Legal Niches

HMV CEO Defends Used Game Sales

By pete_gallagher

The CEO of UK retailer HMV understands why publishers are against used game sales, but he doesn't seem to agree with them.

Simon Fox (pictured), speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Fox indicated that publishers he talks to are 'mixed' on the subject of used games, saying, 'I've met both types - publishers that genuinely think what we're doing is wrong, or if it's not wrong that they should be benefiting from what we're doing. And others feel much more relaxed.'

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Fox demonstrated a pro-consumer sentiment, saying that he believes used game sales contribute to the sales of new titles.

As he explained:

We genuinely think that actually what it does is enable people to buy new product - and it allows them to trade-in previously-played product to get a credit and put that back into the games market. The way we've certainly geared our offer is that it's far more advantageous for the customer not to take cash, but to take a credit that's then used in buying another game.

Fox added, 'I think it's slightly odd that publishers should somehow think that they have a claim to profit that a customer might make on a second sale.'

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on October 05, 2010 (boomark / email).