Sign on Options
Theme:
To Dark

Best Buy to sell used games in all US stores

E3 2010: Retailer announces nationwide buyback program launching in late summer; gamers to get gift cards in exchange for pre-played titles.

With the gaming industry's focus squarely on the biggest titles of tomorrow during this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, Best Buy wants gamers to think about the games of yesterday. The electronics chain has announced that it will begin buying and selling used games in all of its stores nationwide beginning late this summer.

Give me your tired, your used, your beaten games yearning to breathe free.

Give me your tired, your used, your beaten games yearning to breathe free.

While some Best Buy stores will have dedicated trade-in desks, most locations will handle game buybacks at the customer service desk. Customers will receive their compensation in the form of a gift card good for anything in the store, and any used games purchased will be covered by the store's return policy.

Best Buy already offers a buyback program through its Web site that allows gamers to look up the trade-in "estimates" of all their games and systems. When the in-store program launches, gamers will be able to use the Web site so they know how much to expect from their titles before they head to the store.

To date, the used game market has been dominated by specialty retailer GameStop, but there are more companies looking to undercut the chain's business all the time. Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, and Amazon have all gotten into the used buyback business to varying degrees, and even game publishers are looking for a piece of the pie.

Electronic Arts recently introduced its Online Pass program, which requires second-hand purchasers of games to pay $10 to activate functions like online multiplayer. During an investor conference call earlier this week, Activision announced its own intentions to get into the used gaming business by collaborating with secondhand sellers. The publisher believes participating in the used market could bolster its own revenues by as much as $500 million.

84 Comments

  • Pumpkinhead3

    Posted Aug 20, 2010 8:56 pm GMT

    this is good. I have a gamestop and a best buy 100 yards away from each other in my town, and I think I'll stick with gamestop. Its easier than going to customer service and you can shop all the while. the prices and trade in values will be identical to gamestop's anyways. plus you can get the edge membership at gamestop and that really helps if you buy a lot of used games.

  • steverams

    Posted Jun 21, 2010 5:23 am GMT

    ahhh...the age old gaming question of ownership & revenue.

    The video game industry is nickle & dime ' ing this player to bankruptcy.
    :' (
    so many good points posted. Never sell a game for a couple bucks to a retailer, try to buy used because games ARE way too expen$ive. and yes. We will all end up paying the $10.00 for "online" access sooner or later. *cue Jaws theme* Anyone else feel the industry we support keeps coming up with ways to screw over the consumer?

  • Flint247

    Posted Jun 20, 2010 10:20 pm GMT

    This is good news for me.

  • al_win

    Posted Jun 20, 2010 9:10 pm GMT

    i went on gamestop online and they have a Used Mario Kart DS for $34.99. $34.99!!!! they probably gave the damn kid who sold it to them like 10 bucks i would never think of trading in my used games!!

  • Prime05

    Posted Jun 20, 2010 1:26 pm GMT

    This is good news as far as giving gamestop competition. As much as I hate BestBuy, (they're kinda a rip-off), I hate gamestop just a little bit more, about half a cup more. I'm not gonna trade in any game I bought new or used for 1 or 2 bucks. As for EA and Online Pass I think the industry is going the wrong way for making you pay for stuff that should be in the game mode or options menu.

  • maverick_76

    Posted Jun 19, 2010 4:15 pm GMT

    Well that is another place to buy used, goo for the consumer indeed.

  • green_dominator

    Posted Jun 18, 2010 6:30 pm GMT

    That's good for Best Buy but I probably won't use them for my used games business. I have nothing against Best Buy, I shop there when I can but I live in Nebraska and the closest Best Buy is in Iowa and Iowa's sales tax is higher than Nebraska so i'll stay here and continue to do business with Gamestop.........
    Best Buy is actually one of the other places that I will buy games and DVD's from because most everyone who works there knows about what they sell just like Gamestop......

  • huntervaneg

    Posted Jun 18, 2010 9:42 am GMT

    Activision has vision and it is reading the reality of consumers!!! EA WAKE UP!!!!!

  • Gelugon_baat

    Posted Jun 18, 2010 6:57 am GMT

    Perhaps Best Buy can finally deliver on the slogan "Power to the Players" that GameStop bandied about?

  • IAPrino

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 7:40 pm GMT

    Way I c it, if the games weren't so damn expensive to begin with, used games wouldn't b as popular. Let's face it , ppl like a bargain, and in this economy, they will simply do without. My son likes to go buy used games cuz he get's to use his card for discounts, and use his lil money to buy his own games(Gamestop). He is 9 and likes to bargain shop. I hope the competition will allow kids like him to really do some shoppin.

  • davet666

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 6:06 pm GMT

    Doing this would completely eliminate the game rental industry, which is sometimes a deciding factor leading to the purchase of the game. Every time you rent an EA game do you want to pay the rental fee plus this $10 activation pass? No. Also, some EA games just aren't even worth the $10 to activate it from the used market. I don't think this is a good gameplan to have. I've also heard that EA was considering charging for demos, "extended demos" but demos none the less. As far as I'm concerned it's been a long time since EA has been a quality developer. Now they're money hungry cannibals.

  • DrKill09

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 3:24 pm GMT

    Good. I hate Gamestop.

  • BasilVZero

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 10:59 am GMT

    Isnt this kinda old news, I could of sworn they announced this like 2 years ago o.o

  • lozo777

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 9:27 am GMT

    Yeahh I kinda agree with Xander. They don't give you much money at trade in stores.
    Almost everything that's for sale at Gamestop and Best Buy is on Amazon or Ebay for alot less money too. Or you could just go to a pawn shop.. They have good priced games there.

  • XanderZane

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 9:00 am GMT

    Trade in sucks at Gamestop and Best Buy is just as bad, if now worse. For a good XBox 360 with no modifications and 2 controllers, they will only give you $65. lol!! That should be the price for the controllers. You are only going to get about 1/4 the value for your games and systems with these trade-in, which is a crock. Just use EBay. Even with Ebay's fees, you'll still make more of a profit.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 8:23 am GMT

    I like that you can use the credit towards anything in the store. It'll be interesting to see how they fit the used games into the stores since it seems they are already limited on shelf space. I also like the idea of being able to check online before I go in to the store and see what my potential trade-in value will be. Maybe they'll also tie this into their rewards program?

  • MSG-Deathscythe

    Posted Jun 17, 2010 4:13 am GMT

    whoever pays more for my used games gets my business. here's a winning promo for best buy or any other company who wants to win this used games war: " ... will pay 10% more of the competitor's estimate/quote." you're welcome.

  • Amnesiac23 Site moderator

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 7:53 pm GMT

    See they are FINALLY going through with it. Seems like they have been talking about this forever.

  • lewser5

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 6:57 pm GMT

    I guess their going to try doing this again, hopefully their trade in prices are better than gamestop.

  • tequilasunriser

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 6:30 pm GMT

    Ever since gamestop bought up all the used game shops and stopped carrying legacy titles I've wanted them to burn. I hope Best Buy crushes them. I know Best Buy won't carry legacy titles either, but that's expected.

  • gamerpipe

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 6:21 pm GMT

    LOL, best buy too late at the same time some gaming companies are trying to double charge to destroy the viability of used games.

  • amaan4ever

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 5:47 pm GMT

    nice they're trying to compete with gamestop so more used games to buy and return for me lol

  • Zloth2

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 5:36 pm GMT

    Are you going to take this lying down, game publishers? Hell no! It's about time to let Steam & friends cut loose. If the brick and mortar stores are going to cut into your sales like this anyway, you might as well let the virtual stores sell for cheaper.

    Or release your game exclusively on OnLive... be we won't mention that.

  • blaznwiipspman1

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 4:51 pm GMT

    walmart needs to get in on this. That way you can bet they will offer more for a game than any other company out there even if it is by 11-2$, cuz they always undercut though this time i guess they will over cut?

  • gameweasl

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 4:39 pm GMT

    Good, screw Gamestop...

  • BloodMist

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 4:19 pm GMT

    Giving Gamestop competition for potentially better deals for buyers and sellers is a good thing.

  • Triton

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 3:48 pm GMT

    The lesser of two evils...

  • thattotally

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 2:35 pm GMT

    I can't wait till digital distribution. Sorry workers at these venues, but nobody cried for the music industry and those lame vintage stores.


    I hope GameStop dies and has that kind of end. That'll teach them. Best Buy have been good to me so I'll still buy their new games as well as DVD titles, etc.

  • mariostar0001

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 2:21 pm GMT

    As long as their games of last year are cheaper then Gamestop's and they let you return them if faulty, I'm good. Gamestop isn't that good for this-gen games, but they're the best for last-gen.

  • RADIOCHRIS

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 2:14 pm GMT

    cool

  • kris912

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 2:06 pm GMT

    give more money towards things that gamestop gives less for = win! if not this will be huge fail

  • tony382

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:51 pm GMT

    But they will give me $32 for Alan Wake and GS will pay $22.

  • tony382

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:50 pm GMT

    Wow, Bestbuy wants to give me $78 for my 120gb Xbox. Gamestop will give me $105. I was hoping BB will try to compete with GS by giving us better prices.

  • QuistisTrepe_

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:49 pm GMT

    Good move Best Buy. Gamestop could use a little competition at the brick and mortar level. Perhaps this will finally make Gamestop more competitive.

  • Whitewind617

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:48 pm GMT

    I hope they give a little more than gamestop - I refuse to sell something I brought for 60 bucks for that little money. In general I just stay away from that whole area, and don't buy used games unless I have to.

  • japanime226

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:37 pm GMT

    here is n example of how good best buys estimator is.. i estiamted how much they would give me for a good condition 120gb ps3 slim... they said $26.70. thats even worse than gamestop. we dont need more companies undercutting us and causeing us all to lose money!!! we want fair prices industry!!!!!!!!!!

  • mongob

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:30 pm GMT

    Yet another casual diss of PC gamers, who apparently don't exist according to Best Buy or this article. Funny, I could have sworn I saw an aisle full of PC titles at my Best Buy last week. Guess we're not the customers that Best Buy is interested in attracting.

  • nitromuffin

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:21 pm GMT

    gamestop will still crush them because gamestop will mostly likely sell used games for less

  • telvisnostic

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:15 pm GMT

    This is an interesting turn of events here.

  • 2bitSmOkEy

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:12 pm GMT

    Why even buy games if you are just going to sell them later? Just rent them...................Never understood that concept. Personally, I keep all my games because I think of them as a collection.

  • BK-Sleeper

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:10 pm GMT

    Ugh.
    Best Buy is like daylight robbery.
    But I would definitely buy from them before GameStop.
    Hell, I hope Fry's Electronics starts something like this.

  • thattotally

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 1:01 pm GMT

    I can't wait till digital distribution. Sorry workers at these venues, but nobody cried for the music industry and those lame vintage stores.


    I hope GameStop dies and has that kind of end. Best Buy have been good to me so I'll still buy their new games as well as DVD titles, etc.

  • positivebalance

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:49 pm GMT

    @king_gamer

    gamestop doesn't care about you or your love for games. sounds harsh, but it's the truth. gamestop is basically a pawnshop, they buy your game for $5, and sell it for $20. now, i like my gamestop because the people there are cool, but over all, gamestop is a crooked organization.

  • positivebalance

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:48 pm GMT

    not a bad deal. but still doesn't beat ebay. whoever sells game to gamestop for less than half of what they payed for are complete suckers.

  • RunningMansKid

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:38 pm GMT

    Ok I love best buy even more but dammmmm those companies trying to get some more $ and charge people for not buying their game new!! Sometimes people just don't have enough and those $5 or $10 knocked off the price lets someone get a new game for just a little less. This seems like it will get out of hand possibly

  • cconerity01eb

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:28 pm GMT

    Interesting. Take a look at their buyback site. If you trade in Alpha Protocol in "perfect" condition, you get $32. Not bad. However, if it's missing any artwork or the case, that value drops to $16. If you want a check in the mail vice credit, you get $21. If the disk is scratched, you get $0.

  • aermeus

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:25 pm GMT

    Nice...now i can get even more points toward future purchases and this will create some competition wiht gamestop.

  • King_Gamer19

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:17 pm GMT

    But I do have to say Best Buy will do better in the PC market because they can sell games & the hardware needed for that game & I have to say I will probably give this a try at my local Best Buy when it starts

  • King_Gamer19

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:15 pm GMT

    But as for Best Buy I like the knowing what we are going to get in store credit before you get there. But what makes Gamestop better is that it's nothing but games & the atmosphere at the stores are what people like. So unless Best Buy dedicates a part of there store about nothing but games & hiring people that are there for nothing but games & not just a section like it is now then I don't see this lasting

  • RedSoxfan67

    Posted Jun 16, 2010 12:13 pm GMT

    I hope I see more games offered than at gamestop.

Subscribe to GameSpot's YouTube Channel

Hot Stories

Newsmakers

Featured Stories

Submit News

Got tips? Send them in!