Discs don't have a limited shelf life. 'New' is just a word, for me the thing to look for is the condition of the disc/case. I mean if you've ever gotten something from Gamefly those are practically new. Arguing over cellophane is silly if it saves $30. Then really it's just inventory control. You go to BB and they got those plastic boxes. Targ or TrU use locked shelves.
Except that some of those 'practically new' discs from Gamefly and/or Redbox have big chips missing off the edges of them that sometimes make them not work after a while.
Either way I'd rather buy a 70% off new and sealed clearance game from Target versus a $30 opened and not new (to me) game from Gamestop.
Opened isn't the same as used. New cars aren't exactly taped shut and rolled across the country. You all are just using this as a crazy reason to bash GS.
Try the experiment I mentioned above at a random Gamestop with a game you know you're going to keep anyway. See what they say. That's what amused me about their policy of opening new games to make display cases. When they do it it's magically still "new". If I do it right in front of them, it's somehow no longer new. That, to me, is bullshit.
As for 'bashing' Gamestop, they have SOME decent sales at times. Last thing I bought from them was Constructor for PS4 for $5. It was indeed 'newsed'. But it was $5. If it's a $40-50 game and 'newsed' then there's an issue. But for a cheap game that likely nobody even looked at the case of, so it stayed truly like new, then I'm fine with the opened as new thing.
I won't buy a game if the box is awful. Never seen a damaged disc yet.
For me it's whoever is first to $30. New or used. Yes I've seen clearance sales that beat used prices. But like for the recent BF, GS had the lowest price first on TR, Astro Bot, and AC Odyssey. New. Because people don't trade in games as frequently I'll admit it's getting harder to find used prices reaching my price point before new copies do.