Do you shop at GameStop?

[MottZilla]

For anyone here that does shop at GameStop, I recommend watching this series: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_D45dRcehg

It's a rant from someone that used to work there going into more detail than the obvious bits of how shitty GameStop is. I always thought GameStop was shitty as it doesn't take much to realize how bad their business is run. But it's a good bunch of videos to watch if you shop there. Hopefully it'll get you to stop.

[Mr. 207]

I never shop at GameStop anymore. I haven't gone in there in years, but last time I bought a new game from there and it wasn't sealed. Instead they kept the box behind the counter, and the game and instructions in another drawer and put the two together when I bought it. I absolutely hated that. If I'm buying a new game, I want the box sealed, new. Maybe I'm in the minority on that, but after that I refused to shop there anymore.

[Nicholas Steel]

I shop at EBGames (Australian Gamestop :P) and so far, the only thing I have to complain about is how consoles are replaced if there faulty during the extended warranty... They will replace your console with another 2nd hand one they have in stock. The issue with this approach? they DON'T check what people bring in, I believe 2 that they opened to show me the contents, had 1 or 2 obviously broken controllers or missing cables.

I had my PS2 replaced because I thought it was broken since Tekken 5 was not working properly on it. it ended up being a bad batch of the game and nothing to do with my console though :( I never got my original console back since they "already" shipped it to wherever...

anyways, the replacement that I did get, has worked since then and continues to work well which is very good considering it's been about 2 years since this happened. One of the controllers was broken (it lit up, but no buttons worked), but they replaced the controller with a brand new one when I bought it back to them.



================
For those interested in the issue with the game that I was having... the game took forever to load anything. it played fine, no lag or anything, it just took forever to load data from the disc and half the time the music would drop out while playing. I knew it was wrong behaviour because I borrowed the game out at the local video store a couple months earlier and it worked fine.

I was thinking it was the console at fault because I had the game replaced 3 times! each had the defect. I then asked A EBGames store if i could test it on one of there systems and they agree'd, they brought out 2 consoles and both exhibited the issue. they tried one of THERE copies of the game and it worked fine. (my copy was bought from Myers)



EDIT: somewhere in there ^ I should say that I had the console replaced after having the game replaced 3 times from Myers. which is how I lost my original console prior to learning the games where at fault.

[Icey]

Nope, GameStop has no concept of basic courtesy, and I have had bad experiences myself and read of too many others to consider going there ever again.

[Nicholas Steel]

AFAIK, EBGames has the best deals on games around here,

1) 7 days to return games with no fuss or hassle with a full 100% cash back.
2) extended warranty on your console game discs for 5$ more (which includes them getting snapped by your brother or getting scratched)
3) they price match.
4) Quick service and easy to speak to on the phone.
5) They are a franchise, so you can buy a game at A EBGames store and return it @ a different EBGames store with no problems.

No one else offers those services around here.

[The_Amaster]

Yeah, I shop at Game Crazy. They have great, organized displays and the employees are all nice guys who actually know what they're talking about.
I've only been in a GameStop a few times, but I've heard bad stuff about it.

[MottZilla]

AFAIK, EBGames has the best deals on games around here,

1) 7 days to return games with no fuss or hassle with a full 100% cash back.
2) extended warranty on your console game discs for 5$ more (which includes them getting snapped by your brother or getting scratched)
3) they price match.
4) Quick service and easy to speak to on the phone.

No one else offers those services around here.

EBGames? I'm pretty sure they are owned by GameStop now. Maybe you're thinking someone else or you are talking about EBGames before the buyout.

[Breaker]

gamestop is crap. these days i order most of my games online either newegg or amazon with free shipping, tax free. i may not get them the day they're released, but atleast im going to get a good unopened copy. i also bought my console at target. they've been unbelievable cool about returning one console i had that RRoD'd several months after i purchased it and ive been using that console for over a year now with no problems at all.

[Nicholas Steel]

I shop at EBGames (Australian Gamestop :P)
EBGames? I'm pretty sure they are owned by GameStop now. Maybe you're thinking someone else or you are talking about EBGames before the buyout.
I had made 2 posts, the first post had stated the store/company I was speaking of. Anyways, I always thought that EBGames was owned by Gamestop and the change in name was to appeal to Australians.

I've never had a bad experience with EBGames that wasn't caused by me.

[Skulkraken]

I buy games from Gamestop occasionally, but that's only because there aren't many other stores to go to around here and I don't have a credit card for ordering online yet. The trade-in system they have sucks. I tried trading in some old games once; they checked their computer and told me that they would have to give me negative credit if I went through with it. That's right, they wanted me to pay them to take my old games. >.>

I just sell my unused games at the flea market now. The people who buy games there are as cheap as Ebay users, but at least I can make some decent money off of them.

[Archibaldo]

I've never had a problem with EB. You can generally get upwards to about 40$ on most newish games. Plus you can get discounts on used games if you have an edge card. If I ever buy a new release I ask for it at the counter and they give you an unopened one. They put the empty cases on the shelves so people can't steal the discs yet you can still see what they have in stock.

[AtmaWeapon]

I don't shop at GameStop unless I can avoid it for pretty much the same reason I don't shop at pet stores that sell pets. I have problems with how they treat their employees and problems with how they sell me games in a condition that if I had tried to sell them they would consider used. I also have problems with being persecuted every time I don't preorder a game. I never have this problem with Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Target.

[Russ]

I love GameStop. They have cheaper used games, you can trade in games, and if you buy a game and don't like it, they'll let you return it. I've never had any problems with them before.

[Warlock]

As much as I dislike Gamestop, I couldn't take that awful, awful rip-off of Zero Punctuation for more than a few minutes :P

[Icey]

used games, you can trade in games

You get ripped off on the used games, and you will always, always get ripped off on the trade ins (buybacks).

And yeah, I watched a couple minutes of the vid, but errr... like Warlock said. Heh.

[The_Amaster]

Well I think everywhere rips you off on trade ins. I mean honestly, I'll just cough up the extra five or ten buck for my next game rather than take the credit.
Maybe some months down the line I'll pop said game in and take it for a spin, and then it will have been worth holding on to.

[Cloral]

I used to sell my old games, but I found myself regretting it years later. So now I don't sell any of my older games, so on the off chance I want to play them again I can.

I usually buy from the EB near here. They're the closest place, and I've never had any troubles with them. They never ask me to preorder or anything like that.

[Nicholas Steel]

Well I think everywhere rips you off on trade ins. I mean honestly, I'll just cough up the extra five or ten buck for my next game rather than take the credit.

Maybe some months down the line I'll pop said game in and take it for a spin, and then it will have been worth holding on to.

I used to sell my old games, but I found myself regretting it years later. So now I don't sell any of my older games, so on the off chance I want to play them again I can.
Bingo, thats why I never sell my games.

[Darth Marsden]

Ooh, are we talking about game stores? 'cause I have a great story involving a game store.

'k. So there's this used game store (literally, they only sell used stuff), and I go in there one day for a mooch. I'm browsing along, and I see the two Sonic Rush DS games with stickers on - 2 for £20. 'Right,' I think to myself, 'that's a bargin. I'll have them.' So I take the empty boxes and continue my mooch, in case there's anything else there worth getting.

While I'm browsing, I take a closer look at the Sonic boxes. One's £8.99 and the other's £9.99. That's less then £20, for those who can add up. 'Huh,' thinks I, 'I'll have to point that out'. So I do. They tell me that's fine, they'll charge me the lower price. It's just to try and shift the games that would push the total price over £20. Which is fine.

They then proceed to tell me that they're the same game.

I tell them that they're not.

They say that they are, and that Sonic Rush Adventure is just a re-release of Sonic Rush.

I tell them that Sonic Rush (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Rush) and Sonic Rush Adventure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_Rush_Adventure) are indeed two separate games.

They tell me that the person who traded SRA in said that it was a re-release, and hey believed him.

I get annoyed and leave the store.

All I can say is that I'm glad it was me who picked up on that and not someone who isn't a big a game buff as I am. Can you imagine how annoyed that person would be?

[cbailey78]

"The video has been removed due to violations" Stupid YouTube!

[vegeta1215]

I shop at Gamestop sometimes, and I've never had any problems. Really, I only go there to pre-order big name games, and maybe to get a game I can't find anywhere else (and don't feel like ordering online). I've always gotten brand new, never before opened games. Also, I don't buy used games, and I know they rip you off if you try to sell them your games, so that never bothered me.

[DarkDragoonX]

I love GameStop. They have cheaper used games, you can trade in games, and if you buy a game and don't like it, they'll let you return it. I've never had any problems with them before.

Ha.

Haha.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Yeah, you're getting ripped off there. Oftentimes, you can go to Game Crazy or Amazon.com, and find a NEW copy of a game cheaper than Gamestop's USED merchandise. The trade in values are terrible, as, once again, there are other retailers who will give you significantly better value on your trades, and who sell used cheaper. And they let you return games you don't like as well.

Gamestop survives mainly by blowing smoke up people's asses. Go check out your other options before mindlessly shopping at Gamestop, as damn near any other game retailer is much, much better. Also, don't be afraid to shop online, because that's where all the best deal are.

[Nicholas Steel]

I've never cared for NEW games, I just want games that WORK and are scratch free at the time of purchase. EBGames does price matching which nullifies most other stores abilities to sell games cheaper then EBGames :P

[Mr. 207]

By the way: As of now, the videos have been removed due to "terms of use violations". I guess GameStop paid off Youtube.

[bigjoe]

Whats the name of the person who made those videos? Im going to try to contact them. The knowledge of a company shutting down perfectly acceptable videos for no good reason could be used against them.

[Shazza Dani]

His username on YouTube was something like "WhistleBlowerZero"… I think.

EDIT: Yeah, that's it. http://www.youtube.com/user/WhistleBlowerZero …I can't believe I remembered that; my memory sucks.

[Prrkitty]

Thought y'all might be interested in reading this article... it mentions GameStop...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080910-will-digital-distribution-doom-the-likes-of-gamestop.html

[Dark Knight]

By the way: As of now, the videos have been removed due to "terms of use violations". I guess GameStop paid off Youtube.

Or it could be because it's a blatant ripoff of Zero Punctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation) and a bad one at that.

[MottZilla]

Or it could be because it's a blatant ripoff of Zero Punctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation) and a bad one at that.

If you watched the video you see he pays tribute to him. The videos were likely removed because GameStop "claimed" copyright infringement. That's all it takes for Youtube to comply.

[Nicholas Steel]

Thought y'all might be interested in reading this article... it mentions GameStop...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...-gamestop.html (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080910-will-digital-distribution-doom-the-likes-of-gamestop.html)I had no idea that the companies make no money when people buy the games 2nd hand at there stores... thats pretty retarded :O and now I know to buy any games that i like, NEW so the company gets some money to hopefully make another awesome game.

[Mr. 207]

Or it could be because it's a blatant ripoff of Zero Punctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation) and a bad one at that.

Eh I think that was kind of his intention, more an homage then a rip off. He even points out how he's emulating Zero Punctuation.

Now if its bad by comparison, I don't know as I have never watched any Zero Punctuation vids.

[Questwizard88]

Its actually pretty rare for me to go into a game store anymore. I did just go to the GameStop at the mall the other day to pick up Yoshi's Island DS. I'm not going back there again either. There was only one register open out of the two, and another guy boxing up a whole bunch of used ds games who could have easily rang me out real quick on the other register, but didn't. The guy in front of me in line took like 20 minutes to get done, cause he just sat there going on and on rambling to the cashier, and despite seeing me getting very impatient behind him, he just kept going on and on. I was pretty angry having to wait so long for something that should have taken me less than 5 minutes to be in and out of the place. I'll most likely just go to the Babbages around the corner from them next time, since I've never had any problems with them like that before.

[ZTC]

The one in the area mall is pretty decent. The people that work there are pretty friendly and stuff. So far I've gotten most of my PSP games from there, and I haven't traded anything in over there so :shrug:

I'm quite leery of trading in stuff, as the last time I've done it at the local shop, they would have given me $25 credit for 20 dvds, 3 PS2 games, and a GC RPG (can't remember the name of it, but it cost me 25 used).

This makes me remember back when I frequently visited Funcoland. I miss that place.

[Darth Marsden]

Now if its bad by comparison, I don't know as I have never watched any Zero Punctuation vids.
Don't come back until you've watched them all. (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation)

I never have, and I highly doubt I ever will, trade in games. I find that I can get more for them if I eBay them. Hell, even if they only go for the minimum bid, together with P&P I still get about £3 (roughly $5.50, I think), which is probably what I'd get for a trade-in. If it sells for higher... lovely.

[Cloral]

I had no idea that the companies make no money when people buy the games 2nd hand at there stores... thats pretty retarded :O and now I know to buy any games that i like, NEW so the company gets some money to hopefully make another awesome game.

Anytime you buy anything second hand the original manufacturer gets nothing. Not just in games, but anything. That's why we're starting to see computer software that has a EULA that specifies that the license is non-transferable. That way you can't turn around and sell it once you're done with it. Anyone who wants to use it has to pay the producers.

[MottZilla]

I think it's amusing how Nintendo saw this being a problem ages ago. But until the monster that is GameStop came along I really think Nintendo was just a whiner. But now I imagine it really hurts game sales. And at a bad time with the extremely high production costs of games.

[MasterSwordUltima]

Gamestop is pretty filthy if you ask me. There were two in my mall, one upstairs and a smaller one downstairs, for some reason. The smaller one closed, for really no reason, but whatever.

The place has three huge bins of old DVD cases with whatever in them. Half of the cases on the shelves have the poorly drawn Gamestop covers because they don't even have the original cases. I only really go there to get a new game if I want it right away [Like MGS4, and Brawl, and soon I'm gonna pick up Silent Hill:HC there too] other than that, I get my stuff online.

They're also always loaded full of annoying ghetto kids who want 200X Basket/Foot/Baseball. One time a little kid was just pounding away on the Donkey Konga drums and basically broke them, and his mother didn't seem to give the slightest care in the world. Not to mention all the people who want Mario on the Playstation.