Topic: Let's moan about stupid wit less staff at video game retailers - ah come on!

[Hey Einstein!]

I was explaining to my wife the other day that one of the pains of the Nintendo enthusiast is knowing more then the chumps who work in video game retail (both on and off line).


I know, I know, you and your cousin both work for Gamestation and studied Nintendonomics at Yale. But you are the exception or you wouldn't even be on this forum. And if you don't mind me saying so, you're wasted in retail... I digress.


I bring this up now because in the last week alone I have been thwarted in trying to by a Wii fit U meter from Game (clerk: "You have to buy the game, you can't get the pedometer by itself. It doesn't exist"
Me: "But it's on your own website!"),
Been told by somebody in a store that Nintendo no longer sell eShop vouchers (I guess they meant Wii Shop Channel vouchers. But they had an in store display of eshop vouchers so maybe they just didn't want my money)
But my favourite - I ordered a pre owned Motion Plus from CEX and received.... a wireless nunchuck adapter (but no nunchuck).
I know some of these were designed with motion plus built in but I've tested it and , nah, Wii Sports Resort says it's a useless hunk of off-white plastic.


Thank you for your compliance in my cathartic release.
Now whose got the best 'Dumb Nintendo no-knowing shop assistant' story?

[BlackNMild2k1]

There are so many tales to tell... in fact we used to have a thread on the idiots at one specific video game retailer - GameStop.

I don't have a specific incident in mind at the moment, and haven't had an game related idiot clerk sighting in quite some time, But correcting the dumbasses behind the counter at GameStop (& other game retailers) used to be a hobby for most around here.

[Ceric]

Welcome to the Digital Age!

I only seem to do any business with Gamestop for Hardware more or less now days.

[NWR_insanolord]

The people who work at the GameStop I usually go to are mostly pretty knowledgeable. They don't all keep up with Nintendo that closely, but they don't talk out of their ass about it. The thing is, I barely go there anymore, having not bought a physical game in over a year and traded in most anything I'd be willing to part with/is worth anything.

[rlse9]

I've never really had a problem with staff.  I've heard them saying some strange things to other customers who didn't know much about video games but never had any issues myself.  But I don't even know the last time I bought anything at Gamestop, the only time I've walked in there in the past couple years is while walking around the mall to browse for 5 minutes and realize that most of their games are overpriced.  Almost every game I've bought over the past 5 or so years has been online, so I just haven't dealt with employees in the electronics/gaming department of any store really.

[Ian Sane]

Ten years ago I was in stores like Gamestop a lot but my purchasing habits have changed a lot since then.  There is a local chain in my area called Willow Video Games that has a great stuff and great prices and is essentially the anti-GameStop and I go there all the time.  I always preferred to get games from them but when I was younger it was my impatience that would bring me into GameStop.  Willow was a little slow at getting the latest games but by slow I mean like getting a game two days later.  But I wanted that shiny new game I had been hyped up about for months RIGHT NOW DAMMIT, so whoever had it first got my purchase.  In fact it seemed that during the Cube years it was a crapshoot if any store in my area got a game actually on release date (now it seems to be the norm thankfully).

What's changed is that I rarely buy a game on day one anymore so any advantage GameStop provided is gone.  I typically get a game when I feel I have time to play it.  Sometimes that's day one but often I have things I have to do so I put off buying the game for a few days until I have a day that I can set aside to specifically play it.  And I'm sure as hell not buying that game at GameStop unless I HAVE to.  I think the last time I bought a game there was to get a used copy of Phoenix Wright 1, which at that time was hard to find.  I didn't even get Xenoblade there, instead ordering online directly from Nintendo.

[smallsharkbigbite]

Shiny new games, yes when Gamestop sold new games.  Now their games are opened, cases scratched, and full of stickers.  I got my first opened game from an online order this Christmas.  Awesome. 

[Adrock]

I buy most of my games from sales at Best Buy, Target, or Toys 'R Us so I haven't had an recent run-ins with dipshit clerks who don't know anything. I typically approach those sales knowing exactly what I want to buy so I usually don't have to ask the customer service person anything more than to unlock the case and/or ring me up. When I need a more niche game, I normally go to the Play N Trade my friend manages and he's pretty knowledgeable. If he can't order something, I try Amazon.

The last time I had to deal with someone at GameStop outside of being harassed as soon as I walked into the store was when Xenoblade Chronicles was up for pre-order. If I remember correctly, the person ringing me up never heard of it then the other guy explained in full know-it-all fashion that it was a sequel to Xenosaga. I wanted to say something, but I just let it be then promptly left when transaction was completed.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Shiny new games, yes when Gamestop sold new games.  Now their games are opened, cases scratched, and full of stickers.  I got my first opened game from an online order this Christmas.  Awesome. 

The last game I bought from there was a "New" opened game that they kept the case on the shelf and the game behind the counter in a cardboard sleeve. I almost walked away with out it, and I wish I had, but for some reason I felt like I needed it on day 1... hardly even played the game.
It was that Final Fantasy CC game for Wii.

[Oblivion]

Lawl. They do sell new games. On release day and up to a week after, when they have a fuckton and need to put them behind the counter. But when the game you are buying only has one or two copies in the store, they need to display the game without having the game inside for security reason. So they open the game  and when you buy it they put a seal sticker on it. I don't understand the big deal. They don't have the glass cases that the larger retailers have -- including the backstock.

Is the game scratched? Tell someone. If the disc is in pristine condition I don't see the problem.

[Adrock]

It's dumb as **** when GameStop opens a game if there's more than one copy. Sure, I understand that one is the display case, but then the rest (even if there's only one additional copy) is still taking up space behind the counter or in the backroom because it has to go somewhere and no one is buying a new game without the case, inserts and whatnot. So they're just opening the additional copies because ?? This is the exact reason I didn't buy Tales of the Abyss on 3DS from GameStop a few months ago. If a new game is opened, I don't buy it from GameStop. I'll still buy used games there if I can't find it new anywhere, but that's only on the very rare occasion when I realize I didn't buy a game I wanted. I think the last used game I bought from GameStop was A Boy and His Blob a few years ago.

If the games are opened, there's no way to tell if they're actually new. I wouldn't mind them doing this if they would sell the opened new game for the used game's price (which they would never do) unless they can prove without a shadow of a doubt that no one even play-tested the game (since that would ultimately mean it was used). Unfortunately, they cannot and my solution, again, is to just not buy new games from GameStop. Also, that seal sticker is total bullshit. I understand the purpose of it; I just hate that it doesn't come off clean.

[Stratos]

I ask them to not 'seal sticker' the games I buy. It is not a seal. If the game is a gift the sticker makes me feel like I'm pretending I got the person a new game that obviously looks used.


I only buy from Gamestop if I need a game fast (crap! sister's B-Day tomorrow!) or if they have an awesome deal (Monster Hunter U for $18 'new'). They could bother to invest in glass cases or even those plastic lock cases Toys'R'Them use. I remember when games came in cardboard boxes and Gamestop just used a demo cardboard box on the shelf and the games were all nice and sealed in their drawers. With the cheap price of DVD cases and the ability to reuse them with different printed sleeves, I don't see why they don't just do that instead. Would make the picky gamers like many of us here happy and be a cheap and secure way to display them.


I know of a local independent game shop that survives by also being a LAN cafe, arcade, billiards hall and PC repair shop. I've meant to go there for years to support them but I was like Ian and was impatient when I was younger. I wanted to play online at launch or ensure I got my preferred username before someone else took it. Then later when I stopped worrying about when I got games I became a price conscious consumer and sadly will rarely buy games at full price anymore. Amazon is the only way to got for me now outside of ridiculous sales.


Though, I remember a time when a Gamestop clerk tried to tell me that Nintendo recalled the DDR: Mario Dance Mix title.

[UncleBob]

The funny thing is, if you suggest that GameStop uses dummy cases for games instead of opening new ones, you get blasted on how that's not cost effective.

Meanwhile, GameStop will print up and display about 36 dummy cases for the next Call of Duty game telling everyone to pre-order it.

[Stratos]

As a former manager of a shift-work establishment I think it is a waste of time to have employees sit there and open product that does not need to be opened. They could better spend their time going through customer service and product training manuals or actually paying attention to the customers.

[smallsharkbigbite]

I don't think glass cases are a poor investment.  Best Buy and almost everyone else uses them.  They are re-usable so it's a one time cost and you never have to worry about this nonsense again.  Like Stratos said, the man hours to open games is idiotic and the space you have to hold to file the discs behind the counter serves no point.  I don't actually know another store that opens games to sell them new so it can't be a great idea. 


To Oblivion - I had never got an opened "new" game via Gamestop.com before so I didn't think it was an issue buying from there but obviously they had store stock to clear.  I can't even list the game as like new on ebay because of the scratches on the case and the stickers and I haven't even played the game yet.  The disc was in pretty good shape, but being a collector I keep my games in immaculate condition and often keep my games sealed until I either play them or resell them and they sit on shelves where they are visible to everyone.  I buy used games all the time and I've gotten better condition used games than the condition of that game they sold as new.  I think it's a terrible practice and I would rather buy a new game elsewhere or a game on ebay for cheaper if I wanted to buy a used game.  I also think it's a terrible way to gift because the person I'm giving it to is going to assume it's used and think I paid less on it than I did or I'm giving them a game I thought wasn't worth keeping. 

[BlackNMild2k1]

They should do like Target and have the security game case with the retractable security cord. It allows them to put out an unopened display copy that the customer can hold and read both sides of without risk of the game being opened or tampered with. and when it comes time to sell the last one, they just open the individual display game case.



opening a brand new item and then still trying to sell it as new is misleading. How do I know you didn't use the game? test it out? I don't care if you took really good care of it and didn't scratch it. How do I know you didn't lose a pamphlet inside or some special offer I wasn't aware of at time of purchase? It's best to leave a brand new unopened copy as a brand new unopened copy.

[Stratos]

opening a brand new item and then still trying to sell it as new is misleading. How do I know you didn't use the game? test it out? I don't care if you took really good care of it and didn't scratch it. How do I know you didn't lose a pamphlet inside or some special offer I wasn't aware of at time of purchase? It's best to leave a brand new unopened copy as a brand new unopened copy.

In other areas of retail, they call it 'Scratch And Dent' or 'Floor Model' and you get some pretty nice deals out of those items. But apparently Gamestop is the only area of retail where I can think of this being the norm.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Well they should knock $5 off for using it as a display model, therefore making it technically used.
Open box = discount.
GameStop doesn't get to rewrite that rule.

[Adrock]

Well they should knock $5 off for using it as a display model, therefore making it technically used.
Open box = discount.
GameStop doesn't get to rewrite that rule.

If the games are opened, there's no way to tell if they're actually new. I wouldn't mind them doing this if they would sell the opened new game for the used game's price (which they would never do)...

I agree. I understand the reasoning for opening a game to display the box (even though I would rather they didn't), but I'm not buying an opened product at full price.

[smallsharkbigbite]

Honestly, I think it's part of the diabolical plan.  I think they want you to see there is "no difference" between the used and new version and then you buy the used version for a few bucks cheaper.  They make more money on used versions and have little reason to emphasize buying new. 

[UncleBob]

They should do like Target and have the security game case with the retractable security cord. It allows them to put out an unopened display copy that the customer can hold and read both sides of without risk of the game being opened or tampered with. and when it comes time to sell the last one, they just open the individual display game case.

As someone who works for the competiton, let me say.... yes, yes, yes, 1,000x yes.  I love Target's set-up.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Seeing as how there it's a viable alternative to GameStops consumer training exercise (see Target pic), selling an opened product at full price as "new" should be illegal.

[Oblivion]

They should do like Target and have the security game case with the retractable security cord. It allows them to put out an unopened display copy that the customer can hold and read both sides of without risk of the game being opened or tampered with. and when it comes time to sell the last one, they just open the individual display game case.

As someone who works for the competiton, let me say.... yes, yes, yes, 1,000x yes.  I love Target's set-up.

Do you know if that's also the best way for lost prevention? Or is the classical "all games behind a glass case" still the best method?

[smallsharkbigbite]

My guess would be Target's way is better.  Employees make mistakes.  I've seen employees not lock glass displays before which could potentially give access to all the games to a thief.  Plus, sometimes they will let the customer reach into the case to look at games giving a potential opportunity for someone to shove games under their clothes.


With Target, most of the product is out of reach of the customer at all times and you aren't exposed to employee error.  Plus, those a steel cables.  It may be possible to break the game out but it would be pretty loud and would certainly draw attention. 

[UncleBob]

They should do like Target and have the security game case with the retractable security cord. It allows them to put out an unopened display copy that the customer can hold and read both sides of without risk of the game being opened or tampered with. and when it comes time to sell the last one, they just open the individual display game case.

As someone who works for the competiton, let me say.... yes, yes, yes, 1,000x yes.  I love Target's set-up.

Do you know if that's also the best way for lost prevention? Or is the classical "all games behind a glass case" still the best method?

I wouldn't know for sure one way or the other, but as a balance between loss prevention and customer experience, I say Target wins, hands-down.