dvdhuds

I went into Best Buy yesterday to get Raze's Hell. I figured for $15 it was worth a shot. It was no surprise that they didn't have it as they don't stock a great deal of Xbox games. I know one of the managers there and he asked what I was looking for. When I told him Raze's Hell, he got a smile on his face. He said that Best Buy is implementing a new system where they try not to sell games that could be deemed offensive. He said that title alone would probably get it off the list. They use a focus group to find out what public opinion is of a game before they will sell it. He then told me that they also were not going to sell Psychonauts because its plot has to do with switching brains. He thinks the whole thing is hysterical.

He did point out that they would still carry well known games with questionable content (as in the GTA series) because they bring so many people into the store.

I am still laughing about it.

But, at least you can still get 8 free issues of Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly with your purchase!!!

Mopower

Oh but you can still buy playboy dvd's there?

nickdawgy

I'm sure Psychonauts will be sold at Best Buy. I am sure it'll be sold at Wal-Mart which is typically more family orientated.

Razes Hell on the other hand, I am not surprised it wouldn't be sold there. Not very popular anyway.

nodeerforamonth

April Fools was almost a month ago.

fujishig

So if I'm on the focus group, and I'm offended by plumbers hurting innocent turtles by jumping on them (thereby inducing kids to stomp on turtles all over the nation), they won't sell anymore Mario games? what, the rating system isn't good enough for BB? Especially when they admit they're hypocrites by not really wanting to hold to a "higher moral standard" if it's going to make them money?

dvdhuds

Out of curiousity, I e-mailed Majesco to get their take on it. Here is their official reply:

"It has nothing to do with content actually. They just weren't interested
in carrying the game but we're still working with them on it.

You can buy it at EB, GameStop, Toys R Us, WalMart and many other
retailers though. Best of all, if you buy the Xbox version at EB, Toys
or WalMart, you might win $5,000 instantly if you box has a winning gold
disc inside. Look for the specially marked boxes at those
retailers...Good luck!"

Gromit

So they have morals when it comes to a title that won't sell much ("At Best Buy, we care about your family! That's why we don't peddle this garbage!").

But when it comes to GTA, those morals get chucked because they can't pass up the profits ("Come to Best Buy for your 'bash a hooker's head in with a ballbat' fix!").

I hope the groups that pressure retailers about selling 'bad' content consider this a victory.

fujishig

Ouch. This is a fairly high-profile release (in that I've at least seen tv ads in it) and not getting into BB must be a big blow to them.

wildcatlh

I'm kinda laughing that so many people would believe something a Best Buy drone says, especially something like this.

fujishig

Well, he is a manager, and apparently a friend of the original poster... and he wasn't trying to tell him that his new system was going to break in a few months, so he needs a product replacement plan.

Noonan

They don't have it posted on their web site either.

Tarantino

I'm a Media supervisor at a Best Buy, and there's no focus group. That's a load of shit.

dvdhuds

The manager I spoke with is not a friend of mine, just a guy I know from church. I just thought the whole thing was funny. While I take anything that anyone from BB says with a grain of salt, it still seems odd for them not to carry a major release. But who knows...I guess they just decided that their "Barry" customers would not be interested in the game.