MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Before March this year, GAME and Gamestation were by far the UK’s biggest pre-owned game retailers. Second-hand goods even made up a third of the group’s total revenues last year. Yet this dominant force in used games has fallen. 277 of its shops have closed. So where do these customers …
Read More »GameStop slashes hardware prices – Wii for £49.97
Online only UK retailer GameStop has slashed the price of pre-owned consoles on its website. As a result a second hand Xbox 360 Slim 250GB machine can be had for just 129.97 – that’s a 70 saving over its new price. A pre-owned PS3 Slim 250GB has been cut to …
Read More »Tretton "opposed to blocking used games"
Sony Computer Entertainment America CEO Jack Tretton has admitted that he personally does not support the idea of potentially blocking the use of pre-owned games on next-gen consoles. Rumours have claimed that both the Next Xbox and PS4 will utilise measures that prevent consumers from using game discs previously purchased …
Read More »Blockbuster: Games retail would not survive without pre-owned
Specialist games retailers cannot survive without second-hand, says Blockbuster. The firm’s UK commercial director Gerry Butler has hit back at trade-in critics, and told MCV that the current new release business model is broken and in need of a radical overhaul. If you’re a specialist you need certain margins to …
Read More »US retailer shares used profits with publishers
Ek Games hopes to create healthy 'circle of life'
Read More »Crytek wants next-gen pre-owned block
A lead developer at Crytek has publicly supported the concept of console manufacturers blocking access to second-hand games. Rasmus Hjengaard, the Swedish director of creative development at Crytek, said from a business perspective that would be absolutely awesome” if a next-generation Nintendo, Microsoft or Sony console restricted access to games …
Read More »Crytek exec backs next-gen ‘pre-owned block’
Restricting sales of second-hand games 'would be awesome from a business perspective'
Read More »Retailer vows to share 10% of pre-owned revenue with publishers
New US online retailer EKGaming has made a remarkable pledge – to share ten per cent of its pre-owned revenues with publishers. It hopes to encourage what it describes as a circle of life” in retail that benefits all parts of the chain. It has also pledged to better the …
Read More »RUMOUR: GameStop kicks off Skylander trade-ins
Rumours suggest that GameStop in North America has begun accepting and selling pre-owned Skylanders figures. Pixelitis claims to have word that the figures have a trade-in value of between $2 and $8 depending on wider availability. Re-sale values are said to range between $4.99 for something like Gill Grunt all …
Read More »Pachter dismisses PS4 used games block
Wedbush Morgan’s Michael Pachter does not believe PlayStation 4 will prevent users from playing pre-owned games. Rumours spread this morning that the next Sony console– reportedly named Orbis – will include anti pre-owned technology to block second hand titles. Reports earlier this year claimed the next Xbox will feature similar …
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