A GameStop customer purchased a $4.99 used copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum on Xbox 360 and got an extra surprise. While GameStop gets a lot of criticism for its trade-in rates and stunts like trying to acquire eBay, there’s no denying that it often has solid deals for gamers looking for a discount. Throw in promotions like the occasional Buy 2 Get 1 Free and the discounted price on used games, and it’s easy to build up a solid collection of physical games relatively cheap shopping at the gaming retailer.
GameStop’s financial situation isn’t as strong as it once was, and looking down the road, it looks like things will be getting worse. PlayStation is phasing out physical media, and will stop producing new discs starting in January 2028. The next-generation PlayStation console, the yet-to-be-revealed PS6, will be a digital-only device. It’s expected that the next-gen Xbox will also be a digital-only console, meaning GameStop will only be able to sell used games for the Switch 2 and older consoles.
That likely won’t bother retro gamers too much, as there are a ton of high-quality old-school games readily available at GameStop. Reddit user Jmac1441 was shopping at the store recently and purchased a used copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum on Xbox 360 for $4.99. Not only did they get one of the best superhero games of all time for next to nothing, but the copy they purchased was seemingly autographed by Kevin Conroy himself. For the uninitiated, Conroy is the iconic voice behind Batman in the classic Batman: The Animated Series as well as the Arkham trilogy, among various other projects. Conroy tragically died in 2022, making this autographed copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum that much more meaningful.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Other Reddit users commented on Jmac1441’s post with their own examples of surprise finds at GameStop. One found a copy of a Devil May Cry game signed by Nero’s voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch, and another found a copy of the original Gears of War on Xbox 360, also priced at $4.99, signed by Dominic Santiago’s voice actor Carlos Ferro. Ferro will be reprising his role as Dom in the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day prequel game that’s set to launch on PC and Xbox Series X/S this October.
Those that haven’t visited their local GameStop stores recently might want to stop in and see if they can find something similar on the shelves. At the time of this writing, GameStop is running a special Get 4 for $40 promotion on pre-owned games under $20, though it’s set to expire on August 1. Those signed up for GameStop’s Pro tier get an extra 5% off.
As digital game sales continue to vastly outperform physical sales, one has to wonder how long a store like GameStop is going to be around. A digital-only future where video game companies have complete control over prices and there is no used games market is a scary thought, but it’s quickly becoming a reality.
- Released
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August 25, 2009
- ESRB
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T for Teen: Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 3
