Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

I worked at Gamestop for 6 months after high school. I was always getting bitched at for not schilling all the crap they wanted me to.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

I think Gameinformer is a good magazine and well worth the $15 a year price. Plus I got a 3DS for $99 a couple of weeks ago for having the power up card. Sure they're vile and disgusting but they do have good deals from time to time. Just ignore the schilling, get in get out.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Dunno if this was posted already:

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

I used to work for Gamestop, but stopped once I really saw what was going on behind the scenes. It's certainly not as treacherous as some would lead you to believe, but the main beef I had with Gamestop, is the fact that 'new' games would be played by employees. As far as I remember, employees were only really allowed to take a copy of a game that's been gutted (so the case can sit out on the shelf without the disc getting stolen, which I really don't have much of a problem with), and they had to sign it out. No new games could be openned just for the sake of letting someone take a game home to play.

If that was happening at any stores, then the problem is with the general manager that's running a sloppy ship... you get this at any retail chain. For example... toy shops will often have managers set certain product aside for employees before they're even able to get on the shelf for customers... another practice not condoned by a company but often done at the store level. KB Toys was a prime example of this, and, well, they're out of business now.

I just really, really, really despised the fact that Gamestop would do this and still call these games 'new'. I'm sorry, but if you're opening up a game and only throwing an empty case on the shelf, then Gamestop should take a hit, even if it's just dropping the price down from $59.99 to $55.99 or something.

Which kind of brings me to the next thing that made me ill - Trading in a new game for about $30, and then having the store sell said pre-owned game for only FIVE dollars less than the new game itself. Just... insane.

However, I wouldn't call Gamestop evil, vile, or whatever. In the end, it's a business, and their bread and butter comes from the used trade market. They really don't make a lot on new games at all, and consoles? Forget it. Since it is a business, and companies are free to run their business however they see fit, they're free to do whatever they want. You can give them your business, or not. Nobody FORCES you to buy a game that's supposedly 'new' when it really isn't. Nobody FORCES you to trade your stuff in to them when you really really want that stupid new Nintendo handheld that's only going to be replaced by another handheld from the fad selling giant in a year and a half anyway. If the store suffers enough from a lack of interest, they'll go out of business. But... Gamestop seems to be doing really well.

Aaaaaand, even though I couldn't stand to work for them anymore, doesn't mean I don't go there for certain things. One thing I DO find them useful for, is for pre-ordering items that will most likely be short in supply. For example... the new Gears of War 3 Xbox 360 Console bundle... And with a current promotion of an additional $40 trade on your consoles, and an extra 30% per game... I made out like a bandit and now I have hardly anything to pay off.

EDIT:

By the way for those of you who HAVE to have a game that's new that hasn't been opened, the store makes it a practice to put TWO empty cases on a shelf, and whatever they have behind the counter other than that, stays in the original wrap. If you're looking for an older game they may not have many copies of, best bet is to go somewhere else or just order off Amazon. If you're going in to Gamestop for a newer game that they're sure to stock up plenty on, you really should have no worries. And if they DO only have gutted copies left, just use a little restraint and don't give them your business...

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

That's pretty much what I do. In fact, the employees at my local GameStop know I wont buy a used game and will only buy a new game if it's shrinkwrapped.

As for the price they charge to sell used games versus the amount of cash they give you, that doesn't bug me since they're trying to make a profit. If you don't like it, sell your used games to a friend or neighbor.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

KB Toys went out of business for many reasons. Setting aside a few products for employee's to buy is certainly not the reason. I would hate to work at a KB Toys and have the weirdos coming in looking for that 1 per every 10 box Boba Fett with a half circle on his right arm.

Well, sure. If the game sells for $55. But if they buy 10 copies at $30, sell a few at $55, and the game then gets price dropped...the used game drops as well. Now the new copy is $40 and the used is $35. It happens a lot, we've all seen it. So why would they pay a ton of money and potentially get stuck with tons of used copies of games they now will lose money on or make very little? They of course get screwed if the copy traded in turns out to be defective etc. It's a game and $30 for a used game is still pretty good. Sports games drop like a rock as do licensed properties (movie games). And nowadays, when you get $10/$20 bonus credit back, it's a pretty cheap rental if you even get $30 for it. [i'm not even talking about the bonus 10% trade-in or 10% off used games with their card. Or the numerous Buywhatevergetwhatever] Lots of factors for why they pay what they pay.

As I always said, if you don't like it, go sell it on eBay, Craigslist etc. Gamestop is a business and they don't offer free swaps. Thankfully I never worked for this company, but another (for several years), so I've heard all the excuses and people who hate the trade-in rates.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

On your KB Toys note, it's not THE reason why they went out of business. There are many... but they all boil down to not knowing what their customers wanted/needed. For one, the video game portion of their business hurt them... a lot. They spent a lot of money back in the day overstocking video games, and in the end, there was a lot of old product that wasn't being used, too many systems not being purchased, and eventually it hurt them. A lot. It was a big reason why they had to consider bankruptcy the first time they did so. Then their business model changed - No more video games, and for that matter, no more toys that people actually wanted. Instead of spending more money to buy the 'in' things, they decided to spend their money to buy old or unheard of product in larger bulk and a cheaper rate... and then they ALWAYS had a 'special' sale going on. Once customers realized that KB was always offering some stupid 'Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off' sale on their orange sticker items, which happened to be half their store, it wasn't 'special' anymore and sales slowed to a crawl. Their way of handling customers was pretty disgusting too... pester them BEFORE they even GET in the store, hound them from the second they get in until the moment they leave... making sure they'd never want to come back again.

Now, as far as Gamestop... as I said... overall, I really don't blame Gamestop for charging a lot at first for a new, used game. I just think it's a crappy idea in general to throw a game on the shelf, say it's 'Pre-Owned', and only have it be five dollars less than a brand new copy. For me, whenever I see a used game priced like that, and see a new game... I'm always going to pay the extra $5 for a game that hasn't been used, and possibly scratched or scuff by some other person. But, Gamestop really has the same problem with their business model as KB Toys did, which is sort of why I brought them up and made the comparison:

One, because Gamestop doesn't make a lot of money on new stuff.

Two, because Gamestop, if they're not busy at the desk taking in trades, are kind of pushed to do the same thing KB Toys did - Hound the customers. If your local Gamestop doesn't do that, all the power to them, especially if they make their sales and do well on a yearly basis. However, they want them to push the used games, push gift cards, push pre-orders, push trade-in deals, push the GameInformer/Edge Card memberships... it's a lot. It's undesirable on BOTH sides of the interaction.

Speaking of Gameinformer, it's actually not a bad deal as long as you're trading stuff in to begin with. I suggest anyone who has a lot to trade in, does so and gets the Edge card deal then. Your trade will pay for the Edge card itself, and actually make you more money on your trade-ins (well, credit).

I'm not picking apart Gamestop piece by piece... just noting some things. As I said, I can respect that as a business, they do what makes them the most money. I'm essentially saying, sure, Gamestop isn't perfect, but I'm not biased and I can point out all their flaws as well.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Business practices aside, a GS store basically a glorified pawn-shop, and stepping into one mostly just grosses me out. Which I wouldn't mind if I were getting new games for cheap. But they NEVER sell new games at a discount, not even for credit.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

The more I think about it, the more I think that the term "Game Advisors" is appropriate. They're sort of like marriage advisors. If marriage advisors got to sleep with your wife before you did. And then told you that she was a virgin.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

So like a video game Prima Nocta?

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

To be fair, I think this varies a lot by location. I haven't been in a Gamestop in probably six months, but the one by my office takes the shrinkwrap off new games as soon as they come in. I was in there once and saw them opening every single new game out of a shipment they'd just received. When I asked them about it, they said it was to check and make sure that all the cases had discs and booklet. Yeah, sure... Anyway, I think a lot of the problem is that the way the stores operate varies a lot. Some are fairly decent, some are hostile as hell to customers.

Exactly. It's not hard to hop online and get a good idea of what you're going to get from BestBuy, Amazon, Gamestop, etc. for trade-in or what you might be able to sell it for on half, ebay or Amazon marketplace. It's seemed to me that you're best off trading if BB or Gamestop has a great bonus going on and you're talking about a game that's 6 mos. - 1 year old. You might get $30 - $40 for something that's been around that same price on sale. For games that are either pretty new or older than a year or so, I almost always go with half.com, get way more than if I'd traded them and receive the funds in cash to boot.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

:sad: I have that Fett.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Last time I stepped foot in a GameStop was about 5 years ago, when I was planning to buy a new game for a friend's birthday. They handed me one out of the shrinkwrap and told me it was new, and I spent the next few minutes attempting to tell them they were wrong. Finally left and bought it elsewhere.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Maybe I spend too much time on CAG, but when I see a used game for $55, I read it as [$55X.9(Pur discount)X2]/3 = $33

I almost exclusively buy used games when there is a B2G1.

And if you pay attention to the trade in promotions, you can almost always get very close to what you would get for selling a game on half or amazon less shipping, fees and materials.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Well, that's all well and good for the gamer that keeps up on these kinds of things, but a lot business in Gamestop also comes from parents who bring their kids to Gamestop who want to trade in their stuff because they want something new ASAP.

But, if I keep going back and forth I'm really going to sound like more of a negative nancy than I really want to. In the end, I really just wanted to say that although many of their business practices aren't great, there are many good advantages like the one you pointed out as long as people are looking for it. As I said... I traded in my Xbox 360 and my Wii, and the games for my Wii (not the 360), and pre-ordered the Gears of War 3 Xbox 360 Console... and I really have almost nothing left to pay on it... all BECAUSE of their promotions, so I definitely see the good in them.

I just wanted to say that Gamestop isn't 'evil' or 'vile'. Consumers really need to just learn a lesson, especially when it comes to the online portion since it seems everyone here is VERY well versed in their business practices, and just NOT give them their business if they're not happy with them.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

I don't understand why they have to gut new copies. The excuse of "we're a small store" is bullshit. Do what Toys R us did back when they sold games ; have a small set of papers in place of the game. Take it up to the cashier. The cashier takes out the game from the glass case they have. How hard is that?!

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Toys R Us still sells games. At least the ones here do.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Well Toys 'R Us has the games in an isle. Kind of silly to put games out on the shelf when people don't have their eye on it. However, Gamestop is entirely games... imagine how silly it would be if you walked in the store and entire place was nothing but slips of paper? Come on.

I can understand them gutting a single copy, or two, so they can put the case on the shelf to advertise. Since the stores typically only have one or two employees working at a time, their eyes can't be on the entire store, all the time, small or not. I don't agree with them charging full price after opening a game, and I CERTAINLY don't agree with the policy of letting employees sign out games to play before they're sold.

To the Gamestops that open ALL their cases for some reason... that's bull. I'm pretty damn sure that isn't company policy, and whoever runs those particular stores are just morons.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

You mean GS can get all sorts of exclusive items from the publishers, giant kiosks for games, tens of empty boxes for upcoming games; and yet they can't get one or two empty boxes of a released game for display purposes without having to gut a new copy? Bull and shit!

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Right, because it's only 'one' or 'two' they would need.

Again, I don't agree with their business practice and I would rather they kept their games in plastic security cases or something, but I'm just telling you how it is. You certainly don't have to like it, but that's the reason why they do what they do. It doesn't cost them a dime to do it this way, and it keeps their product from being stolen. Companies send Gamestop stuff for promotion, they're not in business to make Gamestop's job any easier. Gamestop isn't exactly vital to the game companies. If Gamestop said 'supply us this or else', the companies may listen, or they may say, 'go screw'. Either way, people will just buy their games elsewhere.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Um, yes? It's been years since I've stepped foot into a GS, but yeah, they have one or two gutted copies of each game on the shelves, and the rest are behind the counter.

I'll ask again, less rhetorically; what's the problem with just having empty box art on the shelves, boxes made specifically for display? They would look and feel like a real gutted box, only they wouldn't have to gut a single fucking game.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Honestly, I bet it was tested in select stores for a while, and the employees probably ended up putting back display cases for games no longer in stock, which leads to pissed off customers expecting to purchase said game. It was probably too much hassle to manage, especially during busy season. Every time an employee would do "put backs" they would have to scan every box in to check for inventory.

In Gamestop's eyes, they make so much money year after year that it's not an issue to them. They feel the majority of their customers simply don't care that they purchase a gutted game unless it was for a gift. I know in my 3 years of working for EB I don't recall many upset customers freaking out over no shrinkwrap, aside from the few collectors who would analyze shrinkwrap to make sure it's prestige and factory made.

Re: GameStop is Vile and Disgusting Part XXVII
 

Um, no? Think company wide?