[quote name='Richard Kain']They haven't spat upon me personally, but I can point out several things they've done that I find objectionable.
1. Put all the other game stores out of business. There used to be a much wider variety of game stores, and they used to carry a much wider variety of games. GameStop either bought them up and converted them, or drove them out of business. I liked having numerous different stores compared to just one giant conglomerate. Now I have to drive really far out of the way to visit some of the very few surviving game stores.
2. Reduced the variety of used games available. GameStop's policy of doubling down on the most profitable titles possible has drastically reduced the variety of games available. More obscure titles are often not sold new, and very hard to find used. And of course, there is their policy of only accepting games from recent console cycles. I miss shopping for cartridges.
3. Fixed and raised the prices on used games. Once GameStop had their tidy little monopoly sewn up, they raised and fixed the prices of used games. Once upon a time a $10 reduction from the current retail price for a used game was common. Seeing games that were $20 less or 50% off of the retail price was no big deal. You could get some really great deals on used games just from casual browsing. Then came GameStop. You walk into one of their stores, and you are going to be paying $3 less than the current retail. And that is for every game, across the board. No bargains, no surprises, and no negotiating the prices either. A small used game store that I frequent will wheel-and-deal with me if I'm interested, and clearly intend to spend.
4. Drastically reduced the quality of in-store services and facilities. Back when all my favorite game stores weren't GameStops, most of them tended to be clean and well maintained. The stores themselves smelled nice, the inventory was well-organized and regularly maintained, and the employees were experienced and amiable. Now all of that has gone right out the window. With GameStop, most of their stores are smelly, overcrowded, claustrophobic, and the employees tend to be overworked and undertrained.[/QUOTE]
All these, except maybe 2.
Also, gutting games. Open is not new. I don't care that you didn't scratch it. Have you ever tried to exchange a game that they opened before you bought it? You can't, but they will buy it from you.
They try to create a false sense of low supply and high demand for new releases. Perfect example was when Halo 3 came out. I was told by two GS goons that I should have done the right thing and pre-ordered the game from GS. I could wait a couple weeks if I would just go ahead and reserve one of the second shipment. Luckily walmart had hundreds of copies on hand.
I understand their need to profit, but damn. They need to teach their lower management some manners. Almost every store that I've entered has had shitty customer service. Employees should never lecture customers. These cocky assholes seem to flock to, and thrive at, GS stores.
I was sold a "new" xbox 360 that died within two hours of getting it home. I know that this could possibly be Microsoft's fault, but the way the GS employees treated me when I tried to exchange my 4 hour old $400 purchase really pissed me off.