GameStop was one of the pioneers in the used game market (along with EB Games, which they bought), and has most recently survived an onslaught from Best Buy when the yellow tag started taking games for trade a few years ago.
However, after Walmart started taking game trades on Wednesday, you'd think the gaming-exclusive retailer might be a little shaken with such big competition.
That's not the case, as GameSpot reported yesterday that GameStop CEO Paul Raines is anything but shook right now, and is actually welcoming Walmart to the fold.
"For years we have faced very strong big box and online competitors in that space and [we] expect that will continue going forward," Raines said on an earnings call that GameSpot attended. "I would point out that it is a great sign that in the category that large competitors return after previous attempts as they see that the preowned video game business has a lot of growth ahead."
The previous attempt that Raines referred to was Walmart's first foray into the used games scene in 2009, which was ultimately short-lived.
"Consumers have low top of mind awareness of buy/sell/trade and new competitors will drive greater overall awareness of the category, which has always been very good for our business," Raines said. "GameStop, of course, is a formidable competitor in this space."
Raines also brought up figures about the benefits of trades to the industry at large, noting that 75 percent of all trades are applied directly towards new products.
Will you be sticking to your GameStop guns as far as trades go, or is a trip to your local Walmart in order the next time you're short on gaming cash?
