Topic: [RANT] Hardware packaging

[KDR_11k]

I bought myself one of those XBox 360 controllers for the PC today. Brought it home, plugged it in, ... Hey, waitaminute! Can't plug it in while it's still in the packaging. So I removed the packaging. Well, tried to. It's one of those two-sheets-of-plastic-welded-together kinds of packaging that give a wonderful view on the contents but are practically impossible to open without applying force. A lot of force. First I tried to cut the welding seam away with a pair of scissors and have the two sheets fall apart. No dice, the things are welded in a way that makes it impossible to cut the seams away, either you cut in mid seam (which doesn't help you) or you cut in mid-controller. Then I take a knife and after trying to cut the seams again simply sawed away the top part of the packaging. Using the scissors again, using some force, finally. The hardware can be removed. It's a miracle that both the hardware and the included driver CD remained undamaged. Worst packaging ever.

What the f### is wrong with Microsoft? Why can't they use packaging you can open without cutting the whole thing to shreds? PC hardware is usually packaged in those two plastic sheets, yes, but it's normally held together with a cardboard box with big holes in it to expose the hardware. You just need to open the box and the plastic comes apart automatically. But MS decides to save a few pennies on the box and produces a nightmare for the buyer.

Not that that was my first encounter with this godawful idea. Sony loves it as well. But at least I could cut through the cardboard area when I was "unwrapping" my PS2 memcard. Some crappy GC controllers are sold in the same packaging but I don't think 3rd parties are of much interest to most.

Nintendo is the only one with a clue here, simple cardboard boxes with no attempts at clear plastic windows or other gimmicks that just annoy the buyer and place a burden on our waste system. Open the carboard flap, pull out the stuff, remove plastic bags around it, good to go. No fiddling with hard and sharp-edged plastic sheets.

[Ian Sane]

The plastic sheets suck because it's impossible to open them without some sort of tool.  I don't think it's fair to assume that when we buy a product that we own something to open it with.  I have nightmares of being trapped on a desert island and a crate floats ashore with everything I'll ever need to survive but it's all wrapped in that plastic crap and I starve to death trying to open it.

The worst though are scissors in plastic sheets.  So I need scissors to open the packaging for scissors?  If I already have scissors handy why would I buy another pair?

[MaryJane]

Unfortunately those packages not only suck, they are necessary, and also protect the consumer.

They suck because they do their job. Waterproof, theftproof, and tamperproof. All good things come with a price.

[jasonditz]

simplest way to open those: take a box cutter and cut all along the inside of the back of the seems (sort of trace the seem), then the thin interior plastic just falls out and all the contents can easily be removed.

I once took a new (Cheap) digital camera over to a friend's house only to find he had no sharp tools of any kind, and we melted the seem off with his cigarette lighter, which worked eventually, but made kind of a mess.

[Ian Sane]

"Unfortunately those packages not only suck, they are necessary, and also protect the consumer.

They suck because they do their job. Waterproof, theftproof, and tamperproof. All good things come with a price."

Well this isn't exactly a bottle of Aspirin here.  I can easily open FOOD with my bare hands and I think it's much more important for that to not be tampered with.  The loaf of bread I buy comes in flimsy plastic that's as thin as saranwrap but my game controller?  Oh man I can't let someone tamper with that.

Hell the consoles themselves come in cardboard boxes.  So it's okay to have low "tamper protection" on the expensive console hardware but the controller has to come in an airtight space capsule.

[KDR_11k]

They suck because they do their job. Waterproof, theftproof, and tamperproof. All good things come with a price.

Nope, definitely not waterproof. It wasn't welded around the hole where the poles some retailers use to hang these things on goes through. Plus it's impossible to keep the packaging intact for returns or storage. I doubt it's more theftproof than any other packaging, it's not too easy to remove the other items from their packaging either so a thief would probably steal it with packaging. And tamperproof really isn't something to worry about. You can see on other packagings whether they have been opened before.

simplest way to open those: take a box cutter and cut all along the inside of the back of the seems

Doesn't work with this one, it goes outwards at 90° right where the welding ends. So you'd have to hold the cutter parallel to the seam and risk damaging the contents.

[vudu]

Quote
Hell the consoles themselves come in cardboard boxes. So it's okay to have low "tamper protection" on the expensive console hardware but the controller has to come in an airtight space capsule.

Consoles tend to be bigger, i.e. harder to shoplift.  Plus they're almost always either locked in individual security boxes or locked behind a security case.

Controllers and other accessories are smaller so they're easier to steal.  That's why they put them in over-sized, impossible to open quickly/quietly packages.  It makes it very difficult to steal.  It wouldn’t be cost effective to the retailer (or convenient to the consumer) to lock them up with the consoles.

[jasonditz]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
They suck because they do their job. Waterproof, theftproof, and tamperproof. All good things come with a price.

Nope, definitely not waterproof. It wasn't welded around the hole where the poles some retailers use to hang these things on goes through. Plus it's impossible to keep the packaging intact for returns or storage. I doubt it's more theftproof than any other packaging, it's not too easy to remove the other items from their packaging either so a thief would probably steal it with packaging. And tamperproof really isn't something to worry about. You can see on other packagings whether they have been opened before.

simplest way to open those: take a box cutter and cut all along the inside of the back of the seems

Doesn't work with this one, it goes outwards at 90° right where the welding ends. So you'd have to hold the cutter parallel to the seam and risk damaging the contents.

Just cut along the edge, using the welding angle as a guide... I've never damaged the contents of a package doing it that way.

[jasonditz]

Quote
Originally posted by: vudu

Quote
Hell the consoles themselves come in cardboard boxes. So it's okay to have low "tamper protection" on the expensive console hardware but the controller has to come in an airtight space capsule.

Consoles tend to be bigger, i.e. harder to shoplift.  Plus they're almost always either locked in individual security boxes or locked behind a security case.

Controllers and other accessories are smaller so they're easier to steal.  That's why they put them in over-sized, impossible to open quickly/quietly packages.  It makes it very difficult to steal.  It wouldn’t be cost effective to the retailer (or convenient to the consumer) to lock them up with the consoles.

Who cares what the retailer wants... the controllers aren't being marketed to the retailer, they're being marketed to the consumer.

Suppose Nintendo put all their controllers in cardboard boxes next generation... do you think some retailer is going to refuse to sell Nintendo controllers because they're "easier to steal"? Sega's controllers always used to come in a box, I think Nintendo should follow their example.

[vudu]

Quote
Suppose Nintendo put all their controllers in cardboard boxes next generation... do you think some retailer is going to refuse to sell Nintendo controllers because they're "easier to steal"? Sega's controllers always used to come in a box, I think Nintendo should follow their example.

No, it just means the retailer will demand additional markup on the controllers in order to fund the new security displays they have to install in every store.

[Strell]

No one has nightmares about being on a deserted island, and a crate of food washes ashore, but it's all in tin cans, and you don't have a can opener, but the freakin' Hispanic rodent with a sombrero does, but he won't give it to you unless you share, but you are a heartless greedy sonuvabitch, so you try to open it with stones and dropping coconuts on it, eventually tieing it to your ass and coaxing a sword fish to ram you full speed, but the rope you use gets untied in the process and it stabs you in the ass, and eventually you just give up and concede to share with the rodent, who for some reason can run much faster than you....  

[King of Twitch]

It seems like everything was in cardboard boxes before CD/DVD cases - games, controllers, and even the N64 memory cards. They have security cams and RFID tags on everything they don't need this ridiculous bulletproof plastic.


"Well this isn't exactly a bottle of Aspirin here. I can easily open FOOD with my bare hands and I think it's much more important for that to not be tampered with. The loaf of bread I buy comes in flimsy plastic that's as thin as saranwrap but my game controller? Oh man I can't let someone tamper with that."

>Videogames are more sacred than food/water

[Smash_Brother]

Space Devil Packaging!

[Renny]

Blister packing is indeed the spawn of the devil. All in the name of shelf presence and theft deterrence. It's always a special occasion when J-accessories arrive in the mail. Open box, remove contents, enjoy!

[nitsu niflheim]

It's packages as such so that once you open it, they can refuse to allow you to return it because you have ruined the original package.

[Shecky]

Quote
Originally posted by: Strellit's all in tin cans, and you don't have a can opener, but the freakin' Hispanic rodent with a sombrero does

In the words of Sylvester:  "Quick! Quick! Gimme the can opener!!"

[PIAC]

Don't you hate it when you buy some beef and the ****ing farmers have left it still inside the cow? I hate when that happens.

p.s. I can't even believe this thread exists. What is this planetbaby forums.

[Ian Sane]

"It's packages as such so that once you open it, they can refuse to allow you to return it because you have ruined the original package."

I always love that.

"I need to return this controller.  It's defective."
"Sorry you took it out of the package."
"Of course I took it out of the package.  How else can I determine if the thing works or not?"

I would appreciate it if stores didn't assume that when I return something the day after I bought it and merely wish to exchange it with the same exact item that I'm trying to pull a fast one.  It's not really much of a scam if I don't come out ahead in the end, is it?

[KDR_11k]

PIAC: That's not a problem, I just slash away until I have my beef. No risk of damaging any expensive hardware.

[Ages]

Those packages are horrible.  I hate them just as much as everyone else does...This was a pathetic attempt to shoehorn a related Penny Arcade Comic.  Heh, it still voices our feelings towards blister packing, but now we have visual aid.

[vudu]

Someone beat you to your pathetic attempt to shoehorn a related Penny-Arcade comic.

Quote
Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Space Devil Packaging!

Here's mine.  This is you.  

[blackfootsteps]

Quote
Originally posted by: MJRx9000
It seems like everything was in cardboard boxes before CD/DVD cases - games, controllers, and even the N64 memory cards. They have security cams and RFID tags on everything they don't need this ridiculous bulletproof plastic.

In Australia, GC memory cards and controllers do come in regular cardboard boxes! Joy!

(PS2 and XBOX peripherals do not)

[Strell]

Quote
Originally posted by: blackfootsteps
In Australia, GC memory cards and controllers do come in regular cardboard boxes! Joy!

In Soviet Russia, memory cards YOU!

 

[KDR_11k]

Usually you do the Mario. In Soviet Russia, however ...