Official Amazon Quick Picks FAQ - READ 1st POST

I was bored...
17 pre-orders total, average of 45$ spent per game, cheating a little bit since last rebellion starts at 40$ but demon's souls is 70$ for the deluxe anyway so it almost balances out at 60$ msrp per title. After credit it comes to about 35$ a game, so a middle 40 or so would be fair in what I actually am paying to amazon + the cost of games I traded in. Maybe a bit lower because my first gift card from my amazon visa came in the mail today, yay for free money.

Jodou, CAG and a few other members deserve a lot of thanks. Thank god I have a load of games coming october, waiting for some of these will be even worse now that I have them pre-ordered. I think I have 4 without even a hint of a release date on amazon, 2 or 3 more with estimates, ugh.

It seems so easy to understand quick picks now, but it was seriously pissing me off after like two months of junk and unhelpful pages around the net that gave the basics but didn't go into enough detail. So thanks again.
 
Nice faq, OP. I still have never had the Not Interested box appear under any Quick Picks, but I did go through my browsing history and clear out anything I wasn't interested in. Maybe that will help in getting better QPs.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Nice faq, OP. I still have never had the Not Interested box appear under any Quick Picks, but I did go through my browsing history and clear out anything I wasn't interested in. Maybe that will help in getting better QPs.[/QUOTE]

The bread and butter section is actually here. This is where you need to mark things as 'Not Interested'.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']Jodou, CAG and a few other members deserve a lot of thanks. Thank god I have a load of games coming october, waiting for some of these will be even worse now that I have them pre-ordered. I think I have 4 without even a hint of a release date on amazon, 2 or 3 more with estimates, ugh.

It seems so easy to understand quick picks now, but it was seriously pissing me off after like two months of junk and unhelpful pages around the net that gave the basics but didn't go into enough detail. So thanks again.[/QUOTE]
Hey, NP! I'm just glad I was able to clarify exactly how the process works, so that it's less of a mystery and more of a science. I'm going to be reviewing the FAQ and seeing if I can't clean it up some with more knowledge/less clutter. After all, every time a question comes up where something wasn't clear, it means the FAQ failed.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']Have you been reading the thread? Weird crap that has nothing to do with your purchases/ratings/recommendations is what quick picks are all about. And if you get nothing but items from your recommendations normally, then you have a lot of things in there and as that whittles down amazon starts shoving crap in your quick picks.[/QUOTE]

Yes, i've been reading the thread, and as an aside I greatly appreciate the time and effort that's gone into its creation. What you may not have read however is that some people were getting the video games they were targeting (as well as alot that they weren't) up until 4-5 days ago, then all of a sudden *poof*.

It wasn't a gradual whittling down. Could it be user incompetence? Sure, why not? However to me it appears that something happened on Amazon's side with the quickpicks a few days ago that messed alot of people up.
 
Frankly I'm surprised that Amazon doesn't randomize things a lot more than they already do. From Amazon's perspective, the goal is to nudge people into purchasing things they otherwise might not have. Users gaming their own Quick Picks to get discounts on specific items they already plan to buy is the exact opposite of how it's supposed to work.
 
[quote name='Oceaniax']Yes, i've been reading the thread, and as an aside I greatly appreciate the time and effort that's gone into its creation. What you may not have read however is that some people were getting the video games they were targeting (as well as alot that they weren't) up until 4-5 days ago, then all of a sudden *poof*.[/QUOTE]

My post was directed at him, not you, who seem to have some kind of problem with everything I say. I could have him quoted I suppose, my bad.

[quote name='Ryuukishi']Frankly I'm surprised that Amazon doesn't randomize things a lot more than they already do. From Amazon's perspective, the goal is to nudge people into purchasing things they otherwise might not have. Users gaming their own Quick Picks to get discounts on specific items they already plan to buy is the exact opposite of how it's supposed to work.[/QUOTE]

I don't know, I think the way we're going about things makes sense. If I buy 20 video games, why would amazon want to sell me an electronic scarecrow? But if I've ordered halo 3, halo odst, halo wars and a halo lunch box, it's in their best interests to let me know halo reach is coming out and hey, I got 5% additionally off if I add it to my cart today from my quick picks. Sure, because we know how the system works and how to take advantage of it, we can tweak things, but outside of that it seems to make sense. And hell, as long as they still make a little profit, eca + quick picks I think is pushing a LOT of game sales, I know I wouldn't have nearly anything ordered, and probably not from amazon, without all the deals flying around.
 
Add my name to the other CAGs that have been getting random junk. It went from all games to only 2 games to right now -- where it's all junk: oven mitt, push mower, cat litter refills, etc. I haven't bought any games in the last 5 days or so, but my recommendations are still all 75% games (the rest are Terry Pratchett books).

Maybe it's because I haven't been browsing around -- instead just going to the Gold Box page every day? Weird, though, that Amazon seems to have goldfish-length memory on this stuff.
 
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If your recommendations have 20 games in it, and you see like 10 show up, and a few left are ineligible, I would imagine it would slow down. My questions are again, have you done any maintenance on your list in the past few days and are the games that are in your recommendations have a lot that have been noted to be showing up?

I haven't paid close attention, but maybe someone else has, how quickly will something pop up in your quick picks after it already has? I've seen a handful of games in there multiple times, but never back to back. If you run through your recommendations, maybe they won't show back up unless you actually do something(rating/pre-ordering) or maybe just after a certain amount of time.

Let me try for a new game I've never seen in there or tried to get, see if it shows up for me tomorrow. Let's say the last guardian, and I'll cancel my 360 order of resonance of fate to try that one too. I have like a year to get that one back, and if I never do, well it's 2.85 to science.
 
I have literally 24 pages where 75% of the items are games and game accessories, and literally none of them are showing up gold-box quick picks anymore. And a couple of days back I went through and made sure to fix my recommendations to get rid of CDs I bought and whatever else. I can't really do any more maintenance, because my recommendations are basically right-on.

I'm just going to search for specific games I want, click around and hope that fixes things. I'll try to report an update tomorrow.
 
Maintenance, cancel and re-do fake pre-orders or drop everything to 0 stars then re-rate them. I'd also narrow the list down anyway, but I haven't ever left mine longer than a page or two so I don't personally know if that matters.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']
I haven't paid close attention, but maybe someone else has, how quickly will something pop up in your quick picks after it already has? [/QUOTE]

From my experience the quickest i've ever had a game return to my quickpicks is 2 days after its last appearance (the most prolific of which is Zelda: Spirit Tracks, which for me was in my quickpicks an ungodly amount).
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']I have literally 24 pages where 75% of the items are games and game accessories, and literally none of them are showing up gold-box quick picks anymore. And a couple of days back I went through and made sure to fix my recommendations to get rid of CDs I bought and whatever else. I can't really do any more maintenance, because my recommendations are basically right-on.

I'm just going to search for specific games I want, click around and hope that fixes things. I'll try to report an update tomorrow.[/QUOTE]
Wheeeeee, 24 pages? I may need to address this in the FAQ so that it's clear. Just because something is in your recommendations, doesn't mean it MUST show up at all.

It's like roulette for example, where each numbered pocket represents one of your recommendations and each color regards to what Amazon is really trying to sell you (i.e. JUNK). Each day you spin the wheel and based on the bets you placed (read: any previous day activity) you might win or lose. Now, imagine removing 34 of those pockets so you're only left with 4 (meaning narrowing down your recommendations) and your odds get MUCH better. 1 in 8 are great odds, but now you place four bets and you're pretty much guaranteed to win 1 out of every 2 (i.e. you're placing multiple pre-orders and/or owning/rating items)!

This is how quick picks work and right now you're playing with a 1,000 pocket wheel. Care to place a bet? ;)
 
Didn't get resonance back, did get the last guardian. Nothing is showing up on the general recommendations page either, nothing at all.

How many times have you ordered the same item from quick picks on different days after canceling? They can show up again right?
 
[quote name='Jodou']Wheeeeee, 24 pages? I may need to address this in the FAQ so that it's clear. Just because something is in your recommendations, doesn't mean it MUST show up at all.

It's like roulette for example, where each numbered pocket represents one of your recommendations and each color regards to what Amazon is really trying to sell you (i.e. JUNK). Each day you spin the wheel and based on the bets you placed (read: any previous day activity) you might win or lose. Now, imagine removing 34 of those pockets so you're only left with 4 (meaning narrowing down your recommendations) and your odds get MUCH better. 1 in 8 are great odds, but now you place four bets and you're pretty much guaranteed to win 1 out of every 2 (i.e. you're placing multiple pre-orders and/or owning/rating items)!

This is how quick picks work and right now you're playing with a 1,000 pocket wheel. Care to place a bet? ;)[/QUOTE]
What's a normal # of pages to have on the /mystore section?
One would assume that if someone has they have literally hundreds of games recommended, then at least ONE game would be popping up on their quick picks, no? It's like placing bets on most of the board; you'd think you're bound to win on one of them.

I went through and cleaned up stuff here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/yourstore/recs/ref=sv_ys_1
Also, I put Excitebots bundle in my cart -- which seemed to create several very odd recommendations. That may be the oddity.

And because I've pre-ordered/bought games for PS3, Wii and DS lately, my 360 recommendations are lower than they should be -- even though I have Brutal Legend on pre-order. Want to get Assassin's 2, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect 2 up there. I'll follow advice and do some fake pre-orders.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']How many times have you ordered the same item from quick picks on different days after canceling? They can show up again right?[/QUOTE]Not really sure what you mean by this.
[quote name='craven_fiend']Got Harvest Moon: Sunshine Island (DS) today[/QUOTE]Nice find; that's a new one!
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']What's a normal # of pages to have on the /mystore section?
One would assume that if someone has they have literally hundreds of games recommended, then at least ONE game would be popping up on their quick picks, no? It's like placing bets on most of the board; you'd think you're bound to win on one of them.

I went through and cleaned up stuff here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/yourstore/recs/ref=sv_ys_1
Also, I put Excitebots bundle in my cart -- which seemed to create several very odd recommendations. That may be the oddity.

And because I've pre-ordered/bought games for PS3, Wii and DS lately, my 360 recommendations are lower than they should be -- even though I have Brutal Legend on pre-order. Want to get Assassin's 2, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect 2 up there. I'll follow advice and do some fake pre-orders.[/QUOTE]I normally don't even have one page filled with stuff, but that's only because I know what can show up. The three games you listed will not show up right now, so don't kill yourself trying to get them. Just keep checking back from time to time and see if they were spotted recently.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Not really sure what you mean by this.[/QUOTE]

You order something from quick picks, decide to cancel, and then get it back in your quick picks again later. I'm pretty sure you have done that before(and obviously trying to do it again now), but any problems before like you had to wait a few days or anything?
 
Well, I guess I have to order my demon's souls today to apply my expiring codes.

I have persona in my quick picks as well as shadow of the colossus, beetlejuice bluray, snow white bluray, and the graduate bluray
 
[quote name='Vortextk']You order something from quick picks, decide to cancel, and then get it back in your quick picks again. I'm pretty sure you have done that before(and obviously trying to do it again now), but any problems before like you had to wait a few days or anything?[/QUOTE]
Never. I've always canceled and got it back the next day with the one exception of GoW:C. Last night I tried one last ditch effort using MAG, GT5, and FFXIII. Never tried that combination before and it yielded the same results: nothing. It's a bummer, but seeing as codes might expire today I placed one last large order that will take care of me up til summer next year. I'll report back tomorrow if my codes are still applying or not.

I honestly hope that once Uncharted 2 ships, it will fix the problem with those three because I'm almost positive the $30 promotional code is the culprit. Those three were in a large order with the coupon spread over the lot and after canceling them so that it would only be used on U2, that's when the problems began. If it doesn't, I'll just make a secondary account (another free Prime trial would be nice ;)) and get them immediately.
 
Items: $66.99
Shipping & Handling: $4.49
Promotion Applied: -$5.00
Super Saver Discount: -$4.49
Pre-order Guarantee: -$0.00
Promotion Applied: -$6.70
Promotion Applied: -$6.70
pixel-grey._V47081715_.gif

Total Before Tax: $48.59
Estimated Tax: $0.00 Total: $48.59
Gift Certificate/Card: -$48.59

I have not placed the order yet. Is there a free prime trial somewhere?


EDIT: They said I already had a free trial although i never did. I tried to sign up for a free trial in the past and they billed y credit card 79.99. I guess no free prime for me.
 
Yup, look for amazon prime on the website. If you've never had it, there is a free trial(1 month or 3? I forget). Every order you place within that time period qualifies so even pre-orders that don't come out for 2 years will still get 2 day free shipping. Pretty much anything that far out won't have release day as an option.

Like I said, I couldn't get back resonance of fate on 360 right back jodou, but that seems like an annoying one to get. Even with all my pre-orders, ratings etc, only ONE game shows up in the "fix this" area, magna carta 2. I already have that one pre-ordered with a gb discount so I'm not canceling, and I don't know if ordering something you already have ordered actually affects quick picks, though I tried. Worst case I'll wait longer cause I have time left(cross your fingers on codes) and maybe it'll be easier after magna carta actually ships in october.

I have it on ps3 ordered anyway, just wasn't sure which version I would want to stick with.
 
[quote name='Vortextk']Like I said, I couldn't get back resonance of fate on 360 right back jodou, but that seems like an annoying one to get. Even with all my pre-orders, ratings etc, only ONE game shows up in the "fix this" area, magna carta 2. I already have that one pre-ordered with a gb discount so I'm not canceling, and I don't know if ordering something you already have ordered actually affects quick picks, though I tried. Worst case I'll wait longer cause I have time left(cross your fingers on codes) and maybe it'll be easier after magna carta actually ships in october.

I have it on ps3 ordered anyway, just wasn't sure which version I would want to stick with.[/QUOTE]
I've had no success doing that either. It's worth mentioning that Amazon DOES recognize the new pre-order, since it will move the game to the top of the list in your 'items owned/rated' section.
 
Yeah I noticed that. I can't find any other games that will work on the 360 version.

It only has magna carta in the frequently bought together area. In the other section, it has a bunch of wii/ps3 and 360 games, and I have most of the 360 games ordered(borderlands/ME 2) or rated (halo reach, MGS rising) so I find it really odd that still nothing is recommending that game to me except Magna Carta 2.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Not really sure what you mean by this.
Nice find; that's a new one![/QUOTE]

Yeah, not really sure how it was there, but I'm debating on preordering it. Gives me a month and change to make a decision.
 
Got 5 games out of 5 quick-picks. They were all weird picks that weren't on my recommendations (Full Auto 1? PQ2 PSP?) which is odd, but it's a definite improvement over catbox liner.
 
GOW collection is pretty common yeah. But really, mostly anything that is eligible and that people are trying for, isn't hard to get.
 
I'm going to guess Dragon Age, BioShock 2, and Dead Rising 2 are either ineligible (my likely choice) or just really stubborn. I can't seem to get them into my Quick Picks, and I've been trying for quite a while with Dead Rising.

It's probably for the best though considering how much potential money I will be spending from now until...well, whenever Heavy Rain/The Last Guardian are released. Hopefully they all go through and none get cancelled (had an old ECA code + a newer ECA code result from cancelling two different orders and ended up using them with Uncharted 2)
 
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OK, it's been a week, and while I'm finally getting PS3 games again, no Uncharted 2. I gave up and am just ordering it without the GB, since I don't want to risk the double ECA for only $3.
 
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth has popped up in my quick pick in case anyone was wondering whether the game was eligible.
 
Just wanted to report back on ECA code status. Any codes that were supposed to have expired are still being applied so long as you have redeemed them! If you need to cancel an order, the discounts will be available for your next purchase. At this point, with people reporting that the 50% promo codes will come back as well, I think it's safe to say the expiration dates are for the codes only. Once redeemed, the discounts are good for life.
 
Just got Resonance of Fate (PS3) in the GB, should I jump on it - haha I feel like if its a rare GB item I should always preorder the game just in case.
 
The game looks like it has some interesting stuff going on. I'm definitely buying it, on one system or the other, unless it just gets terrible reviews. You might as well put an eca code on it and throw down on a pre-order if you're undecided, that particular game doesn't come out till june(if that release date is accurate). One less game that you need to worry about quick picks if you do decide you want it down the road, and if not, you're basically just storing an eca code =)
 
[quote name='davidpiano1']Just got Resonance of Fate (PS3) in the GB, should I jump on it - haha I feel like if its a rare GB item I should always preorder the game just in case.[/QUOTE]
I just preordered the 360 version yesterday for $45.59 using stacking ECA codes, but I'll most likely cancel it before the release unless Amazon adds one of their $10 gift certs. The game looks so-so and I have a feeling it will be available for ~$35 within a few months of release.
 
Yea I guess storing an ECA can't hurt.

I'm kinda in a dilemma now - I used a J code yesterday on GOW collection and I'm deciding which game (provided it gets in my GB of course) I should double stack on, or if I should just keep GOW.

EDIT: This is all new to me, both ECA and the Gold Box, I don't usually preorder games
 
I was surprised to see Halo:Reach in my quick picks, but I see that's listed as of 9/28

This thread is terrific, e.g. I don't feel bad I didn't go crazy trying to get CoD:MW2 in there lol

Still a bit odd to me [some] pre-orders can get in there, even ones w/o a date!
 
[quote name='CKaz']I was surprised to see Halo:Reach in my quick picks, but I see that's listed as of 9/28

This thread is terrific, e.g. I don't feel bad I didn't go crazy trying to get CoD:MW2 in there lol

Still a bit odd to me [some] pre-orders can get in there, even ones w/o a date![/QUOTE]

Yea I have reach in mine too - but ps3 for me so I dont really care.
 
I don't see it on the list, but starcraft 2 just popped up in my quick picks, probably from ordering Dragon Age (PC regular version).
 
[quote name='Spoit']I don't see it on the list, but starcraft 2 just popped up in my quick picks, probably from ordering Dragon Age (PC regular version).[/QUOTE]
Added, thanks!
 
Is it best to create a new Amazon user account dedicated specifically to games vs one my family and I have used for a few years now? I ask because my recs are filled with a lot of various unrelated items based on our past purchases.

Thanks
 
Pretty frustrating to do everything mentioned in this thread, and have recommendations consisting only of wanted games, only to not have a single one show up in quick picks in weeks. Doesn't matter what I do or how I tweak things.

Guess I should go back and clear out everything i've rated/said I owned/marked not interested, then start back from scratch
 
[quote name='Gooter']Is it best to create a new Amazon user account dedicated specifically to games vs one my family and I have used for a few years now? I ask because my recs are filled with a lot of various unrelated items based on our past purchases.[/QUOTE]

It might be easier, if others are still using that account especially. You can start from 0, rather than have to whittle everything down. Certainly isn't necessary though.


[quote name='sophicous']Pretty frustrating to do everything mentioned in this thread, and have recommendations consisting only of wanted games, only to not have a single one show up in quick picks in weeks. Doesn't matter what I do or how I tweak things.[/QUOTE]

It is frustrating, my quick picks were shit for quite awhile. My biggest problems were, I was just rating/I own things without doing fake pre-orders, and at the time I was going for 2 or 3 items that have not been showing in anyone's quick picks. Once I solved those two problems by doing a few fake pre-orders when I was targeting a game, and making sure my target had been known to show up, everything was pretty easy after that.
 
Got Crackdown 2 in my quick-pick after pre-ordered Assassin's 2 and Dragon Age, but I think I'll wait to see what kind of offers come later -- like when the thing has a date. Excited about it, though, as I loved the first game.

Muramasa showed up for the first time since the big ECA codeless time a few weeks back. Think I'll jump on it.
 
[quote name='ViolentLee']Got Crackdown 2 in my quick-pick after pre-ordered Assassin's 2 and Dragon Age, but I think I'll wait to see what kind of offers come later -- like when the thing has a date. Excited about it, though, as I loved the first game.

Muramasa showed up for the first time since the big ECA codeless time a few weeks back. Think I'll jump on it.[/QUOTE]
Woah, Dragon Age: Origins or the book of the same name? This is very important since many people are trying to get Dragon Age the game. Also, which system?
 
Lol wasn't even looking at my quick picks till just now. Ninja blade, lost planet 2 360 and brink on 360. Guess they're from my 2nd large order.
 
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