Best Buy's used game trade-in service begins

Best Buy is now publicly introducing its video game trade-in for customers interested in receiving a Best Buy gift card in exchange for finished games.

Video game rentals and trade-ins have grown in popularity partially because of the poor economy, and many gamers rapidly playing through certain game titles. Best Buy is clever by offering store credit instead of cash for game rentals, so it keeps customers in-store and shopping online.

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Best Buy offers an online rental that gives credit estimates for used games, and can be mailed to the company, and a Best Buy gift card receives one-to-two weeks. This new in-store game service is designed to work alongside the online service, not necessarily try to replace it.

The company first announced plans for a game trade-in program around two months ago, with Best Buy mainly using its customer service desk to handle the trade-ins. Trade-in redemption will be the same online and in-store, according to Best Buy, with the company accepting more than 100 different game titles.

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Best Buy also recently announced interest in 99-cent digital movie rentals via CinemaNow, and the company plans to show continued interest in home entertainment. Overall, it's probably a good idea Best Buy decided to enter the digital rental market and want to offer video game trade-ins for customers.

I believe Best Buy's approach of movie rentals and video game trade-ins along with its software being bundled on select HDTVs and PCs from third-party companies is very important. Fry's Electronics and other electronics retailers don't have the reach Best Buy currently has once a product is sold off of the show floor.

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