Used Games and Trade-Ins

[Linkachu]

I wanted to see how many gamers here have taken advantage of buying used games or trading games in, or if anyone is completely against doing either, so here be a topic.

Pretty well ever since EB Games opened up here, I've been taking advantage of their used games selection. I can't find everything I want used, but when I can I always dive at the chance because of the price cuts (the 10% off the used price is a great thing, too). The quality of the used games I've gotten over the years has always been great - maybe one or two scratches on discs tops. I've never have had a single issue with them breaking on me, probably because EB Games themselves are so particular with trade-ins they accept. It's a nice service if you don't mind the fact that the games aren't shiny and new anymore (which, from a money stand-point, I really don't).

One thing I hadn't done until recently, though, was trade in a game. I guess in the past a reason to do so never presented itself, but with the quality of some games these days I decided that it was time to stop holding onto games I haven't finished nor will ever play again. It's better to get something out of my money than let certain games take up my shelf space, eh? So I finally took advantage of one of EB Games' trade-in deals.

The one going on now is that if you trade in anything worth at least $8 (give or take), they bump the price up to $25 when you're buying a new release (aka. anything released within the week of your trading in). This was a great thing since I had a couple of games worth letting go of (Super Paper Mario and Heroes of Mana), and two new releases that I wanted to get (Sonic Unleashed for 360, and Chrono Trigger DS). The trade-in offer didn't work quite as expected with CT DS, though. Since the game itself was only $40, they were only willing to bump Heroes of Mana's trade-in value up to half the price (so I got $20 off instead of the $25). Saddest part was that I wanted to trade both games in for Sonic Unleashed, but I didn't realize until after getting to the store that I'd forgotten to take Heroes of Mana out of my DS carry case >>; I couldn't come back the next day to get Unleashed either because its week since release was up. Ah well. Even if I lost $5, saving as much as I did on two new games I planned to get anyways was sweet ^^

But enough from me. Anyone else have thoughts to share?

 

[Magpie]

Until recently I neither traded in or bought used games, mainly because I've never been much of a gamer, if truth be told. When I was younger I was obsessed with the original Playstation, with games like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro and Tomba keeping me entertained for hours. I always had new games and never traded any in, but I'm not too sure stuff like that happened then, or not that I was aware of anyway. I just passed all my games onto my Brother, along with the Playstation as I got older. The only other games I played were the Pokemon Games, and of course my PC/MAC games, Black And White, Hype the Time Quest, Neverwinter Nights and Age of Mythology

Then I met my Boyfriend who introduced me to the Gamecube, which I'd never owned. I found that a lot of the games for it were only available second hand, or were stupidly expensive. Pikmin 1 and 2 were my first second hand games, and I love them so much. They hardly looked used at all, with only the instruction booklets inside looking a little tatty around the edges. My Boyfriend also trades in some games, although he does like to keep some for memories sake, like his Final Fantasy and Zelda games, plus all his Mario Karts.

My Brother trades like his life depends on it, once a games finished he trades it in to buy a new game. I forbade him from selling my old games, though to be fair he's never wanted to. We occasionally have a Playstation evening, enjoying all those old games that will always be special.

So, while I have bought a few used games, I personally have never traded anything in. I tend to horde, plus I only really buy the games I know I'll truly love, and therefore never want to get rid of them XD

I'm a bit...fussy when it comes to pre-owned things anyway. I don't like the thought of other people having owned them first, though I'm not sure why. I could never buy a book second hand. I've always considered literature to be almost sacred in a weird sort of way and I find the idea of selling them/ buying them second hand wrong. (Yes, I'm weird). Games aren't so bad, but unless I have too, or the deal is too good to miss I always go for the new option.

 

[KoL]

One thing that happened in a shopping centre where I live involved both GAME and GameStation being almost right next to each other, and thus constantly warring against each other for supremacy. Both games allow you to trade in games you don't want anymore, but because of the two stores pricing their games differently (GameStation was usually cheaper) it allowed certain games to be traded in for an abnormally high amount if you knew what you were doing.

Anyway, this particular incident involved a game called Gotcha Force. This game could be purchased at GameStation for a meagre £10, whereas in GAME it cost £40. This resulted in many people buying Gotcha Force from GameStation and then immediately trading it into GAME, who would offer £17 for it. This basically meant that every time you traded Gotcha Force in to GAME after buying it in GameStation, you'd make a £7 profit. Eventually, the two stores figured out what was going on and changed the price of the game, with GAME dropping the price to £30 and GameStation increasing theirs to £20 (probably due to popular demand ;D.)

As for me, I usually don't trade in games that come from a series I like - I won't trade in any Metroid or Mega Man games since they are both two of my favourite game series, and I won't trade in any of the main handheld Pokemon games either (i.e. Diamond/Pearl - I traded Pokemon Ranger for Metroid Prime 3.) Also, I have a copy of Ikaruga for the GC that I refuse to trade in as well. Other than that, I'll trade in pretty much any game I don't like or have already beaten.

 

[Stark]

Shorter reply than the rest, but hey.

I usually keep ALL my games, because if I find myself having a craving for [X] game, then its still there and not traded away. I literally haven't traded or thrown a game, at all.

As for used, I buy a used one only if there isn't a new one. I like mine to be new and fresh

 

[KoL]

I usually keep ALL my games, because if I find myself having a craving for [X] game, then its still there and not traded away.

I should probably learn from your example in some cases - I've purchased (and traded back in) Final Fantasy X a total of 3 times now, the third trade being because my PS2 broke. You'd think I would've learned somewhere along the line though... :

 

[Carmen Lopez]

I usually keep any game that I buy, but that isn't really saying much because I don't really buy many games.

However, I'll buy a used game or console in a second as long as it's in good shape. My Game Cube is used and it works just as well as a new one. Also got a Need for Speed game with it that I never play now. More recently, I bought my DS used and my copy of Smash Brothers Brawl is used because I wanted to save a bit of money. I would've gotten my Wii used but there weren't any left in my city so I went ahead and bought it new. After all, I got Wii Sports for free ^^

 

[leehage]

I buy used games all the time, since i've got the 10% off for membership to gamestop. As for trading in games, I only did it with my N64 and I regretted it afterwards.

 

[Luconray]

I don't usually like the idea of getting rid of my games, mainly because of the memories I have in them, so I wouldn't probably ever trade a game in for money or other games...

As for buying a used game, I don't really like the idea of doing it myself. I have an obsession with keeping things looking new the best I can. If I buy a used game, I take the chance that it's not in a good condition, and it bothers me. I wish it didn't, but it does. So I would rather pay an extra few dollars for a new game than buying it used (unless, of course, it's no longer available in stores - then I have to settle for it used, which I'm okay with then).

The only game I've ever actually bought used myself would be the original Pokemon Blue Version, and only because my original one vanished when I turned away from it for a minute. I have gotten a few used games as Christmas/Birthday gifts, which I then have no choice but to accept, but I usually don't care then. Except for last Christmas when I got a used Pokemon Ranger game and noticed that the person that had previously owned it had put 14 1/2 hours in the game, and it looked like they had played through the whole game (on the file screen they had 10 badge looking things that I assumed that ment they beat the game), and it scared me into thinking that they may have taken the Manaphy Egg, too, which was one of the main reasons I wanted the game. Luckily they hadn't, so I didn't mind it then.

But I guess I'm getting slightly off topic now. Basicily, I don't really care for buying or trading used games myself, but I do see the value in saving money by doing it.

 

[Midnight Shadows]

I have bought a lot of used games, though I haven't sold as much. My dad bought me a used Red, Blue and Yellow version as well as a used Yellow Gameboy Color. So I see nothing against used games, as long as there isn't anything too bad about them. Sometimes the person who sold it to be used could totally rip you off, then it would be a waste of money though I'm not sure how often the wrong game gets misplaced into the right case..

I find used games useful because they are less money. But there isn't that "pride" I guess you could say about beating your own game because technically it wasn't yours. But I like trading away some of my games so they can be used. Though I may not have them anymore, I still have the memories.

 

[112% Elusive]

I keep all my games. I don't mind used ones, with the Wii, all data is saved on the console, so its pretty much like buying it used anyway. Same thing with the gamecube, except you have the memory cards.

Although, there was this one time I wanted Sonic Adventure 2 Battle for Gamecube. I bought it used at gamestop. I crack open the case when I get home, and, guess what? The game inside is NOT Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. It's Sonic Adventure DX, Director's Cut. I played that for a while, because I had to wait until tomorrow to go back to gamestop. So, I played it while I had it. I actually liked it, and bought it (Sonic Adventure DX, Director's Cut) later, after I got my Sonic Adventure Battle 2 at EB games for about $10

Yup. That's the downside of buying used games. You never know if it's the right game, although usually it is.