GameStop Promo Wants You To Trade-In Your Old Switch For A New Switch

Typical Gamestop. Why do they still exist?

Some people do this though. I had a guy in my division trade in his PS4 pro for Spiderman edition. Paid $200 after trade in.

I would imagine hackers are buying up some of the older models as GS is charging $280 used. Why would anyone in their right mind not fork over another $20 for a new system!!

This still makes no sense at all. I mean, aside from the "special edition" Switch, which isn't really that special to me, nothing really justifies the price hike. Seriously, the niether game will be more than $60 some Dollars. Also, don't those bundles come with a digital code rather than a physical copy? No thanks. AAA were meant for physical releases. That's the collector in me though.

Why sell an entire Switch when all that needs to be gotten are the new joycons and dock?

Trading in three at the moment.

Haven't shopped at GameStop in years, don't plan on doing it now.

@SwitchForce I visit GameStop frequently, but even I have to admit they have NOTORIOUSLY shady practices. Employees, as I understand it, are encouraged to con customers into bundles they didn't originally want and get bonuses for doing so. I was going to trade in my Wii U copy of Tropical Freeze for the $60 Switch version and was offered $2 for it. The guy actually tried to make it seem like it was in my best interest. They're my go-to games store for making purchases (mostly because I live in a small town where Wal-mart is the only other option) but they are kind of a joke.

GameStop gonna GameStop.

@SwitchForce actually he had a valid comment, you on the other hand do not, so who's the troll.

This site used to have good comments sections with good healthy discussion and it's gone really downhill since about the time Thomas Whitehead left.

Now on topic, I don't know how GameStop still exists either, but this is how they earn their coin so clearly people value printed graphics of LE consoles.

@Not_Soos

Exactly, my biggest reason for not shopping there is just how bad I feel for every employee I interact with there. The fact that they have to meet pre-order quotas/etc. just turns me right off. That and I don't really believe in used game sales anyway, at least not at a store. I'd rather buy used games at a flea market/garage or yard sale, or directly from a regular person online, not a corporation.

@Not_Soos I could understand if Tropical Freeze Wii U wouldn't be worth $60 since it got a Nintendo Selects release but it's still gotta be worth more than $2.

Makes sense... from their perspective.
Gamestop only gross a small fraction of new items, but they gross 100% of used items. Chances are that if you trade in your old Switch for a new switch, and they still end up selling the old Switch for $280, they ultimately made a profit.

It'll make more sense from the customer's perspective if this was for a new model, but alas we are not there yet.

Nintendo could also be giving incentives to the company, even with the firmware updates, the models of Switch that were produced and shipped Before July/2018 are more hackable due to some electronic architectural setup, it was fixed by August/2018, but the number of hacking products is still increasing in popularity, but take the older systems off the market and replace them.....

yes, that would be a great benefit to Nintendo and other software companies as well as GameStop's business as well

just a theory, but not an unreasonable one either

You'll lose all your game data if you do though.

@Xaessya

Not all, just a few select games. It's still enough to make me want to wait for Nintendo to figure this cloud save thing out before upgrading, though.

don't gain anything new from this. only a game that comes with that bundle.
@Frenean I've haven't visited Gamestop since 2017. I've always order my games on Amazon now.

What a joke. Surprised they offer this but im sure people will fall for it.

I like GameStop, I really do, but sometimes they do really dumb stuff.

I mean, assuming this applies to the Smash Bros ultimate bundle too, I could see some people who would do this. But as sad as I am that I won't be able to get that, it's just not worth it.

That’s an easy pawn for some “folks”. Keep an eye on your Switch!

I’ll sell anyone a copy of Diablo 3 plus some stickers for $160.

Isn't that what Nintendo (Sony & Microsoft too) is doing when they release special edition consoles? Hoping you will buy a device you already own?

Gamestop: Don't forget to purchase that extra warranty for every device, game, or doodad you buy!

@Not_Soos $60 Wii U version? What?

Only console with a decrease is sales year-over-year in September in the US. They getting creative 😏

But really, if they had a cool looking LE, I would do it.

Unpopular opinion- I actually quite like GameStop as the industry is going more and more online (Amazon type stuff) or digital it's nice to still have a place that holds a large number of physical games. Plus if you exploit the system you can get some cheap stuff.

@Trajan Switch; fixed it.

Gamestop is working with Nintendo to quarantine the old Switch with Bootrom bug. Piracy is bad for them too.

Did you guys know that a hacked Switch can play games from an external hard drive connected to the Switch Dock's USB? It's just like PS4 external HDD support, just too bad that you need to hack the Switch to have this function.

If you don't do hacking and used your switch a lot, and it's over a year old, it's a viable option since your Switch battery might be on its last leg. So trading it for $200 is not that bad.

For those old switch has factory defective before launch on March 3rd, 2017. Will not allow able to trade-in your unit.

For old Switch before Trade-In Make sure you have Warranty sticker do not remove or sealed is broken. But Don't Dismantle or Disassembly loss other parts and don't use Custom Firmware or Hacker Firmware like Jailbreak. It depends you have license agreement.

@Not_Soos You should probably consider shopping online instead. More value for your money, and, well, sometimes less shady practices (since a pop-up goes away when you click NO and doesn't pop up right away again with "are you sure?" 60 more times. 1 maybe, but unlike Gamestop, it's not in your face, changing its rhetoric like a snake trying to spot an opening in your defenses.)

@Adrevenue I mean... Yes, they physically have physical games in their physical store, but... You're getting the same thing, but paying more. Games coming from online shopping are physical too, if you order a physical copy. Same thing, but cheaper.

I don't see the bright side here. Picture of every nook and cranny of the box online + cheaper pricetag + release day delivery beats just about anything coming out of Gamestop.

$160 for a lick of paint? I guess fools and their money are easily parted.

The Trolls are out in full force, if you don't you don't like it don't buy it. Just plain as Jane Gray. I have no problem buying games from GameStop as needed but then again people just like to con others so they can be the only buyers from GameStop. If there was such problem then let's see the facts not hyperbole facts. Your experience from bad shopping at GameStop isn't anyone but the buyers fault. You had a choice but you failed to do it right.

To be fair, there is more value than just trading the same thing for itself. As long as your used system is in workable condition (else you cheat gamestop and future owner of the system), trading for a new system means you 'remove' or 'trade in' any wear and tear on the old system and joycons for a new aka unused system. Or if you're really picky about scratches and you happened to ding your system/controller, and if Gamestop doesn't mind and still accepts it, then you 'trade' that visual defect, so there is some extra value to be gained.

You'll probably lose all your save data, and you lose some extra money to make the transaction. But it's still part of the equation, most people won't find these extra small bits worth the trade, but some may find it worthwhile.

Fair play to Gamestop for giving people a choice that they can make off they want.
This is good because it makes owning a Used Switch more affordable therefore there will be more Switch being played and more games sold.
More games sold = more revenue for Nintendo.
More revenue = More and better games!
It's a bigger picture but the future is healthy!

Game stop!

I can't believe these game stop people! Come round your house, take your old switch, give you a diablo special edition and charge you $160!!!
Oh, it's a deal you can choose to take if you want? Ok.

@Xaessya you won't loose anything as long as you transfer the accounts while in the store

Why not save the trade in for next years improved model

@Spoony_Tech
Lol “fork over” another $20 ?!? You’re right! holy cash Batman that’s way too much for a new unscratched Nintendo™️ system 🙄

I will buy lottery tickets if I want to waste money...

How was this ever weird or confusing?

They've been doing it for 3DS bundles and special edition systems since forever.

I would consider this as my switch screen is scratched and loose on one side

@SwitchForce Gamestop employee detected.

@KingMike look it up its worth $1.92 just looked it up

Article didn't even mention the SSBU bundle launches in just a week, next Friday Nov 2nd, which will probably be a big seller. And you know a few people who really are into Smash will trade in their old vanilla console for that bundle. This website has so lost it.

https://www.gamestop.com/nintendo-switch/consoles/nintendo-switch-super-smash-bros-ultimate-edition-console/167643?cid=fds_10000777&CAWELAID=120192760000134316&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=64172915887&CATCI=pla-300651966409&gclsrc=aw.ds&&CATARGETID=120192760000136339&CADevice=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiLjSk4Kk3gIVjkoNCh2b9gouEAQYASABEgLQBvD_BwE

@Adrevenue
I like having GameStop around too. It’s great having a dedicated video games store. I realize they are stingy with trade values (I usually wait until there is a promotion where you get extra percentage) and all, but they do not make a lot of money off of new games and systems so they have to make it somewhere. I definitely rather spend a little more with them than give Walmart or Amazon anything.

@Blizzia I can see where your coming from but
1. When is it ever necessary to see every part of the box anyway and if you direly need to see it your best bet is to go to a store anyway.

2. I don't think you read the end of my comment While on the l surface it looks while GameStop has higher pricetags if you know their system which is actually pretty easy it's not difficult to farm store credit and I've even managed to get cheap consoles (my switch cost $100) and have gotten numerous free games.

3. If you're looking to play the game early GameStop is the way to go in fact I was their for the RDR release last night that wouldn't have been possible with Amazon.

While I agree that GameStop has flaws so does Amazon. You're not getting it that much cheaper if you have to pay shipping and handling unless you have the prime membership which you also have to pay for. To each their own though.

@rdrunner1178 If you learn how to exploit their system and the store near you doesn't have a stingy manager you'll be paying less anyway

The funny thing is this “bonus” is literally 10 dollars more then the 190 in store credit for a switch as a pro-member. Still not enough to sway me even being a themed console and diablo 3 fanboy. I don’t even have enough time for the games I currently have right now so sinking another few hundred hours into diablo again is gonna have to wait. I decided to hold out for the inevitable new gen Pokémon console I feel like that will be a better purchase in the end

Maybe it has something to do with the hacking scene and the fact that the older versions are super-easy to hack...

I used to be completely against GameStop around 2004 because of bad experiences and employees that didn't seem to know what they were talking about. However, in the last couple of years, I've enjoyed visiting my local GameStops. The employees are very knowledgeable and nobody has tried to push anything on me. Yes, they'll ask if you want to pre-order something, but they don't badger me after I decline. Of course, everyone's mileage will vary as each GameStop location is run by people and every person is different.

@Adrevenue Oh dw, I don't use Amazon. I use a sensible online shop, get my games 1-5 days early, my Switch cost about €50. I do the same, just at a better/faster pace, and with generally cheaper purchases than Gamestops.

The website I use it Danish-only, but works amazingly for me. Any discount Gamestop can offer is negligible versus that.

@MooPenguin32 Guess yours are better than ours. I walk in and they instantly ask if I'm pre-ordering CoD or some other garbage franchise...

NO, SIR, I CAME TO CHECK OUT QUALITY GAMES.

@Blizzia How are you getting your games early?That seems pretty illegitimate to me.

@MooPenguin32 @Blizzia Yep your milegae may vary.

@deltapeng I agree with you. I’ve been contemplating switching out my switch just to have a fresh system with fresh batteries. I would never do the trade at GameStop simply because you need both systems in hand to transfer all your data over. So, I would rather buy the new system, transfer my data and then sell my old one on Craigslist.

There are many, many, many reasons why I stopped going there (it's still called EB Games in Canada). I remember a time (possibly 20 years ago or so) where I was often going there as they had good deals back then. And their selection of used titles were actually priced relatively fairly (as in, low enough to not canibalize sales of new copies).

But the one event that contributed the most in stopping me from going there, is when they offered me $2 for a title they were selling used for $40. I know the whole point is to make money. but that's way beyond what anyone would sensibly consider as insulting.

And after that, whenever I tried to benefit some promo from them, most of the time, what they'd be giving me for my games (current gen ones at the time and never sports crap) was often pretty insulting. How in hell they can get so many people selling them their games for so little cash is something I'd never get.

Also, they often run flase advertising up here, as when you get in store, the clerks and even managers sometimes contradicts what's in their own flyer and refuse to honor the promos in their own ads...

I sometimes still go there when I have nothing better to do (rarely). But I never end up buying anything as they NEVER have good prices, or never have the stuff I'm looking for.

I hope Gamestop do the gameing industry a favor and just die. Sad for those who'll lose their jobs though. But I still want them to die.

@Not_Soos $2?! i hope you laughed in his face after you walked out, i know i would.

@Not_Soos I worked at GameStop for several years when in highschool, eventually moving up to Store Leader before graduating college and leaving the company. I did not like their culture and as an SL you do push your employees to get GPG's and PRP's (product and game warranties) to make your numbers along with reservations/pre-orders, but there's nothing of the like of what you've mentioned. At least not two years ago. Still, I avoid GS like the plague, because I am OCD AF and I hate buying "new" games that have been opened.

@Adrevenue The store ships them whenever they were told they could ship copies from by the distributor. Nothing shady about it honestly. Sometimes a title arrives at their UK storage instead, and that means they can ship it even earlier because they have launch day arrival guarantee.

From titles that land at their Danish storage they're allowed to ship the day before launch day. If you've got the game preordered well in advance, aka for launch day, they might just up and ship the whole shabang just past midnight, not breaking their ship date. Which means that people who get stuff shipped to companies typically get it the same day it is shipped, and people who get it privately first get it on launch day because... Well... Our mail system is garbage when you're trying to get something delivered to your house?

EDIT: Guess I should also mention I'm a top loyalty member so I get discount on all purchases, VIP support and more.

EDIT2: If you have pickup just over midnight, pickup would have your goods at our global pickup point before the global pickup point starts distributing regionally. As long as a regional distribution hits the regional distribution point before 7 AM (you can drive through Denmark from one end to another on... 3-4 hours?), it will be distributed that same day if it is company mail (less of that than private mail), if private, it'll be dropped in a humongous queue.

I know this because my girlfriend's father works with this exact stuff.

I guessed people would complain about this, at least you have a massive retailer distributed all over to go and buy games whenever you want at retail price or with discounts without any hassle. My country doesn't have any GameStop or equivalent and any games you find here are double the price since they import them. Gotta order everything from Amazon which I end up paying around 20-30% more for every purchase. With all that money I could've bought every other system with their best games. Sucks, just saying though, I know GameStop has had some gfddthddbuu practices over the year.

For most consoles this would be pretty idiotic. But Switch is a mobile device coming up on 2 years old....right around when most people trade phones due to battery and material wear. I'm not going to be jumping in on it, but it kind of makes some sense in this case. Refresh your switch for $100.

@JamesJose7 The problem with GS is we want to love it.....but they go out of their way to make sure no one can.

If your life partner does something like this, divorce them.

@NEStalgia LMAO that's a very good way to put it. They need more competitors I guess.

@Spoony_Tech I am just waiting for the new model to come out so that I can move everything over and hack my current one.

So glad they didnt pay Nintendo for a Zelda edition.

I'd honestly be tempted by this only because I bought my Switch at launch, and it's a bit worse for wear as a result (warping and cracking being the primary issues). Still works perfectly well, so I'm not inclined to buy a brand-new or even pre-owned system (which would be €200+). But then, I don't know that GameStop would even take my Switch in its current state for this deal; that, and I live in Ireland, so I can't avail of the deal regardless. Ah well.

@huyi How can I laugh in his face after I walk out? Haha, but in all seriousness, I'm a very passive person but that was probably the closest I've come to being rude to someone.

@Switcher,
Yeah, buying "new" games that have been opened.... This is another thing I can't stand from GS employees. I mean, the ONLY thing that can guarantee me that a game is new, is if it's unopened, still wrapped in its case with, when applicable, the usual seal. If it's openned, it cannot be considered "new" as there is litterally NO WAY TO TELL.

Their insistance on making me believe these opened games are "new" is quite irritating. You know, I also have all these "new" games at home too.... Yes, I can guarantee you they've never been played. I swear! Just trust me!

The rare times I went in there looking for a specific game, I always specify I want a NEW, WRAPPED copy. If they try to pass me an openned copy, I let them know I have no way to tell its new, and no, their word doesn't mean a thing. Then I just leave. Although, I'm rarely shopping there anymore (horrible service, fraudulent ads, no real good deals to be found, etc, etc...)

@NEStalgia
Exactly. Me too, I'd love to go to a decent videogame store with knowledgeable, passionate staff, that sells all kind of games and geeky stuff, but like you said, GS kind of go out of their way to make sure the customers' experience ends up being a lesson in crappiness.

I always tell people that many companies have it wrong when they say online commerce is hitting them hard. They always say customers go online simply because it often costs less, but they never think that many customers are actually resorting to order online because you simply pissed them out of your stores because of bad customers experiences. Many times, large retail stores and chains are themselves pushing customers towards online competitors. But they never think about this, do they?

Of course they don't. Because otherwise, they'd be hell-bent on giving good service (which is the main reason people still go shop in stores instead of online).

@Realnoize Yeah. I have to say around Switch launch GS seemed like a really pleasant store with friendly staff (my location.) And very Nintendo friendly. But that was after years of them trying to sell opened games as new, arguing and basically being as unpleasant as possible when arguing that. "It's just policy"...basically, "#dealwithit"...so I did and walked across the parking lot to Best Buy where they sold me sealed games without any attitude. And eventually Amazon.

I've had some very good GS experience since then, but the problem is the thrill of retail is what's on the shelves, and they've thinned their shelves down to a smattering of games, mostly poorly handled used games at near full-price, pushed like crazy in your face, and what little they have they opened the boxes already. They're fine if you pre-order, but then why not just buy online?

My favorite is brick and mortar stores (not GS) that proudly tell you "oh, we only carry the most popular products here, but if you go on our website you can get it delivered to the store for free!" Great, so I can't see it in person, I can find out you don't have it in store. Then go home, buy online anyway, put my credit card another place to get hacked, then come back to the store in 2-12 days for the item.......or I could order on Amazon without ever leaving the couch, and get it in 2 days, and likely pay less.

@EasyDaRon I went to their website to look up how much they want to sell the game for and it's not even listed.
Though somehow a used copy of Paper Mario: Color Splash is worth more than a new one.

$4 is about the MINIMUM ebay price.
But do you also care to defend GameStop giving reportedly $28 on MUSHA for Genesis, yet selling it for over $200 or whatever they were asking? That's just over 10%.

@KingMike And yet they're still always teetering on bankruptcy...

@NEStalgia I'm willing to bet that if it isn't 100% they won't take it. Theyre going to use the old ones for resale at $275 or something.

I might do this. I have a launch Switch and have some of the usual problems. I could send it in to Nintendo, but if they eff up, I'll lose my Splatoon 2 data. So maybe I'll just do this and get a game with it I'd have already purchased.

@NEStalgia
I totally get you. There are too many stores out there that just don't understand the reason why people are shopping there. Many brick and mortar stores think business is hard because of online stores offering lower prices, but what I'm hearing most of the time from various people is that they'd PREFER having a store to go to buy their stuff and get some service if something doesn't work. Many people think getting your product right away beats having to wait for the order to arrive.

The problem, is that stores don't see that it's all about the customer experience. Piss off too many people with stupid store policies, and those people will simply go elsewhere. And sometimes, that elsewhere is online competitors because there is no real local alternative. THEY are pushing people to go online because of bad customer service.

You know, there's a place I go often to buy some vinyl records. Even ordered some in store that I went to pick up later. Why don't I order online? Because last time I went there, the manager saw me and greeted me by my first name from across the store, and took the time to introduce me to his newest employee telling her that I'm a regular and usually know what I'm looking for. Then we had a nice discussion about music, Led Zep, the latest from McCartney, and other stuff... I'm going there often because I feel important, as a customer. It's friendly, they know their stuff, and the overall experience is something I wouldn't get from ordering online. Another store I go for records looks like KSKSLOSKSJSBSBSSH, but the overall experience is A+ and, again, staff know their stuff and are super friendly.

So many stores just don't get it... Thinking business is hard because of online store... not realizing THEY are often the ones pushing their customers to go elsewhere, online...

People just laying into Gamestop: you're ok living in a world where your buying choices are limited to either mega stores like Walmart or our overlord Amazon?

Bring on more small stores and gaming chains, I say. I don't care how many stupid offers they come up with; I'd rather support them than Amazon. Nobody's forcing me to take them up on this offer.

Brick and mortar stores are like they've always been: your experience will vary based on your local store. My Gamestop is fine, if not good. The employees don't hassle you, some of them are good friends of my family, and I know I can stop over and pick up a game in 10 minutes if I need to (and bring something back in 10 minutes if I need help). Some of you may live near "bad" Gamestops, and that's unfortunate, but don't shepherd all of us closer to this future of one retailer to rule them all.

@PurinPuff because they know sir folks will simply buy Ashbourne switch without that choice.

@Switcher I too prefer fresh sealed copies

I haven't been to Best Buy in awhile but I do remember when online shopping started to really hit the big time they were blaming online stores for them losing business when at the time they were, particularly on PC stuff, charging 200-300% of what amazon or newegg was selling similar products for. I think they may have since dropped prices to more competitive levels.

It's interesting to watch consumers railing against their own self interests. Digital is almost always more expensive especially after a game has been out a few months. Digital prices don't drop as quickly as physical prices, especially used physical prices. Physical games can be traded in later for cash or credit towards another game. In addition to digital games often being more expensive by purchase price (or shall I say rental price) you also have to provide your own storage. Now SD cards aren't that expensive but they also aren't free.

In my experience when a digital game gets a permanent price drop, so then does the physical copy but the same isn't true in reverse. Enjoy your full priced, long term rentals.

BTW, once you guys successfully kill off physical games you will be left with no competition at all. Indeed, there will only one store to get Nintendo (or Sony or Microsoft) games from and there will never be a need to put those games on sale.

$100 seems like a lot of money to spend for a dock with a couple of stickers on it.

@Crono1973 The anti-digital gaming propaganda is just strange IMO, it comes off as people who are having a hard time adjusting to changing standards with how something is being distributed. Like the old folks who act like streaming is a disastrous thing because they think cable TV is so much better for some odd reason.

@rallydefault
They gut games and try to sell them as new so they can have display copies even though Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target do not do this. Yet if you open the game in front of an associate in the store and try to return it they will tell you it is used. They also allow their employees take home games and play them even if it's the only used copy left in the store.

The new Switches aren't any better unlike the 3DS models so FORGET ABOUT IT!!!

@techdude that's exactly what I was thinking. my battery is evidently swollen and fixing it costs too much, I'd rather trade in the whole thing and get a new shiny one

I don't trade or sell with Gamestop, but I get good deals buying and I have fun picking up merch. Personally I love the store, 2 of my 3 local ones are friendly, the variety is heaps better then Walmart and Best Buy and the staff are knowledgable. Plus I don't hafta sift through overpriced games for pages on end, like I do Amazon or eBay. And I'd rather walk to the store then possibly get screwed by an online seller to return a faulty game.

$200 isn't a shabby deal. We don't have a Switch yet.

@JayJ This is the best you've got? I list the reasons that physical is better for consumers and you respond with 'you're just afraid of change'. Pretty sad.

Lol that's just asinine

It’s time for Gamestop to go out of business. It’s way overdue.

@Crono1973 Wasn't aware that this was supposed to be some kind of heated argument. Anyways your wording of "long term rental" to describe digital games tells me how you are very confused as to how they work. It is like acting like once a physical game is no longer sold new in retail that you can no longer play a copy that you already possess. For example, I can still play all of the digital games I got on my Wii even though the Wii Store closed a while back. The continued sales have no effect on your ability to enjoy purchased content in other words, the only difference is how you can buy used physical games after the sales have ended while digital games are something that you more or less need to buy while it is being offered.

@JayJ You can play your Wii downloaded games until your Wii dies, no longer.

@Crono1973 Well same applies to physical games, they can get damaged or lost or the console can stop working properly, they are hardly fool proof. In my experience disc drives have been the most unreliable part of game consoles anyways, I have an old Wii that the disc drive stopped working on that I can still play my digital games on for example. With my old Xbox 360 when it got the red rings I just swapped the hard drive over to a new console and all of my games were there. With modern consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch if you lose your console for whatever reason all you need to do is log into your account and you can download everything you bought as compared to physical games where if you lose them you are out of luck.

@JayJ If your Wii dies, you can play your Wii discs in any other Wii. If you take care of your discs they should last for many years.

With downloaded Wii games, when the console dies then all your purchases are gone too.

@justin233 really your dumb to say you wish a company would go out of business trade in a switch for a swtich deal is an epic deal because it lets people like me swap out my switch for a new switch unlike your salty ass I traded in my neon switch for the smash bros switch and then once I get that I plan on keeping the dock and the joy cons and I already got a back up plain dock and an extra pair of grey joy cons which ill then trade in that smash bros switch with plain dock and plain joy cons in towards the pokemon swtich and will have both limited edition switch docks and the limited editon pokemon switch unlike you I see potential in gamestop and there awesome deals I will continue to show my support to gamestop am an elite pro member am sick of seiing but hurt people always attacking gamestop because there just trying to make money to stay in business and people like you attack them over there deals and whatever trade in values they offer geesh like stop hating

@JayJ there not stickers on dock I'm sure the design is engraved into the dock or painted to me its worth it is why I'm trading in two switches to get both smash and pokemon bundles

@PENGUINOFGOTHAM

Do you know what punctuation is?

Also, I never said I wanted them to go out of business. I simply asked why they still exist. People like you are why they still exist - thanks for answering my question.

@Reignmaker "Gamestop: Don't forget to purchase that extra warranty for every device, game, or doodad you buy!"

Lol. I've been offered warranty on a used game which cost €5. 😂

@Not_Soos Too bad Best Buy lost their GCU program for new users otherwise I would recommend that. At $30 for two years and 20% off all games including sale prices, toys to life (amiibo), and some other game related items it has saved me a lot of money. They even offer free shipping on everything if you spend enough per year, so you dont need one near you. Hopefully it comes back in some form soon.
The only thing I like about Gamestop is some of their older used game pricing.

This is the problem for all the woes thrown at GameStop they have membership point if you join that you can use but with Amazon Prime your 20% is no more and along that line BestBuy killed their GCU so those that are lucky to still have their GCU consider a godsend as that 20% when compared to Amazon and Gamestop for the same game 20% is something to make noise about. I rather have my options then be tossed to Walmart full price and Amazon full price and now will be BestBuy full price. Those aren't options I am looking forward to. So unless others on here can give Game buyers another system program that can give them points they can use to get coupons from GameStop to us as discounts I am looking right now.

I received my Switch on launch and, for that reason, will not trade it in.

@Crono1973 The problem with that is how it is a dying mentality. Modern consoles have made it easy to download your purchases on different consoles and discs are known to degrade over time (disc rot is a thing after all and some of the old disc consoles can be hard to get a disc drive that works well). Cartridges and game cards have been a lot more reliable though and are probably the best bet for the long term.

This does bring up a very real problem with a lot of older consoles though, most of them since the 16-bit era are disc based with the exception of the N64 and when the discs and drives go you are pretty much left with downloading them. Like it or not downloaded games are more or less the future. There is a good reason why people have loved to download old games on their modern consoles after all, unreliable disc drives, overpriced second hand cartridges, and old analog hookups have a lot to do with it.

@JayJ Discs will outlast any console digital store and backward compatibility is never assured.

@Crono1973 Pretty sure digital distribution isn't going away anytime soon, in fact it is the only option for some of the most popular platforms (Android and iOS). The anti-digital mentality is just something a niche group of aging hardcore gamers do.

@JayJ Why are comparing physical games to ALL digital distribution?

What I said was that your physical copy of a modern disc based game will outlast the digital store that's selling it. For example, I would expect the PS3 store to shut down before PS3 discs start to rot.The Wii U eShop will shut down before your Wii U discs begin to rot and so on.

The anti-digital mentality is just something a niche group of aging hardcore gamers do.

Yeah, some of us who have been gaming for a long time know the value of 1) Owning your copy of a game 2) Not having to buy your own storage 3) Being able to get a return on a game you are finished with.

Now you tell me what value (for the consumer) you see in digital distribution?

@Crono1973 Since when did video game stores offer large returns for your games after you have bought them, opened them, played them, and beat them? It sounds like you are confusing it with a rental service, and even then you still need to pay for rental fees. If you are talking about selling games I guess you can do that, but then again there is only so many people who are concerned with selling a game to gamestop for $5 store credit.

As for value in digital distribution, all you need to do is take a look at Steam sales on the PC to see where the value is. Physical games have been largely eliminated from the PC market for a good reason, and the discounts for digital items often go well beyond any discounts you rarely see for physical games. Then there is the fact that digital games are offered new on the market for a lot longer than most physical games, which are lucky to stay around for over a year.

@JayJ Every once in a while I gather up some games that I am finished with and trade them in at my local shop. It's how I bought my Wii U years ago and it's how I bought my Switch earlier this year. You underestimate how much you can get with trade ins. Really though, any return is better than what you get with digital purchases as with those, you get none.

We were talking about digital on consoles, not on PC. Not much point in comparing physical and digital on PC since physical is no longer an option. So let's stay on topic, yeah?

Your best argument is that digital is available as NEW longer than physical? Well, physical games can be sold decades later used and still work just as well as a new copy. Go look on ebay, you can buy almost any NES game and they still work just fine. Now do you imagine any CONSOLE digital store will be open for 30+ years?

You need them to be open too because when your console breaks or your hard drive dies you will need to redownload all your games. For physical buyers, they just need to get a used (or clone) console to play their old purchased games.

@Crono1973 So your argument works only when you limit it to the exact things that work at your convenience. Sorry but that is just a bad argument and a bad way to go about logic. Fact remains that with most modern platforms digital is a leading distribution method and it offers more options and better capabilities and better deals for the majority of people today. There is a good reason why people like you are a dying breed after all.

@JayJ My argument works for consoles where physical is an actual option. My argument doesn't work with PC because physical is already gone and no comparison can be made. I don't play on mobile so I can't speak about that.

Fact remains that with most modern platforms digital is a leading distribution method and it offers more options and better capabilities and better deals for the majority of people today.

You haven't shown that digital distribution offers more options and better capabilities. You also have to buy your own storage.

@Crono1973 Physical games still exist on PC, they are just highly unpopular because nobody wants to pay the retail price when they can buy a digital copy during a Steam sale for a dollar.

...and most modern platforms come with their own built-in storage with adequate space, the Switch is literally one of the only modern exceptions where extended storage is pretty much a necessity. Heck with an Xbox One and PS4 physical games have to install just as much space on the console as a digital copy in order to work. The only difference is how you need to have the disc in the drive as an extension of DRM.

Physical games still exist on PC, they are just highly unpopular because nobody wants to pay the retail price when they can buy a digital copy during a Steam sale for a dollar.

Also because you have to use Steam anyway so there's little point in buying a physical copy.The last physical PC game I bought was Skyrim, naturally the disc is worthless once you tie the game to your Steam account.

the Switch is literally one of the only modern exceptions where extended storage is pretty much a necessity.

...and yet here you are on Nintendo Life defending digital distribution even though you have to pay for your own storage.

The only difference is how you need to have the disc in the drive as an extension of DRM.

The other difference is that if you uninstall your physical game to make space, you can reinstall it faster than downloading it. Further, you will be able to install and play your physical games after the Xbox One and PS4 digital stores are shut down.

I am curious what the response will be when the 360 Marketplace and PS Store on PS3 are shut down.