Topic: Stop Going to GameStop

[BranDonk Kong]

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.

[UncleBob]

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."

[Robknoxious1]

It's as objective as the original statement of "it's completely worth it if for the magazine subscription alone."

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[/size]Fair point
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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.

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[font=helvetica, arial, 'liberation sans', sans-serif][/size]Too funny. I guess only people that agree with him are right in life. Hilarious.[/font]

[Chozo Ghost]

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.

It hasn't been mentioned, but I think supporting the little guy like your repair shop is another good reason to not support gamestop. Even if you don't save anything, its always morally better to support small business.

[UncleBob]

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.

[Chozo Ghost]

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.

[BranDonk Kong]

I went to the midnight launch for Black Ops at GameStop and there was supposed to be food from Chic Fil-a, but all of the employees ate everything. I think I mentioned that before. And yes, supporting small business is a good thing, and big companies like GameStop and Walmart will do everything in their power to destroy small businesses.

[Robknoxious1]

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.

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[/size]Your statement above doesn't really support your original statement that

[/size] [/size]its always morally better to support small business

Better for consumers does not necessarily equal "morally better". I do like to support "mom & pop" stores if they offer courteous service, decent selection and at least somewhat competitive pricing. At present however there is no such small businesses selling video games in my area. The GameStop in my town is - fortunately for me - a nice place to get games. In fact the two nearest GS's outside my town are also nice and are still closer than the nearest independent video game store. I do think GS needs more competition in the form of actual brick and mortar game stores. Online is great but sometimes you just wanna go to a store and see what you can get a deal, walk out with, and go home and play.

[TJ Spyke]

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.

The above is pure opinion and not factual in any respect.

People need to stop acting like a whole company is bad just because they had some bad experiences. This reminds me of the episode of South Park where people supported the local business, then bitched and  moaned and burned down the building when it too became big and successful. Companies like Walmart and GameStop started as local businesses too, and became huge because they were successful and people liked them.

[Mop it up]

I haven't been to a GameStop in quite some time, I think the last time I went there I was looking for GameCube games since they had some cheap prices on quite a few of them. After discovering sites like Amazon and Newegg -- which both have no tax and offer free shipping, as well as lots of deals from day to day -- there's been no reason for me to go to a physical store. I kind of miss browsing the shelves, but their prices were nothing compared to online retailers. I almost went to one just recently to see what games I could find for my newly-acquired DS, but after hearing about how they toss out the cases and manuals for used games, that was the end of that.

[TJ Spyke]

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.

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ broodwars

If you really think that's how DLC sales work, then, yet again, there's not much point having a discussion with ya!

@ everyone else

By "other retailers" I meant your Target, your Walmart, Best Buy, etc., etc... anyone that sells games at retail.

I do also shop at mom'n'pop retailers for my retro gaming needs.

[Ceric]

Their really is no chain that does full retro anymore.

[Mop it up]

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.

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.

[Chocobo_Rider]

No one responded to my GOOD experiences with GameStop ...

[broodwars]

@ 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.

[Chocobo_Rider]

@ 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! =)

[BeautifulShy]

@ 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! =)

I'm interested in your thoughts.

[SuperMegaMan]

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.

If your going to comment, you could at least come up with a worthwhile response instead of worthless hit and run comments, and shameless self promotion.

[broodwars]

I've told you before your disillusioned opinions weren't important to me.

Dude, one of us has actually seen this process in action, and I get the feeling it isn't you.  Think what you want, but don't go asking someone for "one good thing about DLC" if

A.) "It isn't important to you"

and

B.) You decide to "refute" the opinion you asked for by shutting down and running away.

[Chocobo_Rider]

*sigh*

Since my good friend Maxi requested it, listen up brood wars.

Your point,

"If you have a game with an experience you really enjoy, DLC gives you an opportunity to enjoy more of it on top of that amazing experience you already purchased."

Does not bring anything new to the table.  This concept of "more of a good thing" is inherently implied.  Or else what the hell would it be? An unrelated piece of data?

But your "new" point completely ignores the negatives which were already discussed.  That being...

1. The "more of a good thing"... why wasn't it on the disc to begin with? Was the entire disc capacity filled up? mm?

2. And why do we have to pay extra for it? We already bought their expensive disc.  If they just want to nurture brand loyalty, perceived value then "free" is a nice way to say "thanks!"

But, maybe, just maybe, both those points can be answered by the simple truth: they want more of our money and this is a way to get it.  You don't think that the acceptance of paid DLC makes these guys sit around a board room asking themselves "which maps/characters/costumes/extras are desirable enough to charge extra for later?"

Gamers should have held their ground to the idea that if companies want to sell us products, and we want to buy them, that should be as complicated as it gets.  But no, since DLC is presented (and somehow interpreted) as a shiny, new high-tech way to play games, gamers eat it up.  Even before a game is released gamers are excited about DLC.  Why?? What would they be looking forward to other than the chance to be milked?

So again, the bottom line is that while more is better, there's no reason it has to come later and cost extra ... other than greed.

EDIT: Sorry, gotta touch on ever point... I like to be thorough...

-It's not the poor mom'n'pop developers cranking out DLC to get by.  It tends to be the really big titles just sucking the bone.

-Games have many ideas that get cut before the final product because they are deemed not good enough.  If you think DLC costumes are keeping someone employed, as opposed to just putting the scraps up for sale? Well, you'll just have to call me skeptical on that.

-Gamers do not ask for fatter and fatter budgets - the studios are the ones making gaming an arms race and put that on themselves.  I don't think I need to name all the brilliant titles, even in this HD era, that did not require bloated development costs.  If the developer can only think to attract customers by being "bigger! more polygons! more expenses!" then that's their own poor choice - not our responsibility.

[TJ Spyke]

I have never willingly bought DLC (I accidentally wasted 80 Microsoft points on a piece of Yoostar 2 DLC when I wasn't paying attention), I have only downloaded free DLC. The only digital items I have chosen to buy have been WiiWare games, Virtual Console games, and Xbox Live Arcade games.

[Chocobo_Rider]

Spyke - that's wise of you.

Part of why I don't see any advantage to DLC is that in a few years it will be gone.

With downloadable games, that's the only way.  The game was too small to merit a retail release.  It would not have existed otherwise and we can only hope it makes its way to some retail "collection" someday.

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.

PS - Looked like you mentioned Rochester, NY in another thread.  You live there? I'm from there.  I've been to that mom'n'pop store you mentioned.... I think it was on Rt 96, right?

[TJ Spyke]

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.

That seems to become more common. I own Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition, which includes all 5 DLC expansion packs, and I know other games have done the same thing (like Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV.

No, I haven't been to that one. But Game Craze has 10 stores in the area, I have been in the one in Greece Ridge Mall and the ones on East Ridge Road and Mt. Hope Avenue.

[UncleBob]

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.

Umm... Yeah.  Meaning that if all we had were small, mom and pop places, we'd have a few stores that employ comparatively few people with even lower wages and no benefits.  Thankfully, we have multi-billion dollar international mega corporations.

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,

Raise your hand if you've known Gamestop to "change their ways' for the better because a small mom-and-pop store opened in town.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

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.