I know that this thread really refers to console games, however I can almost guarantee the decision is being made based on PC Games where it is still relatively easy to buy, copy & return.
It's a lot easier for Game to make a blanket rule rather than attempting to explain to people the difference between rules for PC games and rules for Console games.
This is no nail in Game's coffin at all.
There seems to be this consensus that Game's customers are all technically savvy and know about online buying, shopping around etc.
They aren't.
Much of Game's customer base is from the ill-informed.
They are a High Street store and have to pay for store rental.
They will never be able to compete in store with online only stores.
As for competing with the likes of Tesco - I think you may see them doing so, however not neccessarily in the direction you would like.
There are various rules & regulations coming in to block "Grey market" selling and it really wouldn't surprise me if a lot of Tesco stock wasn't exactly originally sold for UK consumption.
And at the end of the day can you really blame Game for this at all?
In the days of EB I used to buy a lot of games from them because of their 30 day no questions asked policy.
Many a time I bought a game and did actually return it - usually because the game was terrible however also because I'd completed it and saw no replay value in it.
I never simply bought a game, copied it and then returned it - yet I know plenty of people who did.
EB becomes Game and the policy drops to 10 days.
10 days which is certainly long enough to decide if you like the game or not and so again I would use them for the odd purchase, usually when I wasn't sure what I was buying and wanted those 10 days to try things out.
Yet again there were plenty of people out there who would buy, copy and return because they are more important, they must attempt to ruin a system for everyone else.
Fast forward to now and the inevitable happens - all those pirates and thieves (who seem to have loads of support from a lot of people) have ruined things for everyone else.
As usual you give people something (the ability to in effect try before you buy (an argument I might add that many pirates & thieves use to justify their thefts)) and they will want more.
Game will now lose me as a customer, not that I threw much trade in their direction anyway.
Not because Game suck or I'm upset with this decision because I can see exactly where Game are coming from.
They lose my trade because there is no advantage to buying from them any more, no more 10 days of trying to make sure I'm happy so if I'm going to buy something without trying it first then I may as well pay as little as possible for it (buy it online).
Game will lose a little income but nothing major yet they will no longer have people buying, copying and returning games so should make life a lot easier for them.
For those who think Game suck for this - ask yourself if you've ever pirated software etc because indirectly what you are involved in will have influenced their decision on all this.
To any software thieves out there reading - Thanks. Once again you prove your selfishness is above anything and everything else and as long as you're happy that is the main thing.
Thanks again for being so cool & leet.