Gamestop's inventory of pre-owned Xenoblade Chronicles copies seemed to inflate overnight on August 10, when the game showed up at previously dry retail locations and online for $90 a pop. Xenoblade is a famously hard-to-find Wii role-playing game that was sold only via Nintendo and Gamestop on first printing, and until now it seemed retail stock teetered on nonexistence.

We contacted Gamestop when Xenoblade was resurrected last week, and today the company issued a response:

"Gamestop regularly receives feedback from our PowerUp members regarding old titles they would like us to bring back, such as vintage games likeXenoblade Chronicles. We were recently able to source a limited number of copies of this title to carry in our stores and online.

"In fact, we have sourced several more vintage titles that will be hitting stores in the coming months, including Metroid Prime Trilogy.

"As always, our pricing for these games is competitive and is based on current market value driven by supply and demand. PowerUp Pro members always receive a 10 percent discount and earn PUR points on pre-owned purchases."

There's no word on the source of Gamestop's fresh copies. Nintendo has yet to respond to our requests for clarification, regarding whether this is a reprint or simply a surprising windfall of pre-owned games. Really, all of this comes down to one, simple question: How much is five stars worth to you?

http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/13/ga...-trilogy-bein/