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What is the Issue with GameStop
I was listening to an old podcast of the Loading Bar and in it both reviewers expressed that they had issues with GameStop and try to avoid buying from them. The only issue I have heard about them is the whole selling used games which causes less money to go to developers. I almost never buy from GameStop myself, but it seems that some of the animosity towards the company goes beyond this business practice. This is not a defense of GameStop or its policies, I am just curious if there is more to it than just their used game practices.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by LunaticLMD on -
1. I believe a lot of the disdain a few years ago was because of used games sales, which I feel was overblown. Most of the time developers/publishers talk about used game sales ruining the industry it is always the gamer who goes to gamestop and buys the $55 used copy instead of the $60 new one. Now, I know some people do this, but I would think amazon, ebay, gamefly, borrowing/lending, or people directly selling their copies to others have more to do with that.
2. A lot of the employees are ignorant about video games.
Me: Hi, I'd like to pre-order Uncharted 3.
GS: Alright, and that's for the 360?
Me: (laughs) no.3. And the other thing is they try to push shit onto you. I don't really have this problem with the gamestop by my house, but other gamestops try to sell you strategy guides or pre-orders and I understand its their job to ask, but once you say "no" they just should quit. But a lot of places don't relent.
Several instances:
1. I went to buy a battery for my 360 controller and the guy noticed my edge card had expired. He asked me to renew it, I said no, and we got into a whole thing about "why not? Its only $15. You get a one year subscription to game informer. You get so much for so little." Even when he was ringing me up he was still talking (To himself) and I had to almost fucking yell at the guy. Even when I left he was talking to his co-worker about not renewing the fucking edge card.
2. My friend and I made a pit-stop to GS so he can change his pre-order of MW3 from prestige to regular. I made the mistake of leaving his side at the counter, because a few minutes later I returned thinking he was finishing up; but the guy was trying to convince my friend not change to his pre-order. My friend was being too polite and I had to yell at the dude again "He doesn't want to change his fucking pre-order, now stop!" before he finally quit.3. My cousin is young, doesn't know a lot about gaming, and he went in to buy Madden (used) and the guy tried to sell him disc insurance for like $3. I had to yell at him too.
I understand why people dislike gamestop. I feel like, after writing this post, employees are like car salesman who try to take advantage of you and sell you stuff you don't need, or dogs; you have to be firm with them or they never learn.
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Permalink Reply by Proto on -
The only time I remember them griping about game stop is when Jeff and Nick were complaining about how aggressive the employees were in selling them useless stuff, like game guides.
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Permalink Reply by Dialtribe on -
They mentioned it in passing in the Xenoblade review because that is one of the few place you can buy the game. They didn't really go in depth though so I was curious if I was missing something.
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Permalink Reply by Sanjuronord on -
The only thing they sometimes do that tends to irk the shit out of me is when I buy a new copy of a game and they've already taken the shrink wrap off the case of the game.
FYI, Korey's gamestop story from Let's Do This where he was trying to pick up his preorder for Arkham City was pretty funny.
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Permalink Reply by George Knight on -
Bad service and shady business practices designed to fuck over both developers and consumers.
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Permalink Reply by Lab Rat on -
That's a pretty generic statement. You care to elaborate? I'm not saying you're wrong, I just have no idea what you're talking about from what you just wrote.
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Permalink Reply by George Knight on
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Well, since you and I have very different views on business ethics and I'd rather not have that conversation again, I'll just say that their policy on used games is pretty bad. Ripping stupid customers off with ridiculously low buy back prices on games and selling them for a retarded profit that doesn't need to be shared with the game developers. (Which causes game devs to take less risks with big budget titles because of the increasingly small window in which games have to make a profit and is indirectly partially responsible for the lack of real innovation in games, and encourages things like disc locked content and online passes.)
It'll be a great business practice until they drive console makers to find a way to eliminate used games and ruin it for everyone. Oh wait, that's already happening. I sure will miss borrowing games from my friends.
Needless to say, I don't approve of it and choose not to support it.
On a more personal note, I've been fucked over loads of times by Game Stop. Losing preorders, selling me used games that were missing discs and neglecting to mention it, selling my preordered copy of a game to some butt hurt weeaboo who was demanding an obscure game day one without taking the time to reserve it, and making me wait an hour for them to locate me a copy of a used PS2 game their apparently misplaced only to sell me a copy that was too scratched to work are among the many horror stories I've accumulated at GameStop. (I have loads more, excluding the usual preorder badgering and general lack of knowledge about the product's they are selling.) One time I stopped some clerk from selling this little old lady, buying a present for her grandson or something, a PSP GO that couldn't play the games she was buying for him because the guy behind the counter assured her that "This one is newer and it's better." He was probably pissed that I intervened, being the good person that I am, and fucked up his big sale on a new piece of hardware. Game Stop would have, at least until they went back to the store to return the unit or the games, would have ruined that kids birthday. Unboxing a new console only to find out you can't play any of your new games on it is a horrible feeling. (I've been there.) If that isn't reason enough to hate Game Stop, I don't know what is.
tldr; fuck Game Stop.
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Permalink Reply by Cambo on -
There are no Gamestops in Australia but we have the equivalent known as 'EB Games' which are generally pretty bad. More often than not they hire Attractive girls that have no idea about games. One time this Clerk almost gave me an xbox copy of Arkham city instead of the Ps3 version, the green on the disk caught my eye when she was putting it in the case at the last second luckily.
The games are overpriced even for Australia... some new Titles have gone for $120 which is ludicrous. 2+ year old games are still going for full price, mainly console titles though... Pc titles fair better funnily enough.
More often than not, the game stores are having a 'sale' and go a little overboard with the advertising when they are only selling a short list of titles going for a discount.
so yeah, not my favourite franchise.
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