It’s not often these days I find myself buying new games in a shop. Sure, I’ll pick up the odd Xbox 360 release on impulse during a midnight Tesco trip between buying discounted cans of Pepsi Max, but by and large I’m an online shopper. Part of the reason lies with the fact that it’s simply cheaper in the majority of cases, but another significant reason is sealed games.
You see, if there is one practice on the retail high-street I hate, it’s breaking the seal on games and sticking the disc and manual in a drawer at the back of a store. I detest the practice. I loathe it. Of course, I understand that there are perfectly valid logistical reasons for it; not only does it free up storage space for games and consoles – something that is becoming increasingly valuable in an age of bi-annual plastic peripheral releases – but it also greatly deters the age-old issue of theft, preventing some cheap so-and-so from stuffing the latest gaming blockbuster into their coat pocket and slipping out the front door. This makes sense for the most part. What I take issue with is labeling these games as new when they can be in as good or bad condition as used titles.
Don’t get me wrong. I have no problems buying games in “as-new” condition… if they’re priced as such. But when I walk into an enthusiast store such as GAME or Gamestation and they try to charge me more for a title (often considerably so!) than both the independent game shop down the road and a supermarket giant like Tesco, I start to take issue with what I’m getting for my money.
Some of you reading this might think me incredibly pedantic, and that’s completely fair. After all, if the game disc isn’t scratched to all-heck and plays fine, what does it matter? Unfortunately, for better or worse, I grew up in an environment where piracy was the norm, and this has had the effect of somewhat evangelising the packaging on legitimate games. The beautiful, high-resolution art cover! The shiny plastic case, free from scratches and greasy fingerprints! The fresh-from-the-factory instruction manual, packed with colourful game illustrations and screenshots! A disc which has more than an illegible two-word title etched onto the surface in black-marker pen! And they’re all mine!
Ahem. OCD-tendencies aside, I can’t help but think I have a serious point here. Would you pop into a WHSmith or HMV to buy a DVD box-set and expect the DVD seal to be broken? So why it is acceptable for games? At what point do we to start to separate the condition and value of new games versus used titles when they’re both treated equally? For years, we’ve heard retail chains cry foul of customers abandoning them for online shopping. Can you really blame them when they can get the same product cheaper, delivered right to their door and in an arguably better condition?
I’ve always been a proponent of supporting brilliant games and talented game developers. Despite what I’ve said about grabbing a bargain, I have no problem paying the full RRP when a game is worth it. But games are an expensive hobby, especially for those of us who don’t trade-in or sell our growing collections. For my money, a new game is a sealed game.
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