Used game are a controversial topic in the games industry. Gamers like them, because it lowers the barrier of entry for new games, while publishers and developers loath them - arguing that it deprives them of revenue.

US retailer Gamestop however, are unlikely to buckle anytime soon, a new report from Gamasutra revealing that a whopping 50 per cent of the firm's profits come from used game sales.

Apparently, this figure covers Gamestop's performance in the last financial year, in which new software sales only accounted for 21 per cent - sales a paltry 6 per cent.

Apparently, used sales have only grown very slightly as a percentage of profits, although margins on new sales have actually declined.

It seems that used sales are here to stay, regardless of what Nintendo, and think.

By Luke Guttridge