Wal-Mart, 
which took the plunge into the used video game business in March, is leveling up.
The retailer on Tuesday announced the launch of a certified preowned program in 1,700 stores nationwide, finally putting those games it has been offering store credit for over the last seven months back up for sale. It’s a move that heightens the growing battle between Wal-Mart and GameStop.
Retailer 
launching large-scale program at 3,100 US stores, aims to disrupt second-hand market
While a few competitors have tried to make inroads over the years, when it comes to the better-than-$2 billion per year used game business, GameStop has had a pretty secure lock on king of the hill status. Starting March 26, though, the world’s largest retailer will be looking to steal a significant piece of the pie.
Walmart has announced plans to launch a large-scale video game trade-in program at 3,100 stores across America. Working in conjunction with CE Exchange, the store will allow consumer to swap games for store credit, which can be used to purchase anything that Walmart sells. Used games could be available to in-store shoppers as early as this summer.\
Look 
out GameStop. Here comes Walmart.
The world’s largest retailer has announced plans to begin offering store credit — good for anything it sells — for used video games. The program starts March 26 in 3,100 stores across America. By this summer, it hopes to begin re-selling those games to customers alongside new (more expensive) copies of the same title.
You 
told your relatives you already had a copy of Grand Theft Auto V. You made it very clear to Santa that you didn’t own a Wii U, so there was no need to bring you Super Mario 3D World. But somehow, you once again ended up with games you either already own, didn’t want, or can’t play.
Now what?
Game. 
Set. Match?
Sony did something very un-Sony like at its E3 press conference this year: it went into ferocious attack mode, identifying every one of the Xbox One’s perceived weaknesses and exploiting them.
And in the process, it earned some new fans. Lots of them.
The 
fate of used games on the Xbox One continues to get murkier.
While Microsoft has confirmed its new console will support used games, the methods behind that process have been somewhat confusing thanks to mixed messages from Microsoft executives. But a new report sheds some light on why there hasn’t been a clear answer yet.
There 
were a lot of fancy features showcased in Tuesday’s unveiling of the Xbox One, but there were plenty of unanswered questions as well.
That was to be expected, of course. With E3 looming and months left before the system releases, Microsoft had to keep some of its powder dry. But the company also dodged some pressing questions and gave conflicting answers on others — and that’s infuriating some gamers.
The instant backlash against the Xbox One, in fact, has been rather astonishing. To help understand it, here’s a list of some of the things we don’t know that we probably should, as well as areas where Microsoft just made things more confusing by constantly flip-flopping.
Since 
the rumormongers starting whispering about Microsoft’s next-generation console over a year ago, one of the most controversial topics has been the fate of used games.
Some reports said the system would make it impossible to play them. Analysts scoffed at this, saying Microsoft wasn’t stupid enough to alienate a substantial portion of its audience with such a sweeping move — not to mention anger its biggest retail partner, GameStop, who sees significant revenue from used game sales.
Electronic 
Arts was the first company to institute the online pass. It was, at the time, a revolutionary idea that allowed the publisher to make money from used game sales.
Now, it’s walking away from the practice — and players are celebrating.
Were 
this any other transition period for the video game industry, GameStop stock would be soaring these days.
Instead, the stock has been largely flat — climbing less than one point year to date, noticeably underperforming the market’s seven percent gains — as well as other companies in the gaming space.
Chris Morris: Journalist 