Used Games & Trade In = My New Best Friends

I know there are a lot of people out there that don't like to buy used games from Gamestop. I know all about the company's douchey history, and I agree with most of it. That being said, when I'm looking for something new to fire up in the ol' 360, modern prices can be downright intimidating.

Here in Puerto Rico, a new Xbox 360 game retails for $62.99 - before tax. Your final tally is around $67, so you can imagine why I don't buy as many new games as I used to. No, nowadays I'm content to pick up those titles that interest me when they drop in price new or appear used for some decent coin. As long as the game is in good condition and complete, I have no problem with it being used. I do prefer my games new when possible, so hunting for the cheapest price has become a necessity.

Sure, I don't play as many games at once as I used to, but is that necessarily a bad thing? How many games can one guy play at a time anyway? Right now, I can think of several titles, like Conan, Condemned 2, Ace Combat 6, and Guitar Hero III, that I'll be grabbing as soon as they drop. Out of the sixty or so 360 games I've owned so far, I've only bought two cash for full price: NBA 2K7 and Oblivion. The good thing about buying games cheap is that once I've beaten them and gotten as many achievements as possible, they become good trade-in fodder. Yes, I used Gamestop's trade-in program! For shame!

Hey, I've gotten great games like Call of Duty 4, Rainbow 6: Vegas 2, and even the mighty Gears of War for pennies cash thanks to trading in old games. Using the membership card and taking advantage of specials, one can really knock off a lot from the total price. My policy is that the less I have to pay cash, the better. And it's not like I'm losing out by keeping these old games around. Once I'm done with them, why have them stick around? Does anyone honestly think I'm screwing myself by trading in Ratatouille once my daughter and I have beaten it?

Games haven't come down in price, despite the spiel of shit publishers shoveled down our throats in the '90s. Remember "CDs are cheaper than cartridges!"? Yeah - for the publishers. It's funny how today's DVD-based games are as expensive as SNES and N64 carts were a decade ago. It's all bullshit, just like how in-game advertising would help reduce prices too.



I'm not a rich dude. I have a mortgage and two kids, so I'm going to get my game on any way I can. If that means I have to wait out some titles and reduce the size of my current library in order to get new games, then so be it. It's not like I'm going to pirate them or anything (I'm totally against that), so who can blame me for not buying games full price? I still get to play all the big titles when they're released too.That's where those old games shine one more time before they're gone. GTA 4? I've got four old games just waiting to be traded in for that one.