With these purchasing habits as background, Interpret then examined the arguments made by DeMatteo and Perry.

"DeMatteo's assertion that used games and new games appeal to fundamentally different markets—and thus need not directly interfere with each others' sales—has some weight to it. Interpret's Gameasure survey found a distinct inverse correlation between a game-buyer's household income and the percentage of games that consumer purchases used: a gamer making under $25,000 a year will buy nearly 35% more of his total games used than a gamer making over $200,000," the report states. "This trend is logical enough: gamers who are better off financially should be willing to spend more on new releases. Nonetheless, such data supports the GameStop CEO's thesis. If used games appeal primarily to low-income consumers and new games to high-income buyers, then the two product types need not necessarily compete for the same audience—provided that they were targeted exclusively to their most productive demographics."

Interpret adds, "Unfortunately for DeMatteo, however, Dave Perry makes an equally cogent point about specialty game stores' effect on used game sales. Gameasure data also show a clear association between GameStop's sales and used game purchase rates, suggesting that the retailer is indeed pushing its used merchandise over its newer titles."

That's where the problem comes in. Omnivores, the group outlined above that purchases 41 percent of its games used, make a larger proportion of purchases at GameStop and its affiliates.

"Omnivores are disproportionately drawn to GameStop over other retailers, suggesting that GameStop is in turn promoting its used games over newer titles. It is difficult to say whether this correlation is due GameStop or to the consumers themselves: perhaps Omnivores seek the retailer out because they are aware of its reputation for used game sales; perhaps GameStop's prominent positioning of their pre-owned titles draws this segment away from newer games; and perhaps both parties are somewhat responsible. What remains the case regardless, though, is that those who do buy used games have a good deal of their purchasing power soaked up by GameStop and other specialty retailers—to the detriment of both conventional electronics outlets and new game sales in general," Interpret explains.