How long has Gamestop/EB been marking New games as Used?

Otherguy676

Otherguy676

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We all know by now that the evil empire that is the Gamestop/EB conglomerate has attempted to confuse us gamers by switching practices and marking all Gamecube and X Box games as used and unsealing the new copies. They did this with PSOne games, such as late rerelease copies of Rhapsody, Persona 2, and Breath of Fire IV among others. These leads me to wonder how far back EB has been doing this with last gen games when the new gen comes out. The reason I pose this question is I went to a video game store that had some Sega Master System games. They told me that they bought from EB's distributor/wherehouse recently and had a bunch of Sega Master System games, the majority in pristine shape. I bought Miracle Warriors, Alf (supposely one of the "rarest" games on the console), Wonder Boy III, and Gorvellius. Miracle Warriors has a old school EB sticker on the cartridge (marked $17.99:), but the other 3 look never played. The manuals look like they were never looked through and they have that new game "smell". Is it possible these are new? They have a lot of SMS games, most common, but then again most common SMS games are hard to find by any standard.
 
...how is marking new games as used in any way evil? If they want to unwrap a game and sell it as used, what's the big deal? It's not like they're selling you a gutted copy for full price, or shrinkwrapping a used copy and selling it to you as new. Heck, it's probably a good thing that they're doing that. Pretty much every single game EB/GS sells, to my knowledge, is cheaper used than new. Plus, all the good B2G1 free deals only apply to used games.
 
I wasnt ripping on them for selling new games as used, I was making a joke on how they have historically sold used games as new and trying to figure out if they have historically done this to last gen games when the new gen comes out. Basically trying to figure out if my SMS games I bought are actually new, just unsealed.
 
[quote name='Killer Rabbit']...how is marking new games as used in any way evil? If they want to unwrap a game and sell it as used, what's the big deal? It's not like they're selling you a gutted copy for full price, or shrinkwrapping a used copy and selling it to you as new. Heck, it's probably a good thing that they're doing that. Pretty much every single game EB/GS sells, to my knowledge, is cheaper used than new. Plus, all the good B2G1 free deals only apply to used games.[/QUOTE]


Agreed, people seem to miss the point that Gamestop/EB own the merchandise in the store. If they decide to unwrap the games and sell them used, that is their priority.

[quote name='Otherguy676']I wasnt ripping on them for selling new games as used, I was making a joke on how they have historically sold used games as new and trying to figure out if they have historically done this to last gen games when the new gen comes out. Basically trying to figure out if my SMS games I bought are actually new, just unsealed.[/QUOTE]

According to many CAGs, unsealed is used, but if you enjoy the game congratulations you got a deal. If you are looking to flip them, then be honest and say they were opened, but never played to your knowledge (not that that should make a real difference with SMS games.
 
[quote name='Killer Rabbit']...how is marking new games as used in any way evil? If they want to unwrap a game and sell it as used, what's the big deal? It's not like they're selling you a gutted copy for full price, or shrinkwrapping a used copy and selling it to you as new. Heck, it's probably a good thing that they're doing that. Pretty much every single game EB/GS sells, to my knowledge, is cheaper used than new. Plus, all the good B2G1 free deals only apply to used games.[/QUOTE]
In some case they sell the used version for more money than new copy.
 
Yeah like a lot of used Gamecube games, specifically some first party games that have a MSRP of $29.99 new but they sell for $34.99 - $39.99 used
 
i love it when they convert new to used b/c all the coupons/sales are for used games. i was able to score a few sealed ps2 games for the used price, cant beat that!
 
[quote name='62t']In some case they sell the used version for more money than new copy.[/quote]

That may be true. However, as dwhelan noted, it's their merchandise. If they want to bump the price up, it's their decision.
 
Quick thing: The whole Persona 2/Rhapsody thing wasn't just GameStop. It was with Game Quest Direct as well. GQD'd reprint them, and since GameStop couldn't sell them new, they just slapped the used sticker on them.
 
[quote name='reibeatall']Quick thing: The whole Persona 2/Rhapsody thing wasn't just GameStop. It was with Game Quest Direct as well. GQD'd reprint them, and since GameStop couldn't sell them new, they just slapped the used sticker on them.[/QUOTE]
actually if you get them from GQD it is factory sealed.
 
I noticed this last summer, regarding PS2 games. An employee told me if a game isn't selling, they will simply stick a "used" sticker on it. I have scored some very good games by doing this, most recently, Motorstorm, for $35.00. (my first ps3 game done like this). The game disk was simply flawless, not a scratch on it, nor even a fingerprint. If a game is "old", but they still have too many new copies, they will simply move some copies over to used. It has caused me to start re-visiting my eb games. The only bummer is that i hate to wait for a 2 for 1 sale, as i worry that the few new-to-used games would disappear, especially good games like motorstorm, or DIRT, which i next want to get.

I always ask to see every copy of the "used" game that i am looking for, and the new ones always are obvious, as the others have scratches, or at least fingerprints.

(boy i hope this posting doesn't end up with me losing out on a copy of Dirt for ps3.)
 
This was announced a while back that all the new GCN, Xbox, and GBA games tehy had would be sold as new since the demand for them is minimal.
 
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