Gamertell

The game retail market could be getting a little more competitive, if the photo of a recent Best Buy ad is any indication.

An eagle-eyed Cheap Ass Gamer reader in Utah spotted a Best Buy advertisement proclaiming the retailer would match GameStop and Game Crazy’s used prices on new games. Right now this may be a test to see if the program is workable on a larger scale.

Used game sales are a big boon to retailers such as GameStop and other retailers have recently started grasping more aggressively for a piece of that pie. Amazon, WalMart and Toys ‘R’ Us have all gotten into the act, as has Best Buy.

Used games are a hot-button issue in the industry right now, as publishers are concerned that a game store can sell a used game for $5 less than the original price and earn all of the secondary profit. Also, stores including GameStop offer store credit for trading games back and publishers are afraid that’s hurting new game sales. The bad economy has brought more attention to this debate as amid a climate of layoffs, restructuring and studio closing, almost every company is having to take a look at its bottom line.

Gamers could be the winners here, as nothing is better for prices than intense competition. Whatever happens with this interesting concept, we’ll keep you posted.

Read [Cheap Ass Gamer] Also Read [San Francisco Chronicle]