Come February, Gamestop will shun Xbox trades
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jan 6th 2009 at 10:15AM }
If you've been thinking about unloading your old Xbox games or even your big black box at Gamestop in hopes of getting some coinage, you best be getting to it soon. We just learned that effective February 9th, Gamestop will no longer be accepting original Xbox hardware, accessories or games for trade-in cash. Then again, is the $1.45 they pay for each Xbox game really worth it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt @ Jan 6th 2009 10:58AM
No it's not worth it. I work at gamestop, and i dont know why anyone expects to get so much money for really old xbox games and stuff. we sell the games for like.. 5-10 bucks and 90% just sit there and dont sell anyways. why would gamestop pay you top dollar for a game thats not gonna sell? I'm sorry for the rant im just tired of people complaining about gamestop.. we're the only store you can come in and get rid of the old stuff you dont want and actually get something decent for it. you could always go to walmart where the people know nothing about games and where they sell games for like.. $.12 less than 60 for some reason. whatever floats your guys' boats
Mike @ Jan 6th 2009 11:08AM
Wow, lookie at that a Gamestop employee that thinks they known everything. Like I haven't seen that before.
$1 is not even worth starting your car to drive down there.
Matt Fitz @ Jan 6th 2009 11:08AM
I completely agree man. I too work at GameStop (store 5043) and I'm tired of people complaining because they trade in about 20 sports titles from 2004, get $6.32 in credit & then they want cash. I'm so glad we're phasing out XBOX
offday @ Jan 6th 2009 11:17AM
No one expects top dollar for old Xbox games, but at the same time no one even expects top dollar for brand new games either. Trading games in sucks and is a huge rip off no matter how new the game is. And I don't know what world you live in, but you guys aren't the only place that takes trade ins.
And yeah you're right. Why would I go to Wal Mart and get a game for 12 cents cheaper, when I can go to Target instead and get Fallout 3 and World at War for 39 bucks? Yeah, you're totally right gamestop rocks, everywhere else sucks. Sorry but you fail.
Aticus @ Jan 6th 2009 11:49AM
offday, you're perfectly right! I shop at Target for my games now too. I recently purchased a Wii for my family for Christmas. I figured I would wait to get Super Smash Brothers Brawl because I already dropped so much money for it. I went to GameStop to get SSBB and they did have any! This is a game that is almost a year old. I went to Target and they had well over 10 in stock. The same happened with GTA4 and Soul Calibur 4. Target had a bunch on launch day when Gamestop had nothing.
I'm sick of GameStop employees. Giving store credit instead of cash? Rubbish.
Here's a better idea: Bundle it on eBay! I'm sure you will get more than just $1.45 for one game there.
Latin Trident @ Jan 6th 2009 11:48AM
I remember going to Gamestop when Halo 3 came out. I asked the Gamestop Employee, "If I have Halo 3 brand new still in shrink wrap and trade it in to you guys, how much will you give me?" The guy did his "let me check" look and said, "we can give you $15." I said, "This is a new copy, you did factor that in right?"
He said, "Yes but we take it as used." I looked at their shelf with the 360 games and a used copy of H3 was selling for $55.
I SMELL A RIP-OFF!!!
I wish parents stopped taking their children their to buy games. They are getting ripped-off.
We are much better off trading amongst gamers than with a middle man.
JayFight @ Jan 6th 2009 2:19PM
here's something (now idk if they still do this but) in california there's this arcade/video game store called gladys (or something like that) and when i lived there they took in trades at sale value (store credit of course) that means if they sold a game for $30 then they'd give you $30 store credit the only catch was the required a transaction fee (which could be paid with store credits) so if you wanted a game that cast $25 the trade fee would be about 3 or 4 bucks $5 games no fee $10 games $1 and so on
so long story short gamestop learn from them and btw anyone near San Bernardino or Rialto CA check out Gladys (i think thats the right spelling) and see if they give you a better trade in value for your games
jeff @ Jan 7th 2009 11:23AM
Gamestop and EB Games Rip people off on trades. I'd rather keep my games or sell them on ebay than take a game I bought a month ago for 60 bucks and trade it in to gamestop for 18 dollars only to watch them sell it for 54.99. What a rip-off.
Bob @ Jan 6th 2009 5:05PM
search up the "zero originality" episodes on youtube and you'll see what gamestop truly is on the inside...
Narvick @ Jan 6th 2009 10:28PM
I work at GameStop too and agree with you. I also don't care what anybody says, it seems like NOBODY understands how and why trades work the way they do. I am TIRED of people complaining about it. Hey, did you buy a game for 60 dollars and beat it in three days? Upset you only get 18-25 dollars store credit back for it after you mess up the case, slightly scuff up the disc and remove the instruction booklet? Deal with it. Next time, rent the game. If it were up to the stupid customers, we would give back 55 dollars cash on a 60 dollar game after it has been used for 3 weeks. Oh, but every time they buy some crap $2.99 xbox game they demand the disc be in mint condition ;)
Tricause @ Jan 6th 2009 11:01PM
Well I work at Wal-Mart and I most certainly do know things about video games - you stereotypical idiot.
jeff @ Jan 8th 2009 2:49PM
@Narvick
Sorry, but you're not very intelligent if you don't see how your company is ripping people off. No one is asking for 55 bucks back on a 60 dollar game, they are just asking not to be raped. No reason Gamestop could not give half back (30 bucks back on a 60 dollar game) that is in good condition with a case and instructions. They will still make 24.99 back on it free and clear. Of the few games I have traded (maybe two total) they have all been in mint condition with all instructions and case and I still didnt get any extra for them being in that condition. Gamestop and EB Games will rip your @ss on trades. Period. End of story. Please don't trade your games there.
Matt @ Jan 7th 2009 5:51PM
dude, its all in a computer.. if i could give someone more money on a game for being in perfect condition then i would. and gamestop wont necessarily make 24.99 on the game you traded in.. because not every single game will sell! we've already got like.. 10 gears of war 2's just sitting on the shelf that people got like 35 bucks there.. thats 35 bucks lost, obviously gamestop makes more than it loses but it loses a lot o fmoney as well.
Michael Paul @ Jan 6th 2009 11:10AM
Heck, I only traded stuff once. I got maybe $2 each for some Xbox games, and when I realized that Perfect Dark Zero that I'd won in a contest before I owned a 360 was not so hot, it was only worth $6. That turned me into a choosy shopper so anything I buy is a KEEPER...
ejlems @ Jan 6th 2009 11:28AM
The rip off is why they're in business. now maybe if they put more of that money back into their employees we'd have more pleasant people to deal with.
Destroyer88 @ Jan 6th 2009 11:45AM
Game Stop not only rips off the general public but they pay something around $7 per hour. So while their gaining millions and millions a year, the people that do the hard work get a lousy $7 a hour.
Not to mention, there have been numerous reports of a large percentage of employees simply quitting.
Yeah, it's smart business wise to sell a brand new game for $60-65 and then buy it back for only $20, but it's really shitty to the general public. I lost count of how many times I bought an overpriced game just to come back two weeks later and get 10% of what I paid for it back.
If anybody has heard of Game Xchange, don't know if it's still around but that place was great. You could trade in a game for another game of equal value. So like if you wanted to trade in Gears 2 you could basically get any other used game in exchange.
offday @ Jan 6th 2009 12:17PM
I think we have one nearby. They sell movies and cds too, don't they?
Destroyer88 @ Jan 6th 2009 12:25PM
Don't know, I only remember seeing games there. But that was a long time ago, at least 10 years. I remember my dad bought me one of the older Resident Evil games and my mom made me exchange it, so I got Crash Bandicoot.
Ahhhh the good times, when Crash Bandicoot didn't suck ass.
Grant @ Jan 6th 2009 9:27PM
I use a website called goozex which kinda lets you do the same, games are worth certain amounts of points and depending on what you send people you can accumulate points to get some good games. It works through a feedback system and supply demand algorithms, which could be flawed, but so far i've gotten far more value out of trading on there then ever would have at a gamestop.
Jason W @ Jan 6th 2009 12:01PM
I will say I like being able to go into the local GS and get older used games. I know there are other places out there but the fact that I can walk in the door and get a old GC, PS2, Xbox game is great. We always have amazon to buy the old ones but then its what comes in is what you get if at all.
As for the older stock... NEVER TRADE A NEW GAME WITH THESE GUYS! If you do your an idiot. Sell it on ebay or amazon. Loose $10.00 not $50.00
LogicDecay @ Jan 6th 2009 12:18PM
I agree that Game Stop rips off everyone who walks through their doors.
The reason why most of the used titles sit on the shelves for a long time is due to the absurd markup! In looking for an older 360 title, I found a used copy at Game Stop. It was used, missing the case and did not contain a manual - the store had it listed for 17.99 when it retails NEW for 19.99 (again, older title). It only makes things worse when you consider they couldn't have paid more than 2 dollars to acquire the disc.
With that said, I really don't hate Game Stop; although, most of their employees drive me mad. I understand the reason for discontinuing buybacks for original Xbox - they probably need the space, and the titles aren't moving off the shelf fast enough.
As someone else pointed out, put your old stuff on Ebay. Just look at how much some of the "retro" games are going for..
offday @ Jan 6th 2009 12:49PM
The gamestop employees at my store seem to be pretty nice guys. But before them the guys were complete idiots. Luckily they all got fired because they got caught pocketing pre-order money.
If they keep getting rid of the old games, then I really won't have any reason to go there. They never have sales on good games, so I suggest never buying new games there. What I want to know is why are the Xbox games going away so fast? They kept old old school games like NES forever before they got rid of them.
Rich H. @ Jan 6th 2009 12:28PM
As far as I know here and Canada EBGames (sister store) hasn't taken in O.G. XBOX games for a while now. At least I thought.
Brandon @ Jan 6th 2009 12:42PM
Not that I love GS, but I don't entirely hate them. They do get some of my money, usually old games (just bought a used Crackdown for $10 for a friend who never got it) but they don't get alot of money from me. What I really want to know is where all you work? The companies you are working for must be awesome since they do everything they can for the employee and the customer. Must be wonderful to work for someone who is more concerned about give the employee high paychecks and the lowest price ever for the consumer. Maybe you could help the minimum wage earner at GS get something better and they can become an outstanding employee like you.
Masa Cheez @ Jan 6th 2009 4:03PM
Bravo sir, Bravo... Seriously, I'm no Funco Land...excuse me, Game Stop fan by any means, but it is a good place to pick up both used and new games and just spend some time playing games that you don't own for free. My family owns a small business that was built from the ground up, and I am sick and tired of people thinking that every penny a business takes in is pure profit. Seriously folks, get some business sense. Businesses are in business to make MONEY. Deal with it. If you don't like it, see if you can do better. Oh, and for those that are remembering the good ole days of some basically unknown video game shop that used to just straight up trade games, guess what??? THEY'RE OUT OF BUSINESS BECAUSE THE DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY!! Friggen jackasses. The American public is getting more and more liberal every day thinking that a business shouldn't make money and if they do they are an evil corporation that is out to get us. It's a capitalist country (for now) and businesses are allowed to make as much or as little money they want. As long as it's legal and withing a businesses rights, I say more power to them. Oh and by the way, before you say that I'm not an American or a hater, all I can say is that I'm in Minnesota right now and its friggen cold and the snow is deep beotches. God bless the USA. Now what American hater would say that??
Mazrael @ Jan 6th 2009 12:54PM
traded RE4 & Trauma Centre 2 (both Wii) in for FEAR Files on the 360, paid £12 difference - I was just glad to get rid of 2 rubbish games for a half decent one..
I usually get my games from GAME..
GUNartist @ Jan 6th 2009 1:14PM
What's with the hating?
I work for Gamestop as well, here's my philosophy. If you get a better deal somewhere else, then get it there! No beef! I see a lot of people seemingly blaming Gamestop employees for getting "ripped off" on their trade ins. I noticed one, to be specific, (and it's way at the top so this may be old news, sorry if I'm late on the chain.) by an author named "Latin Trident"
You claimed that Halo 3 would get you $15, which is close, but it would have gotten you $20, regardless, you say rip-off, and I say what the hell are you trading in Halo 3 for (its amazing) but regardless still shrink wrapped?!? You want top dollar back for your game and its still shrink wrapped? Then bring it in withing 30 days with your receipt and quit complaining!!!
Gamestop Corprate makes all the rules, trade in deals, and so on, not the employee at the register, he (or she) is just doing his job.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not die-hard Gamestop, I'm just there until I'm out of College and can bump up to something I actually want to do for the rest of my life (funny enough, it's Computer Animation, so I kind of hope I get places like Gamestop to sell my stuff, but heh. Time will tell)
Moral of the story, if you find a better deal somewhere else, just go there. Xbox games do just sit on our shelves unless a little kid comes in with his Christmas money and wants to buy anything just to have it (which they swiftly return to our store next day anyway).
Have fun gaming!
xenocidic @ Jan 6th 2009 2:21PM
I gotta agree with GNUartist here. No one is holding a gun to your head to trade in games to Gamestop.
I've also had them give me a ridiculous quote on a shrinkwrapped game, and you know what I did? I said "no thanks!" ... yea... It's that easy...
If you're too lazy to eBay it yourself, stop complaining.
or, just wait for the trade 3 worth at least $8 and get a $60 game for the equivalent of ~$24. not a bad deal. i did that with EndWar.
offday @ Jan 6th 2009 3:42PM
No one is blaming gamestop employees for any of this. People are just getting sick of die hard gamestop loyalists defending them for this crap. It's almost as bad as ripping us off.
KillaBob @ Jan 6th 2009 1:13PM
Gamestop people don't know crap.
I witnessed a guy telling a mother and father looking to buy a 360 that there are no patches offered for games if there is something wrong with them. I stepped it and told him he was a moron.
He said, "oh well i don't play xbox."
Trekster_Gamer @ Jan 6th 2009 1:19PM
It's not worth it at all! It's not just XBOX titles that they rip you off it's everything as far as trade in goes. I buy games from them but for example I saw a guy the other day bring in like 15 PS2 titles and they gave him like 50.00 store credit. You know he had to have paid 3 to 4x that much for the games and was stupid enough to trade them!
I know they have overhead but that is still outrageous. You can easily see your games on Ebay or Craigslist and get more.
TekZilla @ Jan 6th 2009 1:28PM
Man... eff Gamestop, this so called "game store" is probably the last place on my list of places to buy/trade/sell games. Perfect example of their fuckery, COD4 launch day I roll up in there like "yo lemme get that modern warfare" and theyre like "naw son, shipment hasnt arrived.." so Im like "what? its after noon and you guys are a GAME store!" So after about 10 minutes of looking around the UPS guy comes with some boxes.. YES COD4 time! So I roll up like "yo you got that now?" and dude is all like "naw son we only got 75 copies and about 100 pre-orders." I damn near slapped him in his nerdy fat face. Anyway I walked out a little preturbed so I decide to hit the wal-mart in the same shopping plaza, and wouldnt you know it, they had at least 30 copies behind the glass with even more behind the counter. So kiddies lets review, Gamestop and stores like it are a rip off and in most cases the employees are dicks who act like they know everything about every game ever made.
imbecile pete @ Jan 6th 2009 1:40PM
its not worth it
you should just keep the games...
offday @ Jan 6th 2009 3:44PM
Agreed. Keep your games. If you just play them once for 5 minutes sometime in the next 10 years, it's more worth it than what you'll get at gamestop.
greg @ Jan 6th 2009 2:51PM
I'm not surprised. M$ stopped supporting the original XBOX... 2 years ago. At lease they kept letting people trade them in til now. The only gripe i have about gamestop is the rediculous practice of selling you something opened as brand new... if the plastic is not on it, it's not new any more. I don't trade in my games, otherwise i'd have lots of other gripes.... This one just bugs me, so will not be buying anything from there for a while, unless it's a preorder, that's the only way to get an unopened product. The employee I deal with at game stop is really a cool guy and gives good advice, so i don't blame him for that practice.
Scrybe @ Jan 6th 2009 4:28PM
My solution...Goozex. Discovered this game trading website last year after my son broke down in tears leaving gamestop. He traded back about 10 games and got peanuts for it. I was furious but couldn't figure out what to do. Checked out a few online trading sites and went with Goozex.....never had a reason to trade games in to gamestop ever since. Works on a point system and you only pay a $1 fee for incoming trades. New games retain 80-105% of value during the first 3-6 months! I've checked a trade in on Lost Odyssey at gamestop....went to Goozex instead and got the equivalent of $45 in trading points for it. Used that to get several other games I wanted at the time. Only downside is that new releases can take some time to get to you....unless you keep a stockpile of points. Lots of people in line ahead of you don't have enough trading points so the system skips down the line and offers it to the first person with enough points.
My son trades games all the time now. Beats a game....then trades it. Never plays that game he got for xmas....trade for something else. Trade ds games...get some Wii games....you get the picture.
Ed @ Jan 7th 2009 12:36AM
The only, and I mean only, reason I set foot in a Gamestop is to check what the trade-in value is for a game I don't want anymore. That way I know what starting price I need to put on my ebay auction. =)
Neo Asuma @ Jan 8th 2009 9:54PM
@ JayFight
We have a similar place here in Milwaukee called "Mega Media Xchange," except this place takes all types of media (movies, games, music) and gives you pretty good prices for your stuff. They even take vinyl records, I believe. A few years ago, I sold my old, fat PS2 and about 10-15 games and got $125-135 for it all. I was shocked (in excitement). And they also have very good prices when selling merchandise as well.
Supes @ Jan 13th 2009 12:23AM
Exactly its all business. Have you traded in a car before? Better yet have you gone to college and traded in books before? While i agree some is BS but when the game retails for $30 used and we have 79 copies dont expect to get alot. I agree with the rest if you dont like the deal youre getting go somewhere else. Better yet check and see if they price match with area stores. If you have a town with a GameStop without a target, walmart, or kmart then theres something wrong.