I read this article from Gamasutra, which discussed the strong holiday showing by GameStop. While I hold no grudges towards GameStop (or EBGames) I never appreciated purchasing a “new” game from their mall stores only to discover that the “new” game had in fact been previously played. One only needs to perform a google search to see that I am in good company.
I strongly suspect that the new PlayStation Rewards program will either change PS3 owner’s purchasing patterns (i.e. no longer purchase “new” games from GameStop) or stop GameStop from allow employees to play new games, return them to the packaging, and sell them as “new” games.
From the PS3 Rewards FAQ:
How do I advance my standing faster?
At launch the program rewards playing new Blu-ray games, and activity in Home & on the PlayStation®Store such as buying movies, shows, games or other content. We’re always evaluating additional Reward behaviors.
Gamers that really care about Rewards may also think twice about purchasing a used game if they really want to receive credit for their purchases.
Should be interesting to see how this plays out.
