UK retailer Game is reportedly ending software trade-ins

UK retailer Game is reportedly planning to end its video game trade-in service next month.

That’s according to Eurogamer, which reports that staff have been informed of plans to cease the long-running service on February 16.

While Game has yet to officially comment on the matter, the site said it has corroborated the news with multiple branches of the retailer.

VGC has contacted Game owner Frasers Group for comment on this report.

After Game stops offering trade-ins, pre-owned stock will reportedly continue to be sold until it’s all gone.

As its trade-in policy currently stands, Game “accepts most consoles, games, and gaming accessories”, although this doesn’t include “retro consoles and games (including PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game-boy, or older)”.

There are currently some 320 standalone Game stores and concessions within Sports Direct and House of Fraser.

A move to cease trade-ins would leave CEX as the only other major high street chain offering such a service.

Physical game sales accounted for just over 10% of annual games revenues in the UK last year, according to preliminary figures published last week by the Entertainment Retailers Association.

Further reading

7

Video overtook games as UK’s biggest entertainment sector in 2023

It marks the first time video sales have exceeded games revenues in a decade

Overall game sales, including software, subscriptions and token-based playing mechanisms, grew 2.9% year-over-year to £4.7 billion in 2023.

EA Sports FC 24 was the year’s best-selling console game, shifting around 2.39 million copies.