# Is it unethical to sell a used video game without compensating the publisher?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-to-sell-a-used-video-game-without-compensating-the-publisher/482417>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [January 22, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-to-sell-a-used-video-game-without-compensating-the-publisher/482417 "2009-01-22T05:58:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Robin\_Goodfellow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Robin\_Goodfellow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robin_Goodfellow)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-to-sell-a-used-video-game-without-compensating-the-publisher/482417/21 "2009-01-31T23:04:20Z")

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> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> 1. GameStop gives out 20% of the original price for a trade-in. 30% if it’s a particularly in demand game.

Just for the sake of fighting ignorance (and because there are already millions of forums where you can find misinformation about Gamestop’s practices) - [particularly high-demand games](http://www.gamestop.com/gs/specialty/tradeins/) get between 20-50% of their new sale price, before any bonuses. Older games vary, but generally get 15-25% of their current resale value.

I do wish there were more easy and reliable options for used games, though. Gamestop could do with the kick of a lot more competition in that market.

> [@](#):
>
> 1. If you can beat _Shadow of the Collosus_, then you are effectively a god and have no need for this social construct referred to as “money”.

Sweet! Somebody should have the ICO team fax some proof of deityhood to my bill collectors. 😃  
I can’t find any good cites at the moment, but I remember there being a small hubbub about Sony originally wanting to [introduce a technology](http://www.joystiq.com/2005/11/08/playstation-3-wont-play-used-games/) to the PS3 to make its game discs unplayable except in the first system in which they were played. I’m sure that the game publishers would’ve loved the idea to become standard, but gamers themselves were far less enthused for it.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-to-sell-a-used-video-game-without-compensating-the-publisher/482417/22 "2009-01-31T23:10:19Z")

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I’d love to see how they dealt with the owners of defective PS3s who got replacement systems under warranty and immediately discovered that their extensive collection of games had turned into an extensive collection of coasters with holes in them.

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**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-unethical-to-sell-a-used-video-game-without-compensating-the-publisher/482417/23 "2009-02-01T00:58:44Z")

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> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> 1. If you can beat _Shadow of the Collosus_, then you are effectively a god and have no need for this social construct referred to as “money”.

That’s what I keep telling people but they still insist I pay for things.

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