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Trade used games at Wal-Mart with this...machine photo

A few months back, I had lunch with a games retail buyer. We went to this great Mexican place and he recommended the Diablo Shrimp. Sh*t was so spicy that it made me cry like a little bitch. It was during this lunch that this buyer ran a question by me: What would you think about a used games vending machine? Just stick in a plain disc and get back either money or credit for another game from within the machine. If you've ever seen the Redbox DVD rental machines, you'll have a good idea of what this would be like.

I said, no. No way. Gamers won't do this. Gamers want the box. Gamers want to be able to see the game. I had a bunch of reasons why this wouldn't work, but I guess my comments never made it to the top, as it seems that at least one retailer is going ahead with this vending machine.

Neocrisis has images of a Wal-Mart Video Games Buy Back vending machine that allows you to trade in your used PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii games. A scanner reads the game and compares it to a database. Unfortunately, due to bugs, they didn't get any farther than this. Apparently Mirror's Edge isn't in its database. I didn't even account for silly things like databases and bugs.

See, you should have listened to me.

Would you use a machine to trade in games? 

LAUNCH GALLERY (1 IMAGES)
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Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools. Meet the rest of the team



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47 comments | showing # 1 to 47
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Gimic300's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:43
Gimic300
Fuck that noise, I refuse to shop at Wal Mart as it is.
SnakeDude4Life's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:44
SnakeDude4Life
The machines are taking over! THE END IS NIGH!

JohZho's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:45
JohZho
Hell no, I want the box wal mart!! dang cheap ass bastards.
lazyhoboguy's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:46
lazyhoboguy
umm hell no
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:47
Holyetheline
I think there's a way to make it work.... If they find that way then I'll probably try it out.
GeekVarietydotcom's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:49
GeekVarietydotcom
this seems really odd, like there seems like there could be a myriad of problems like getting games that are cracked or scratched beyond belief and who handles the customer service end of things for these cause you could scam the living shit out of it not to mention if your just putting the game in how does the thing know what game it is and whats to stop someone from putting burned copies of games into it and tricking it?

way too many issues with this for it to work at least thats my two cents.
CharleyTony's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:50
CharleyTony
I dont like it and wont use it...

Will it work ? Of course it will ! Its in a Wal Mart !!!!

I think they chose the machine because their staff is too dumb to check what a game would be worth in a database and subtract it to the new games you are buying.

Gamestop/EB Games 's staff can barely do it as we speak...


Bonus Question:

Will this machine ask me if I want to preorder something ???
goodgamer77's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:50
goodgamer77
I don't think I would simply because I don't like Walmart.
BluDesign's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:52
BluDesign
I wonder if anyone will quickly figure out how to dupe the machine to take back DVD-R's or something similar. It's too easy to fool the machine if it's accepting materials that don't come from the machine itself, like Redbox DVD's.

I know that some current game systems use the ring barcode, but that will prove to be unreliable if the thing has thumbprints and scratches on it.
gamadaya's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:54
gamadaya
I don't care if it works or not, I'll still be getting shafted on price. Just stick with Ebay, where you can actually sell stuff for what it's worth.
BS3 Owner's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:56
BS3 Owner
Bad business sense...
Above posters noted Scratched/Cracked Discs.

And as you do note Dale... No box or Manual or Database.
LAME!

Oh & now, "friends" stealing other PPL's Game Collections.
Monodi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 11:56
Monodi
I am not trusting something with an average of 50 dollars to a Wal-Mart machine
Blasto's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:00
Blasto
HELL NO! I can't stand the way some people treat their games. Just looking at used games at Gamestop with all the missing manuals, chewed up cases and discs that have apparently had a pumice stone scraped over them repeatedly is disgusting. WTFF!!!

But, yeah, I'm sure the Wal-Mart WiiFit loving crowd will be all over this like a Sanyo LCD TV at a Black Friday sale.

sigh...
Dyna Geek's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:00
Dyna Geek
Whilst this can eventualley become a good thing, it is the feeling alone that discourages me from using it, the feeling that I get whenever humans have created another machine to make it easier for themselves to be lazy.

Next we'll have machines to buy games for us, then make them, and them finalley play them.
007's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:01
007
I'd rather have this all done with a person than a machine. People need jobs, not inanimate objects.
SuitcoatAvenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:01
SuitcoatAvenger
All I'm saying is that the very few times I've gone to Wal-Mart, the vending machines in the entrance-way have been broken. If I can't get a fucking Orange Crush for my buck-fifty, I sure as hell am not going to put a sixty-dollar game into a machine of a similar design.

Also (and more importantly), are we talking cashback on these or some sort of Wal-Mart buttbux in-store credit?
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:02
Black Nexus
I wouldn't be caught dead using that thing.
falinter's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:11
falinter
This is a good idea, but instead of in walmart lets put them on street corners so I can get some buddies and throw in the back of a truck and drive off.
Kalmah's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:12
Kalmah
Now, did they find out Mirror's Edge wasn't in the database the easy way, or the hard way?
Char Aznable's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:17
Char Aznable
Goozex takes care of this quite nicely, thank you very much.
Woverine's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:18
Woverine
yeah so how does it know the game? i suspect lots of cheating.
Maurice Tan's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:18
Maurice Tan
Depends on how much they give you for it :P
AgentMOO's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:25
AgentMOO
It begins with game trader bots. Before you know it we will have greeter bots!
Takeshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:28
Takeshi
Hahaha! This is so gonna fail.
Darren Nakamura's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:53
Darren Nakamura
No way. I don't get rid of my games as it is, and if I were to, I'd rather Goozex them.
Obirano's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 12:58
Obirano
You scan the barcode off the box. Hadn't looked at the one in the office too closely. Also, I love how the majority of the comments are about walmart and not the box.
Midgetsnowman's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 13:04
Midgetsnowman
Obirano: You find that suprising? The average person who knows what Walmart does to local businesses has all the reason in the world to hate them
Chronic Logic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 13:33
Chronic Logic
Stick with ebay. You will most definitely get a better price. Although doing this does standardize things and may reduce costs.
WarZombie's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 13:44
WarZombie
Lol, this is stupid.

I hate not having the box, but if prices are competitive enough I might buy into it. I don't like the idea, but hell, it might just work.

In all honesty though, who the hell goes to buy used games at Walmart?
TheToiletDuck's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 13:45
TheToiletDuck
Umm, couldn't i just trade in a photocopied cover and a blank cd?
TheNomadicTroll's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 13:59
TheNomadicTroll
I think that is a nice way of trading your old games. Instead being mad at a Gamestop employee ripping you off, you can get mad a machine and you have to worry about hurting its feelings.
FireofEvil's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 14:02
FireofEvil
So maybe if this doesn't work they can take it to a trading machine trading machine and get their money back.
t0pc0w's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 14:43
t0pc0w
How long before someone purchases a game and ends up with a Verbatim DVD+R DL with the words "Gears of War 2" scrawled across the front in Sharpie?
Obirano's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 15:07
Obirano
Do you mean the average uninformed person?

Also, you can rent games out of these.
mrplow8's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 15:55
mrplow8
I would sell games to a vending machine, but I don't know if I would buy them from one. Then again, if I sell a game to a vending machine and then buy another game from the vending machine, I could use the box to the game I just sold for the one I bought.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 16:23
HiddenAHB
"Oh Shit! The machina just swalloed my game"
I foresse chaos, shitloads of chaos.
HiddenAHB's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 16:24
HiddenAHB
"Oh Shit! The machina just swalloed my game"
I foresee chaos, shitloads of chaos.
elysse's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 16:45
elysse
Where's the cartridge love? PREJUDICE!
mr showtime's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 17:02
mr showtime
will it take my PSX console?
raisedmaze's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 17:18
raisedmaze
Two words. Hellfucking NAW!
RiotMonster's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 18:21
RiotMonster
No way.
DaedHead8's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 19:37
DaedHead8
Never in a million years would I do this. I don't get rid of games too often and when I do, there are better solutions than this.
fetusmilk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/18/2009 19:41
fetusmilk
im gonna print fake labels and just throw in blank cds.
Los255's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2009 01:47
Los255
No, because my Gamestop is much closer than my Walmart, and it's retarded.
Sexualchocolate's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2009 03:22
Sexualchocolate
It would be all about scanning the barcode on the box to Killzone 2 and putting the disc for Kane & Lynch in there. Trade in values are all different.

I would avoid for sure. i like to go into the shop and look the spotty kid in the face as he rips me off.
exodus1925's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2009 03:32
exodus1925
I suppose most people will prefer to yell and kick off at a real person instead of a machine when they are told that Fifa 04 is now only worth 50p trade in... sigh...
atastysammich's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/19/2009 09:12
atastysammich
Eh, if I was still into trade-ins, I'd certainly figure it in among the other retailer options. Nowadays, though, I'm all about the eBay.
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