Gamestop: Sign of the Times?

[undamned]

So, since Jon finally convinced me to pick up Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne for PS2, about 6 months ago, I've had my eye out. Paying $60 on ebay doesn't seem too tantalizing, so I've mostly been looking out at the local Bookman's stores and other 2nd hand stores.

I was tagging along with a friend the other day and he wanted to trade some gear in to Gamestop. Just for kicks I asked the clerk if they had Nocturne and how much it was. He indicated they did and that it was $39.99! My buddy nudged me and told me that he gets 20% off coupons every so often and with his "edge" card he could get me an additional 10% off, so I decided to wait. This last week my buddy slung me his card and coupon and I began calling around to local Gamestops which where tagged on their website as having Nocturne in stock. From previous hair pulling experience, I know that their computer inventory is about as reliable as the quality of their staff, so I wanted to verify they actually dug around in their stock and told me they were holding it in their hand while they were on the phone with me.

I finally found a store remotely close (on my way home) that the clerk verified they had a physical game there. I was pumped. I walk into the store, up to the desk, and ask about the Nocturne game I put on hold. To my pleasure the guy knew exactly what I was talking about and went straight to the game. As he's bringing it to me he says "It's got a generic case, just so you know." Are you freaking kidding me? After all that he can't tell me on the phone that it's disc only? So, the dude, being on point (amazing, I know), is cool enough to call all the stores (some of which I had already called earlier, but I wasn't going to argue) within a 30mi. radius which showed Nocturne in stock. Of the 6 or so stores he called, 1 or 2 couldn't even find the game in their store, and the rest were disc only. One of them even questioned him about wanting the case!

I weighed my options of watching ebay for countless hours hoping to snag a copy for what I wanted to pay, or just throw down $25 right there for the game disc. I grabbed the disc and left kinda bummed.

Had I been some Joe off the street, w/o all my coupons, I would have paid $39.99 + Tax for a disc only game. My knee-jerk response is "Who does that?" Being as there are about a gazillion Gamestops just in my area alone (we have Gamestops across the street from Gamestops, no joke), which would indicate they are raking in plenty of money, the answer is sadly: probably most of America. Has America just thrown in the towel when it comes to intelligent purchases on games? Seriously, what does the "Gamestop Phenomenon" indicate for our society? Is it the culmination of GTA, Madden, and FPS fans frothing with demand? Is it parents who don't care if johnny trades in the $1500 worth of gear they bought for him for an XBOX 360 and a game?
-ud

[Acid King]

I think people will generally just take what they can get. I don't think the average gamestop shopper is too concerned with packaging and such because chances are they aren't going to hold on to the game very long. The real tragedy is something that everyone is aware of and that is the ridiculous mark up on used stuff. They give someone $10 credit for a game they sell for $30-40. A brand new game released at $60 will be worth maybe $25 trade in value at release and sold used at $55. That's probably why they are doing so well. It also speaks poorly of the mass of people who shop there.

[TLB]

Kinda depressing, but for the most part, definitely.

EDIT: Acid King is also quite astute ^_~

[Necronopticous]

You have to consider who is trading these games in. Most people who give a shit about the condition of their games are not going to be trading them in for a few measly dollars in store credit at a decidedly bad game store.

[ZOM]

The real tragedy is something that everyone is aware of and that is the ridiculous mark up on used stuff. They give someone $10 credit for a game they sell for $30-40.

I always wondered how they can get away with this. It's the same thing over here, there should be a law to regulate this a bit.

[Dragoforce]

I hade similar experiences with gamestop here in Sweden. Two times they tried selling me games without the manual saying "I'm sure you can find it on the internet somewhere"

Other favorite Gamestop quotes:

"Oh, it's one of those old wii games" (when buying a GC game)
Clerk looking very confused and asks her colleague "This is not a normal PS2 game?" (Also when buying a GC game)
"American games will work fine on a pal PS2"

[undamned]

The real tragedy is something that everyone is aware of and that is the ridiculous mark up on used stuff. They give someone $10 credit for a game they sell for $30-40.

I always wondered how they can get away with this. It's the same thing over here, there should be a law to regulate this a bit.

I wouldn't want the law involved, as that would eventually ruin the capitalism we enjoy here (for the moment ). "A fool and his money..." I guess.
-ud

[Ganelon]

This is one of those things you can only attribute to cultural upbringing. In Japan, there's more of a general concept of proper upkeep and maintenance. In the US, very few (mostly folks like the people here, who would be considered anal) do that. That's why all GameStop employees look at you funny when you say you want a brand new copy of an older game.

SMT Nocturne is also an odd case since pretty much anybody who cared has bought the game a long time ago. Why are you even buying from a GameStop when you can get the game new for $40 on Amazon? Maybe you've been cut out from casual gamer reality but your average pubescent kid doesn't care about anything but playing the game and this mentality has been in place here forever. Why do you think all those old comics are so rare now? All someone had to do was store them in a box. Instead, people just trashed them once they were bored.

I don't even buy current gen games used because I don't trust others to keep games in immaculate condition (and 99% of gamers don't). That's why I appreciate all these pre-order bonuses that have been showing up to force caring gamers to buy early and new.

[Aru-san]

You have to consider who is trading these games in. Most people who give a shit about the condition of their games are not going to be trading them in for a few measly dollars in store credit at a decidedly bad game store.

My brother turns in his games regardless of quality all because he's "too tired/lost interest of it." Apparently he uses game stores as, like, some sort of rental service where he can return games for a wee bit of money back and buy another one.

[Acid King]

The real tragedy is something that everyone is aware of and that is the ridiculous mark up on used stuff. They give someone $10 credit for a game they sell for $30-40.

I always wondered how they can get away with this. It's the same thing over here, there should be a law to regulate this a bit.

THey get away with it, because I don't many people make the connection. Like Undamned, I'd rather not see legal action or regulation, just smarter consumers or maybe a new store model pop up.

[Necronopticous]

My brother turns in his games regardless of quality all because he's "too tired/lost interest of it." Apparently he uses game stores as, like, some sort of rental service where he can return games for a wee bit of money back and buy another one.

This is a perfect example of where the small percentage of games in decent condition come from. Your brother is certainly an exception to the majority, though.

[Battlesmurf]

http://gamequestdirect.com/730865530069.html

Amazon has one- if you have prime it's $45 shipped.


So yeah- $60 is silly- $20 for disc only doesn't seem *too* bad.


As for trading stuff in for half (or less) of what the stores will sell them- pawn shops do the same. No denying these guys make a ton of money- but also think of how much stuff they have sitting around too.

Say- you trade in game X the day after you buy it for 25 credit. Game X sucks in retails, gets bad reviews- nobody really wants to buy it- eventually they have to sell it so it's 10.99 there. I'm sure it doesn't happen too often quite like that- but food for thought?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

This same idea of trading in your games applies to Game Traders and Game Crazy stores as well. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BulletMagnet]

I don't think the average gamestop shopper is too concerned with packaging and such because chances are they aren't going to hold on to the game very long.

This. Considering that we're the world's foremost "throwaway culture" (and proud of it!) when it comes to pretty much ANYthing (games being among the less-important things we're all too eager to disregard and discard as quickly as possible), I'm not sure how anyone can honestly be surprised at how we treat game discs, though I must admit that this doesn't stop me from cringing a bit whenever I see a particularly mangled specimen.

They give someone $10 credit for a game they sell for $30-40. A brand new game released at $60 will be worth maybe $25 trade in value at release and sold used at $55.

Still a better deal than most people here manage when it comes to a car, let alone health insurance.

I wouldn't want the law involved, as that would eventually ruin the capitalism we enjoy here (for the moment ). "A fool and his money..." I guess.

First off, please, PLEASE don't tell me you're on the "Obama's going to turn us Socialist" nutjob bandwagon (with corporatist know-nothings like Geithner and Summers at the helm, to boot). Second, while I'm not in favor of government regulations of pretty much anything video game-related either, I find it more difficult to simply say "if they're dumb enough to be ripped off, it's not my problem" when the Magic of the Market has failed to produce either a better-informed and -empowered consumer (frankly, it's done its darndest to ensure the opposite outcome) or much of a viable alternative (at least in brick-and-mortar terms) to the Gamestop juggernaut.

[Jockel]

Supply and demand, that's all what i say.
--- ok it isnt.
if people buy this game because of the persona hype for this high price, why would they lower the price?

[undamned]

First off, please, PLEASE don't tell me you're on the "Obama's going to turn us Socialist" nutjob bandwagon

I'm not part of any bandwagon as I don't listen to enough radio, watch enough TV, or talk politics enough to get pumped full of anybody else's opinion. I'm just a little gloom and doom seeing what has gone down the last year or so. I have every hope that we can pull out of this one and I stand behind Obama as our president, I just haven't seen anything that indicates we have learned much since things fell apart financially.
-ud

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I work at gamestop and I'm not a manager.

It's true, most of the people out there really don't give a fuck what condition they buy or trade their games in.

Tips about gamestop:

-Don't trade in games to gamestop...you are going to get shit for them. Just don't, unless it's something totally worthless.
-Buy used games, but ask to see the case, disc or anything else before hand. Otherwise, your going to get something half-retarded.
-Preorder games usually only for titles that you know will come in limited quantities: special editions, niche titles.
-Only get an EDGE card if you actually want to get Game Informer and/or spend more than $150 on used games. Otherwise, you are wasting money.

Gamestop employees don't work by commission but are rated somewhat on how much they sell, get preorderes, and gets sign ups for
EDGE cards. So if a gamestop employee is pushing for a preorder or EDGE card...it's because it's their job.

Oh yeah, and don't buy used 360s...they are refurbished usually by GameStop workers in Texas. They will most likely break down on
you in a few weeks or months.

Thanks for that 411 insider info on how a Gamestop operates. I recall fellow shmupper Dave4shmups being a former Gamestop employee as well. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

I was at a Gamestop recently looking for Resident Evil The Umbrella Chronicles and I saw they had it since they had the case on display. Furthermore, it said "new" and only $30 (recent price drop), so I grab the case and head to the counter ecstatic. The clerk then checks on a shelf and then in a cabinet below it and tells me, "the game is new but it's the one we have on display." What a bunch of BS. The case was open, was all thrashed up and it had one of those trademark Gamestop gooey sticker on it. I wanted to tell the guy to fuck off, but it really wasn't his fault.

I got the game a couple days later at a Chinatown shop for $30 sharp (no tax) and NEW. All that was on my mind is, "thank god I waited."

Here's some ProTips for dealing with Gamestop:

- First of all, let me say to avoid Gamestop altogether. You can find better deals in terms of price and condition through Ebay (kinda hit or miss sometimes) and forums with a little bit of patience. Keep reading on though if you just have to buy from them for whatever reason.

- Buy used games with discretion. If the game is available NEW, then buy it new because you'll save $5 at most by buying used and you'll get a thrashed game. Buy used only for out of print games and check the condition carefully. Also, ask them if they have additional copies and if you can mix and match the different parts of the game (disc, manual, case.) They're usually cool with that.

- Buy NEW games with discretion. I say that because they'll do stuff like try to sell you their display copies as new for full price. Even if the game is really NEW, check it out carefully. I preordered Star Ocean 3 from them and when I got home I noticed it had tons of writing marks on it. The fuckers used my game as a fucking clip pad.

- Don't sell them your games unless you're in a crisis. They pay you like 1/3 or less of the value of your games and besides, there's no need to support their shitty business practices.

[Davey]

I wouldn't want the law involved, as that would eventually ruin the capitalism we enjoy here (for the moment ). "A fool and his money..." I guess.

First off, please, PLEASE don't tell me you're on the "Obama's going to turn us Socialist" nutjob bandwagon (with corporatist know-nothings like Geithner and Summers at the helm, to boot). Second, while I'm not in favor of government regulations of pretty much anything video game-related either, I find it more difficult to simply say "if they're dumb enough to be ripped off, it's not my problem" when the Magic of the Market has failed to produce either a better-informed and -empowered consumer (frankly, it's done its darndest to ensure the opposite outcome) or much of a viable alternative (at least in brick-and-mortar terms) to the Gamestop juggernaut.

Seriously? I can see arguing for government intervention regarding stuff people genuinely need (housing, education, jobs, healthcare, food, etc.), but we're talking about video games here.

Besides, there are viable alternatives, even if you ignore places like eBay and craigslist (big if). In your area, surely you have used record stores that also sell video games? There are several of them around here, and although their trade-in values aren't great, their used games prices are better (at least as far as I remember, I haven't been to one in years). The downside is that their selection for newer titles isn't as good as GameStop, so you'd have to try a few stores to find a specific title, or go online if you can't find it. In that case GS should be allowed to charge a premium for selection and convenience, yes?

- Don't sell them your games unless you're in a crisis. They pay you like 1/3 or less of the value of your games and besides, there's no need to support their shitty business practices.

On the flip side, if you have games you will never play again, getting some money back for them does make sense, even if you only get 10% of its original value back. I'd rather have $2 than Madden '07 (not that I ever owned that game, but you get the point). I sold off like 80% of my collection several years ago and don't really miss any of it. Even the stuff I did keep mostly collects dust. I've been meaning to sell some of it, but a lot of it is so cheap that it's barely worth the hassle.

[Aru-san]

- Buy used games with discretion. If the game is available NEW, then buy it new because you'll save $5 at most by buying used and you'll get a thrashed game. Buy used only for out of print games and check the condition carefully. Also, ask them if they have additional copies and if you can mix and match the different parts of the game (disc, manual, case.) They're usually cool with that.

I once asked my brother about this regarding if I can check out a used DS before buying it. This is how the conversation went.

Me "I think I'll buy a used DS [phat]. I'll just go there and ask if I can look at the DS's condition before buying it."
Bro "What the hell are you thinking? You can't do that!"
Me "But why? The--"
Bro "You just can't. That's how it works. You're better off just buying a DS Lite."
Me (So who am I to believe, my brother or the Shmups forum? )

[PC Engine Fan X!]

- Buy used games with discretion. If the game is available NEW, then buy it new because you'll save $5 at most by buying used and you'll get a thrashed game. Buy used only for out of print games and check the condition carefully. Also, ask them if they have additional copies and if you can mix and match the different parts of the game (disc, manual, case.) They're usually cool with that.

I once asked my brother about this regarding if I can check out a used DS before buying it. This is how the conversation went.

Me "I think I'll buy a used DS [phat]. I'll just go there and ask if I can look at the DS's condition before buying it."
Bro "What the hell are you thinking? You can't do that!"
Me "But why? The--"
Bro "You just can't. That's how it works. You're better off just buying a DS Lite."
Me (So who am I to believe, my brother or the Shmups forum? )

Sure, you can check out the condition of the phat DS before making the big decision to buy it or not. You want to make sure that it works 100% and to see if there are any non-working pixel issues to contend with before buying one. Just something to keep in mind when it comes to buying used portable gaming hardware that utilize LCD screens anyways. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[CMoon]

My local Game Dude (is there more than one?) has a new copy in stock for $40. Of course they also had DDS2 for $40--I probably should have bought it and sold it on ebay.

Of course, Game Dude has just about everything but are a bit shy on imports.

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

- Buy used games with discretion. If the game is available NEW, then buy it new because you'll save $5 at most by buying used and you'll get a thrashed game. Buy used only for out of print games and check the condition carefully. Also, ask them if they have additional copies and if you can mix and match the different parts of the game (disc, manual, case.) They're usually cool with that.

I once asked my brother about this regarding if I can check out a used DS before buying it. This is how the conversation went.

Me "I think I'll buy a used DS [phat]. I'll just go there and ask if I can look at the DS's condition before buying it."
Bro "What the hell are you thinking? You can't do that!"
Me "But why? The--"
Bro "You just can't. That's how it works. You're better off just buying a DS Lite."
Me (So who am I to believe, my brother or the Shmups forum? )

I've been to several Gamestops and they're usually cool with letting me check. Never asked them to actually let me try the games, though. BTW, buying used systems from them is a bad idea. The condition is usually pretty bad and I know of people who have successfully sold them broken systems , which goes to say how well they check the system you sell them.

[undamned]

My local Game Dude (is there more than one?) has a new copy in stock for $40. Of course they also had DDS2 for $40--I probably should have bought it and sold it on ebay.

Of course, Game Dude has just about everything but are a bit shy on imports.

Yeah, I think GameDude is a CA only thing. It was fun walking around looking at all their stuff. Prices aren't amazing, but availability was through the roof.
-ud

[BulletMagnet]

Seriously? I can see arguing for government intervention regarding stuff people genuinely need (housing, education, jobs, healthcare, food, etc.), but we're talking about video games here.

Seems you missed the "I'm not in favor of government regulations of pretty much anything video game-related" part of that post, heh heh.

I've been to several Gamestops and they're usually cool with letting me check.

Every time I've asked to check the condition of a used game disc, the guy/gal behind the counter has acquiesced - in fact, some of the stores I frequent actually give me a look without having to be asked, since they know me. In general, despite all the complaints I have about GS as a corporation, I must admit that most of the employees there around my neck of the woods are pretty friendly...guess I just lucked out, considering some of the horror stories I've heard.

[Momijitsuki]

I refuse to do any business with GameStop unless they've got a hard-to-find game in stock at a decent price. Otherwise I avoid them like the plague and take my business to local chains to support them.

[neorichieb1971]

My stay in America was not enhanced by the quality of franchise gaming shops. Found an import store in St Louis though, brilliant guy running that place.

[Davey]

Seriously? I can see arguing for government intervention regarding stuff people genuinely need (housing, education, jobs, healthcare, food, etc.), but we're talking about video games here.

Seems you missed the "I'm not in favor of government regulations of pretty much anything video game-related" part of that post, heh heh.

No, I saw it. But I also saw the "I find it more difficult to simply say" part right after it. I thought you meant that government interference was the lesser of two evils compared to allowing people to be too lazy or ignorant to shop around for video games.

[Cthulhu]

I worked for an Electronics Boutique back in the day and that taught me to be very cautious about buying used games in the US. Most people treat their stuff like shit. We had all sorts of mangled stuff brought in. One of the best was a guy whose games were covered with dirt. The discs. Not with dust - with dirt. Why there was dirt all over the discs but not the cases I'll never know, but needless to say we weren't interested in his trades.

Um, yeah, I digress. Gamestop sucks and the only reason I shop there is that they're convenient to get to. Not that I feel best buy is much better really, but at least they don't try to shove crappy used stuff on me (yet?).

[Ed Oscuro]

The real tragedy is something that everyone is aware of and that is the ridiculous mark up on used stuff.

For me, the tragedy is that they take their sweet time dropping prices on anything (at least sticker prices on the racks), and I guess stuff disappears before it ever gets a worthwhile price drop (lol $20 for games selling on the 'Bay for $5 plus some negligible S&H = still a $10 savings). I never can rationalize spending money there.

The last game I bought at a GameStop was a copy of Bioshock for the PC, which was a terrible decision on my part (paid something like $30 as I recall, long after release).