The issue of used games sales is a contentious one in the video game industry. Publishers, by and large, feel that they should get a piece of the secondary market, and some are concerned that the used business ultimately hurts the sale of their new games. Leading video games retailer GameStop, which dominates the pre-owned market, took some time to justify its booming used games business at the D.I.C.E. Summit in Las Vegas.
GameStop COO J. Paul Raines noted that "Borrowing and lending games are very important ways for people to try new games." Moreover, he said that 70 percent of trade credits are applied to new games. "We see that consistently in all the data from our business," he said.
"Do used games hurt the sales of new releases?" Raines asked, speaking to an audience filled with developers and publishers. Raines believes the answer is no. He commented that only four percent of GameStop's used game sales are games that have come out in the last 60 days.
GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo made similar arguments in an exclusive interview with us last fall. Industry veteran David Perry quickly followed up, calling DeMatteo's comments "nonsense."
For more coverage, be sure to check out The DICE Wire, our live blog covering the summit in Las Vegas all week. We'll be updating the blog frequently.
