The used console game market has received considerable consumer, press and industry attention. Some retailers are known to aggressively push used games with consumers who visit their stores. One regularly hears grumblings from the publishers about this "leak" in their financial market.

In fact, a majority of gamers (59 percent) who play consoles once a week or more often bought one or more used game in the last year.

The used console game market also appeals broadly to gamers, across the key age groups of 12 to 34.

A majority of used console game buyers report that their used purchase cannibalized at least one game they had intended to buy new.

The attached data clearly shows that used games are cannibalizing intended new game purchases. Using the estimates from the attached data about 5-15 percent of all used games bought were cannibalized from the games that the consumers originally intended to buy new. That is some serious revenue off the bottom line of the publishers and into the hands of some retailers.

In addition, anecdotally, in focus groups, gamers tell us that they tend to use the money to buy more used games, rather than new games or non-game purchases.

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Mike Vorhaus is the Managing Director at Frank N. Magid Associates, a world leader in research-based consultation that has provided strategic insight and direction for clients in 37 countries around the world.