Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked 2 years $60 (50% discount)

T

Trustn01

CAGiversary!
I've been waiting for this deal to come back around.  Best Buy will be running a half-off their Gamers Club Unlocked membership from 5/25 - 5/31.  It's normally $119.99 and will be on sale for $60.  They run this promo every once in a while and it makes the membership worthwhile.

Assuming Best Buy is still around for 2 years, here's what you'll get:

Gamers Club Unlocked Benefits:
Get 20% off new video games for 2 full years
Get 2x base points on new video game software, digital content, and game accessories
Get 2 points for every dollar when you trade-in games
Get points on gaming consoles
Redeem Reward Certificates on nearly everything at Best Buy
10% bonus trade-in credit on your video game software trade-ins
10% off pre-owned games
Buy two, get the third free on pre-owned games via special welcome coupon
Save 50% on a new strategy guide via special welcome coupon
 
I'm still not sure what's going on with their magazine but I assume if it's still being posted digitally, it would probably be included also.
 
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I went to extend my GCU membership yesterday. Nobody in the gaming department had any idea what GCU was. The people at customer service on the other hand knew about the 50% bonus and the extra 10% trade in values. Bestbuy really needs to start training it employees to push GCU or at least know about it.

 
I know that "technically" it's a good deal for your average gamer but spending that much initially and seeing no immediate return is very daunting.  It's like buying your Amazon Prime membership that first time.  I think for me though my biggest issue is just commitment, getting this is basically a written commitment to buy your new games at BB.

 
So, just to put this out there.  BB is doing a credit card promotion as well, 10% back on every BB purchase or, 5 points per dollar spent.  If you sign up for unlocked, this calculates to about 300 points or at least 1 more $5 certificate.  Seems worth it to me!  

https://my.bestbuy.com/offers/offersandpromotions/info/0900a76f8019bc58

Promotion goes to the end of the month.  Not a bad deal if you ask me.  Doing it today, in fact!!!

 
I'm new to the program, I just went in and signed up. They just said it was tied to my rewards account. Does it take a while to update online? I haven't got an email or any confirmation whatsoever that the new account exists.
 
Deader2818 said:
you still have a year and a half left. Im sure you going going to make the money back and then some within that time.
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But if you shop around for deals or simply wait a month from when a new game comes out you can save even more than gcu without having to pay upfront. Id never pay to get a discount because you'd have to do all your shopping there and pay msrp in order to take advantage of it.

All you're doing is paying for a slightly faster price drop only it has limitations on it. Im more patient so I wont pay for a quicker price drop.
 
So I bought the GCU membership today. I then proceeded to trade two games in to get the 50% trade in bonus plus the 10% extra trade in bonus. I recieved $19 for the two games. I used all of that gift card money to pre-order Mario Kart 8. So now my remaining balance on Mario Kart 8 is around $40 before taxes and before my GCU discount. Does anyone know how much it will be after taxes and my discount? Should I have only put $5 down on the pre-order and not the whole $19 gift card?

 
VaultBoy101 said:
I went to trade in a couple of XB1 games today because of this week's extra 50% promotion, but I did not get the extra 10% on top of that for GCU. The guy handling the trade-in clearly wasn't familiar with the process and said there was nowhere in the transaction to scan the RZ card. I told him this was one of the advertised benefits of GCU, so he got a manager to come over and help. She said "they're no longer doing that." I went ahead and did the trade-in because the closest BB is a 40-minute drive for me.

Has anyone else heard anything like this? I'm 99.9% sure she was wrong, but I wanted to ask here before I make a customer service call.
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In AZ it's easy for us. Pawn shop laws require them to input driver's license info before they can finish the trade, but to get the 10% bonus, they MUST put in your RWZ number before this step.
After missing the 10% I stick to this everytime....
1) give games for trade - mention i am GCU and get 10% trade bonus, and want to make sure i get my number input before the trade total is finalized.
2) get confirmed total of trade w/ 10% bonus applied and expected base values.
3) give license
4) get trade credit + 10% just fine

If they go to step 3 w/o putting in your RWZ number, I think they have to void the entire transaction or something, b/c they really dont want to do it at that point....

The coolest BBUY CSR's will show you the total with the bonus before asking for your license, but this is an easy way to check since you can withold your license till you see the base+10% on screen.
 
Deader2818 said:
Even if you wait for a price drop you still get the 20% off. You also do get 10% off pre-owned and 10% extra trade in.
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And double the points. Alot of people forget that. You also get RZ points on trade in and those are doubled. Its nice when you flip some games then get another $5-10 in certs extra just in reward points. Like I traded Tomb Raiders in 3 times for $40. Just in RZ points I get 80 off each game. Thats 10 points shy of a $5 cert.

 
Chin35char said:
So I bought the GCU membership today. I then proceeded to trade two games in to get the 50% trade in bonus plus the 10% extra trade in bonus. I recieved $19 for the two games. I used all of that gift card money to pre-order Mario Kart 8. So now my remaining balance on Mario Kart 8 is around $40 before taxes and before my GCU discount. Does anyone know how much it will be after taxes and my discount? Should I have only put $5 down on the pre-order and not the whole $19 gift card?
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Sales tax differs but ordering online it's around $50 after tax, expect a bit more if buying in store as you'll have more taxes.

 
limesqueeze said:
I'm new to the program, I just went in and signed up. They just said it was tied to my rewards account. Does it take a while to update online? I haven't got an email or any confirmation whatsoever that the new account exists.
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I just signed up this morning, and my rewards account already lists me as a GCU member until 5/25/16.
 
Abeja said:
And double the points. Alot of people forget that. You also get RZ points on trade in and those are doubled. Its nice when you flip some games then get another $5-10 in certs extra just in reward points. Like I traded Tomb Raiders in 3 times for $40. Just in RZ points I get 80 off each game. Thats 10 points shy of a $5 cert.
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You actually get the double points with the free one or paid one.

 
JKSonic said:
I know that "technically" it's a good deal for your average gamer but spending that much initially and seeing no immediate return is very daunting. It's like buying your Amazon Prime membership that first time. I think for me though my biggest issue is just commitment, getting this is basically a written commitment to buy your new games at BB.
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There`s deals in the weekly ad that offer an immediate return on the $60 plus pairing with $10 pre-order titles. There`s zero committment to buy at BB when there`s a better deal buy elsewhere. 20% + 2X pts + high TIV`s + 10% off used + extra 10% on trades + $10-$25 credit+ 10%-25% Elite/Elite plus + promos w/GCU glitches just makes BB one of toughest places to beat.
You`re not going to be able to consistantly string 5+ titles in a row spending under $25 per game on day 1 but at BB & you`re paying a measly $2.50 per month. For the next 2+ yrs alot of people will be getting paid by BB to play games.

Mr_hat said:
But if you shop around for deals or simply wait a month from when a new game comes out you can save even more than gcu without having to pay upfront. Id never pay to get a discount because you'd have to do all your shopping there and pay msrp in order to take advantage of it.
All you're doing is paying for a slightly faster price drop only it has limitations on it. Im more patient so I wont pay for a quicker price drop.
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Say you wait for a $40 sale you pay $8 more + tax which costs you 1 completely free $40 game every 5 games head to head.

During the month while you wait & shop around vs $48 day 1 you lose
1-$10-$25 credit for pre-orders
2- $5 credit on your 1st 2 $48 games(120 mybb pts on GCU sub + 48x 4)
3- Another $5 credit every 3 games
4- Plus whatever the trade in value drops to

If you pay, play & trade the games the true cost will be under $20 per title before factoring in the sub cost but over 2 yrs your true cost will still be much higher per game. $38-$44 TIV on a $48 game means we pay $4-$10+ tax per title true cost on day 1 so why wait?
 
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if you wait for games to hit under 20 dollars BB GCU doesn't quite pay off. 

GCU is for day 1 buys....and the reality is a lot people here are waiting for the sales. yes there are some games I want day 1 and BB GCU would be great but you have to do that a lot to pay off that 60 dollars and then to finally start making money back

according to Enuf you need to buy 2 games just to get 10 dollars back and then another 5 dollars every 3 games. so 5 games in and we have 15 dollars? using this logic we need to times that by 4 so thats 20 games at 48 dollars to pay for this thing. the only way to make this go faster is to flip games back like a madman. some games also can't be beaten that quickly and far too many of us have backlogs....I can see where Enuf's math works out but unless you literally buy a game day 1 and trade it back in within 7 days you are going to take a long time to get your 60 dollars back.

unless you are a flipper or pay for a lot games on day 1 I'm not sure where you are making your money back exactly?

also not every single game has a 10 dollar pre order bonus attached either.

 
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You still have it wrong you DO NOT have to "buy alot of games", "be a massive flipper" or even "actually" spend $300. Pay $60 for the sub & put aside $100 total & if done correctly you`ll NEVER pay another cent for two yrs all while buying games on day 1. Say a person did the March $60 GCU & bought the titanfall CE.
1- 120 mybb pts on the sub
2- $50 off + tax
3- $10 credit
4- 400 mybb pts $5 credit w/150 mybb pts leftover
5- $44.80 CURRENT trade in value
6- -$200 towards elite/elite plus

$50 + tax saved + $10 pre-order + $10 credit(520 mybb pts) + $44.80 credit + 2X pts on the trade = ~$116 true value on the $260 put out game 1 w/22 months left. ~$64.80 in credit
Take the credit grab Wolfenstein $48 w/$25 credit leaves you with ~$10 leftover. Trades for $36.80 now
$36.80 + $10 leftover + $25 = ~$71.80.
$71.80 to the next $10 pre-order game with ~$17 credit leftover & a game worth $36-$44
Rinse & repeat with BB paying you to play on day 1 & that`s while paying $300. But you can follow the same strategy on just $60 games with the $100.

Even if the $100 only last say 7 games that`s still just $160 total or under $23 per game on day 1 which is better than Black Friday prices on day 1. So again why would I wait 30-90 days more to actually pay MORE than buying on day 1?

Simply put with $60 GCU & CAG you should be gaming on the cheap day 1 AT LEAST 80% of the time. GCU should pay for your $15 PUR with a free game glitch or 2 or 7 knowing BB.
 
I don't get why the math is beign treated like it's hard. If you're going to buy 5 games within the first month of release during the 2-year span, you're set. Since I picked up a Wii U and have a One, that's EASY to pull of, when you consider games like:

1. Watch Dogs

2. Mario Kart 8

3. Halo Master Chief Collection

4. Forza Horizon 2

5. Super Smash Bros.

6. The Division

7. Dying Light

8. Halo 5

9. Destiny

10. Evolve

11. Disney Infinity 2.0

12. Sunset Overdrive

13. Metro: Redux

14. Quantum Break

15. NBA 2K15

There, 15 games I am considering buying within the next 2 years. That actually ignores several undated titles, plus the unannounced stuff that'll obviously be worth a buy (like hopeful releases in the Fire Emblem and Mario Party series on Wii U and HD collections of Assassins's Creed and Kingdom Hearts on the One). Even if I opted to get just one-third of those games, I've broken even, and that's before considering any Rewards bonuses ot coupons or used game purchases or discount purchases of the others.

Oh, and that ignores the fact that I put my sub on my dad's Best Buy account, meaning the DS games my brothers get will also get discounted. It also means the games my brother-in-law gets will probably be discounted, and maybe the occasional game for my cousin. It's SOOOOO easy to hit the buy-in price in savings, especially if you share the account with realitves.

 
guys its a 1 year sub not 2 years. 

again you still must flip games back to get this to work which means beating them in relatively fast time take a Halo or a COD....get it day 1 and flip it back within 7 days? or 2 weeks? seriously doubt you'll be done with some of these games that soon. much less a longer game like GTA or an rpg or something. or does best buy keep values really high for a really long time?

I think the quick flipping and the speed at which one beats a game is the variable Enuf is missing.

 
kayne2000 said:
guys its a 1 year sub not 2 years.

again you still must flip games back to get this to work which means beating them in relatively fast time take a Halo or a COD....get it day 1 and flip it back within 7 days? or 2 weeks? seriously doubt you'll be done with some of these games that soon. much less a longer game like GTA or an rpg or something. or does best buy keep values really high for a really long time?

I think the quick flipping and the speed at which one beats a game is the variable Enuf is missing.
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https://my.bestbuy.com/gamers/benefits

Clearly states: "20% OFF NEW VIDEO GAMES FOR TWO FULL YEARS"

Oh, and you get the buy 2, get 1 free coupon for used games when you join. If you buy fairly-new games with that, you could get a $50 game free, plus $10 off each of the other $50 used games. You've saved $60 right there, and it's all profit saved after that. I don't think it could get any simpler.

 
I might have to go in for a sub finally. I do have a question though.

When it says "points on gaming consoles" is that just 1 point per dollar? or other? I put off a PS4 purchase initially but will be buying one later this year. Which also means game shopping.  So, I will probably go sign up this week.

 
texasnightowl said:
I might have to go in for a sub finally. I do have a question though.

When it says "points on gaming consoles" is that just 1 point per dollar? or other? I put off a PS4 purchase initially but will be buying one later this year. Which also means game shopping. So, I will probably go sign up this week.
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You get double points on all gaming related purchases....but you get that without being GCU. 2 pts on the $.
 
[quote name="Linkgx1" post="11795072" timestamp="1401282941"]Still not sure on this. I just bought watch dogs and the last game before that was gta v.... hmmm[/quote]

I'm in the same boat, I very rarely buy new games and my bby pre-owned section is pathetic, so I'm not sure if this is worth it for me.
 
kayne2000 said:
guys its a 1 year sub not 2 years.

again you still must flip games back to get this to work which means beating them in relatively fast time take a Halo or a COD....get it day 1 and flip it back within 7 days? or 2 weeks? seriously doubt you'll be done with some of these games that soon. much less a longer game like GTA or an rpg or something. or does best buy keep values really high for a really long time?

I think the quick flipping and the speed at which one beats a game is the variable Enuf is missing.
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Even though you were wrong on the length of the GCU membership Kanye2000, the points you made are valid. I have a friend that works for Best Buy and like I said before GCU is a running joke at his Best Buy at $120. Now at $60 I think this is a good value for most people that have a $38-$48 game buy in. I know GCU is tied into "MY Best Buy" so if you preorder some games you get an additional $10-25 gift certificate. But some preorder titles are not tied to the $10-$25 gift certificate (this may change but it is not the case yet). So I would always go under the assumption that I am going to pay $48 per game using GCU. if you're able to use a $10-$25 certificate on a game then that is what I call "gravy" but you know you will get 20% off each new game every time for your 2 year membership. Like Kayne2000 said you would have to flip a lot of games relatively fast to play for free as Enuf puts it as you would always want to keep your tiv at it's highest in order to play for free. Doing it Enuf's way will allow you to play for free but you will have virtually no new games in your library. Of course you could always keep a few titles and not flip them but depending on how many games you actually keep then you are not playing for free which debunks the point that you are "getting paid to play". Doing it Enuf's way is great if you only want to rent games, virtually play titles as soon as they hit the shelf, and put up a $100 to buy into a program that allows you to for 2 years to be able to play and have new release titles and keep them for up to 2 weeks. It's not a bad way to look at it this way of thinking is just not for everyone. There are some games like RPG's, shooters, and sports games where this won't work. As these games may have more value with online play making them keepers in the eyes of a gamer. In any event you do get 20% off new games that are sometimes accompanied with $10-25 gift certificates which is nice, but some gamers still might find more value in waiting for games to reach $10. It all depends on the individual and their frame of mind.
 
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Was thinking about going to sign up for this just have 1 question. .does the 20% usually stack with their sales and deal of the day? I know it doesn't stack with price matches but it seems people in the buy watch dogs and get 20 dollars off some game thread are excited that the 20% is stacking as if that is usually not the case...so does a game have to have a price drop in order for the 20% to work or can it be on a daily deal like infamous second son was a few days ago or a weekly sale and it works as well, thanks for the help!
 
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srac84 said:
Was thinking about going to sign up for this just have 1 question. .does the 20% usually stack with their sales and deal of the day? I know it doesn't stack with price matches but it seems people in the buy watch dogs and get 20 dollars off some game thread are excited that the 20% is stacking as if that is usually not the case...so does a game have to have a price drop in order for the 20% to work or can it be on a daily deal like infamous second son was a few days ago or a weekly sale and it works as well, thanks for the help!
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20% stacks with BB sales and DOTD's
 
Legit question. Why would someone buy a game to beat it within 2 weeks to trade it in and possibly lose money? Why not rent?
 
Linkgx1 said:
Legit question. Why would someone buy a game to beat it within 2 weeks to trade it in and possibly lose money? Why not rent?
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I can return Titanfall today for MORE money then I put into it. Same with Wolfenstein and Watchdogs.

It won't be every game, but it does tend to be most of them for the first 2 weeks, longer for the better games. I've found that the best reasons for having GCU are the things your not expecting. The Free Games, Free Accessories or extra savings on already great savings.

I really HATE bestbuy, they've burned me in the past and the only reason I use them now is GCU. If they didn't use it, I would have continued to toss their mailers in the trash without looking at them.

 
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Linkgx1 said:
Legit question. Why would someone buy a game to beat it within 2 weeks to trade it in and possibly lose money? Why not rent?
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Um, if you're doing it right. You make money.

Example: Wolfenstein. 59.99 - 20% GCU = $48 - 25 back in certs = $23. Trades back for $33 - 36, depending on where you go. Not to mention the points you earn for buying and for trading.

 
Worseley said:
I can return Titanfall today for more money then I put into it. Same with Wolfenstein and Watchdogs.

It won't be every game, but it does tend to be most of them.
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And to add to that, renting isn't easy anymore. Only one small store in my area and new releases are hard to find at it.
 
Worseley said:
I can return Titanfall today for more money then I put into it. Same with Wolfenstein and Watchdogs.

It won't be every game, but it does tend to be most of them. I've found that the best reasons for having GCU are the things your not expecting. The Free Games, Free Accessories or extra savings on already great savings.

I really HATE bestbuy, they've burned me in the past and the only reason I use them now is GCU. If they didn't use it, I would have continued to toss their mailers in the trash without looking at them.
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Also points with tradein is minor icing on the cake. Its minor but builds up. The certs also help out with tax savings if you roll it with every game purchase/preorder.

 
nixmahn said:
Also points with tradein is minor icing on the cake. Its minor but builds up. The certs also help out with tax savings if you roll it with every game purchase/preorder.
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Exactly, I used the Rewards on my pre-orders but now that I'm Elite+ I just bank them until the next Game is coming out (or sale found on CAG).

 
Worseley said:
I can return Titanfall today for MORE money then I put into it. Same with Wolfenstein and Watchdogs.

It won't be every game, but it does tend to be most of them for the first 2 weeks, longer for the better games. I've found that the best reasons for having GCU are the things your not expecting. The Free Games, Free Accessories or extra savings on already great savings.

I really HATE bestbuy, they've burned me in the past and the only reason I use them now is GCU. If they didn't use it, I would have continued to toss their mailers in the trash without looking at them.
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Interdasting. I was an unlocked member back when it was $15. But I work full time and go to school and don't play games as much (haven't finished red dead after 2 years). I bought Luigi's mansion 2 on launch day and never even put it in my 3ds.

I have a sams club card for example but I go there all the time. Best buy and games....not so much.
 
Linkgx1 said:
Interdasting. I was an unlocked member back when it was $15. But I work full time and go to school and don't play games as much (haven't finished red dead after 2 years). I bought Luigi's mansion 2 on launch day and never even put it in my 3ds.

I have a sams club card for example but I go there all the time. Best buy and games....not so much.
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Doesn't sound like like this is for you then, more likely your a better CAG and only snag the great deals when you see them.

It does make some things very simple though too, when a game is coming out I typically wouldn't buy it on launch except for the few AAA titles that most of us would grab on launch. With GCU I tend to buy every game on the Preorder Bonus list mostly bc I'm only paying $38 (in my eyes) for them since I just use the $10 from last game towards the next... and so on. With the 2x bonus points counting on Buying and Selling games to Bestbuy, I nearly get another $5 per game flipped after I'm done with it.

GCU is all up front investment. You pay for the membership, you pay for your first game and then you start seeing the rewards after that's done. The revolving rewards continue to go towards the next games and the credit you get back from selling them back pays what's left (often with the games bringing you more $$$ then you originally invested).

It's not with every game but it does seem to be a trend with GCU. I constantly see games listed here in CAG that cost less then what I get for selling them to Bestbuy. Microsoft Stores B2G1 with $10 off $100 deal is a great example. 3 Games for $60 on that deal, most of those games Bestbuy will pay $30-44 for with this weeks 50% bonus TIV and GCU 10%.

GCU won't give you the BEST deals all the time, but they do sometimes surprise you with whats possible.

 
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Like I said it just depends on the individual. I use to buy new games all the time and didn't play them for sometimes up to 6 months as my life does not permit me to play video games all day everyday. Others may have the time to play a new release and beat it in virtually the first week. GCU is not all that great of an option for someone like me as I normally buy games at $15 and sell them (no point of me buying a new release to have it sit for six months and waste my money, might as well wait until I can find it cheaper) . But I still think GCU as a whole is great buy at $60 for a lot of people. I just don't agree with some fellow CAG's attitudes when it comes to GCU. Its like if someone does not 100% bend over backwards and support GCU then people want to criticize and make others feel dumb if they don't agree and that's not right. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions please keep this in mind people.
 
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HTownsFinest44 said:
Like I said it just depends on the individual. I buy new games all the time and don't play them for sometimes up to 6 months as my life does not permit me to play video games all day everyday. Others may have the time to play a new release and beat it in virtually the first week. GCU is not all that great of an option for someone like me as I normally buy games at $15 and sell them (no point of me buying a new release to have it sit for six months and waste my money, might as well wait until I can find it cheaper) . But I still think GCU as a whole is great buy at $60 for a lot of people. I just don't agree with some fellow CAG's attitudes when it comes to GCU. Its like if someone does not 100% bend over backwards and support GCU then people want to criticize and make others feel dumb if they don't agree and that's not right. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions please keep this in mind people.
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I agree with all your points. I think the reason people strongly advocate for GCU (I bolded the part you mentioned) is because other people (not you) come in here and make blanket statements about how GCU is stupid and lame. Every single time this deal gets posted there is someone who says that; I don't say anything to them, but it's frickin annoying to read. Like you said, it depends on how we use GCU. For those people to just say this is a bad deal overall is what sets some people off.

 
CaseX said:
I agree with all your points. I think the reason people strongly advocate for GCU (I bolded the part you mentioned) is because other people (not you) come in here and make blanket statements about how GCU is stupid and lame. Every single time this deal gets posted there is someone who says that; I don't say anything to them, but it's frickin annoying to read. Like you said, it depends on how we use GCU. For those people to just say this is a bad deal overall is what sets some people off.
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It's certainly a great deal if you always have the time to play said games.
 
Lil Frier said:
I don't get why the math is beign treated like it's hard. If you're going to buy 5 games within the first month of release during the 2-year span, you're set. Since I picked up a Wii U and have a One, that's EASY to pull of, when you consider games like:

1. Watch Dogs

2. Mario Kart 8

3. Halo Master Chief Collection

4. Forza Horizon 2

5. Super Smash Bros.

6. The Division

7. Dying Light

8. Halo 5

9. Destiny

10. Evolve

11. Disney Infinity 2.0

12. Sunset Overdrive

13. Metro: Redux

14. Quantum Break

15. NBA 2K15

There, 15 games I am considering buying within the next 2 years. That actually ignores several undated titles, plus the unannounced stuff that'll obviously be worth a buy (like hopeful releases in the Fire Emblem and Mario Party series on Wii U and HD collections of Assassins's Creed and Kingdom Hearts on the One). Even if I opted to get just one-third of those games, I've broken even, and that's before considering any Rewards bonuses ot coupons or used game purchases or discount purchases of the others.

Oh, and that ignores the fact that I put my sub on my dad's Best Buy account, meaning the DS games my brothers get will also get discounted. It also means the games my brother-in-law gets will probably be discounted, and maybe the occasional game for my cousin. It's SOOOOO easy to hit the buy-in price in savings, especially if you share the account with realitves.
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Something you should consider however is that, even with GCU, Best Buy doesn't always have the best deals. K-Mart has certainly had better preorder incentives for Mario Kart, Watch Dogs, and Destiny (now if only they'd ship our damn games.... :wall: ). Toys R Us had some deal a couple of months back where you could preorder Watch Dogs for $35. And none of those deals required putting money down on some membership beforehand. Not to mention pre-order incentive bullshit. What are you gonna do when Arkham Knights comes out and the only way to play as Green Lantern is to pre-order at Gamestop?

I don't know about the other games since SSB is the only other one you mentioned that interests me, but the point is that for several of those Best Buy wasn't the best deal, even with GCU. Therein lies my main problem. Since it doesn't apply to price matches, you are at their mercy.

By the way.... who in the hell has the time to play everything you listed? Most of the time I struggle to complete more than 1 game a month, and that's when I'm not getting caught up in some MMO, online multiplayer, or something like Animal Crossing. Even if I stayed offline, your list there would last me over a year......

 
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TheCochese said:
There are still Kmarts? Who knew.
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Considering the level of service I've gotten this week, not to mention their screwups last time I tried to partake in one of their sales, I'm honestly not sure how they are surviving...... but that's not really the point. The point is that, even if you do buy a bunch of games day 1, it is possible to find deals superior to the GCU discount, even after factoring in a RZ cert.

 
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there are some deals that are equivalent to GCU, but they are not always in the same place.

GCU is centralized. Enuf has done the complex math, but I will say AGAIN:
i was paid $20 to play Infamous Second Son. Yes i traded it back in, but after 30 days.

But you dont have to rush. Infamous is still trading in close to that amount. I traded in Fifa and NFS:R to best buy for MORE than i paid for them, 5 months after i bought them.

GCU will net you credit if you are willing to watch the TIV, and trade games in within 30-90 days of purchase. You can break even if you trade 90-180 days (again, watching the specials). Throw in reward certs and weird sales/glitches, and you can build up even more credit.

I was skeptical, i'll be honest. but i bought my subscription in March or April, and i've already paid it off ($60) with RWZ bonuses/trade profit/and a few GCU sales (glitches?).
 
I've read a few messages saying there is a B2G1 coupon on used games that you are supposed to get when you go GCU.  Is that not true anymore?  Is it mailed or emailed?

 
You get them e-mailed too you.

Also, I wouldn't factor in reward zone points when saying if the program is worth it  or not since you get those with or without the paid program.

 
Deader2818 said:
You get them e-mailed too you.

Also, I wouldn't factor in reward zone points when saying if the program is worth it or not since you get those with or without the paid program.
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Well, you get bonus points though right? Like more points than you would get if you weren't GCU?

 
I slightly regret not using my B2G1 free coupon, but I'm not crazy about buying used games.

And I guess I really should start trading in more...unfortunately like most retailers, Best Buy's trade-in values are garbage.

 
rcerboss said:
Something you should consider however is that, even with GCU, Best Buy doesn't always have the best deals. K-Mart has certainly had better preorder incentives for Mario Kart, Watch Dogs, and Destiny (now if only they'd ship our damn games.... :wall: ). Toys R Us had some deal a couple of months back where you could preorder Watch Dogs for $35. And none of those deals required putting money down on some membership beforehand. Not to mention pre-order incentive bullshit. What are you gonna do when Arkham Knights comes out and the only way to play as Green Lantern is to pre-order at Gamestop?

I don't know about the other games since SSB is the only other one you mentioned that interests me, but the point is that for several of those Best Buy wasn't the best deal, even with GCU. Therein lies my main problem. Since it doesn't apply to price matches, you are at their mercy.

By the way.... who in the hell has the time to play everything you listed? Most of the time I struggle to complete more than 1 game a month, and that's when I'm not getting caught up in some MMO, online multiplayer, or something like Animal Crossing. Even if I stayed offline, your list there would last me over a year......
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I'll do the same thing about Arkham Knight as I did about the predecessors--nothing, because I don't care in the slightest about that franchise.

Regardless, those games aren't relaly launching on top of one another. More-importantly, I can keep them for more than a month. For Mario Kart, SSB, and Disney Infinity, they'll be on the Wii U (not 100% sure on Wii/One on Infinity). My Wii U is going to stay at my sister's, as I got that console for her, my brother-in-law, and I to play when I'm over there. Those are casual games, and I'll get them early on so we can play them longer.

But let's look at the rest of that list:

--Watch Dogs: May 2014

--Metro: Redux: Summer 2014

--Destiny: September 2014

--NBA 2K15: October 2014

--Evolve: October 2014

--Sunset Overdrive: Fall 2014

--Halo Master Chief Collection: Fall 2014

--Forza Horizon 2: Unannounced

--Dying Light: February 2015

--The Division: 2015

--Halo 5: November 2015

--Quantum Break: Unknown

Really, the fall of this year is the only part with major overlap. It might mean that Evolve and Forza Horizon 2 get purchased later than usual, but even then, this is a discussion about a 2-year sub. Like I said, I only need to get one-third of the games I listed to break even on this. If I bought Watch Dogs for me and MK8 for co-op at my sister's now, NBA and the Halo collection in the fall, Destiny and The Division for the first half of 2015, and Halo 5 for the end of 2015, I've bought 6 games and saved $72. You have to buy a total of 5 launch games in 2 years, or a game every 5 months.

I can't really argue the point anymore, I feel like I'm repeating myself. It's SUPER easy to find 5 games over 2 years to buy this early in the generation. And, again, the membership is easy to chare with friends/family.

 
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