Too Hardcore for Gamestop/EBgames?

[neoalphazero]

I've reached a depressing conclusion, that being the Gamestop franchise considers me too hardcore. The following is a list of games I've looked for in a timely manner after release that both B & Ms in my town opted not to carry on their shelves:

Opoona- Wii
Castle of Shikigami III Wii
Etrian Odyssey II DS
Nanostray 2 DS (they had preorder boxes up for it, no product)
The Monkey King Wii (actually wish I had not seeked that one out)
SNK Arcade Classics PS2

There's been scattered cases of this in the past but more and more it seems like really niche products are preorder only or reserved for larger markets. Bleh.

[Lordstar]

About 8-6 years back I used to work in EB (before it was GAME here in the UK) we used to preorder games so our store would stock them. Can you not do that or do they force you to pay a % for each game.

[neoalphazero]

I think you need at least $5. Preorders are a option but I prefer waiting til I can see reviews of games. For instance, I was interested in Heavenly Guardian PS2 but reviews squashed any need for it.

[jp]

About 8-6 years back I used to work in EB (before it was GAME here in the UK) we used to preorder games so our store would stock them. Can you not do that or do they force you to pay a % for each game.

You put down a $5 deposit that you can get back whenever if you change your mind.


So like, if you know of a game coming out and it might be hard to find... just like, put $5 down.

[Necronopticous]

Make sure you keep your receipt, though. Gamestop likes to make it a huge pain in the ass for you. What a nightmare.

[subcons]

I won't even walk into a Gamestop or EB unless I absolutely have to any more. I've avoided them all together since like '06. Their sales pitches and customer service are atrocious.

If you can't find it at Best Buy or some similar store, just get it off the internet. It's just less hassle than trying to physically find something like that.

[Damocles]

Use EB/Gamestop for all your rental needs. They don't even require the pretense of actual reason any more when returning used games within a week. Don't like the game? No problem. Like the game, but not enough to justify the purchase? No problem.

"New" games? No. Don't even bother.

[CStarFlare]

I havn't shopped at Gamestop since the day I bought a game and they had taken the instert out of its case and plastered it with stickers.

[JoshF]

Those stickers turn a new game into garbage the second you even think you can pull them off. Used games, don't ever bother. You got lucky on the first one rookie, but are you ready for 5 more????????????????????

[Lordstar]

About 8-6 years back I used to work in EB (before it was GAME here in the UK) we used to preorder games so our store would stock them. Can you not do that or do they force you to pay a % for each game.

You put down a $5 deposit that you can get back whenever if you change your mind.


So like, if you know of a game coming out and it might be hard to find... just like, put $5 down.

In the UK its a little more at 5GBP (about 10.50 USD) which in the UK is a little under an hours pay (on the minimum wage) Can be a bit of a pain for some. Consoles however have always been 10GBP which is quite a bargain if you can sell it on ebay if its got a chrsitmas launch

[Lordstar]

Use EB/Gamestop for all your rental needs. They don't even require the pretense of actual reason any more when returning used games within a week. Don't like the game? No problem. Like the game, but not enough to justify the purchase? No problem.

"New" games? No. Don't even bother.

they used to do that in the UK. they have put a stop to that now
I buy via amazon and play now. I occasionally check out the second hand bin but since i got bitch slaped on a PS2 disc which look liked some one had been ice skating on and refused to give me a refund I dont anymore. Its annoying because i came back the next day. Even had my proof of purchace.

[TLDragoon]

I still use GS usually scouring for used games. The 4 stores around where I work are pretty decent about returns. For me, there's just something exciting about finding something cool or odd among the heaps of sports titles.

I do hate their policy of letting their employees checkout new games to play and then still selling them as new. I know on at least 2 occasions where I got a "new" cart that had a save file on it.

My latest, unrelated to the above, incident with them was last weekend. I called a store in another town to see if they had a copy of Megaman Powered Up and possibly a copy of R-Type Final. Yes on the former; no on the latter, but the clerk checked to see if there was a copy at any other store in the metro area. She found 1 copy at 2 different stores. I called the first store and the clerk said they did, and even looked through drawer to make sure (don't get me started on taking a case up to the counter only to be told they don't have the blasted game). I called the other store, and the clerk said the didn't.

So, I went to the first store and found the generic box for the game (along with a generic Gradius III and IV and a complete Mobile Light Force 2...now that's false advertisement). I had some more time to waste before catching the Dark Knight, so I went to the other store to look around, and what do I find? Oh, nothing but a complete copy of R-Type Final . And to think that it was always my favorite store back when it was EB.

[gs68]

A couple months back, I tried to preorder Space Invaders Extreme--TWICE. First time, it was not in their system for whatever reason, and the second time they claimed they didn't even have a release date for it.

Fine, GameStop, go make room for Madden '09 or Spinoff #12691267: Final Fantasy VII.

[The Coop]

Those stickers turn a new game into garbage the second you even think you can pull them off. Used games, don't ever bother. You got lucky on the first one rookie, but are you ready for 5 more????????????????????

Ooohhhh... it was enough of a pain to get the damn things off of the plastic covering, but the decision to put them on the actual paper inserts... that was mind boggling. Back when they first started doing that, I asked some folks I knew at an EB I used to frequent why in God's name they were doing it. They said because it made it easier to ring up since they didn't get worn out from handling. When I asked if they realized how much those things could rip apart the inserts, they just shrugged and said, "Not our problem".

That was one of the last times I went into an EB/Gamestop, and is the reason why I only buy games that are still in their shrink wrap from those stores on the rare occasion I stop in one. It's bad enough that they buy back games which look like they were given a once over between the unshaven thighs of a tree hugging belly dancer with an advanced yeast infection, but to purposefully do stuff that's likely to damage the packaging on a new $60+ game? It's pure idiocy.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Castle of Shikigami III Wii
SNK Arcade Classics PS2
.

Bought both of these in my local GameStop. I live in Montana and you need to realize that we are mostly limited to big name FPS and sports games here.

[neoalphazero]

Bought both of these in my local GameStop. I live in Montana and you need to realize that we are mostly limitred to big name FPS and sports games here.

I must live in a odd city

So like, if you know of a game coming out and it might be hard to find... just like, put $5 down.

True, but the point was Gamestop's target gamer.

I walked into Gamestop the day Gigawing 2 and Mars Matrix were released and left with two $20 examples of reflective punishment. There was a period where they stocked everything. Today's deluge of titles has left them being selective but instead of cutting My Petz: Horsies Wii or Co-op shooter of the month PS3/360 it's fallen to other niches that they don't consider profitable. It's just weird to consider many of the titles I've actually seeked out are not worthy of shelf space and need to be dealt with specially.

[No_not_like_Quake]

I had trouble finding Culdcept Saga.

[MR_Soren]

I've reached a depressing conclusion, that being the Gamestop franchise considers me too hardcore. The following is a list of games I've looked for in a timely manner after release that both B & Ms in my town opted not to carry on their shelves:

Opoona- Wii
Castle of Shikigami III Wii
Etrian Odyssey II DS
Nanostray 2 DS (they had preorder boxes up for it, no product)
The Monkey King Wii (actually wish I had not seeked that one out)
SNK Arcade Classics PS2

There's been scattered cases of this in the past but more and more it seems like really niche products are preorder only or reserved for larger markets. Bleh.

Be careful. Elixir would say you're not hardcore, you're just wallowing in mediocrity.

Anyway, I've had similar problems finding obscure games in my local Gamestop. I've also seen many situations where lesser-known games never show up on the new releases rack, but get stuck in with the rest of the new games while mainstream titles such as Madden or Guitar Hero will each have multiple slots on the new release rack.

That's just the way things are going to be while large chains make up most of the market.

[FatCobra]

If that's the case, then why bother shopping there? Buy those rare games online! You all have access to a computer, obviously.

[gs68]

If that's the case, then why bother shopping there? Buy those rare games online! You all have access to a computer, obviously.

Yeah, but not everyone here has credit/debit cards.

I didn't get a debit card myself till senior year of high school. With that, I can now bid on used games on eBay...not that it matters because I will lose anyway.

[Erinu]

UK game stores are super shitty.. but I guess that goes for everywhere. I have been ordering my shit online for a few years now (yes-asia, videogamesplus, dvdboxoffice, amazon, etc) which covers everything.

I used to buy games from EB to 'rent' them but they ended that, probably, because everyone was fucking with them

[FatCobra]

If that's the case, then why bother shopping there? Buy those rare games online! You all have access to a computer, obviously.

Yeah, but not everyone here has credit/debit cards.

I didn't get a debit card myself till senior year of high school. With that, I can now bid on used games on eBay...not that it matters because I will lose anyway.

True, not everyone has access to online shopping. Also, don't buy stuff off of eBay. I've been burned once on a purchase, so I said "Never again" and stopped using it.