GameStop
The biggest retailer in the world who would potentially be hurt from a mainstream digital wave is by far GameStop. Known for having the largest library of video games available to purchase in stores, the media giant has been seeing an increase in revenue year after year. While GameStop makes huge profits from selling new consoles and games, they thrive from its used game market.
Whether you’re trading in a new title you just purchased for $60 and only receiving $35 back, they make their profit back with interest, putting the title back on the shelves as used for $55. We’re not sure why anybody would buy a used game for $55, but GameStop has managed to keep afloat on questionable consumer purchasing.
A move to digital is something GameStop Corporation would be fearful for their future in the next console cycle, a few years following 2020. Not everyone has broadband at the moment or the budget to afford digital purchases (with no trade-in), but it has definitely been in the back of the company’s mind. Whether publishers are willing to price games lower for wholesale pricing on titles in the future remains to be seen, but GameStop would be affected more than any gaming retailer in the world if things transitioned completely to digital.