Have you seen the Best Buy across the street?
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/27188
Dear GameStop,
Your stores are poorly organized.
They offer a cheap-looking mish-mash of games strewn about the store on racks—never shelves—and in glass cases. The glass cases are reserved for used GBA and DS games that didn’t come with cases or, in most instances, instruction manuals. Half your stock of used…I’m sorry…”pre-owned” games are in generic DVD boxes with really awful GameStop art on the sleeve. It is not reversible. The game’s title is often written in marker. There is no manual. You are selling it for well over the $10 it’s probably worth. Your back room must be such a travesty that employees simply can’t find what they’re looking for, as trips to this mythical storage facility almost always end in disappointment and tears. It would be nice if you alphabetized your PSP games, too.
You are a criminal.
You take games—sometimes new—for store credit, and you give people pennies on the dollar. Then you turn right around and charge, say, $55 for that same game, despite acknowledging that it’s “pre-owned.” You offer some kind of points-based benefit card for a fee, of course, and you tell customers that they can use the points to buy games, accessories, even game systems. The trick is that like Club Nintendo, you have to spend infinitely more than whatever eventual purchase you make based on those points is actually worth. You still sell PS2 games, and I’m talking ancient PS2 games, for up to and including $20. You sell caseless, manual-less GBA and DS games for sometimes the same price. This is highway robbery and you know it. Additionally, all the money one spends on used games at GameStop goes directly to GameStop; not a single penny goes to the developer or publisher. That copy of Uncharted 2 you bought used for $55? Naughty Dog doesn’t see a dime of that. Shouldn’t they see a dime? They did a really good job with that game. GameStop is basically taking that hard-earned dime.
You are unreliable.
“Want to pre-order a game?” Sure, I’ll pre-order Super Mario Galaxy 2 just to shut you up so I can leave. I’ve accrued $50 in store credit over three years of selling you my old games, so why not? I’ve always been told that pre-ordering the game I want is the only way I’m guaranteed to get it. So when the day of happiness comes, that joyful Sunday when Super Mario Galaxy 2 launches, I march right into GameStop and am told that, unfortunately, they didn’t get as many pre-orders as they thought they would, and my name is too far down the list, so I won’t be getting one. Thanks, guys. There’ve also been times—more than once—where I called ahead, asked if they have a game in stock, and was told yes. Can you put it behind the counter for me? I’m only ten minutes away. “Sure, we can do that!” Well, guess what happens when I get to the store. They forgot about it, and now it’s gone, or they actually didn’t have it in the first place, the computer just said they did, oops! “I can’t be bothered to go see if it’s actually here or not.” Thanks again, guys.
You are incredibly annoying.
What an Edge card? Oh, you have one? This is the free card. Do you want the points-based card? It only costs $10 a year! You get points, which you can use to buy games and accessories in like six years if you buy from us exclusively! No? Alright, then. Do you want to pre-order a game? I’ve heard that L.A. Noire is going to be amazing. Oh, not a big Rockstar fan, huh? Well, Portal 2 is on the horizon too, and it’s going to be super-popular. If you want to make sure you get a copy, you’d better pre-order. Alright, let me just ring you up, here. Hey, do you want to grab the strategy guide for this game? No? Okay, that will be $25 for Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. No, sorry, we don’t have a case or manual.
Best Buy is right around the corner.
People don’t seem to realize this. In most large cities, and even here in Anchorage, there is a magical place called Best Buy. In this blue-tinted fairyland, you can walk through video game aisles unhindered by obnoxious, nagging posters reminding you to “PRE-ORDER TODAY!” or giant 3DS boxes with completely conceptual art on the cover. You can select a game from their many gaming-related aisles and—I know you won’t believe this—take it to the front counter and just buy it without being interrogated. Then you can leave. There have been a few times where a cashier has asked if I wanted scratch protection, and of course I told them to suck it, but other than that, my game-shopping experience at Best Buy has always been quick and to the point. Other retailers sell games as well: Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer, and even Target stock and actively advertise games in their Sunday newspaper ads. Toys R Us often has insane deals on games. It’s a brave new world, one in which nobody ever has to go into a GameStop ever again.
This is a strategy I would advise all of you readers to take up. If you have credit at GameStop—more than you care to lose—just go use it up. If you like the idea of selling your old games for some kind of monetary exchange, there ARE other options. Sell them to your friends or on Craigslist. Sell them on eBay or Goozex. Hell, you can trade stuff in at some comic shops and even Best Buy. The problem with GameStop, Play ‘n’ Trade, and even Best Buy is that by exchanging your stuff with them, you are tying yourself to their store. That means that if Play ‘n’ Trade isn’t getting Ocarina of Time 3D in until two days after launch, too effing bad (they even suggested that, if I want it on launch day, I should go to a different store). This poses no advantage to me.
I’d have to buy new if I wanted it on launch day, but this wasn’t something I was itching to do. Like many of us, money is consistently tight from month to month, and dropping a cool $40 (much less $60) on a game isn’t something I can just go out and do. This is where the principle of buying new starts to lose some ground. Games, and the consoles they run on, and the accessories you play with, are a whopping financial investment. My entertainment center has several hundred dollars sitting on it, TV included (contrary to popular belief, you will need a TV to play console games…or a nice monitor). Because of this, companies like GameStop prey on your desire to pay less than full price for video games. This would be a noble endeavor were it not so blatantly clear that GameStop is dollar-driven, not customer-driven. “Power to the Players?” Please. More like “Power to Our Bottom Line.” However, buying games new at somewhere other than GameStop does two things: It rewards the developers, and it screws GameStop out of a potential transaction.
I’ve started selling my old games at a local comic shop where I get store credit (of course) but I use that credit to buy expensive figures. Real money I used to blow on Kotobukiya’s Bishoujo Wonder Woman is now spent buying new games. They also give me more credit than GameStop does, although how could they not? They tell me exactly how much each thing will be worth in store credit so I can decide whether it’s worth giving to them or not. They know me there; they know I read Power Girl. The revolving door of GameStop employees don’t know me from the pale, obese, T-shirt wearing, acne-laden gamer stereotype in line behind me, and that’s a little disappointing.
“But I can get StreetPasses there!” I can hear you decree. I’ve gotten StreetPasses in comic shops, in outdoor markets, in Best Buy, in the mall generally, at Barnes & Nobel, and even in PetCo. Don’t worry too much about it—you have other options. Besides, if you don’t live in Japan and don’t go to E3 or PAX, those StreetPass games are barely worth trying for anyway. So the lesson to take away from this article? GameStop is not worth giving your time or money to when there are plenty of stores that will happily take your money and not waterboard you while doing so. There is just no good reason to go to GameStop in today’s day and age.
...For all our foreign readers let me just go ahead and clear this up.
Outside of the US we have this idea that US customer service is the best in the world "yes sir! have a nice day" and all that stuff.
...
GameStop is terrible, but those Best Buy employees are almost as annoying... and clueless.
No one forces you to sell your games to GS. No one forces you to get a card or make a preorder. All you have to do is say "no."
Additionally, all the money one spends on used games at GameStop goes directly to GameStop; not a single penny goes to the developer or publisher. That copy of Uncharted 2 you bought used for $55? Naughty Dog doesn’t see a dime of that. Shouldn’t they see a dime? They did a really good job with that game. GameStop is basically taking that hard-earned dime.I get that buying a used copy for the same or slightly less of the price of a new copy cheats the developer. It makes no sense why Gamestop charges so much for used copies. But why should the developer/publisher be paid multiple times for the one copy of the game? We don't do that for DVD/Blu-rays or music CDs, why video games?
Oh, is that content free since I bought your game and am playing it loyally? No, what a coincidence, there's a fee.... even if the data is already on my disc.
you mention that your copy of metroid prime 2 echos is 20 dollars without the case, where else are you going to find metroid prime 2 though?
Things I've gotten for free from all other video game retailers:Are there actually any other decent video game retailers any more? It seems like Gamestop ate them all.
I mean really, I know we're getting off topic hear, but can someone tell me one advantage of DLC? Even the free stuff evaporates into the ether if/when your console dies. And patches? Could be good, if they weren't an excuse to sell unfinished games.
If a game requires a $10 online pass to be activated, you are paying $65 to play a used game online??
Could someone from the Americas please clarify something for me:
A preowned copy of a relatively new game costs $55 dollars
A new copy costs $60
If a game requires a $10 online pass to be activated, you are paying $65 to play a used game online??
If that's true that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
First, The power Up Reward card is $15 not $10 and it's completely worth it if for the magazine subscription alone. The card pays itself of anyways and the points are just a bonus.
[font=helvetica, arial, 'liberation sans', sans-serif]First off, a print subscription to a gaming news magazine is not worth $15.. or even $5. Bleh. [/font][font=helvetica, arial, 'liberation sans', sans-serif]
Is that an objective statement?
It's as objective as the original statement of "it's completely worth it if for the magazine subscription alone."
Everyone defending GameStop is wrong. Everyone saying they suck is right, it really doesn't matter what your reason for saying they suck is, because they do. Period.
Everyone defending GameStop is wrong. Everyone saying they suck is right, it really doesn't matter what your reason for saying they suck is, because they do. Period. GameStop is an overpriced pawn shop (literally and figuratively, that's why you have to get your thumb printed) that sells new things as well.
On a side note, if you live in central Florida, the repair shop I work at is expanding and becoming a full video game retailer as well.
Even if you don't save anything, its always morally better to support small business.
Even if you don't save anything, its always morally better to support small business.
Aside from my own day job, why do you have this belief?
My in-laws own a "small business". They pay minimum wage, offer no benefits to their employees, have a staff of less than ten people, etc.
McDonald's pays above minimum wage (not much, but above) and offers *some* benefits (crap benefits, but benefits none-the-less) and has about 50 people in their employ.
Yeah, but McDonalds is a multi-billion dollar international mega corp so they can afford it. Gamestop may be great to their employees (I never worked there, so I have no idea), but its not a good thing for consumers. Supporting the small shops promotes competition in the market place which puts pressure on gamestop to change their ways, and if they don't then consumers now have another option. So that's why supporting small business is a good thing.
[/size] [/size]its always morally better to support small business
Everyone defending GameStop is wrong. Everyone saying they suck is right, it really doesn't matter what your reason for saying they suck is, because they do. Period. GameStop is an overpriced pawn shop (literally and figuratively, that's why you have to get your thumb printed) that sells new things as well.
On a side note, if you live in central Florida, the repair shop I work at is expanding and becoming a full video game retailer as well.
but after hearing about how they toss out the cases and manuals for used games, that was the end of that.
They shouldn't do it for any game, and I'm going to guess that they would toss out the ones for the cheaper DS games which would be the ones I'd be interested in.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.
@ broodwars
If you really think that's how DLC sales work, then, yet again, there's not much point having a discussion with ya!
@ broodwars
If you really think that's how DLC sales work, then, yet again, there's not much point having a discussion with ya!
The next time this guy asks a serious question, guys, please remind me not to take him seriously and just blow him off. He pulls this crap every time he finds himself without an argument.
@ broodwars
If you really think that's how DLC sales work, then, yet again, there's not much point having a discussion with ya!
The next time this guy asks a serious question, guys, please remind me not to take him seriously and just blow him off. He pulls this crap every time he finds himself without an argument.
I've told you before your disillusioned opinions weren't important to me.
If literally anyone else wants to hear the argument that I do in fact have ready... all they need do is ask! =)
Everyone defending GameStop is wrong. Everyone saying they suck is right, it really doesn't matter what your reason for saying they suck is, because they do. Period. GameStop is an overpriced pawn shop (literally and figuratively, that's why you have to get your thumb printed) that sells new things as well.
On a side note, if you live in central Florida, the repair shop I work at is expanding and becoming a full video game retailer as well.
I've told you before your disillusioned opinions weren't important to me.
But for Retail Game X, it will still be available at your mom and pop retro store.... but the maps/characters/costumes/weapons they left off the disc will not. Best you can hope for is that the game got a later iteration with all the DLC on the disc.... but if that was the case, I'd rather the publisher wait 'til THAT version of the game was ready instead of sell us the same game 1.75 times.
Even if you don't save anything, its always morally better to support small business.
Aside from my own day job, why do you have this belief?
My in-laws own a "small business". They pay minimum wage, offer no benefits to their employees, have a staff of less than ten people, etc.
McDonald's pays above minimum wage (not much, but above) and offers *some* benefits (crap benefits, but benefits none-the-less) and has about 50 people in their employ.
Yeah, but McDonalds is a multi-billion dollar international mega corp so they can afford it.
Gamestop may be great to their employees (I never worked there, so I have no idea), but its not a good thing for consumers.Can't speak for Gamestop either, but well-treated employees are happy employees. Happy employees means less turn-over, which means more knowledgeable employees. Which is a win for customers.
Supporting the small shops promotes competition in the market place which puts pressure on gamestop to change their ways,
and if they don't then consumers now have another option.Customers always have another option. I'd be highly surprised to find a GameStop without a Best Buy, Walmart, Kmart or other chain in the area. Not to mention Amazon.com, Buy.com and even eBay.com.
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.
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.
And since when are consumers automatically the underdog?
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)?
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.
*stuff*
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.
I've never purchased DLC (I almost did for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow then decided against it).
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..
Then there's EA
I'm not sure exactly what the car analogy means...I've heard the argument comparing used games to used cars, namely that car manufacturers don't make money on used car sales. While that's true, it's not the same thing. People do not typically buy and trade cars on a whim. A new car sale today likely won't be a used car sale until a few years down the line (if ever, obviously). That's not really hurting the car company's bottom line. A new game sale today can potentially be a used game tomorrow or even the same day and a used game is pretty much the same exact game assuming the original owner isn't a jackass who somehow scratched the thing to all hell. Who would buy that anyway? Most stores wouldn't accept the trade to begin with. The lines are further blurred since Gamestop started removing new games from their cases. Now, there's almost no difference. What makes it new if it's not sealed? Gamestop's word? **** you, Gamestop.
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.I believe Twilight Princess had a similar bug which is unfortunate, but......... MAKE THE GAME RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! Super Mario Club is one of the most well-regarded debug teams in the world. I remember when Nintendo games didn't really have these game breaking errors. Sure, there were bugs, but nothing that forced players to restart the entire game. How Nintendo allowed this to happen twice in a single generation is beyond me.
Instead of releasing a new Madden every year they should release one and then give it roster changes and other addons for a few years until the engine is more or less obsolete and then release a new version and then continue supporting that until that gets obsolete and so on... People shouldn't have to pay $60 every year for a roster change when they could easily do that with a patch or DLC.So release a Madden Base game for all intents and purposes and DLC the rest. Like World of Warcaft or anyother MMORPG. That be cool but, they still cost you $60.
@ Chozo Ghost / CericNo competition. You can charge what you want when you have an exclusive contract.
Yes and yes!
That would be a wonderful use of DLC! I've been thinking that about the Madden games for years. Especially since each game is essentially a roster update ... something you can download during the season of the retail game.
$60 game... say ... $15 each subsequent year for the roster update? Seems fair to me!
... unfortunately, the green-eyed monster currently does not allow for such a model =\
