UK high street chain Game has confirmed its intention to discontinue its pre-owned video game business.The company will gradually phase out trade-ins over the coming months, according to its parent company, Frasers Group.
Game Plans to Stop Selling Used Games
However, pre-owned games will still be sold in the company’s standalone stores as long as stocks last.
The decision, first reported by Eurogamer, marks the end of a more affordable way to purchase titles highly valued by many gamers.
A spokesperson for Frasers Group said, “As part of the integration of Game, we will be phasing out the trade-in, pre-owned, and Game Elite offerings in the UK over the coming months.
“Pre-owned will still be available in our standalone stores across the UK while stock lasts, and Game Elite will still be available until the end of summer.”
According to Game’s website, the store accepts trade-ins for “most consoles, games, and gaming accessories” but does not accept titles from older consoles such as PlayStation 2.
This is in contrast to High Street rival Cex, which has built an empire of 600 stores worldwide, including 385 in the UK, based entirely on a business model dealing in pre-owned electronics.
In addition to stocking pre-owned gaming and computing accessories, the floorspace of most Cex stores is taken up by thousands of video games, including those for old consoles that Game does not deal in.
Cex offers cash for pre-owned games, while Game offers credit against future purchases instead.
On X, formerly Twitter, one poster reacting to reports of the end of trade-ins wrote, “They’ve just handed their biggest rival (CEX) the entire pre-owned market.”
Sophie Smart, production director at No More Robots, the UK game studio, said the decision was “a real shame.” “I think so many of us can remember not being able to afford the cost of a full-price game when it launched, and waiting a couple of months and saving up pocket money to go and get the game pre-owned.”
She said across the industry there was a move away from physical products.
“However, with new AAA titles costing as much as £70 when new, and presumably, physical versions dropping in price fairly quickly after launch, I would have expected a greater demand for pre-owned titles and Game making a large mark-up on these in particular.”
Game was bought in 2019 for £52m by Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, formerly known as Sports Direct International HD.
The takeover has led to the closure of some stores, as well as others opening inside retail spaces already owned by Frasers Group.
There has also been a shift towards other forms of entertainment, with Game stores devoting floorspace to plush toys, board games, and Pokemon cards.
The firm’s managing director, Nick Arran, told gamesindustry.biz last year that he wanted Game to be “a toy business that sells all year round.”
“We do need to protect the future of the business,” he said. “That’s why we’ve gone with this general entertainment approach across gaming, toys, board games, and tech as well.”
