Amazon Ventures into Video Game Trading

In their continuous effort to take over the world, Amazon (the largest online retailer, ever) yesterday, introduced their newest experiment, online Video Game Trading. And they are giving games a better trade-in value than GameStop and other brick and mortar video game stores.

Worlds Amazon has conquered:

• Online Shopping


• MP3 Downloads


• Digital Books (Kindle)


• Video Game Trade-in?

Not to be outdone, GameStop quickly responded regarding Amazon's endeavor. In a nutshell, they say Amazon will fail.

However, despite GameStop's confidence that Amazon's Game Trade-in feature will go down in a ball of flames faster than Guitar Hero Aerosmith, the news hit a cord with investors and GameStop's stocks plummeted about 17% after the announcement, closed at 13% down, and it continues to fall. (At this time it's hovering at a 20% loss in two days.)

Unfortunately for GameStop and others, Amazon makes it almost too easy. You sign into your account, select the games you want to trade (you need at least $10 worth) and Amazon will send you a gift card. The beauty, you don't even have to spend the gift card on a video game, it's good for anything on Amazon. And shipping is free.

I'd like to think that GameStop CEO Dan EdMatteo is right; people will never go for the Amazon thing. But the more I think about it, the only thing GameStop has going for it is immediacy. (And this just might be the deal breaker) I go into the store, get rid of my game and get a new one, no shipping involved.

It seems only time will tell. It's not all bad news for GameStop. They have a contract with AAFES (military).

And we all know that Amazon's schemes don't always work.

Worlds Amazon has Failed to Conquer...

• Amazon Auctions


• Apparel (yeah, Amazon tries to sell clothing)


• Video Downloads


• Game Downloads

Hey, maybe now is a good time to buy GameStop stock.

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