Ben-DutkaRaise your hand if you're annoyed at the current trade-in prices for games…yeah, we see a lot of hands raised.
At best, GameStop will give you about 1/3 of what you paid for a game, and we all know they'll turn around and sell it for only $5 less than the cost of new. It's why many hardcore gamers simply won't partake of the program. But a better deal seems to have emerged: enter Gamestaq , a "streamlined peer-to-peer marketplace for buyers and sellers of video games," which only recently went live on December 16, 2010. With gaming as the top grossing entertainment medium, there is always a demand for a used game marketplace, and one that doesn't make the consumer frown in discontent after making what appears to be an unfair trade.
At Gamestaq, they will initially focus on titles released in the past 12 to 14 months and they will continue to expand their database of titles as time goes on. The beta was launched during the second half of 2009 and about 2,000 hardcore gamers gave it a shot. It was "very well received by this critical audience that provided many positive comments and reviews." Created by co-founders Joseph Gindi and David Faham (both experienced gamers), the duo wanted to "bring together sellers and buyers to complete equitable fair market trades." Said Gindi:
"We created Gamestaq because of our personal frustration with selling games. Brick and mortar competitors will buy a game for $25 and sell it 15 minutes later for $55. Gamestaq gives both parties the real market value for games through our secure and guaranteed marketplace."
The way it works is that Gamestaq utilizes a "proprietary algorithm that pulls in average pricing all across the web," and then they set the price for both the personal sale and purchase of the game. Basically, you offer to sell your game via Gamestaq, and they match you with a buyer looking for that specific title, so there's no "bulky auction process." Buyers and sellers need not interact; Gamestaq handles it and guarantees all transactions and ensures payment data security. Here's the rest of the description, for those of you who are interested:
"Once shipping is confirmed by Gamestaq’s unique pre-issued tracking number, their funds are released by Gamestaq into their own personal account. Each Gamestaq customer has a unique dashboard where they can control account and social information. Sellers can choose to use the money in their account to purchase a game via Gamestaq or can choose to cash out via PayPal or other methods. Revenue for Gamestaq comes from a small commission for each transaction that is payable by both buyer and seller. Gamestaq also does not require any additional posting fees for sellers."
As Gindi noted, "used video game consumers have been clamoring for a better way for years, and Gamestaq fills that need perfectly." I still remember working at EB about ten years ago, when they'd actually give you half of what they'd turn around and sell it for. But the gap has widened and many gamers won't do trade-ins at all, anymore. Well, Gamestaq might be a great solution; it sounds easy and both buyer and seller should be satisfied.