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Gamestop Power Pass: $60, 6 Months for Game Rentals, Keep Last Game You Rented

Whizkid7

Member
Saw this floating around the net, figured I'd post it here:

StJnSs7.jpg


I don't see anything official on Gamestop (yet), but what this purports to say is that Gamestop will launch a subscription service (supposedly for Pro Members) that is $60 for 6 months. You pick a pre-owned game, take it home with you, and can swap it for any other pre-owned game within the time period. At the end of the period, you keep the last game you took.

Seems like a pretty sweet deal for someone who isn't me and takes forever to finish games. Wish I had more info than a random photo but I'll keep looking for more info.

Larger version of image for the fine print reading: https://i.imgur.com/gYUcRW7.jpg
 
If I wasn't lazy, and wanted to go to Gamestop, this would be awesome.

My younger self would be ALL over this.

Didn't they test this over the summer?

As long as you end up with a newish title to end with you're basically getting 'free' rentals for 6 months.
 

Amory

Member
So basically pay to do what gamestop employees do, except they put the games back in the opened case and mark them as new

Hey that rhymed
 

Apdiddy

Member
Judging by the condition Gamestop has for games coming in, no thanks. I'm not paying $60 for 6 months for a game that smells like cigarettes, tobacco dip and weed.
 

PMS341

Member
Or, since Gamestop's policy has never really stopped this, just buy a used game, finish it, return it within 7 days, buy another game with said credit. Go to another location if morality stops you from making a corporation feel bad.
 
I'm doing this asap. I have Gamestops in all directions around me and I haven't had an issue with a used game since the ps2 days. I'm all about this deal.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
This is a ridiculously good deal but I'll wait and see what the hidden bottom lines here are.

Is it unlimited swaps within that period?

That's what it implies. Meaning you can swap unlimited number of pre-owned games for 6 months. I guess it just needs availability in-store for that game, won't work on online orders.
 

Pepboy

Member
This seems pretty good. $10 a month to rent basically new games (one at a time)?

Won't this kill their used game sales? All the hot used titles will be rented out. I worry managers will start keeping some used copies in the back and only mention them to customers buy new copies.
 

xRaizen

Member
This is actually a pretty good deal, holy shit. Most new releases have someone who trades it in within the first week, so this is pretty good.

I have like 10 gamestops within 10 miles of my location so I’ll have a very good selection of games.

And for your last game just pick up something you can immediately trade in for $25+
 
I also feel like you could game the system especially if you keep a relatively new release game on the last day of your sub and then trade it back in for ~$30-40
 

see5harp

Member
This is an incredible deal if you live anywhere remotely close to a Gamestop. I pay triple that for 3 games out at a time at Gamefly but that's almost too much to handle at once. This would at least enable you to quickly return something immediately once you decide you are done with it.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I also feel like you could game the system especially if you keep a relatively new release game on the last day of your sub and then trade it back in for ~$30-40

Yeah. I have around $70 in trade credit with them, so if they accept that amount for this (which they should), i should be set for 6 months and play as many pre-owned releases I want, new games generally start coming in-store within a week or so anyway. Hell, this is worth it for Evil Within 2 and Wolf II alone.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I had some ultimate Blockbuster pass when I was like 17 that allowed me to basically do this, without the owning part. Sometimes I'd go in and swap a game out multiple times per day when I wasn't feeling the one I picked. I tried so many xbox games that way (and came to the conclusion very quickly that its library sucked).

This is probably an awesome thing for a younger person who is willing to drive back to the store a million times.
 

wipeout364

Member
It is kind of smart since even if you take a new release they still get their 60 dollars they would have charged anyway and if you get stuck with an old release they win even more so it's pretty good for them. Most people will probably trade them in a few times and the more people that sign up the more new releases will be out increasing the chance you will get stuck with an older title.
 

moomoo14

Member
This seems like quite the deal. Like, it makes gamefly look like a rip-off by comparison (if you've got a Gamestop near you).

If there's no catch as to what games you have access to with this, I'll definitely jump on it.
 
Seems like a pretty sweet deal. Better than Gamefly.

Reminds me of Blockbuster Video's Game Pass type membership where you paid monthly and could swap out games at any time. That was fucking epic until they stopped getting new games and became a dentists office.
 

see5harp

Member
Gamefly does give you coupons at some point and offers MUCH cheaper used prices on games. Plus the cases are essentially perfect conditionl. Plus you don't actually have to go outside.
 
I mean in NYS its technically less than buying two games for the whole yr with tax.

Edit: Also if you keep the last game you rent, thats going to get abused. Not like people are going to keep 05 Madden, they'll take out a new Hit (mario, Souls, Zelda) Whatever and just keep that
 

CEJames

Member
It seems decent. It's actually better than PS Plus monthly giveaway because you actually have control over what you get, but I have a feeling supply will be purposefully limited at times and you could really end up with an old game by time the 6 month period is over.
 

DeceptiveAlarm

Gold Member
Its not a bad deal. Iv5 never had bad luck in store. I did buy WW for gamecube online a while back. It came in smashed and scratched three times. The store kept sending me new ones though.
 

mas8705

Member
I saw this a while back ago actually inquired about it. Turned out that they were only doing small test runs of it in and around the US apparently to see if it would be feasible.

Needless to say that if Gamestop actually did this, they probably would give Gamefly a run for their money (that and from what I've heard from friends, gamefly isn't really too reliable).
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
It's not a bad idea. I just wonder how long you would have to wait for newer releases to become used.

Your mileage may vary, but if you live close to multiple stores you'll be in luck. Where I'm at, there's 5 stores within a 5 min radius so that's fortunate.

Evil Within 2 is already available in a store 1.7 miles from my address going by their website's game locator.
 
Gamefly does give you coupons at some point and offers MUCH cheaper used prices on games. Plus the cases are essentially perfect conditionl. Plus you don't actually have to go outside.

Gameflys used game store has a extremely small collection of games for sale. You still have to go outside to check the mail.
 

Megatron

Member
Really interesting! I may have to try this. Good way to play games like Shadow of War and Assassins Creed Origins that have objectionable lootbox shenanigans. Just got to make sure you end it on a game you want to keep.
 

Lum1n3s

Member
Nani? That's an incredible deal! $10 a month for unlimited rentals is pretty great but I can imagine a lot of games either being rented out or sold out of. Does GameStop benefit form this in any way especially when it comes to new rentals.
 

rj118

Member
Nani? That's an incredible deal! $10 a month for unlimited rentals is pretty great but I can imagine a lot of games either being rented out. Does GameStop benefit form this in any way especially when it comes to new rentals.

I think the main benefit is that it gets customers to visit their stores more often. More visits = more opportunities to sell merchandise and preorders.
 

Aces&Eights

Member
I think the main benefit is that it gets customers to visit their stores more often. More visits = more opportunities to sell merchandise and preorders.


Agreed. They will hard sell you to the moon when you go in for trading out a game but all you have to do is say no thank you. This might actually get me back inside GameStop.
 

jryeje29

Member
Great idea for them, wish they would've thought of this years ago. Too bad I'm mainly a pc gamer and haven't shopped there in many years. Maybe in another year or so I can use this to catch up on console exclusives.
 

Graciaus

Member
That could potentially be a much better deal then Gamefly. I have to wait 3-4 days for them to get something then another 3-4 days for it to get to me.
 
If this turns out to be real I'm definitely signing up. There's a GameStop ~8 minutes away from my home and it gets some good business, which means I can pretty much count on new releases ending up on the pre-owned shelf within days.

This sounds like 6 months of endless gaming for $60 to me, and I get to keep the game I care most about? Yeah, I'll take that.
 

Whizkid7

Member
I saw this a while back ago actually inquired about it. Turned out that they were only doing small test runs of it in and around the US apparently to see if it would be feasible.

Needless to say that if Gamespot actually did this, they probably would give Gamefly a run for their money (that and from what I've heard from friends, gamefly isn't really too reliable).

Hmm, interesting. I'm not sure where the origin of this photo is from, but I've got to stop by Gamestop later anyway to pick up Odyssey so I'll inquire and see if I can learn anything else.
 
Hmm, interesting. I'm not sure where the origin of this photo is from, but I've got to stop by Gamestop later anyway to pick up Odyssey so I'll inquire and see if I can learn anything else.

It’s from the holiday catalog. Not supposed to be out until tomorrow but some stores have it displayed already.
 

Riviawolf

Neo Member
So..

You can take a used title, play it and beat it - then bring it back and return it and take another. As many times as you want, for 6 months. Then at the end, you get to keep the last item you took out?

For the consumer, this is a fantastic deal.

However - I'm having a hard time understanding the business strategy here - can anyone elaborate?

To me - it looks like they're charging $60 for the 6 months, and just moving product in and out. However, there could only be two potential variables in major profit potential here..

1. The customer forgets that the 6 month period is about to expire, and ends up being forced to keep a $20 game - thus the company makes $40 profit.

2. The customer comes back, and takes a $55 used game - and the 6 month period ends, which then the company only makes $5.

Granted - I see the concept. Risk/reward without really any risk other than someone NOT forgetting to pick up a title that may be worth more.

Either way - profit. But is there more to it, that I'm not seeing? LOL. Even at the most basic form though - it's a very smart move.

Plus, honestly.. I may have to pay into this. That is very much worth it.
 
^^^ I feel like the real value of this is in the data. They can see what the buying habits are of subscribers, what they bought when they took/returned a game.

I wonder if you have to return the used game to same store you got it from?
 
Judging by the condition Gamestop has for games coming in, no thanks. I'm not paying $60 for 6 months for a game that smells like cigarettes, tobacco dip and weed.

I don't know what Gamestop you go to but I've never smelled a game I got from there, lol.

On topic, I'm all for this. Basically a walk in GameFly for $10 a month.
 

Riviawolf

Neo Member
I wonder if you have to return the used game to same store you got it from?

I'd assume not - since you don't have to return the game you purchased and return to the same store. It's all similar inventory, and based on demand - they send out what they predict is required for that store. At least, that's what my Gamestop Manager friend told me years ago.
 
So..

You can take a used title, play it and beat it - then bring it back and return it and take another. As many times as you want, for 6 months. Then at the end, you get to keep the last item you took out?

For the consumer, this is a fantastic deal.

However - I'm having a hard time understanding the business strategy here - can anyone elaborate?

To me - it looks like they're charging $60 for the 6 months, and just moving product in and out. However, there could only be two potential variables in major profit potential here..

1. The customer forgets that the 6 month period is about to expire, and ends up being forced to keep a $20 game - thus the company makes $40 profit.

2. The customer comes back, and takes a $55 used game - and the 6 month period ends, which then the company only makes $5.

Granted - I see the concept. Risk/reward without really any risk other than someone NOT forgetting to pick up a title that may be worth more.

Either way - profit. But is there more to it, that I'm not seeing? LOL. Even at the most basic form though - it's a very smart move.

Plus, honestly.. I may have to pay into this. That is very much worth it.

I'm sure they're counting on people playing and loving two or three of the games they try during the six month period, and paying used game prices to keep them. So in the end, they're guaranteed to get $60 from you for one used game, and potentially $90 or more on top of that if you pick up a few more along the way after trying them.
 
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