Maxflier

But they don't have product on the shelf do they? I thought all they had was an empty display case for each game. If they just did it for the one display copy I could understand (although I would imagine the game manufacturers could easily supply them with an empty case for a game) but to do it for all copies doesn't make any sense to me.

Deftones

all copies? I've always had sealed copies of new games from there. maybe they open a bunch, but i've never run into that problem. at the mom and pop store i was at, we only did one copy and kept the rest behind the counter or under lock and key.

Maxflier

I seem to remember a long time ago they used to do that to all copies. I thought it was just a phase and that they had stopped which is why I was surprised if they were still doing it.
But regardless, to sell an open copy of a game (played or not) for full price is total bullshit.

mhg83

They should just do what Toys R Us used to do for games. Have a display of the game and behind it have a ticket that you take to the front of the store.

nickdawgy

Half the time I think they do it because they play the games themselves. Back when Left 4 Dead came out, I went in to buy it.

Gamestop employee: "We have a copy, but it's opened."
Me: "Well, if it's the last one, I'll take it."
GSE: "Ok, let me grab it. Oh shoot, it's not here."
Me: "I thought you said you had one left."
GSE: "We do, but it's out right now. I'll tell him to bring it back when he comes in for his shift tonight."

I bought it somewhere else.

zombeaner

Okay, I have not read the previous 26 iterations of this thread, but I thought I'd contribute, since I am new to gaming.

I went into GameStop today with the intent of spending money for the first time. They had a Nyko Perfect Shot, and not one else in town had it, so I went. I had it on hold, but I thought that I may as well see if there is anything I wanted to get while I was there. My son and I (he is 5) were looking at the Wii wall trying to find a used game to buy. After we stood there for about 5 minutes, the sole employee in the store walked up to me and asked if I wanted a Guitar Hero guitar. He said someone had left it there and they weren't going to sell it. He was going to throw it away, but he saw me looking at Wii stuff and offered it to me, free! I took it and bought a used GH game along with my gun. I thought it was a pretty good first experience. Their games are ludicrously expensive, but other than that it was fine.

slop101

Is that the one at corner of Irvine/Jamboree?

DeanoBKN

Of course. I fully understand, but sometimes they should at least attempt to throw people a bone here or there. I mean, $3 trade in on Street Fighter IV when you're selling it for $26.99? I know the new version is coming out in 2 months, but there will be people who could care less, or do not know about it.

All this millions of dollars in profit left and right, and yet my friends (managers I might add) who work for the company do nothing but complain for lack of store hours. Yea, times are so tight over there that they can't afford to pay their minimun wage staff, so managers are forced to work 6-7 day work weeks.

Michael Corvin

Didn't they recently have a deal where you get a free guitar if you buy GHIII? You may have been taken, son.

gryffinmaster

Just pretend that GameStop is a red-and-black rash: forget that it's there, don't scratch at it, ignore it and it'll eventually disappear.

nickdawgy

No, it's in Palmdale.

zombeaner

Well, this one was obviously quite used.

darkside

I dealt with this exact situation, except it was when I went in to pick up a preorder. Someone had checked it out and since I went in a couple of days after the release date that was the only copy left.

A friend at work picked up a Wii game the other day. It was new, but of course since it was the last copy she got a case covered in stickers she couldn't get rid of and a disc that was scratched up. The weird thing was she didn't even question it. They have many of their customers so used to this practice they expect it. They slapped another sticker across the front and told her once it was removed the game could not be returned.

PerryD

Yeah, I always tell them I want a new shrinkwrapped game since I'm going to give it as a gift (which is not true), and they are usually good about not bugging me about it, one even called around a couple local stores to find a new copy for me.

slop101

Only because that's next to a Target and it's exactly like the one you described.

In fact, I recall going to the store and asking for a game that had just come out, and they wouldn't sell it to me because I didn't pre-order - not because they didn't have enough copies but because the first day is "for pre-orders only" and that went on about how I won't find it anywhere - I forget what the game was, but I went right next door to Target and they had it. I wanted to go back into the GS and shove it up the guy's ass, but I didn't bother.

DeanoBKN

They don't take guitars for trade in anymore, so the customer probably didn't want to take it back home. Still, it was nice of him to give it to you.

99% of the time that sales pitch is a joke. I've heard employees straight up tell customers they won't be able to find Halo: ODST or Modern Warfare 2 anywhere after release.

The only time I might believe it is when it's a new Nintendo product, since we all know how they love to increase demand by their bullshit "shortages".

fujishig

? What was the last Nintendo software shortage?

Is that cash thing true (pay for the game in cash, get all your cash back if you return it after a couple of days). That doesn't make any sense. I know a long time ago they used to have a really liberal return policy, but I thought it was abused so much that they no longer do it.

discostu1337

New Super Mario Bros. ring a bell? It was gone from Nov until about a week ago everywhere.

dx23

That's not true at all. I bought that game from Amazon on January 4th and a lot of places both online and b&m had it in stock.

Josh-da-man

We've never bought a new game from Gamestop, but the ones around here will have a bunch of opened "new" copies of games on the shelf. I mean, like seven or eight copies of a "new" game sitting on the shelf opened. Occasionally, there will even be a NEW copy that doesn't have a manual or cover.

So I would assume that all copies of that game in the store are open copies, though we've never asked. Doesn't really make one want to shop there...

Michael Corvin

They sold 5 million copies in about 6 weeks. Yeah, fucking bullshit shortage!

PerryD

A year or two back when the Wii's were hard to come by (but not impossible to find), I was in a Gamestop, and someone asked if they had any Wiis, both the store clerks laughed out loud, and said to "just keep trying every day, maybe you'll get lucky" in kind of a mocking tone. I turned to the customer and said that the Wii was going to be in Target's sunday ad, so go to the store before it opened and you'll probably get one.

jeffbase34

I read last night that Gamestop posted poor holiday sales and they are to close over 400 stores this year. Wow.

Wolf359

^^

They have way too many stores anyway. I've seen a store inside the mall, and a store right across the street. Sometimes two stores within a mile of each other.

RocShemp

I tend to have good experiences at the GS stores I regularly visit. The employees already know me well enough to know I want my games factory sealed, that I have no interest in protection plans for the games themselves, and that I'll rarely pre-order. Saves a lot of time for me and for them.