GameTZ.com

Infobox Website
name = Game Trading Zone



caption = GameTZ.com logo and screenshot.
url = http://gametz.com
commercial = Yes
type = Online trading community
language = English
registration = Required, Free
owner = Bill Marrs
author = Stephen Osborne, Bill Marrs
launch date = 1996 (as Used Game Trading Zone)
current status = Active
revenue =
slogan = "Traders wanted"
alexa =

GameTZ.com is an online trading community established in late 1996 which allows people to trade video games, books, music, movies, and other items through negotiating with other traders from countries worldwide.cite web|url=http://www.lsj.com/news/business/030708_barter_6c.html|title=Barter for the better|publisher=Lansing State Journal|date=2003-07-08|accessdate=2007-05-29|author=A.S. Berman|first=A.S.|last=Berman] cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-45759847.html|title=GAME REVIEW: Old PlayStation games offer cheap enjoyment|publisher=The Daily Cougar|date=2001-07-18|accessdate=2007-05-29] cite journal|author=Kyle Orland|first=Kyle|last=Orland|title=Learning a Trade|pages=40|journal=Electronic Gaming Monthly|month=November|year=2007] Once a trade is completed, a record is created on the site for future reference.

GameTZ.com has forums and a trading/matching system that contains a large number of tools necessary for tracking and recording online trading transactions. GameTZ.com's offer system provides users with the ability to send and receive offers, check out trade details, shipping methods, and so on.cite web|url=http://adultgamingenthusiasts.com/blogs/age/archive/2007/01/18/review-of-online-game-trading-sites-goozex-sayswap-gametz.aspx|title=Online game trading sites: Goozex, SaySwap, GameTZ|author=AzShrapnel|first=Jason|last=Agostoni|date=2007-01-18|accessdate=2007-02-22|publisher=Adult Gaming Enthusiasts] GameTZ.com also operates a simple IRC chatroom which allows users to create trades and discuss various topics.

Multi-platform gaming magazine GamePro has cited trading sites, specifically GameTZ.com,cite journal|author=GamePro Staff|title=Used Game Trading Zone|pages=28|journal=GamePro|month=April|year=2000|volume=|issue=] cite journal|author=GamePro Staff|title=Trade Secrets|pages=8|journal=GamePro|month=April|year=2004|volume=|issue=] to be excellent alternatives to selling games back to retail outlets at significantly reduced value. GameTZ.com has also been featured in other magazine articles and online reviews, as well as in a short TV news segment syndicated to stations across the United States.Cite visual|title=Swapping Online|url= http://images.kenyonhill.com/tz/barter.wmv|medium=Syndicated television story|accessdate=2007-02-07|date=July-August 2003] cite web|url=http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1388035&nav=0RaPHH3C|title=Barter web sites allow users to trade goods and services online|author=Hannah Nelson|first=Hannah|last=Nelson|date=2003-08-03|publisher=WIS10 on WIStv.com|accessdate=2007-02-07]

History

The Used Game Trading Zone (UGTZ) was founded by Stephen Osborne in the mid-1990s. Exactly when UGTZ came into existence is uncertain, but it has been traced back as far as December 23, 1996 (via a USENET posting by Osborne).cite web|url=http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.marketplace/browse_frm/thread/97b5f7f1a93a6c2d/48d33815587eb10a?lnk=st&q=%22used+game+trading+zone%22+osborne&rnum=19#48d33815587eb10a|title=Join the Trading Zone!|author=Stephen Osborne|first=Stephen|last=Osborne|publisher=comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.marketplace archived on Google Groups|date=1996-12-23|accessdate=2007-02-07] Osborne manually maintained a growing list of items that traders had available for trade. Traders would then scan through the very large lists to find items they wanted, then make offers via email to the owner(s) of the items.

As UGTZ continued to grow, this list became perpetually more difficult for Osborne to maintain by hand. In October of 1997, Bill Marrs created a system which automated much of the work Osborne had been doing by hand. For a short time thereafter, parts of UGTZ were maintained on both Osborne's and Marrs' sites. Eventually, the decision was made to move the whole operation to Marrs' site.

The domain name ugtz.com was registered in the summer of 1998, followed by the implementation of an independent database in the spring of 1999 . This database allowed traders to view a list of potential trades, saving them a great deal of time in finding trades. In an effort to generate some income, 1999 also introduced advertisements, subscriptions, and an affiliate marketing program to the site.

In March 2000, the site was renamed Game Trading Zone and the domain name gametz.com was registered. Marrs cloned the GameTZ.com trading engine and established three other sites: "MusicTZ.com", "MovieTZ.com", and "BookTZ.com". However, at the beginning of 2002, the music, movie, and book domains were dropped and all four "Trading Zones" were folded back into the main GameTZ.com site.

In February 2003, the site changed to a subscriber-only format where passive use of the site by non-subscribers was still possible, but a subscription was necessary to initiate trades and be actively involved in the community. In August 2005, the site reverted back to voluntary subscriptions and non-subscribers were again allowed full access to GameTZ.com's trading and community features.

GameTZ.com has more than 165,700 trades completed as of March 2008,cite web|url=http://gametz.com/FAQ.html#origins|title=What's the history of GameTZ?|accessdate=2007-02-07] and has over 4000 registered traders. In November 2007, the site was rated #2 of the top five sites for trading games online by Electronic Gaming Monthly, only losing out to Goozex due to its less-flashy, message board-like interface..

ee also

* Bargaining
* Barter
* Electronic commerce
* Trade
* Online trading community

External links

* [http://gametz.com Game Trading Zone]
* [http://reviews.judysbook.com/members/37328/posts/2006/4/346923/ Review on Judy's Book]
* [http://adultgamingenthusiasts.com/blogs/age/archive/2007/01/18/review-of-online-game-trading-sites-goozex-sayswap-gametz.aspx Review of Game Trading Sites at Adult Gaming Enthusiasts]

References