Just inducted into the "Stupid Things EBGames Employees Say" Club

daphatty

daphatty

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A friend and I just got back from a disappointing trip to acquire ESPN NFL 2K5. Went went to three different stores and none of them had it yet. This was disappointing enough. (You'd think the logistics of a game release would be second nature by now but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) Anyway, our first stop was EB Games. I walked in and noticed a huge crowd of would-be football players huddled around the PS2 kiosk enjoying ESPN 2K5. I figured this would be a good sign so I walked right up and asked the clerk for a copy.

"Uh, sorry but our delivery hasn't arrived yet."

Great. :roll: Naturally, I asked when it would be in.

"Not sure. It should have been here by now."

No shit, I thought to myself. Just as I was finishing that thought, the employee next to him chimes in.

"Did you preorder a copy?"

"No, why?"

"Well only the people who pre-ordered get a copy today. Everyone else has to wait until tomorrow."

:shock:

I gave him the "You must be out of your goddamned mind!" look and with an obnoxious "PSHHHH" I walked out.
 
I gave the ole "PSHHH" to an EB employee that offered me $12 trade in for a game that they were selling used for $44.99. First, last, and only time I tried trading anything at that store.
 
I was flipping through a magizine while purchasing a game near closing time at EB. I was with my Girlfriend at the time and noticed some N-Gage ad in the magizine. The conversation went something like this.

Me: Ha, N-Gage who would buy that. (I was talking to my GF)

EB: What!!!!

Me:....... (I didn't want to start an arguement)

EB: What were you taling about?!

Me: N-Gage, it sucks.

EB: No!

Me: If you say so. (As I set down the magizine, grabed my game and left silently with my GF)
 
Hate to break it to ya but that's standard operating precedures. Preorders get filled first...then they sell them to the masses. That way they don't run out for the people that actually preordered said game. About every game store I've been to does it the same way. Also, when a game is slated to ship on a certain day it often doesn't come til later in the afternoon (around 3 or 4) or til the next day.
 
I once overheard one of the employees trying to convince a customer to buy an Xbox over a PS2, simply because "Xbox reads the DVDs better 'cause it has 2 disc readers" I was like.....uh.....wtf?

Another time, I walked into EB, after going to Gamestop and picking up the new Halo edition Xbox, I carried it into the store and the guy literally lept on me with a barrage of insults towards GS. Then he tried to con me into returning the Xbox and getting it at EB. :roll: I told him he was a ****ing idiot and he kicked me out. :lol:
 
here's my recent annoying EBgames employee story. This past Sunday I go there and ask if they have Tales of Symphonia. The guy at the register says "no, sold out" so i say "ok" and start looking at what games they do have. Someone calls up over the phone, also asking about Tales, and when the employee hangs up, he says to another employee "That's the 20th call about Tales, stupid people, they know the game will be sold out, why don't they preorder?" Hello, standing right here dummy! And if they know it will be sold out, why dont they secure more copies, it seems as if they are missing out on a lot of Tales sales!

So I leave and go to CompUSA. and find the game for $39.

at least on the postive side, Tales seems to be selling really well :)
 
oh yah, i know what you mean. I remember getting KH, GTA:VC, SC2 and SoA:L early b/c i had a friend that worked at Planet X (gamestop), but all the other people had to wait several days later to buy it
 
After that experience I walked over to BestBuy and even though they didn't have it either, they did have a huge stack of GGC's. So I bought my first one today. Guess who is getting my ESPN NFL 2K5 business?
 
You should take one of the promotional Gamepro magazine things too from BB...it has a $5 coupon for any xbox live software.
 
[quote name='suprsaiyanMAX']Hate to break it to ya but that's standard operating precedures. Preorders get filled first...then they sell them to the masses. That way they don't run out for the people that actually preordered said game. About every game store I've been to does it the same way. Also, when a game is slated to ship on a certain day it often doesn't come til later in the afternoon (around 3 or 4) or til the next day.[/quote]

....Yes, product gets set aside for pre-orders...BUT, these places actually have more stock than that of preorders alone, so they are just giving priority to those who preorder, I dont mind that too much, except they are lying, and it makes you consider throwing 5 bucks at them 4 years in adavance...
 
The stupidest thing that I heard an employee say was about 6 months ago. I was at EB games and in typical fashion, an employee was trying to get me to pre-order a copy of Halo 2. Now this isn't stupid in itself, but the employee went on to say that I should pre-order a copy of Halo 2 because they would only be making enough games to fill the pre-orders and that was it. It told him that that was a bunch of crap considering that Halo was one of the best selling Xbox games and that Halo 2 would be widely distributed.

Also, why would I put down good money at that time when no one even new when the game would come out. They would probably fuck up the pre-order anyway.

These employees just talk to to hear their own voices.
 
Yah I've had plenty of experiences like that especially trying sell me a freaking strategy guide *shakes head* On another note Phatty your in DC? Heh I live in Springfield VA just outside of DC. Been there a couple times avoid it like the plague.

r1s3n
 
I don't know about the voices...most just seem like they'd step over their own mother to get you to preorder a copy of damn near anything.
 
I had a run with a EB clerk about the N gage. I was talkinto my friend, who was interested in the new N gage ( the new model, whatever they call it).:

Friend: Man, the N gage is gonna be badass, I cant wait till it comes out!

Me: The N-Gage is just a piece of crap, nothing so amazing about it.

(the eb clerk rudly interupts)

EB: WHAT?! you have no idea what you talking about?

Me: what you mean? (asshole)

EB: The N-Gage is the most advace system out there...Its a phone, it can...(I stop payin attenion after he said that)

Me: Oh well, it doesn't mean its a good game system...it needs good games.

EB: OMG...you just don't know do you? N-Gage is the most Advance system in the market..i personally think there is no handheld system thats gonna beat it..

Me: What about the PSP?

EB: What about it?

Me: Nothing...Ok..i gotta go...one thing..u got a N-gage?

EB: No..

Me: you planning to get one?

EB: umm..well i dont know..

Jackass...
 
[quote name='pdat2003'] Now this isn't stupid in itself, but the employee went on to say that I should pre-order a copy of Halo 2 because they would only be making enough games to fill the pre-orders and that was it. It told him that that was a bunch of crap considering that Halo was one of the best selling Xbox games and that Halo 2 would be widely distributed.
....
These employees just talk to to hear their own voices.[/quote]

Unfortunately, this kind of stuff isn't limited to EB.
Way back when, my wife and I were looking for a new computer. We went to Circuit City to 'play with' a new IBM Aptiva. The salesperson was putting the pressure on a couple who was there before us, saying 'You should go ahead and order now, because IBM will only start building them when they pre-sell X number of units, then they won't make any more until X more sales.' While certainly stock runs out, and demand can be unprecented, we found this odd. We didn't buy from her, but went home, and called my father in law. Who happened to be a VP at IBM. Who said 'Um, bullshit' then proceeded to call that Circuit City with the clerk's name [which we got before leaving] and ream them out for lying to customers.

Moral of the story:
Caveat emptor. Educate thyself.
 
The EB employees where I live are great, as well as any other employee I've encountered that worked near video games. I consider myself lucky, but it would be fun to tell-off employees that try to feed me bullshit.
 
Another Tales story, I was there browsing as my friend was ordering Madden (beyond my control) and asked if they had Tales of Symphonia, simple question, and he gave me the pre-order speel. He then takes it upon himself to tell me I should pre-order Doom 3 because he's been waiting years for it and how awsome it will be. I told him I hope it flops since I've gone through high school and college since Doom 2 and was running it on DOS the last time I played it. This must mean I'm not a real gamer as he explained how everyone is gonna buy it. Obviously my want of a Gamecube RPG means this is something I would want. Because he was being such a dick, my friend decided to go to gamestop instead, so I win I guess
 
[quote name='r1s3n']Yah I've had plenty of experiences like that especially trying sell me a freaking strategy guide *shakes head* On another note Phatty your in DC? Heh I live in Springfield VA just outside of DC. Been there a couple times avoid it like the plague.

r1s3n[/quote]

Yea, only reason why I went down there is the metro. I had an hour to kill for lunch and they are just so conveniently located. Good thing the best buy was there. Now I will get the game for $15 instead of $20. :D:D:D:D
 
When I worked at EB. they were shoving the N-Gage down our throats to sell. I refused to sell even one. I heard the EB Buyer that ordered them from Nokia resigned shortly after the launch because he ordered so many and failed. Not one store around mine could even get a pre-order. EB has not problem with lying to sell stuff, but the things I hear these idiots say is just funny.

I think my favorite line was that Gamecube disks have a harder plastic on them that makes them stronger and more resistant to scratches.
 
While the employees at EB may spew some crap, for the most part, at least they know something about video games.

No one beats the employees at Best Buy when it comes to spewing crap, especially in the computer section and the home theater section. They will say anything to you to get you to buy their top of the line system even if you don't need anything on it.

Some of the crap that I've heard there:

"That computer will crash the internet"
"You can only get HDTV with a DVI input"
"You need these $120 video cables or the picture is going to be all fuzzy"
 
[quote name='BigBen']
"You need these $120 video cables or the picture is going to be all fuzzy"[/quote]

Let me guess: Monster.
The one time the droid was interested in helping me, when I was seriously looking at a ~2000$ TV, was when I mentioned I had to get some component cables as well.
"Oh, then you'll definitely want the Monster--they're a little more expensive, but it's like night and day! They're the only ones you want."

I have a lot more respect for someone who says 'I don't know, let's go find out' then someone who talks out of his ass.
 
Almost every employee I've seen in either EB or Gamestop has no business working there.

At Gamestop I walked up to the counter and the guy there asked if I was ready to check out. I said yes and he just stared at me. About ten seconds went by and I asked if he was ready to check me out. He gave me a look as if I had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and did the usual "my bad" routine. I guess I missed the "We Hire Stoners" sign hanging with all the other crap outside the store.

At EB in a mall an employee was trying hard to sell Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow to some lady shopping for her son. The employee took control of a demo station and said "this is so cool, you can actually shoot out lights in this game." He walked up to a light in the game, aimed in first person mode, fired, and missed. He repeated that twice before he gave up. The lady didn't look too impressed and insisted she buy the game she had all along. My brother and I laughed our asses off. I guess you don't need any gaming experience to get a job there.
 
[quote name='captainfrizo']Almost every employee I've seen in either EB or Gamestop has no business working there.

At Gamestop I walked up to the counter and the guy there asked if I was ready to check out. I said yes and he just stared at me. About ten seconds went by and I asked if he was ready to check me out. He gave me a look as if I had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and did the usual "my bad" routine. I guess I missed the "We Hire Stoners" sign hanging with all the other crap outside the store.
[/quote]

This tends to happen, especially after you've been working for 8 hrs, doing the same thing. I don't know about this guy, but if I do it (and I have) it's because I slip out of reality for a second. Just tired I guess. Not to mention the countless people who come up to the counter without anyhting and are like "I'm ready to check out now," and say nothing else.

To address the whole "Lack of adequate copies" on a launch day, let me tell you a little something I overheard from higher up (since the Dms and ZMs love to run their mouths so much). What I've heard is that they're slowly starting to only fill preorders on launch day, and not ship an adequate amount of extras until the next day. Why? Well, it' a simple concept and I'm sure you already know. The Managers/employees can then go into their "Well, you shoudla pre-ordered" spiel making it seem like a good option to the buyer. This makes it easier for a person to get an impulse reserve(Ie "Hmm, I wonder if this is any good..." "Well, if you put blh blah blah, I mean, you remember what happened with *X Game*?"). This started a while ago, but it was only on a few titles. Now, they're starting to do it more, and I bet, soon, that we'll all be wating that exra day.
 
EB back in the day...
EB guy:"Buy a Genesis, it has blast processing"

cust:"what is blast processing?"

EB:"the thing that makes games go faster"

C:"then why does my SNES have much sharper graphics?"

EB:"it can't handle Sonic cuz he runs so fast"

C:"I'll make a note of it"
 
[quote name='daphatty']A friend and I just got back from a disappointing trip to acquire ESPN NFL 2K5. Went went to three different stores and none of them had it yet. This was disappointing enough. (You'd think the logistics of a game release would be second nature by now but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) Anyway, our first stop was EB Games. I walked in and noticed a huge crowd of would-be football players huddled around the PS2 kiosk enjoying ESPN 2K5. I figured this would be a good sign so I walked right up and asked the clerk for a copy.

"Uh, sorry but our delivery hasn't arrived yet."

Great. :roll: Naturally, I asked when it would be in.

"Not sure. It should have been here by now."

No shit, I thought to myself. Just as I was finishing that thought, the employee next to him chimes in.

"Did you preorder a copy?"

"No, why?"

"Well only the people who pre-ordered get a copy today. Everyone else has to wait until tomorrow.[/quote]

You must be out of YOUR mind. Read the site. It ships on the 20th. Not every store gets it in the day-of. Quit berating employees. It's not their fault.
 
I guess I'm lucky, all the guy at my local eb are great, they know what they are talking about and dont say a bunch of BS. The only problem was the dipshit manager, but he just quit, so its the best gamestore around.
 
When I was at EB trading in my 2 games to get ESPN free, I took some other games down there just to see how much credit I would get.

They wanted to give me 75 cents for NBA Live 2002. I understand it's an old sports game, and I didn't expect much, but 75 CENTS? The damn green case the thing comes in is worth more than that!

And I also talked to the guy about the N-Gage QD. I said I don't know anyone who would want one and he goes "we actually have gotten a lot of preorders for it."

"Oh yeah? How many?"

"8".

"So uh, 8 is a big number in the world of preorders?"

"Well, no, but for the N-Gage it is!"

Ugh.
 
I dont think that saying pre-orders only can get their copies that day is stupid, there has to be some benefit to pre-orders. but granted if EB had the game, some other store in the area must have had it too.
 
This tends to happen, especially after you've been working for 8 hrs, doing the same thing. I don't know about this guy, but if I do it (and I have) it's because I slip out of reality for a second. Just tired I guess. Not to mention the countless people who come up to the counter without anyhting and are like "I'm ready to check out now," and say nothing else.

To address the whole "Lack of adequate copies" on a launch day, let me tell you a little something I overheard from higher up (since the Dms and ZMs love to run their mouths so much). What I've heard is that they're slowly starting to only fill preorders on launch day, and not ship an adequate amount of extras until the next day. Why? Well, it' a simple concept and I'm sure you already know. The Managers/employees can then go into their "Well, you shoudla pre-ordered" spiel making it seem like a good option to the buyer. This makes it easier for a person to get an impulse reserve(Ie "Hmm, I wonder if this is any good..." "Well, if you put blh blah blah, I mean, you remember what happened with *X Game*?"). This started a while ago, but it was only on a few titles. Now, they're starting to do it more, and I bet, soon, that we'll all be wating that exra day.
Click to expand...

I've been noticing this more and more as well. It seems only the game stores do this though, so if I want a game on release day and I don't want pre-order, I head over to Best Buy, Target, or Circuit City. They seem to almost always have plenty of copies even on or near release day.
 
[quote name='mmn']
And I also talked to the guy about the N-Gage QD. I said I don't know anyone who would want one and he goes "we actually have gotten a lot of preorders for it."

"Oh yeah? How many?"

"8".

"So uh, 8 is a big number in the world of preorders?"

"Well, no, but for the N-Gage it is!"

Ugh.[/quote]
8 preorders for an N-Gage seems like 8 pre-orders too many. Ill bet he was lying to you.
 
[quote name='suprsaiyanMAX']Hate to break it to ya but that's standard operating precedures. Preorders get filled first...then they sell them to the masses. That way they don't run out for the people that actually preordered said game. About every game store I've been to does it the same way. Also, when a game is slated to ship on a certain day it often doesn't come til later in the afternoon (around 3 or 4) or til the next day.[/quote]

I think the point of the story was that one employee told him that it hadn't arrived yet and another told him that they are already giving it out to the ones who preordered it.
 
I think the second employee was refering to the fact the shipment was supposed to arrive later that day, but he couldn't get a copy yet unless he preordered. Didn't seem like daphatty was pointing to any conflicting stories as the thing that mad him angry.
 
1) Stores that sell used products as new.

2) Forcing customers to pay in advance of a product if they want to recieve it on release date

3) Robbing customers of their games and reselling at often 3 times the value the customer recieved

How does EB and Gamestop not only stay in business without lawsuits, but also.. how have they not been prosecuted?
 
Preorderers should have 'first dibs' on the game, that's why they preordered. But a game that has a bunch of preorders, you'd think they'd order some overstock as well to account for the impulse/wait-till-release-day buyers. Better that, than they go to WalMart or Target to buy the game.
 
[quote name='mmn']When I was at EB trading in my 2 games to get ESPN free, I took some other games down there just to see how much credit I would get.

They wanted to give me 75 cents for NBA Live 2002. I understand it's an old sports game, and I didn't expect much, but 75 CENTS? The damn green case the thing comes in is worth more than that!

And I also talked to the guy about the N-Gage QD. I said I don't know anyone who would want one and he goes "we actually have gotten a lot of preorders for it."

"Oh yeah? How many?"

"8".

"So uh, 8 is a big number in the world of preorders?"

"Well, no, but for the N-Gage it is!"

Ugh.[/quote]

I remember seeing an article in some publication at the beginning stages of the 1st N-Gage launch. Many of you know that Nokia tried to imply that they had sold a huge amount of N-Gage's at launch, somewhere in the area of 40 or 50 thousand IIRC. This was not true. They had shipped that many units to retailers, but only about 5,000 sold in the first week of it's launch. Anyways, the article I saw was about a person inquiring both GS and EB about the N-Gage sell-thru numbers. When he asked the EB employees if they thought the N-Gage launch had gone well and had a large sell-thru, they both responded "Yes, we completely sold out of our store's stock. People are crazy for it. We can't wait to get more in." That same person then entered a GS and asked the same quesion. The employees working there, almost in unison, instantly said "No. Not a damn one sold." It's interesting to see what game store employees say when they are saked something they know nothing about. I'm glad I know my shit, because if I didn't, going to work everyday to lie to people would drive me insane.
 
[quote name='Arakias']I dont think that saying pre-orders only can get their copies that day is stupid, there has to be some benefit to pre-orders. but granted if EB had the game, some other store in the area must have had it too.[/quote]

The benefit is that your copy is secured. Only shipping preorders the first day is absolutely stupid.
 
Pre-ordering is bullshit! I can remember all the times when EB or Gamestop employees were like "You gotta pre-order now man! If not, you won't be able to get a copy for weeks!" (This was for Metroid Prime, Super Mario Sunshine, Zelda, FFX) So like a dumbass, I believe them. Then I see the same games in BB, CC, and Fry's on the release date. Basically, if a game has a lot of hype and the publisher expects it to sell well, they will ship a SHITLOAD of copies everywhere regardless of "pre-orders". Also the other day I got into an argument with a Gamestop employee about pre-ordering Halo 2. He kept trying to push it on me.
 
What's the difference if you preorder or not? Why do you care so much? It's not that big of a deal, you pay the same amount.. I don't see a reason as to why people don't preorder..
 
I remember at my local eb that my friend wanted to trade in a game he just got at CC. Guess what they were offering? 50 cents. Come on! It's brand new!! Oh, it was a x-box game, not a sports game

Hey does anyone know what they do to thoes CC games when you trade them in at GS or EB?
 
[quote name='Scorch']What's the difference if you preorder or not? Why do you care so much? It's not that big of a deal, you pay the same amount.. I don't see a reason as to why people don't preorder..[/quote]

I agree...if you already plan on getting something the day it comes out why not get a preorder? this way you are basically assured a copy the day it is out.
 
[quote name='Ledhed']
I remember seeing an article in some publication at the beginning stages of the 1st N-Gage launch. Many of you know that Nokia tried to imply that they had sold a huge amount of N-Gage's at launch, somewhere in the area of 40 or 50 thousand IIRC. This was not true. They had shipped that many units to retailers, but only about 5,000 sold in the first week of it's launch. Anyways, the article I saw was about a person inquiring both GS and EB about the N-Gage sell-thru numbers. When he asked the EB employees if they thought the N-Gage launch had gone well and had a large sell-thru, they both responded "Yes, we completely sold out of our store's stock. People are crazy for it. We can't wait to get more in." That same person then entered a GS and asked the same quesion. The employees working there, almost in unison, instantly said "No. Not a damn one sold." It's interesting to see what game store employees say when they are saked something they know nothing about. I'm glad I know my shit, because if I didn't, going to work everyday to lie to people would drive me insane.[/quote]
Anyone know how many units the N-Gage has sold so far worldwide?
 
[quote name='Scorch']What's the difference if you preorder or not? Why do you care so much? It's not that big of a deal, you pay the same amount.. I don't see a reason as to why people don't preorder..[/quote]

If you absolutely know in advance you want it day of release, then yeah definately pre-order. For me anyways there are very very few of these must have games. I like to wait for some reviews and other people's opinion of the game before I buy it at full price, if it truely is a must have. Just ask all those people that pre-ordered driv3r if always pre-ordering is a good idea.
 
I can't wait to see all the people fussing about not getting Halo 2 on release day because they didn't preorder. I started putting money down on the Halo 2 LE today.
 
Well, heres the catch. Say your local store knows before hand that they are getting in X amount of copies. When you come in looking for it, I tell you it arrives tomorrow, but I only have 6 more unclaimed copies left. If you reserve it, then you are golden for tomorrow. But if you blow me off, then when you come in the next day, dont expect me to have it. I should have scheduled myself to work tomorrow to see how many people get shafted out of ESPN because they didnt reserve it. Same thing happened last week for NCAA on Xbox. I dont really like it, as I do lose sales, but dont get mad at me cuz I wont sell you a copy.
 
i remember i went to a gamestop looking into purchasing an x-box, and asked about the green halo xbox bundle coming out. the employee then proceeding to go on this nonstop mission to get me to preorder one. she told me "these things are gonna be VERY limited... so if you don't pre-order, you'll never get one..."

i told her i'd do a little more research on it on the net, and she went on to tell me that i shouldn't trust pre-ordering on the net. i asked "what about from gamestop.com?" then she sorta froze like a deer in headlights and she kinda sputtered "w-well, i guess that's more reliable..." and she went on real quick to saying i should pre-order in person anyway.

i ended up declining the pre-order, and coming back a few weeks later to buy one. i was hoping that girl would be there, but i didn't see her. then she COMES OUT of the back room and sees me, and doesn't recognize me, until i ask for one of the green xboxes sitting in the huge pile in the corner behind the counter. there was like a crapload of them.
 
[quote name='FREAKMIKE3']Well, heres the catch. Say your local store knows before hand that they are getting in X amount of copies. When you come in looking for it, I tell you it arrives tomorrow, but I only have 6 more unclaimed copies left. If you reserve it, then you are golden for tomorrow. But if you blow me off, then when you come in the next day, dont expect me to have it. I should have scheduled myself to work tomorrow to see how many people get shafted out of ESPN because they didnt reserve it. Same thing happened last week for NCAA on Xbox. I dont really like it, as I do lose sales, but dont get mad at me cuz I wont sell you a copy.[/quote]

Yeah and when we put $5 down on a game and then the week of release, say Target or Best Buy, has a free gift card or whatever, then we miss out on that deal or lose our $5 that we originally put down on the game. Now maybe if you guys matched offers or prices at Target or Best Buy then we could talk, but even then you won't accept my Target employee discount or the GGC for Best Buy...

Plain and simple I'd rather take a chance at having to wait for a new game than having to pay extra $$ for a game just to get it right away.

Don't tell me that they aren't going to be shipping plenty of copies for Halo 2 cause if you believe that there will be a shortage of it then I've got quite the bridge to sell you. Max Payne 2 anyone?
 
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