back up this claim, too.

But unfortunately that argument has broken down now the likes of Argos, Tesco, Best Buy and Asda have got involved. Because now gamers don’t have to trade in their old titles for a new one, they can swap it for money off a flatscreen TV, a bunch of flowers, or even a haddock.

I don’t mind pre-owned in principle,” one publishing exec told MCV. But when supermarkets get involved there’s no money coming back into the industry. That’s where the real problem lies and it’s why we need to adopt measures to monetise or even discourage it.”

To read MCV’s full feature on the subject, which specifically focuses on Asda’s pre-owned offer, click here.