Has EA been Fixing Prices on Used Games?

One of the weirdest things I notice when perusing the used game section at my local shops is the fact that some used copies are only a few bucks cheaper than a new game. I stand there wondering why on earth I would bother buying a used copy of Madden ’09 for $55, when for $60 I can get a brand new game with that wonderful vacuum-sealed aroma. It looks like there may be more to the issue than simple supply and demand, as one UK store employees believes EA is engaging in price-fixing to keep its used game prices artificially high.

Recently, a writer for Xbox 360 Wire went into a nearby GAME shop and noticed that the prices of used games, particularly those published by EA, were remarkably close to the same price as a new copy. When he asked the store clerk, he was told that GAME is not allowed to set its own prices for used EA games, and presumably the price is kept high in order to sell more new copies, thus ensuring the publishers a cut of the sales. The writer checked out a Gamestation store as well, and saw a similar price differential there.

So what exactly is going on here? Could it be that EA is engaged in some sort of price-fixing, an act which is illegal under UK laws? Has anyone noticed similar practices in the US? Do used EA games seem to be a touch more expensive than everyone else’s, and do they stay that way longer? While this report may just be the tip of the iceberg, deeper investigation could reveal quite the corporate conspiracy... or just a lot of unnecessary paranoia.

TGR Verdict: Possible