A lot of people sure hate GameStop.

The Grapevine-based video-game retailer is probably the best-known buyer and seller of used games, and that side of the company’s business has angered a lot of people.

Gamers, for one, are ticked that the company generally offers just a couple of bucks to repurchase games that originally sold for $50 or $60. The other factions peeved at GameStop right now are the actual game publishers and developers, who don’t get any revenue when GameStop resells a used game rather than a new one.

The first group, the gamers, has a (slightly) legitimate point, but the second group needs to stop being such a greedy bunch of idiots.

Shopping blog Consumerist.com ran a long expose this week from an anonymous GameStop store employee detailing all the ins and outs of working and shopping at the chain.

When it came to the issue of buying used games, the employee noted that GameStop’s low-ball prices are notoriously unpopular.

The source does mount a somewhat valid defense on GameStop’s behalf, noting that the retailer buys every used game that comes through the door, even if it’s a title that will be extremely difficult to resell.

The employee then goes on to note that, if you really want to get full value for your used titles, you’re going to have to do some work on your own by selling your games through eBay or some other outlet. That’s because when you sell a used game to GameStop, it’s basically acting as a facilitator, a middle man, taking its cut before it sells the game to someone else. It’s just a question of whether you prefer the convenience of GameStop or the additional profit of selling on your own.

But I definitely understand the pain of getting three bucks back for a game you spent $60 on.

As I mentioned, game makers are also angry at used-game dealers, although with much less justification. Steve Ellis — a director at developer Freed Radical Design, makers of the upcoming PS3 title Haze — whined to U.K. game site MCV a few days ago about retailers that buy and sell used games.

“Of course it isn’t fair that retailers are claiming all of the profits from the sale of second-hand titles, and it is bizarre that our industry tolerates it,” Mr. Ellis said.

You know, if Mr. Ellis can prove that he’s never bought a used car, used CD, used DVD, used house or apartment (construction crews are being ripped off!) or rented, well, anything, then I’ll grant him points for intellectual sincerity.

But it’s beyond insulting to act as if used games should be exempt from the same sales model as almost every other physical product ever manufactured.

I know computer software makers have tried to dance around this issue with the concept of software licensing rather than ownership — you buy the right to use the software, rather than the software itself — but that, too, is a dishonest scam and, if there were any justice, it would be abolished.

I don’t think there’s any organized movement among the game publishers to pressure GameStop and other retailers to stop buying and selling used games, much less any intent to lobby to make doing so illegal. But it seems like there’s been more complaining from the industry in the last year or so, perhaps testing the waters for a more aggressive campaign.

If that happens, gamers may realize that GameStop is one of the good guys. Then we can go back to arguing how much this used copy of Gears of War is worth.

[source]