Gamestop may not survive?

[quote name='Richard Kain']
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.

[/QUOTE]

(as an employee there) it upsets me to see such a smaller difference between new and used. I see this all the time: NEW= 19.99. USED= 18.99:roll:
 
[quote name='io']But I'll agree with the rest of you on how annoying it is that they push preorders on you. And gutting new games is pretty sucky too but I understand why they do it (to have cases out to see without having stuff stolen).[/quote]
Seeing as how they're a big national chain like Toys R' Us they could do like TRU does and get generic cases with pre-printed artwork instead of even having to 'gut' real games to make said display cases. Either that or they could use the plastic prison method for new games and encase them in plastic cases and/or tether them to the shelf like Target does.

As for the pre-orders, it's not so bad if the person behind the counter knows enough to stop after you say NO 1-2 times. But to bullshit the customers by saying that you'll 'omg never find this or that game if you don't pre-order' or to pester people by bugging them with 10 or more rebuttals for a pre-order deposit is completely annoying.

I know why they do it(because they are given hours based on their pre-order and PUR sale numbers), but it's still completely annoying.
But of course none of this has any bearing on whether or not they will survive as we move more towards digital distribution. But I, for one, will not buy nearly as many games when that happens. I just had to respond to all those who think GS will (or should) fail based on how they currently buy and sell games.
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I, for one, will not buy digital download games unless they're at the same level as many of the retail copy games I buy now(clearance priced at $5-10) due to having no resell rights or any way to recoup some portion of the money spent on them. Not to mention I likely wouldn't buy them due to my crappy slow 'high speed' connection AND all of the HDD space some of these games take up.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']The practice of buying and then reselling games is not what I object to. That's well and good. What I object to is that GameStop has tailored their corporate policies to essentially run a much more expensive game rental service.

Functionally, GameStop operates very similar to a rental service. Games go out, then those same games come back and other games go out. It is up to the consumer whether or not to treat GameStop in this way, but GameStop themselves do everything they can to actively encourage this behavior. The end result is that they are essentially running a game rental service that is much more expensive, and has far poorer facilities and services. And they use their marketing muscle to perpetuate this vicious cycle.

On a per-game basis, rental services like GameFly are much, much more affordable and convenient.[/quote]

Which GameFly uses as an argument in their ads. I agree that for people who go through games quickly, GS isn't a good value. On the other hand, I wouldn't expect GS to do anything but encourage that sort of behavior, since they are in the business to make money.

If GameStop is going to be eliminated, it isn't going to be from digital distribution. It's going to be taken down by RedBox. Easy, convenient game rentals replaces everything that GameStop currently provides. If RedBox steps up the game offerings in their kiosks, that could significantly threaten GameStop.
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they'd have to step it up a lot, because the last time I went to a kiosk, they had like 6 games for a console, and half of them were out. For games, I still think GameFly is a better model for most people, because you don't have to play through it right away. Redbox works better with movies that you can watch in two hours and return.

[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]

1) I wouldn't blame Gamestop for that. Consolidation of game stores was going to happen no matter what, just like it has for book stores and music stores. It is hard to compete with the internet and big box stores.

2) Niche titles are niche titles for a reason. The good thing is that if I'm looking for a particular game, I can search Gamestop's web site to find where these titles are. Most of the time, they will be there too.

3) As others have said, there are ways you can mitigate that with sales. In fact, I'm sure that's part of Gamestop's business plan. People always feel better about sales when they feel like they are getting a deal.

4) This is very YMMV. Personally, I find most of the stores I go to fairly clean and well laid out. Employees half the time seem to be gamers themselves and often are enthusiastic about talking about games. It isn't true for all stores and there are definitely problem ones out there. (There is one where multiple times had cases and no games. I don't shop at that one anymore.)

Most of the time, when there is clutter, it is because they have a glut of games on the floor. (PS2/Wii games, usually) It is probably one of the big reasons why they phase out consoles is because there is only so much floor space. The good thing for you is that it gives room for smaller businesses to take some of that market.

Gamestop has its issues, as does most retailers. But, I do think they serve a purpose and we'd be hurt more than helped if they went down.
 
.[customspoiler=LongAssPost][quote name='TheLongshot']Which GameFly uses as an argument in their ads. I agree that for people who go through games quickly, GS isn't a good value.[/quote]
Gamestop is actually a decent value if you're trading in mid range tiv games that you got cheap to begin with. That's why I used them for so long, since most everything I traded in in the last 3-5 years I was making 2-3x or more versus what I paid. But that was also because I monitored the tiv's listed in the excellent value thread on here and I only traded stuff when the promos & tiv's with EDGE/PUR would benefit me the most. I would usually have everything figured out down to the nickel before going in and if anything was off by $1-5, then I knew they tried hitting me with fees or forgot a game or two.
On the other hand, I wouldn't expect GS to do anything but encourage that sort of behavior, since they are in the business to make money.
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They only encourage buying games and trading them back in after you beat them if you're buyng new releases from them and then trading them back in there for $35 at most a week later. If you're doing like I was doing, then you're persona non grata and banned with a vengeance.:lol:
they'd have to step it up a lot, because the last time I went to a kiosk, they had like 6 games for a console, and half of them were out. For games, I still think GameFly is a better model for most people, because you don't have to play through it right away. Redbox works better with movies that you can watch in two hours and return.
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For some shorter games that're 10-12 hours or so in length Redbox is still a decent value if you exploit the glitch in their system that allows you to rent the games for essentially 2 days by renting them after a certain point in the day. Otherwise if you have a plethora of GS stores in your area, you could always do the 7 day return 'rental' thing there as long as you don't use any PUR card to lessen the out of pocket cost since that can be easily tracked.

Some would say that's immoral and some others still would say that it's not since some GS stores have their employees really pushing the no questions asked return policy. It really depends on how you look at things.
1) I wouldn't blame Gamestop for that. Consolidation of game stores was going to happen no matter what, just like it has for book stores and music stores. It is hard to compete with the internet and big box stores.
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There's consolidation and then there's wiping out your competition via merger or buyout. The latter is what GS did for the most part. Electronics Boutique was a long time chain in the Northeast that had pretty good prices, some fairly nice sales and the best thing of all a $5 discount card with no crappy shitrag magazine with 60% ad space in lieu of content. Even their 'reviews' and 'previews' sound like thinly veiled shill pieces for some games. Not EVERY one, but quite a few and most of the major 'name brand' titles get 9's and 10's with nary a critique in sight.
2) Niche titles are niche titles for a reason. The good thing is that if I'm looking for a particular game, I can search Gamestop's web site to find where these titles are. Most of the time, they will be there too.
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Only problem with this is that GS also tends to eBay price the niche or in demand titles.

Case in point:)ps2:Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, which was even higher than MSRP at one point):
http://www.gamestop.com/ps2/games/marvel-vs-capcom-2/22394
3) As others have said, there are ways you can mitigate that with sales. In fact, I'm sure that's part of Gamestop's business plan. People always feel better about sales when they feel like they are getting a deal.
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I'll admit they've had some decent sales(B2G1 is good for spreading out the cost for 3 games but ONLY if buying 3 exactly even priced titles), but any time they've tried doing a really big sale it has usually ended up a big bag of fail. Example: They sold Red Dead Redemption for either $20 or $30 soon after it launched via their website. Soon after the sale started their site was bogged down to where it finally CRASHED. Eventually the site came back up and a few people were able to order it that way, but many missed out on the deal and were none too happy about it. A few found out that by calling the 800 customer line they could sneak in a phone order while the company worked on their servers. But most times their sales have so many exclusions and such piddily discounts that it's laughable. Not only that but sometimes they try to pass off MSRP price drops as sale prices, which is more than a bit shady as well imo.
4) This is very YMMV. Personally, I find most of the stores I go to fairly clean and well laid out. Employees half the time seem to be gamers themselves and often are enthusiastic about talking about games. It isn't true for all stores and there are definitely problem ones out there. (There is one where multiple times had cases and no games. I don't shop at that one anymore.)
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Most of the stores here are clean and well kept, but there have definitely been times when the place smelled like a gym locker room.:whistle2:& Not to mention the times when they hired eye candy that barely knew their own names, let alone the products they were tasked with selling in store.
Most of the time, when there is clutter, it is because they have a glut of games on the floor. (PS2/Wii games, usually) It is probably one of the big reasons why they phase out consoles is because there is only so much floor space. The good thing for you is that it gives room for smaller businesses to take some of that market.
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The smaller stores around here that do focus on older stuff tend to be like GS in that they'll take in any ripped label copies with indeterminate stains on them without even fully testing that they work before taking them in. Most of them also have a no returns policy on top of all of that. So as much as it pains me to say this, I'd rather have at least 7 days if there's something wrong with what I buy.
Gamestop has its issues, as does most retailers. But, I do think they serve a purpose and we'd be hurt more than helped if they went down.
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As long as Kmart and Sears continue to survive somehow and they continue to do their $5-10 games or Best Buy survives their financial difficulties and keeps doing great sales either via the @Gamer coupons or ones like this current weeks' special sale, then I see no reason to EVER step foot in a GS store ever again to spend real money. Now if I have a gift card that I either get as a gift or a reward(like from e-rewards), then I might grab something with that credit. But they most certainly won't see my real cash ever again after the way I was treated.[/customspoiler]
 
[quote name='wolverine81']http://www.gamespot.com/news/gamestop-looking-into-re-selling-digital-content-6388559[/QUOTE]
How exactly is that gonna work as it pertains to PSN/XBL games though? I'm pretty sure that Sony/Microsoft and the respective companies selling digital games on their networks won't want GS taking a chunk of that revenue stream.

Not to mention that the games are locked to your specific account and about the only thing you can do with them is gameshare(and anymore with Sony that's limited to TWO consoles:roll:).
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']There's consolidation and then there's wiping out your competition via merger or buyout. The latter is what GS did for the most part. Electronics Boutique was a long time chain in the Northeast that had pretty good prices, some fairly nice sales and the best thing of all a $5 discount card with no crappy shitrag magazine with 60% ad space in lieu of content. Even their 'reviews' and 'previews' sound like thinly veiled shill pieces for some games. Not EVERY one, but quite a few and most of the major 'name brand' titles get 9's and 10's with nary a critique in sight.[/QUOTE]

Game Informer has plenty of critiques. Maybe you've thinking of @gamer.
 
[quote name='elessar123']Game Informer has plenty of critiques. Maybe you've thinking of @gamer.[/QUOTE]
No. I'm pretty sure it was GI that became a highly biased, mostly ads crapstain after GS gobbled up Funcoland years ago and took the best parts of their chain and melded it with their policies and such.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer'].[customspoiler=LongAssPost]
Gamestop is actually a decent value if you're trading in mid range tiv games that you got cheap to begin with. That's why I used them for so long, since most everything I traded in in the last 3-5 years I was making 2-3x or more versus what I paid. But that was also because I monitored the tiv's listed in the excellent value thread on here and I only traded stuff when the promos & tiv's with EDGE/PUR would benefit me the most. I would usually have everything figured out down to the nickel before going in and if anything was off by $1-5, then I knew they tried hitting me with fees or forgot a game or two.

They only encourage buying games and trading them back in after you beat them if you're buyng new releases from them and then trading them back in there for $35 at most a week later. If you're doing like I was doing, then you're persona non grata and banned with a vengeance.:lol:

For some shorter games that're 10-12 hours or so in length Redbox is still a decent value if you exploit the glitch in their system that allows you to rent the games for essentially 2 days by renting them after a certain point in the day. Otherwise if you have a plethora of GS stores in your area, you could always do the 7 day return 'rental' thing there as long as you don't use any PUR card to lessen the out of pocket cost since that can be easily tracked.

Some would say that's immoral and some others still would say that it's not since some GS stores have their employees really pushing the no questions asked return policy. It really depends on how you look at things.

There's consolidation and then there's wiping out your competition via merger or buyout. The latter is what GS did for the most part. Electronics Boutique was a long time chain in the Northeast that had pretty good prices, some fairly nice sales and the best thing of all a $5 discount card with no crappy shitrag magazine with 60% ad space in lieu of content. Even their 'reviews' and 'previews' sound like thinly veiled shill pieces for some games. Not EVERY one, but quite a few and most of the major 'name brand' titles get 9's and 10's with nary a critique in sight.

Only problem with this is that GS also tends to eBay price the niche or in demand titles.

Case in point:)ps2:Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, which was even higher than MSRP at one point):
http://www.gamestop.com/ps2/games/marvel-vs-capcom-2/22394

I'll admit they've had some decent sales(B2G1 is good for spreading out the cost for 3 games but ONLY if buying 3 exactly even priced titles), but any time they've tried doing a really big sale it has usually ended up a big bag of fail. Example: They sold Red Dead Redemption for either $20 or $30 soon after it launched via their website. Soon after the sale started their site was bogged down to where it finally CRASHED. Eventually the site came back up and a few people were able to order it that way, but many missed out on the deal and were none too happy about it. A few found out that by calling the 800 customer line they could sneak in a phone order while the company worked on their servers. But most times their sales have so many exclusions and such piddily discounts that it's laughable. Not only that but sometimes they try to pass off MSRP price drops as sale prices, which is more than a bit shady as well imo.

Most of the stores here are clean and well kept, but there have definitely been times when the place smelled like a gym locker room.:whistle2:& Not to mention the times when they hired eye candy that barely knew their own names, let alone the products they were tasked with selling in store.

The smaller stores around here that do focus on older stuff tend to be like GS in that they'll take in any ripped label copies with indeterminate stains on them without even fully testing that they work before taking them in. Most of them also have a no returns policy on top of all of that. So as much as it pains me to say this, I'd rather have at least 7 days if there's something wrong with what I buy.

As long as Kmart and Sears continue to survive somehow and they continue to do their $5-10 games or Best Buy survives their financial difficulties and keeps doing great sales either via the @Gamer coupons or ones like this current weeks' special sale, then I see no reason to EVER step foot in a GS store ever again to spend real money. Now if I have a gift card that I either get as a gift or a reward(like from e-rewards), then I might grab something with that credit. But they most certainly won't see my real cash ever again after the way I was treated.[/customspoiler][/QUOTE]

I like that custom spoiler! A trick of the veterans I now know bwahahah!
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Some would say that's immoral and some others still would say that it's not since some GS stores have their employees really pushing the no questions asked return policy. It really depends on how you look at things.[/quote]

If it is the policy of a store, I find nothing wrong with doing it. Particularly when the employees encourage it. I remember when I traded in my copy of PoP: Forgotten Sands and lamented that I didn't get many of the cheevos because the timing was best to trade it in now. He suggested that I buy a copy later, do what I neeeded to do, and return it within 7 days.

There's consolidation and then there's wiping out your competition via merger or buyout.
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Um, that's basically the same thing.

I'll admit they've had some decent sales(B2G1 is good for spreading out the cost for 3 games but ONLY if buying 3 exactly even priced titles), but any time they've tried doing a really big sale it has usually ended up a big bag of fail. Example: They sold Red Dead Redemption for either $20 or $30 soon after it launched via their website. Soon after the sale started their site was bogged down to where it finally CRASHED. Eventually the site came back up and a few people were able to order it that way, but many missed out on the deal and were none too happy about it. A few found out that by calling the 800 customer line they could sneak in a phone order while the company worked on their servers. But most times their sales have so many exclusions and such piddily discounts that it's laughable. Not only that but sometimes they try to pass off MSRP price drops as sale prices, which is more than a bit shady as well imo.
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Yeah, I remember the RDR thing.

While I do think most of their deals are crap, the B2G1 and 50% trade bonuses are pretty good. Occasionally they will have a good deal on a used game or give out a good PUR coupon, but not that often.

Most of the stores here are clean and well kept, but there have definitely been times when the place smelled like a gym locker room.:whistle2:& Not to mention the times when they hired eye candy that barely knew their own names, let alone the products they were tasked with selling in store.
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I don't have a strong sense of smell, so I don't really notice that sort of thing. As for as eye candy, I haven't seen that in the stores in this area.
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']I don't have a strong sense of smell, so I don't really notice that sort of thing. As for as eye candy, I haven't seen that in the stores in this area.[/QUOTE]

I do, and the stores usually don't smell. One store smelled like wet rags cause there was a big wet spot on the carpet. The other time it smelled of BO, but that's not GS's fault.
 
I hope GS never goes out of business, it's my only way to get games. Being poor and unemployed I trade in my old stuff I get for birthdays/christmas to get new stuff. If it weren't for GS I'd still be playing games I bought back in 2005.

Amazon is fine for people who have credit cards and like buying online, I don't have a CC and I dislike buying online. So Amazon is not an option.
 
[quote name='Thekrakrabbit']I like that custom spoiler! A trick of the veterans I now know bwahahah![/QUOTE]

The hell? Even I didn't know you could do that! :lol:
 
[quote name='io']The hell? Even I didn't know you could do that! :lol:[/QUOTE]

So THAT'S why IATCG isn't banned, because he knows secrets of the site even the oldest don't know about!
 
[quote name='elessar123']I do, and the stores usually don't smell. One store smelled like wet rags cause there was a big wet spot on the carpet. The other time it smelled of BO, but that's not GS's fault.[/QUOTE]
While I can kinda concur that sometimes GS customers smell like they haven't showered in a week, in the cases where the stores still retain that stench even after the customers who caused it have left they should at least vacuum or spray some damn Febreze to hide the smell.
[quote name='praxus07']I hope GS never goes out of business, it's my only way to get games. Being poor and unemployed I trade in my old stuff I get for birthdays/christmas to get new stuff. If it weren't for GS I'd still be playing games I bought back in 2005.

Amazon is fine for people who have credit cards and like buying online, I don't have a CC and I dislike buying online. So Amazon is not an option.[/QUOTE]
Pre-paid Visas are a Godsend. Albeit there's usually a $6 charge to activate them, but after that you can load up to $200 on most of the ones that're widely available. Some of them are even reloadable perpetually.

So not having a regular credit card is no excuse for saying you can't buy online.;)

Not to mention I've managed to get better values for many games recently at BB than I likely ever would have at GS. It definitely helps to hedge your bets when doing trade-ins and check values with and without promotions before just trading stuff in.
[quote name='io']The hell? Even I didn't know you could do that! :lol:[/QUOTE]
I only learned it a lil while ago myself.

[ customspoiler=
 
Trading at gamestop is great when they have bonus', like I took advantage of the +50% trade bonus recently and got Saints Row 3 (used) and ME3 (new) because of it.

No idea about best buy as I never shop there. Last time I went in there was for some dirt cheap ps3 game I read about on here, they didn't have it in stock, and at first couldn't find an associate, then when I did the girl had no idea even how to use their computer to check if the WB store had it. Can't stand that store.
 
[quote name='praxus07']Trading at gamestop is great when they have bonus', like I took advantage of the +50% trade bonus recently and got Saints Row 3 (used) and ME3 (new) because of it.

No idea about best buy as I never shop there. Last time I went in there was for some dirt cheap ps3 game I read about on here, they didn't have it in stock, and at first couldn't find an associate, then when I did the girl had no idea even how to use their computer to check if the WB store had it. Can't stand that store.[/QUOTE]
You're not talking bout the girl from the gaming/media department, are ya? Although there was a different rep there the other day when I stopped in. The regular reps are pretty decent usually.

But which game were you looking for that was cheap? I'm curious since I know I've seen some really cheap titles for PS3 at both stores(Shadows Of The Damned, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise, EDF: Insect Armageddon, etc).

As for the bonuses, you should've tried Best Buy when they had the 100% promo going on. That was nice if you had some mid level games with a $3-10 tiv to them.
 
I love my gamestop. The store manager is a former Army ranger and he runs a tight ship. His employees dont beat you down with pre-orders, and game informer. The store was a mess prior to him. It's always full of customers, but the time you spend in line is very short.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']You're not talking bout the girl from the gaming/media department, are ya? Although there was a different rep there the other day when I stopped in. The regular reps are pretty decent usually.

But which game were you looking for that was cheap? I'm curious since I know I've seen some really cheap titles for PS3 at both stores(Shadows Of The Damned, No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise, EDF: Insect Armageddon, etc).

As for the bonuses, you should've tried Best Buy when they had the 100% promo going on. That was nice if you had some mid level games with a $3-10 tiv to them.[/QUOTE]


This was ages ago, back when they had Infamous for $8 or something, a week or two before everyone got it free from PSN. The girl was extremely short, extremely young (to me she looked 12 at most), dark haired, bad acne, and not very bright.

Can't really be bothered to get invested in another company, especially BB. I already have a PUR membership, not paying another company for the privilege of getting coupons. Might be different if I actually wanted to shop there, but I just don't like BB.
 
I occasionally will go to GameStop to trade in some games etc. I usually just pick up games on Amazon depending on their sales and when they're offering giftcards for pre-orders.

The one gamestop I go to isn't too bad. However, I went to a different one recently, and the guy working the counter was adamant that I buy the membership thing that gives you the discounts and everything. I tried to explain that I don't often buy games there, but he was telling me what a mistake I was making and that I'd be sorry. Pretty surprised by it to say the least.
 
[quote name='praxus07']This was ages ago, back when they had Infamous for $8 or something, a week or two before everyone got it free from PSN. The girl was extremely short, extremely young (to me she looked 12 at most), dark haired, bad acne, and not very bright.

Can't really be bothered to get invested in another company, especially BB. I already have a PUR membership, not paying another company for the privilege of getting coupons. Might be different if I actually wanted to shop there, but I just don't like BB.[/QUOTE]
How many times in the last year has GS given ya games that after a coupon would end up $5 at most? Moreover, how many times has GS given you coupons without you having to pay for them via those GS points?

I've had multiples of Arkham City, Medal Of Honor, Mass Effect 2, Bulletstorm, RAGE and a ton of other games within the last year that cost me only $5-10 apiece.

Oh and the girl I think you're talking about from BB is named Jaka or something to that effect. However, it would seem that they recently eliminated some of the other gaming reps, since only the gaming supervisor named David has been in there the last 2-3x I've been in.

As long as you trade in only stuff that's gonna make you a decent chunk and do so before they lose all value then you'll come out ahead damn near every time.:D;)

But after the way I was spoken to by the local GS DM, even if I got my ban from there reversed tomorrow and could trade/buy 100% again I doubt I'd come back for anything other than loss leaders(including pennied guides).
 
I'm not a big fan of GameStop but it gives BestBuy, TRU, Walmart (which are on the same street) a reason to compete with their prices. Also, my friends are managers there so I help them out with their preorder numbers and cancel them on someone else. :lol:
 
[quote name='navalg1337']I'm not a big fan of GameStop but it gives BestBuy, TRU, Walmart (which are on the same street) a reason to compete with their prices. Also, my friends are managers there so I help them out with their preorder numbers and cancel them on someone else. :lol:[/QUOTE]
If anything, I'd say it's the other way around imo. When I was shopping there, outside of the annual Game Days sale the prices at GS were MSRP or just barely below it. The only time they drop even lower is when stuff is converted to used from new. At least then you can use PUR on the items.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']How many times in the last year has GS given ya games that after a coupon would end up $5 at most? Moreover, how many times has GS given you coupons without you having to pay for them via those GS points?

I've had multiples of Arkham City, Medal Of Honor, Mass Effect 2, Bulletstorm, RAGE and a ton of other games within the last year that cost me only $5-10 apiece.

Oh and the girl I think you're talking about from BB is named Jaka or something to that effect. However, it would seem that they recently eliminated some of the other gaming reps, since only the gaming supervisor named David has been in there the last 2-3x I've been in.

As long as you trade in only stuff that's gonna make you a decent chunk and do so before they lose all value then you'll come out ahead damn near every time.:D;)

But after the way I was spoken to by the local GS DM, even if I got my ban from there reversed tomorrow and could trade/buy 100% again I doubt I'd come back for anything other than loss leaders(including pennied guides).[/QUOTE]

Those prices are nice but I just don't want to deal with BB, let alone pay for another membership. I got the PUR because when I was trading in stuff buying it, price included, actually netted me more store credit than if I didn't take it. Otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. To have to pay another $15 or whatever just in case there's a game I may want for $5 down the road isn't a deal for me. Plus I get those $25 GS e-rewards gift cards every so often, so staying with GS is just better for me.
 
I just got another one of those e-Rewards gc's earlier this month. I used it to grab the last ESA Game Pack bundle available in our area for $19.99 from the Steamtown store.

Or I should say a buddy of mine went in and grabbed the bundle for me from there.

Either way, that's the only time I shop with GS anymore.
 
I don't think Gamestop is going anywhere. In fact, I think they are trying to make themselves more profitable in the long run with iPod tradeins and Android devices. Hell, I could imagine gamestop selling custom gaming rigs in the next few years or so since they sell Steam cards.

The thing is Gamestop is good for Japanese Niche games. Like it or hate it, where else am I going to be able to find a copy of Atelier Ronora without shelling tons of bucks. Plus it beats e-bay because I been burned on buying games that were "complete" yet came with no manual and I can see that the game is in good condition with everything.

I don't hate gamestop. Yeah they are pushy, yeah their employees are fucking idiots sometimes, but overall it's there and without it, there would be less competition.

Also I don't expect Sony or MS to go full Digital Download anytime soon for a few reasons. Mainly because not everywhere in the US has high speed internet and even some people with high speed internet (like me), our speeds are a joke. Secondly not to praise Steam or anything but I know Sony or MS could never match the prices on Steam. If your only choice when buying a game was Direct Download and you could get a brand new $60 game for $30 or less on PC like 2-3 months after release, I think people might be more willing to buy gaming PC's and not buy consoles.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']I don't think Gamestop is going anywhere. In fact, I think they are trying to make themselves more profitable in the long run with iPod tradeins and Android devices. Hell, I could imagine gamestop selling custom gaming rigs in the next few years or so since they sell Steam cards.

The thing is Gamestop is good for Japanese Niche games. Like it or hate it, where else am I going to be able to find a copy of Atelier Ronora without shelling tons of bucks. Plus it beats e-bay because I been burned on buying games that were "complete" yet came with no manual and I can see that the game is in good condition with everything.

I don't hate gamestop. Yeah they are pushy, yeah their employees are fucking idiots sometimes, but overall it's there and without it, there would be less competition.

Also I don't expect Sony or MS to go full Digital Download anytime soon for a few reasons. Mainly because not everywhere in the US has high speed internet and even some people with high speed internet (like me), our speeds are a joke. Secondly not to praise Steam or anything but I know Sony or MS could never match the prices on Steam. If your only choice when buying a game was Direct Download and you could get a brand new $60 game for $30 or less on PC like 2-3 months after release, I think people might be more willing to buy gaming PC's and not buy consoles.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. More places usually does mean more competition. I'm right there with you on the internet speeds, though mine is more by choice really. As for buying a gaming PC, I'd probably only do so if I could use a wired/wireless controller as using the keyboard/mouse was one of the main reasons I've always preferred consoles over PC gaming.

Oh and Best Buy had that Atelier Rorona game for a while. I remember seeing it on clearance for $30-40 up in Syracuse area about 6 months ago at the one BB store up in DeWitt area.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Yeah. More places usually does mean more competition. I'm right there with you on the internet speeds, though mine is more by choice really. As for buying a gaming PC, I'd probably only do so if I could use a wired/wireless controller as using the keyboard/mouse was one of the main reasons I've always preferred consoles over PC gaming.

Oh and Best Buy had that Atelier Rorona game for a while. I remember seeing it on clearance for $30-40 up in Syracuse area about 6 months ago at the one BB store up in DeWitt area.[/QUOTE]

i would be gaming on a pc, if i had a good computer , or have the time and money to build my own computer. but i am just too lazy to be bother with it. so i will stick with consoles. i only play multiplayer online games on pc anyway
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Yeah. More places usually does mean more competition. I'm right there with you on the internet speeds, though mine is more by choice really. As for buying a gaming PC, I'd probably only do so if I could use a wired/wireless controller as using the keyboard/mouse was one of the main reasons I've always preferred consoles over PC gaming.

Oh and Best Buy had that Atelier Rorona game for a while. I remember seeing it on clearance for $30-40 up in Syracuse area about 6 months ago at the one BB store up in DeWitt area.[/QUOTE]
You can easily use controllers for just about any PC game. PS3 or 360 controllers too (although with PS3 you need driver software which is nothing). In fact, if the game doesn't natively support it, you can always get software that will allow you to map the keyboard/mouse to the controller anyway.

Plus even if Altelier Rorona was available at Best Buy, after they clearance it out, your never going to find a copy unless you get lucky at GS/internet. I got my copy as part of a B2GF1 used deal and it came out to $18 not considering the free game.

I mostly use Gamestop anymore for I want an older game used that is either out of print or I can never find anywhere else. That or Steam cards with store credit.
 
That's usually all I use GS for myself anymore. But if this MK Komplete for $10 possibly pans out, then I may have to spend real money there for the first time in a couple of years.:shock:
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']That's usually all I use GS for myself anymore. But if this MK Komplete for $10 possibly pans out, then I may have to spend real money there for the first time in a couple of years.:shock:[/QUOTE]

i think the mortal kombat game from gs is only for vita
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']Well that sucks. But I kinda figured that that kinda sale wouldn't happen. If it does though, I'll be surprised and will likely grab one.[/QUOTE]

maybe bestbuy will have it for $10 during another one of their blowout sale, before they eventually file for bankruptcy , LOL
 
The market is changing, and GameStop isn't changing quickly enough to adapt to it. They are making an attempt to move into the digital space, but its too little too late. Steam has managed to sew up the majority stake in that market. Other services can still compete with Steam, but none of them will get the kind of user base necessary to support a company like GameStop.

Selling point cards is an extremely short-term stop-gap means of making money off of digital services. And there is a very obvious drawback to selling those cards. Anyone and everyone can sell point cards, and a lot of other stores already are. In another year or so, you'll be able to pick up Steam, XBox Live, and PSN point cards in your local grocery, as well as Target and Best Buy. When those cards are available everywhere, no one will need to go to GameStop to get them.

GameStop's entire business is based on retail conventions that may very well not exist within the coming decade. It's looking more and more likely that the home console arms race is collapsing in on itself.
 
I forgot which one it was but either my Atelier Rorona or Totori was marked as a GS exclusive so I don't think BB stocked it. Perhaps you found a used copy. I haven't seen any of those games sold here outside of GS at least here. Rorona is a fantastic game, I am playing it right now. Looking forward to playing Totori after I finish Rorona.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']The market is changing, and GameStop isn't changing quickly enough to adapt to it. They are making an attempt to move into the digital space, but its too little too late. Steam has managed to sew up the majority stake in that market. Other services can still compete with Steam, but none of them will get the kind of user base necessary to support a company like GameStop.
[/QUOTE]
Part of the reason Steam is owning the market is because they know how to sell games. First off the sales they have on there are massive, but it turns out everyone walks away a winner from it. Pubs and Devs make a lot of sales, Steam makes money up the ass, and gamers get tons of games for cheap. Valve listens to what gamers want, and adapts Steam to that for the most part.

Gamestop is just trying to have this hey you have to use our client or else mentality on every game. People would probably be more open to Gamestop if they didn't need a client to download the game. Just DD through the site. It's like Gamestop is trying new things to stay alive but I don't feel they actually listen to gamers much, lol.
 
[quote name='Sir_Fragalot']Part of the reason Steam is owning the market is because they know how to sell games. First off the sales they have on there are massive, but it turns out everyone walks away a winner from it. Pubs and Devs make a lot of sales, Steam makes money up the ass, and gamers get tons of games for cheap. Valve listens to what gamers want, and adapts Steam to that for the most part.[/QUOTE]
The only downside is that you don't actually own any of the games.
 
Everybody is talking about this digital game crap that I could give half a crap about. You can buy cheap used games from Gamestop. I like cheap used (good and preferably complete) games. As long as Gamestop lets me get cheap used good complete games they're alright by me. Could care less what people think about why they won't survive.

Admittedly though everything else about them sucks. It'll be a cold they in hell before I pay Gamestop 60 bucks cash for their so-called new games. Used games are alright by me.
 
I do not hate Gamestop as much as some people, but I have had some pretty crummy experiences there on several occasions. Still, the majority of my visits are pleasant, even though I haven't stepped foot in one in months.

I understand why people dislike Gamestop, but I do not want to see them go under at all. I just want to see them improve. Anybody who says they want a big company to shut down and thousands of employees lose their jobs makes them automatic douche bags. Gamestop can certainly do things better and I hope they do, but we also NEED the competition and I certainly do not want to see them monopolize the gaming retail industry either.

We'll see how it goes.
 
[quote name='matrix9280']Everybody is talking about this digital game crap that I could give half a crap about. You can buy cheap used games from Gamestop. I like cheap used (good and preferably complete) games. As long as Gamestop lets me get cheap used good complete games they're alright by me. Could care less what people think about why they won't survive.[/QUOTE]

Well, part of the problem that a lot of CAGs are finding with GameStop is that it is now possible to pick up cheap brand-new games from places like Best Buy and Target. I check Target's clearance bins every time I go in, and have gotten a lot of really great games brand-spanking new, and for much less than GameStop usually charges.

Why even bother risking getting incomplete games in questionable condition when you can wait for a sale at a big-box store and still get a better price than GameStop offers? If I'm already resigned to waiting on my games, there's no reason to go to GameStop.

GameStop is rapidly becoming a victim of their own success. By bloating their infrastructure, they've become unable to adapt quickly to changes in the market. It's perfectly common for me to see used games at GameStop that are more expensive than the current MSRP. It often takes them a month or more to adapt to changes like that.

They've gone from being the premier location for game shopping to an anachronism that is tolerated only for the sake of convenience. And an over-emphasis on growth and profit is what caused this change. Corporations need to learn to be content with much more gradual growth, and understand that preserving customer faith is more important in the long-run than short-term profits.
 
[quote name='Richard Kain']Well, part of the problem that a lot of CAGs are finding with GameStop is that it is now possible to pick up cheap brand-new games from places like Best Buy and Target. I check Target's clearance bins every time I go in, and have gotten a lot of really great games brand-spanking new, and for much less than GameStop usually charges.

Why even bother risking getting incomplete games in questionable condition when you can wait for a sale at a big-box store and still get a better price than GameStop offers? If I'm already resigned to waiting on my games, there's no reason to go to GameStop.

GameStop is rapidly becoming a victim of their own success. By bloating their infrastructure, they've become unable to adapt quickly to changes in the market. It's perfectly common for me to see used games at GameStop that are more expensive than the current MSRP. It often takes them a month or more to adapt to changes like that.

They've gone from being the premier location for game shopping to an anachronism that is tolerated only for the sake of convenience. And an over-emphasis on growth and profit is what caused this change. Corporations need to learn to be content with much more gradual growth, and understand that preserving customer faith is more important in the long-run than short-term profits.[/QUOTE]

Where else can I buy a game for 3 dollars like Dark Sector?

Where else can I buy a game for 4 dollars like Splinter Cell Double Agent?

Where else can I buy a game for 5 dollars like Prince of Persia?

Not at Best Buy. Certainly not at Target. As long as there are quality games available dirt cheap Gamestop will always have purpose.
 
I have to agree with the cheap games, and that is what I use GS for mostly. However the online pass is killing their business model, as people will not pick up a used game if it does not come with a pass. I think they give passes for some used games, but there are others that still slide through, and with their used prices, it becomes cheaper to buy a new copy with the pass included if you intend to play online. Especially with the clearance deals at Best Buy and Target as others have mentioned.

I think they have a bit of a store saturation problem too, sometimes over here there are 2 GS stores within 5 min of each other, and in some mall plaza's there used to be 2 stores, one outside the mall and one inside the mall, though they have done away with this mostly here. Yes it very convienent for the shopper however it wouldn't kill me to go 2 min out of my way to get to the store.

If anything GS will turn into a store that sells used apple devices, and used cell phones maybe, there aren't any places here that I can think of that do that so there is probably a market for it. All the local phone stores only sell new phones.

Gamestop is pretty sucky, but they do have a purpose and I don't think they have ever wronged me. I would rather shop with them then the numerous indie game stores that charge 50% or more for games than Gamestop and who do not drop their prices and whom put even MORE stickers on their game cases than GS does.... Actually if I was forced to shop local retail only for video games I would just stop gaming and get another hobby... because its that bad here.

BestBuy came close to GS's routinely cheap games on BF last year... however you cannot get those prices in store at least around here, when you go to the store at BB the prices are much higher than the website. I have no idea if they match their own website or if the price will automatically ring up the correct price but something tells me they will do neither. The only way to get a cheap game off BB is to go to their website and order for store pickup, or hopefully they will ship it to you for free. I successfully did that with the PS3 starter kit deal they had going, the kit was 9.99 online, but when I went to the store to pick it up it was marked 39.99. I got it for 9.99. Of course picking up a game or item at BB requires careful planning since the nearest BB to me is like 45 min away so it has to be really worth it or I have to be going to an area with a BB and can order in time for store pickup..
 
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[quote name='SaraAB']I have to agree with the cheap games, and that is what I use GS for mostly. However the online pass is killing their business model, as people will not pick up a used game if it does not come with a pass. I think they give passes for some used games, but there are others that still slide through, and with their used prices, it becomes cheaper to buy a new copy with the pass included if you intend to play online. Especially with the clearance deals at Best Buy and Target as others have mentioned.

I think they have a bit of a store saturation problem too, sometimes over here there are 2 GS stores within 5 min of each other, and in some mall plaza's there used to be 2 stores, one outside the mall and one inside the mall, though they have done away with this mostly here. Yes it very convienent for the shopper however it wouldn't kill me to go 2 min out of my way to get to the store.

If anything GS will turn into a store that sells used apple devices, and used cell phones maybe, there aren't any places here that I can think of that do that so there is probably a market for it. All the local phone stores only sell new phones.

Gamestop is pretty sucky, but they do have a purpose and I don't think they have ever wronged me. I would rather shop with them then the numerous indie game stores that charge 50% or more for games than Gamestop and who do not drop their prices and whom put even MORE stickers on their game cases than GS does.... Actually if I was forced to shop local retail only for video games I would just stop gaming and get another hobby... because its that bad here.

BestBuy came close to GS's routinely cheap games on BF last year... however you cannot get those prices in store at least around here, when you go to the store at BB the prices are much higher than the website. I have no idea if they match their own website or if the price will automatically ring up the correct price but something tells me they will do neither. The only way to get a cheap game off BB is to go to their website and order for store pickup, or hopefully they will ship it to you for free. I successfully did that with the PS3 starter kit deal they had going, the kit was 9.99 online, but when I went to the store to pick it up it was marked 39.99. I got it for 9.99. Of course picking up a game or item at BB requires careful planning since the nearest BB to me is like 45 min away so it has to be really worth it or I have to be going to an area with a BB and can order in time for store pickup..[/QUOTE]

lol, the real question is who you will outlast the other? bestbuy or gamestop
 
[quote name='TheLongshot']If the future in console gaming is download only content, then they are right that Gamestop as they exist will be no more. That being said, I'm not entirely convinced that it is going to work that way for the game makers unless they adjust their price point for digital content.[/QUOTE]

We'll only see the big-name titles that people line up to pay $60 for at midnight get released, as small developers die off more and more, at least for console gaming. PC gaming will stay how it is now. Real gamers will switch to PCs while your Halo/Wii loving people will still have their Halo games and Wiis. Thing is, until everyone has ease of access to high-speed internet, digital only isn't a great idea.
 
[quote name='matrix9280']Where else can I buy a game for 3 dollars like Dark Sector?

Where else can I buy a game for 4 dollars like Splinter Cell Double Agent?

Where else can I buy a game for 5 dollars like Prince of Persia?

Not at Best Buy. Certainly not at Target. As long as there are quality games available dirt cheap Gamestop will always have purpose.[/QUOTE]
:lol:Since when are Dark Sector, SC: DA and PoP considered 'quality' games? I mean, PoP maybe, but Dark Sector is in the same league as Dark Void to me and from personal experience the SC series has been the same shit for 10-15 years now and just rehashed every couple of years. Though that could be said about MANY games nowadays.:whistle2:#
 
[quote name='georox']We'll only see the big-name titles that people line up to pay $60 for at midnight get released, as small developers die off more and more, at least for console gaming.[/quote]
Some smaller devs may survive, but only if they make quality games that are a unique experience that can't be found elsewhere. That's the main problem with gaming nowadays to me, in that everybody copies everybody else and there's not a whole lot of innovation or originality in gaming now.
PC gaming will stay how it is now. Real gamers will switch to PCs while your Halo/Wii loving people will still have their Halo games and Wiis. Thing is, until everyone has ease of access to high-speed internet, digital only isn't a great idea.
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What exactly is a 'real gamer' again? I see people who only play on PC use this term frequently and the only thing it comes off to me as is them being a gaming snob. I am a gamer, whether I play the latest COD on my PS3 or 360 or I'm playing Angry Birds on an iPhone. People like options and as of now we do have options.

There are $60 full games released and there are budget titles that come out for $20-50. There are also indy titles that come out only via download for PC and consoles because they don't have the money to support a full retail release. That's all fine with me as long as they're quality titles, fun to play and reasonably priced. If gaming goes all digital download though, kiss those reasonable prices and actually owning anything other than the files on your gaming device goodbye.
 
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