

Why your Xbox games devalue so quickly

#1ChronoCactaurPosted 9/21/2011 2:49:49 PM
Enter this topic, and you assume... why make this topic in the Xbox board? I feel that the volume of trade-ins are highest for Xbox gamers, so I thought it fitting.

You may be wondering to yourself... "If I buy a game for $59.99, why does Gamestop/BestBuy/Amazon only give me $25?"

It's definitely a mystery at first glance. I mean in a common RPG when you find an item and sell it, you usually get half of its value back in currency, so why should a real life trade be worse than that? Shouldn't one be entitled to at least $30 back if one spent $60 on it in the first place? Well that sounds great in theory, but we also have to consider that, at least in the case of Gamestop, you're trading in a used game, so they give you a value that reflects that. You obviously cannot trade-in shrink wrapped games, so they should be giving you 50% of whatever their used price is, and since their used prices are almost always just $5 less than the new price, you should be expecting $27.50 back at the very least, but you'd be surprised what the average trade-in value really is.

This mostly applies to a game's first week or two. Now wait a month and check the trade-in value again, it's likely to be less than $20. Why is this you might wonder? Well let's go back to where I said the majority of games released are traded in after beating(Or achievement hunting). Do you really think you're the only one to trade it in? No of course not, and it is because of that that you're not getting 50% back. It seems Gamestop et all factor in more than just the base cost; They also factor in supply and demand, but mostly supply. If there is a massive influx of trades with minimal sales, then they will obviously give you less for the game. Now this applies to Xbox games, what about Wii games? Sure, the majority of third party software on the Wii won't get you much more than the "Xbox game of the month", but have you noticed that the trade-in values of Nintendo published games are higher in most cases?

Well, the obvious answer is that Nintendo games sell more, but are they traded in as frequently as a "Xbox game of the month"? In most cases, not by a long shot. Here's an example: Mario Party 8, a game released in May of 2007 for $50, which still costs $44.99 used, can net you $22 at Gamestop. That's right, just because it's a Mario game, Gamestop will give you an amount that is pretty close to 50%.

Mario Kart DS, a game released back in 2005, which still sells for full price no less, will get you close to $20 at Gamestop. Try trading in an average third-party DS game and you'll be lucky to get $5 for it. And they don't even need their original case or manual!

So what is my point exactly? Sure, Gamestop/BestBuy/Amazon trade-ins suck, but they have valid reasons for their suckitude, and why some games are worth more than others, in some cases to an extreme.

Now, why is it that Best Buy and Amazon can sometimes have higher or lower trade-in values? Well let's go back to supply & demand. Gamestop is arguably the first store to open a trade-in program that is widely used, while Amazon and Best Buy are still greenhorns in the trade-in biz. As a result, there isn't as much of either supply or demand for either, most people are used to Gamestop at this point. This doesn't stop some from trading in to Amazon when they know they can get a better deal, however.

I would go into a discussion of why Gamestop doesn't care about a game's condition, while Best Buy and Amazon are more picky, but that's definitely a whole other topic's worth of discussion right there.

In most cases, it is just better to sell the game yourself, though it can take a while in some cases, and often times the amount you get, after paying the fees, will be pretty close to what the current trade-in value is. You can usually get closer to $40 for a $60 new release though if it's within the first week or two. For Nintendo games you could definitely ring out $40 for a Mario game.
#2LoveMyPS3Posted 9/21/2011 2:50:44 PM
I don't care. I use eBay.
GT: Rutgers Student
Halo Reach:
#3ChronoCactaur(Topic Creator)Posted 9/21/2011 2:51:30 PM
After fees and such, you make out with roughly the same. Except you risk being completely ripped off by dishonest individuals.
#4bluehat94Posted 9/21/2011 2:57:12 PM(edited)
i dont really care, theres this place by my house that gives me $40 for my games if its returned within 3 weeks of release, then it goes down to $30, ive only ever done it once, because i like to enjoy my games, but the option is there
#5xChaos001Posted 9/21/2011 2:56:05 PM
Or quit being an idiot and buying the flavor of the week. Find a game you know you will enjoy over an extended period of time; a game you know you will always come back too. You kids go through games like its nothing these days.
#6link0316Posted 9/21/2011 2:59:47 PM
Sorry cactaur i have been using ebay for years and that post is uneducated.
GT : Zom6iesRPeople2
Playing : Dead Island
#7LoveMyPS3Posted 9/21/2011 3:01:39 PM
ChronoCactaur posted...

I've been an eBay member for 5 years. I never 'roughly' make the same. I never got ripped off because I only deal with reputable sellers. I either break even or make a small profit when selling games. Also, I save a bunch when buying games, I bought Halo Reach for $40 when it just came out on eBay.

learn to do some homework and you'll get it, kid.
GT: Rutgers Student
Halo Reach:
#8BigReedPosted 9/21/2011 3:01:57 PM
Yeah TC doesn't know anything about eBay.
"..hardcore gamers like me for instance, who grew up on Halo.."
#9SarlaccPosted 9/21/2011 3:17:01 PM
#10knightimexPosted 9/21/2011 7:25:24 PM
*To everyone in the thread except TC*


Gotta love gamefaqs.....
I hate to admit it, but I'm a graphics whore in denial.