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Regulators Approve EB/Gamestop Merger

Posted by Zonk on from the more-store-for-your-dollar dept.

Gamasutra is reporting that the U.S. SEC has approved the merger of Gamestop and EBGames, which was proposed earlier this year. From the article: "If completed, the merger between GameStop and EB would create a single company representing 20 to 30 percent of the overall market for video game products in the United States, and practically the entire market for used games. It's currently unknown whether EB and GameStop stores would keep their current monikers, or unite under one central name for branding purposes."

4 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. bad deal on used games... by beowulfy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just have to say here that I hate how little these stores give you in store credit for good used games. You can sell them back any popular, good condition game for store credit, and they will give you about 5 bucks for it. Then they turn around and sell the used game for $45, only $5 off the retail price. So they screw you at both ends. I wouldn't mind if they charged this much for the used games if they gave you a more fair trade in value and vice verca. I stopped shopping there years ago because I didn't like supporting such a greedy company.

    --
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -Hunter S. Thompson
    1. Re:bad deal on used games... by slashrogue · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's because they make so little profit on new games. Reselling used games is how they make their money.

  2. Entire market for used games? by LordNimon · · Score: 4, Insightful
    practically the entire market for used games.

    They must mean just brick-and-mortar stores, because used games are definitely a lot cheaper on eBay or Amazon.com, even if you include shipping. Frankly, I don't know why anyone would buy a used game from these stores. After all, you have to have a computer or console to play the games, so chances are you have Internet access, too.

    --
    And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
    To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
  3. Re:Very little competition, especially online. by frederec · · Score: 3, Insightful
    I like the principle of Steam getting rid of the publishing middleman, but I absolutely hate the requirement of being online even after buying the game. Call me old fashioned, but I've always prefered being able to buy a game, play it, then a few years later bust it out and play it again. If I wanted, I could go home right now and bust out my nintendo and start playing some games. Steam requires that the company still exist and have the same setup a few years later. Technology changes so quickly that I don't have a whole lot of confidence that it will retain a similar form, if it still exists. This is something (aside from the price) that has traditionally kept me away from MMOGs. The impermanence of it being so built in. If that changes I'll give it another look.

    As for the revolution. That's all speculation right now, but I can only hope it will do all that people hope it can. If old things aren't so available, at least they can still be playable.