Used games are an essential part of the video game marketplace, generating more than $ 700 million in trade credit toward new games each year, GameStop President Tony Bartel told Forbes. Bartel defended the importance of used games in next-gen systems, noting that “recent surveys” suggested 60 percent of game customers would be less likely to purchase a console that couldn’t play used games.

Bartel wouldn’t want to see the pre-owned business evaporate, since used game sales have been known to represent almost a quarter of GameStop’s annual revenue. Bartel noted that regardless of next-gen capabilities, there were 100 million current-gen consoles in the US, so that market wouldn’t disappear any time soon.

GameStop has been banging this drum for years, noting in 2009 that 75 percent of trade-in credit applied directly to the purchase of a new game. Bartel told Forbes that 70 percent of trade-ins went toward new games and hardware per year, of more than $ 1 billion total trade-in credit.

The PlayStation 4 will be able to play used games, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida confirmed.

GameStop reminds console makers that used games matter at market originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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