US video game retailer GameStop and owner of the Impulse digital download platform, has said that it is currently mulling over the idea of allowing the resale of digital games.
“It’s very interesting,” said GameStop CEO Paul Rains while speaking with GameSpot. “There are some technologies out there in Europe, and we've looked at a couple that are involved. We’re interested; it’s not a meaningful business yet. Right now we’re not seeing that as a huge market, but I think we’re on the leading edge. There are a few companies, a few startups, out there that we've talked to that are doing this.”
This revelation comes off the back of a European Court ruling that suggested companies had a legal obligation to allow their customers to resell software that they had bought, prompting many to apply this idea to games. However Valve said it had no plans to allow the resale of previously purchased games on Steam.
While Impulse is a lot smaller than Steam, adding the ability to resell games you've bought in the past would give it a very unique selling point. Making even just a few pounds back from a game you'll never play anymore would make buying games there much more attractive.
KitGuru Says: Would you buy a game on Impulse instead of Steam if you could resell it later?