Topic: Stop Going to GameStop

[Urkel]

If Major Nelson told me to stop going to Gamestop, I'd do it. He's so dreamy.

[BranDonk Kong]

My opinions are based on facts, and the facts are that GameStop has horrible policies, doesn't give a crap about their customers, and is nothing but a pawn shop. It's the corporation as a whole, and yes it does matter if you base your opinion on your own experience, because that's exactly what you are supposed to do. The *only* thing that GameStop does right is let you return used games within 7 days. All their stupid cards and magazine subscriptions are worthless. You get a shitty magazine in the mail so you can read about some game that you were watching videos for on the internet a month ago, and you get some stupid card that lets you get $3.30 for your game instead of $3.00, you can use that extra $0.30 to buy a pencil and sheet of paper to write a letter to the police about how GameStop just raped you.

[UncleBob]

Now, come on Brandogg.  "You can't rape the willing" - and no one is forced to trade their games into Gamestop.  Gamestop is a business that offers a service and, while for the life of me I can't figure it out, it's a pretty popular one.

Is Gamestop the patron saint for gamers?  Not at all.  I disagree with several of their practices (Upselling is annoying, but it's no big deal.  Opening games, letting employees take them home and play them, then selling them as "new", to me, is a big deal), but they're hardly the evil devil who bombs at midnight.

As for your pawn shop comment - that's dependent on state law (which in Florida, the fingerprinting is true).  However, I don't believe that's something unique to Gamestop - wouldn't any b/s/t store for used games be subjected to the same law?

[Chocobo_Rider]

I (almost) never buy/sell used games.  So maybe their lame policy on used games doesn't bother me as much as it should?

But, as UncleBob said, any used item retailer uses that practice.  No one is going to turn around and sell a used item without profit... they aren't a library! =)

That said, I would blame the industry as a whole for the fact that the markup shoots from the trade in value to something 10x that.

After all, if the retail game at $60 had a used copy next to it for $15, the sales of the new games would be completely cannibalized.  Which makes me think those games shouldn't be $60 in the first place.  And if they need to be that pricey to recoup expensive development costs? Then the company went about making a game the wrong way.  Nintendo makes amazing games... when's the last time you heard about Nintendo unexpectedly flying over budget?

[Chozo Ghost]

but after hearing about how they toss out the cases and manuals for used games, that was the end of that.

They don't do this for all games.

Do you purposely always take the side of whoever is NOT the underdog, or does it just come natural to you?

[TJ Spyke]

My opinions are based on facts, and the facts are that GameStop has horrible policies, doesn't give a crap about their customers, and is nothing but a pawn shop.

No, those are OPINIONS and not facts. That is the truth.

Chozo, I am stating a fact rather than lie and say Mop is right. And since when are consumers automatically the underdog?

[BranDonk Kong]

It's my opinion that GameStop has horrible policies (such as throwing away manuals, selling opened games as new, and selling used games for $5 less than new, even though they require a $10 online pass to play online...making them cost $10 more than a new copy of said game)? It's my opinion that they don't give a crap about their customers (basically ties into the policies I mentioned)? It's my opinion that they are legally classified as a pawn shop (remember, fingerprints)?

[Chozo Ghost]

And since when are consumers automatically the underdog?

Comments like this are why your karma score will never be in the positive ever again.

[TJ Spyke]

It's my opinion that GameStop has horrible policies (such as throwing away manuals, selling opened games as new, and selling used games for $5 less than new, even though they require a $10 online pass to play online...making them cost $10 more than a new copy of said game)? It's my opinion that they don't give a crap about their customers (basically ties into the policies I mentioned)? It's my opinion that they are legally classified as a pawn shop (remember, fingerprints)?

No GameStop I have even been to requires fingerprints to trade in games and from what I have read it was just a handful of them doing it. It's not GameStop's fault that some publishers are deciding to be douche's and charge a $10 fee for those who don't buy a game new, those opened games are technically new, they don't throw away manuals for console games unless the manual is like damaged or something (I bought a used copy of Metroid Prime: Trilogy a few months ago from there and it had the manual and the other bonus stuff Nintendo originally included), and how customers are treated depends on the employee.

Chozo, what the hell are you talking about? GameStop is not perfect, but I have seen plenty of moronic consumers who are idiots and assholes to retail employees. Pleae also explain how they are automatically underdogs?

[BranDonk Kong]

Because GameStop has billions of dollars. That really shouldn't be of any debate.

[MegaByte]

People need to stop acting like a whole company is bad just because they had some bad experiences.

The difference with Gamestop is that bad experiences seem to be the rule more than the exception. The majority of the problems stem from the company's policies, not the employees.

[Chocobo_Rider]

Here's a thought ...

For everyone who can't stand GameStop... don't go there.

As the article we're responding to mentions... go to the gleaming beacons of awesomeness like Best Buy across the street.

... of course, it is my personal opinion, based on my personal experiences that prices/selection/customer service at BestBuy, Target, Walmart, etc all pale in comparison to GameStop.

But if you guys find them SOOOOOOO much better, why do you ever go to GameStop? Why is this even a discussion worth having?  If so many people feel that way (as some of you imply) then eventually GameStop will be replaced ... such is the natural selection of businesses.

[MegaByte]

I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly don't go to any of those places (occasionally, I'll go to Toys R Us if there's a crazy sale). Best Buy especially is at least as shady as GameStop. I pretty much only shop for games online now (usually Amazon).

[broodwars]

*stuff*

OK, I gave you a chance to explain yourself, and as I expected you were not able to.  You believe that developers do not have a right to make money off their work, that anything a developer creates for a project (regardless of whether you were satisfied with the experience you paid for) should just be given out for free because PROFIT IS EVIL.  It doesn't matter that you already had a great experience that was well worth your time and money, because YOU DESERVE MORE, DAMN IT!  We should just go back to the days when you bought a game for an even greater cost, and if you wanted more you just had to hope the game got a sequel, because HOW DARE these developers try to give their fans more of what they want for what in retrospect is an extremely modest fee.  You deserve more because you paid a whopping $60 for a game you loved and thought was already worth your money.  Even that's too much, of course, because one of the greatest marketing machines in the world can sell its own software for $10 less and turn a profit.  Your view, of course, would be different if Nintendo were among the companies offering paid DLC this generation, but that's just stating the obvious.

My god, what an entitlement culture our society has created.  Just, wow.  You are right, though: there is no point trying to debate with you because it's like trying to debate with a child.  If you don't like DLC, fine.  That's your right.  There are certainly enough companies out there abusing the concept to be worth the ire.  By all means, continue not buying it.  But don't go spouting your "everything should be FREE because I bought something ONCE!" nonsense and expect me to take you seriously.

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ Megabyte

Yea... the online stores are really the best all around choices these days. No need for people to get all hot and bothered about GameStop given that alternative.

@ broodwars

Hey man, you put together a real well reasoned argument there...

... or at least you would have if not addressing points and putting words in someone's mouth made for a good argument.

[BranDonk Kong]

I go into GameStop because it's in the mall and I have kids.

[UncleBob]

After all, if the retail game at $60 had a used copy next to it for $15, the sales of the new games would be completely cannibalized.

This is a really good point.  I don't even buy used, typically, but if I had to choose between $50 new and $15 used... I'd strongly consider the used.

[Adrock]

I've never purchased DLC (I almost did for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow then decided against it). I don't typically have a problem with DLC except when it's an unlock code. To me, that's super insulting because it's already on the disc I bought and they WERE going to give it to me for free then decided "**** you" and charged $5 instead. Day 1 DLC and unlock codes are high suspect to me. At least pretend like it wasn't planned.

What I generally hate are patches, especially when I put the disc in the first time and the game forces me to download ****. I would, however, call it even if I could personally slap whoever on the development team was responsible for this with the back of my hand for every second of my life they wasted before I could play the game. That encourages laziness/a "we'll fix that **** later" attitude which I don't appreciate. I remember when we had plastic boxes we rammed in our consoles and games just worked and it forced companies to get it right the first time. The good ol' days...

I don't think it's inherently a bad thing that 3rd parties are implementing ways to make money off of used games. Games aren't cars. They're far more affordable and as such are traded and re-purchased with far more frequency.

I'm not looking forward to a possible future of digital distribution.

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ Adrock

I'm not sure exactly what the car analogy means, but other than that, I completely agree!

Gamers shouldn't put up with those practices... but instead they praise them like some sort of extra feature.  So... we get what we've asked for. =\

[broodwars]

I've never purchased DLC (I almost did for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow then decided against it).

Wise choice, because although I love that game, that DLC is very overpriced for how short it is.  Yeah, I can go either way on Unlock Codes for content already on the disc, and it comes down to whether the company offered a full experience with the main game.  A game that really bothers me in this regard was Assassin's Creed 2, where the game tells you when its skipping DLC content within the context of the story ("Ah, we have some 'corrupted data' here!  Hmm...Bonfire of the Vanities...etc...nah, that's not important...").  Then there's EA with the latest Tiger Woods game, where something like half the courses on the various tournaments are locked behind visible pay walls, and if you don't pay for the courses your ranking on the tournaments suffer.  It's a pity that some companies have to ruin the concept for everyone else.

[marty]

I really hate these stores.  I between the staff and store layout, I generally find the store uncomfortable.  Bargain bins strewn across the store, wire racks holding game cases, generic black cases with shaprie--it all looks aweful and sucks to navigate.  The employees are always, ALWAYS creepy douchebags-- even female employees.  I don't need snark when I'm buying a DS game, I don't want your dumb, gameInformer derived opinion on anything, so just smile, and be polite and keep your fucking attitude to yourself.  This chain is repulsive enough to keep me from buying things I want from it--this, moreso than gouging customers or developers or what not, is really BAD business.  They have something I will spend money on, but I refuse to spend it at their stores.

[Chozo Ghost]

What I generally hate are patches, especially when I put the disc in the first time and the game forces me to download ****. I would, however, call it even if I could personally slap whoever on the development team was responsible for this with the back of my hand for every second of my life they wasted before I could play the game. That encourages laziness/a "we'll fix that **** later" attitude which I don't appreciate. I remember when we had plastic boxes we rammed in our consoles and games just worked and it forced companies to get it right the first time. The good ol' days..

As annoying as that may be, its certainly better than how things are with Metroid: Other M where the game shipped with a game killing bug which Nintendo has not patched nor will it ever patch. In a perfect world games would ship bug free, but that doesn't always happen, and if it doesn't happen then I would rather those issues get fixed with a patch instead of just having the game left like a piece of **** forever.

[Chozo Ghost]

Then there's EA

In my opinion EA is the absolute worst publisher ever. If you've ever played Brutal Legend that perfectly epitomizes everything that's wrong with them and how they do things. There are two DLC things for the game for about $5 each which isn't terribly bad I guess, but one DLC was only 100kb download and it was supposed to add 4 maps and a bunch of ****, so I knew there was no way 100kb was going to include all that. It was on the disc all along, but they don't tell you that. You just pay for the unlock.

Another thing that sucks with Brutal Legend (at least with the PS3 version) is if you buy and install the DLC on a game which you are already playing it may result in the save file getting messed up and make the game unable to load it. If that happens you're fucked and you have to start the game all over from the beginning. That's how you get rewarded for buying the DLC content for that game.

I did some research on that bug on Double Fine's website (they are the developers) and they were aware of the bug and they even made a patch to fix it, but EA absolutely refuses to publish the patch. All the work of making it has been done and its ready to go, but the piece of **** EA refuses to do their job as a publisher and publish it.

So I wish EA would die. There are games they publish which I do enjoy but I don't like them or want to have anything to do with them. The developers are the ones who make these games and they are the ones who deserve my money, but EA can go to hell.

[broodwars]

I think there are reasons beyond just "laziness" for why Brutal Legend didn't get that patch...

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ Chozo Ghost

Patching unforeseen bugs: Good.
Patching bugs they were too rushed to fix: Bad.