GameStop to Buy and Sell iOS Devices, Finally Validate iOS Gaming?
By Matt Peckham | Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 8:41 am
Games retail giant GameStop’s days are either numbered or nascent, depending on whether you see brick and mortar retail as a digital-proof future presence. Well GameStop’s not waiting around to find out. They’re the largest dedicated video games retailer in the country, they’ve cornered the used games market, plus they’ve presciently grabbed arguably the best and brightest digital storefront technology, Stardock’s Impulse, to compete with Valve’s Steam.
And now, 9to5Mac reports, they’re plotting to add iPads, iPhones and iPods to their thousands of storefronts.
What’s more, they’re planning to let you trade in used iOS devices for store credit. That’s right. The screen grab 9to5Mac‘s touting reads: “We Buy your old iPod, iPhone or iPad.”
And that’s followed by:
Did you know that GameStop now buys your old iPod, iPhone and iPad devices? Trade them in at GameStop for in-store credit. Perfect for trading toward games, accessories, systems and more. Bring in your old iPod or iPad and a Game Advisor can assist you. Plus, you’ll score PowerUp Rewards points on every item traded.
GameStop apparently unveiled the program at a trade show in Las Vegas last week. The iOS device trade-in program’s available now, says 9to5Mac, while sales of iOS devices are due to begin at some future point, possibly to coincide with the next iPhone’s stateside launch, rumored sometime in October. I just called my local store (in Michigan) and they confirm the report is accurate, but that only some stores have been authorized to run the program, with plans to eventually roll the program out to everyone.
What GameStop plans to do with all that used, increasingly dated Apple gear is anyone’s guess, as is which Apple devices they’ll actually take. Something tells me the original 2G iPhone’s probably not on the list.
(This post republished from Techland.)
9 Comments
Read more:
9 Comments For This Post
September 6th, 2011 at 8:58 am
So wait. So far Gamestop only said they are buying people's old devices. They did not say they would sell iOS products, right?
Am I the only one that sees this move as one AGAINST Apple? I think this is supposed to mean they want to convince people to trade in their iOS devices to buy 'real' gaming products.
It does not make sense for gamestop, whose primary product is games, to sell consoles that cannot play games gamestop can sell.
September 6th, 2011 at 9:09 am
I mean: we are talking about Gamestop, the ones ripping open packaging from Deus Ex Human Revolution because it contained a coupon to play the same game on a competing service (even though those customers bought the game at gamestop, giving them their money, gamestop didn't want them using any competing service).
How does a company that does that get into the market of selling iPod touches, iPads and iPhones? Those are products with minimal profit margins for resellers, and Gamestop has no option whatsoever to make money of the after-sale spending (in the App Store).
This would be like a DVD-store selling Netflix coupons.
As long as Gamestop doesn't announce they are gonna sell Apple products, I call bull on this story. I think it's made up by Apple fans that have been whining about Apple not being recognized as a serious gaming company. Which they aren't btw: every attempt at gaming by Apple has been horrible (game center is a horrible joke, macs still have problems with old games like Portal,…).
Granted, games are the number one seller in the App Store, and Nintendo might be feeling this, the xBox, PS3 and PC sales will never be influenced by iOS gaming, just like they weren't by the Gameboy or even nintende DS: it's a totally different class of games: most of those games are timewasters. I bet if you could buy snake for 1$ on your old dumbphone 10 years ago, it would have had the same success as the current iOS games.
September 7th, 2011 at 11:17 am
It's not bull, it's completely true. I work for Gamestop and saw the e-mail saying we will be taking Apple products in trade starting on Monday.
September 6th, 2011 at 10:03 am
Meh Gamestop! Haven't shopped there in years as they sell open products as new! Their used games are so scratched that they barely play. No one should ever shop in that store.
September 6th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Think you know tech? I dare you to call this quiz easy. http://www.facebook.com/pages/CIBC-Student-Life-V…
This message has been shared with you by M THIRTY on behalf of CIBC. http://tinyurl.com/3tphd86
September 7th, 2011 at 6:07 am
I thought Gamestop is still in hot water for taking out OnLive Coupons From Deus Ex games.
September 7th, 2011 at 8:22 am
"And now, 9to5Mac reports, they’re plotting to add iPads, iPhones and iPods to their thousands of storefronts."
Yes, not a gaming move. Purely rev generation play as they aren't doing as well.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:06 am
I am curious what GameStop will be paying for the iPad/iPhone. Their pricing on buying games is very low but they offer the convenience of an instant credit to buy a new game. But we are talking about much bigger dollars with iPads or iPhones. As an example, SellYourCell.com will currently pay $560 for a 64GB iPad 2 with 3G and even pays $200 for a 16GB iPad version 1 with only WiFi or $290 for a 32GB AT&T iPhone 4. Does anyone know the GameStop prices?
January 20th, 2012 at 12:38 pm
Have you ever heard with regards to cold up of playstation 3 slim very cold from ps3 just isn’t a life threatening one even though it is focused on your immobilization you do …play playstation vita