GameStop Wants to Sell "Used" Console DLC

GameStop could one day extend its business to the "used" DLC category, according to recent comments from a top executive at the company. Selling secondhand digital content is already commonplace in games like DOTA 2 and World of Warcraft. But on consoles, digital content is often licensed to one profile, and then it cannot be transferred. But it may not be this way forever.

Speaking with Ars Technica at this month's GameStop EXPO in California, GameStop's executive vice president, Mike Hogan, said the retailer is "absolutely" interested in looking into the possibility of selling secondhand console DLC.

"It would require a partnership between retailers and publishers, but absolutely, it could go that way," Hogan said. "We're absolutely interested in pursuing that. There are lots of examples where people have taken digital content and made it transferable from one consumer to another. Think of World of Warcraft [and its third-party item sales]. There's no fundamental or technological reason why that couldn't happen [on other platforms]. If the consumer wants it, and it provides value, then we believe it will happen over time. The consumer will speak for that."

Hogan went on to say that GameStop is "very bullish" on digital gaming, noting that the retailer is currently having conversations with platform-holders like Microsoft and Sony about how GameStop can work with them for a used sales model for downloaded games. Regarding digital gaming in general, Hogan said, "We do not see it as a threat to us; we see it as an opportunity."

PlayStation representatives declined to comment on the possibility of one day allowing digital content to be re-sold, while an Xbox spokesperson said the company "believe[s] in digital distribution on Xbox … but have nothing to share on the potential of trading and reselling DLC at this time."

It appears GameStop's interest in re-selling digital content for consoles has increased in recent years. In July 2012, GameStop CEO Paul Raines confirmed that the company was looking at some European technologies that would allow users to re-sell digital console content, but said, "Right now, we're not seeing that as a huge market."

For its part, senior Xbox director Albert Penello said in September 2013 that support for trading, loaning, and reselling of digital Xbox One games will come sometime down the road. "I think we need to do that. That has to be part of the [Xbox One] experience," Penello said at the time.

Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch