Gamestop, everyone’s favorite employer of know-it-all gamers, currently dominates the market for used games. The retail chain makes an ungodly amount of money off gamers that trade-in videogame software and hardware for a fraction of the original price (in store credit). The company then re-sells the used products (for absurdly high prices) and keeps all of the profits. For instance, used copies of new releases usually get a $5 discount.

However, Gamestop’s iron grip of death on used games might be loosening.

Meet the newest contender for second-hand software supremacy after the jump.

Future Shop, a Canadian retail chain owned by Best Buy, is looking to get some of that proverbial “fat cash” from used games.

According to an article on reportonbusiness.com, the company plans to gradually implement the policy over the next few months.

“Starting with a test at six of its Future Shop stores in Calgary, the country’s largest electronics retailer plans to expand its second-hand games offerings to all 133 Future Shop outlets by late summer, putting it head to head against the sector leader EB Games.”

Like Gamestop, used games will also be made available through the retailer’s web site. So, even if you are too cheap to splurge for a full tank of gas, you can still get your game on. I don’t have any suggestions for those that are also too cheap to pay for cable Internet. Perhaps the gaming gods will bestow telepathic powers upon you.

Gamestop, being the king of used games for quite some time, could be hard to de-throne. However, Future Shop, as Canada’s favorite source of electronic bliss, might have enough influence to pull it off. If nothing else, it will give gamers some choice in the matter.

In the article posted on reportonbusiness.com, Michelle Grawe, the director of merchandising for Future Shop, “predicted that the addition of used games will help double Future Shop’s overall video game sales - and margins - in the next three to five years.”

For that prediction to come to fruition, the retail giant will have to steal some market share from Gamestop. Future Shop plans on doing just that by selling used games for less than their competitor. I can almost hear the expletives pouring from Gamestop headquarters.

Perhaps this will convince the company to lower its prices. For instance, I can buy new copies of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves ($13.99) and Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando ($12.99) from Amazon for less than used copies on Gamestop’s web site ($17.99 and $14.99 respectively). This isn’t always the case, but it happens more often than should be lawfully allowable.

Personally, I never purchase used games. I always buy new. My game collection is rather robust, and I prefer to keep my games in pristine condition. If someone is willing to part with a game after a couple days, I assume that person doesn’t take immaculate care of the disc. Plus, if you only get a minimal discount on certain used games, why not splurge for a new copy?

For this reason, and the fact that I was once offered an opened copy of Okami for $50, I rarely shop at Gamestop. Best Buy is where I usually patronize, even if I have to use a little more gas to get there. However, being the avid gamers you are SG community, I assume that some of you will find this news interesting. At the moment, the policy seems to be exclusive to our friends north of the border. However, if the company can steal some of the market share from Gamestop, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Best Buy jump onto the second-hand party bus. Let’s hope that bus comes complete with adult beverages and giant sub sandwiches.

Source: theglobeandmail.com

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