Ask any publisher what they think of used games, and you'll get a grimace at the very least. Since the stores that sell used games are also some of the biggest retailers of new games, publishers are usually cautious about attacking the sales of used games directly. Blockbuster has found what they think is a way to reduce used game sales by offering reasonable game rental terms. Publishers have been supporting the Blockbuster rentals because, as Blockbuster puts it, “it takes away from trade-ins.”
The big reason for publisher support is that Blockbuster gives them a substantial cut of the rental fee for games.
"We have ramped up the rental side of our business and we have got an awful lot of support from publishers," said Blockbuster commercial director Gerry Butler to MCV. “Publishers like renting as it takes away from trade-ins. The problem with trade-ins is the publisher doesn’t get any money. The advantage of renting is that they get quite a lot of money."
Blockbuster doesn't address the growing use of online passes, where only the initial buyer of a video game can access online features without paying extra. Blockbuster may just be avoiding those titles in its offerings, but as the practice of using online passes spreads in the industry this may become a serious constraint on Blockbuster's game rental offerings.
