Why don’t I ever trade my games in?

Why don’t I ever trade my games in? I don’t stockpile technology; I gave my original XBox to charity, although my PS2 is still in the attic and the only reason I lack the games for it is because I “lent” my old boss all of them when he was off with a shoulder injury and he never made it back to work (I blame SSX).

The reason I don’t trade games in is the same reason I don’t buy used games – the whole concept feels underhand. You’re selling a product in an identical state to that which you purchased it for less money – games seem to lose money faster than cars. Walk a game out of a shop doorway and just like a car it’s lost half its worth. Purchasing used games is also an exercise in Nick Leeson economics, at least if you’re intent on selling them again (or willing to lend them to your boss).

There is another reason to hold onto your old games and it’s one I’ve experienced first hand. A couple of weeks ago on a weeknight no less, I gained 55G on Burnout Revenge. A game released on March 30th 2006 and one I haven’t played in over a year; definitely usual criteria for a trade in. I had a spare couple of hours and whilst deciding whether to risk starting the inevitable late night that is CoD4, I had an almost tangible pang to play Road Rage. Four hours later saw the late night I was originally trying to avoid rewarded with two achievements and a wide grin.

There’s still gameplay and achievements in over half my catalogue; in previous months I’ve reignited Perfect Dark Zero online and even borrowed a friend’s copy of Kameo in exchange for Viva Piñata, a process which didn’t cost me anything (he wasn’t, after all, my old boss).

So rather than squandering hard earned cash, try trading with some of your friends or dipping back into that game you never finished. If Microsoft can see revenue streams in XBox Originals, perhaps you can too.