GameStop: We're not cannibalising new game sales

GameStop CEO Paul Raines has defended the retailer's sale of pre-owned games, and argued that it actually has a positive effect for developers.

"We are not ashamed of the pre-owned business and in fact we believe that it's good for the industry," he told Gamasutra.

He would admit that communicating the benefits to developers, more gamers playing more games and so a bigger audience, was something that the company could do better at.

"We're really not cannibalising new game sales. That's a common misconception. So my answer to developers is that we are driving growth in a category that needs to grow. We think there's a real lack of awareness as far as how it's good for the industry. The transparency you're seeing from us is because we want people to know about it, helping people understand what we're trying to do for the industry."

"We are not ashamed of the pre-owned business, we believe that it's good for the industry"

He added that most gamers hang on to their games for 6 weeks before trading them in, and that allowing people to then purchase those games more cheaply was giving consumers the chance to try new genres and titles.

"A lot of our consumers tell us that the pre-owned business has allowed them to learn more about video gaming. There's a disconnect between a lot of the blogosphere and what consumers tell us."

But perhaps his strongest point during the interview was that the pre-owned business would be around as long as there are people that can't afford the latest triple-A title on the latest console on day one.

"The pre-owned business is not going to go away overnight. No matter what happens, there will be people who want a $9.99 Madden 07. They don't have $59 to pay for the new game. We've got a ton of customers still playing PS2 games. I mean, where do you buy PS2 games anymore except GameStop? There's a consumer for that."