Gamestop sold me a bootleg copy of GTA:Chinatown Wars

Went to take advantage of the Buy 2 get 1 free today, found a store with GTA:CTW about 25 minutes away, drove out there, got the game, didn't check it before I left, got home, started looking at the manual and such and something seemed wrong. Then I noticed this:



Can you spot the problem here? So I googled GTA:Chinatown Wars bootleg and found someone with the same exact cover. So thinking, hey, maybe they had 2 copies of the game, gave me the crappy case and manual and a real game. Nope:



So now I need to either return everything, find another $30 game I want, or hope a copy of CTW pops up sometime within the next 7 days. I realize this is half my fault for not checking it out, but given I had them hold it and it went right into the bag, I didn't think to check, figuring they had things in place to prevent this sort of thing from occuring, boy was I wrong. I'm not asking for sympathy here though, just merely warning those who may be going this week/weekend to get DS/GBA games that you gotta be careful and check what you're buying as obviously Gamestop doesn't.

Wow, if they're going to make a bootleg they could atleast make it look a bit like the orginal.

I mean an E rating? The Nintendo logo doesn't even appear on the front cover.. smh

I cant believe you actually bought it ~_~. That screams out bootleg, so I don't feel sorry for you, but GS employees arent the brightest anyways, so of course youll find bootlegs at the stores sometimes. They really just need a barcode on it, and if the quality of the photocopy cover's barcode will scan, they will take it in. But again, I cant believe you actually bought that expecting it to be a real copy, lol.

[quote name='Squarehard']I cant believe you actually bought it ~_~. That screams out bootleg, so I don't feel sorry for you, but GS employees arent the brightest anyways, so of course youll find bootlegs at the stores sometimes. They really just need a barcode on it, and if the quality of the photocopy cover's barcode will scan, they will take it in. But again, I cant believe you actually bought that expecting it to be a real copy, lol.[/QUOTE]

You know, it's not like the guy is going to notice something like that right away if he's buying it used. I know I wouldn't. Hell, I'd just be surprised that Gamestop would actually HAVE a case and manual for a DS game.

that picture is ing hilarous^ batista? lol!

[quote name='heartagram311']You know, it's not like the guy is going to notice something like that right away if he's buying it used. I know I wouldn't. Hell, I'd just be surprised that Gamestop would actually HAVE a case and manual for a DS game.[/quote]

Well isnt that also a sign of its probably bootlegged? You can't tell from the picture, but the case first off is about 2 times thicker and a little larger than your average DS case.

Secondly, if GS never had a case or manual for it, they would have just used their own crappy cover, a blank case, and slapped it in as it would they wouldnt even spend the time to print out a cover themselves.

And third, the manual is probably the easiest marker, since its normally doesnt even give you instructions and the inside are just reviews taken out of websites for the game. Ive seen these all the time, and its really hard for me to not know that its fake because the case is so freaking huge and normally the cover is printed on standard printer paper.

Not saying hes stupid or anything, but all of these things added up together should be a pretty big signal to warn you its most likely not real. GS will take anything back as long as they have a barcode for it, so dont be too surprised if the games you buy are bootlegged.

LOL, a game about crime in Chinatown turns out to be a bootleg, oh the irony...

Reading comprehension is good stuff. I said I didn't even look at it till I got home (pretty much my only mistake), and was instantly thrown off by the aforementioned instruction manual, which was indeed the way described, which lead me to look and see what other bootlegs of the game were like. As for the case thing, its been awhile since I bought a DS game, used, or otherwise, so I thought perhaps the case was merely a new type that I hadn't seen before. Goina check over the next 2 days to see if a local store gets another copy, I called the store I got it from and they apologized and told me to bring it in to their store, or any other and tell them what happened and they'd replace or switch it for another game without a hassle. Like I said, not asking for sympathy, as this was my fault as much as it was Gamestops, just posted this as a warning to those who may be going out this weekend to make purchases via B2G1F.

Make sure when you return it to mention that it is a bootleg, and ask them to mark it as defective. Most stores will probably put it right back on the shelf unless you request this (since the majority of GS employees don't care).

[quote name='karkyco']LOL, a game about crime in Chinatown turns out to be a bootleg, oh the irony...[/QUOTE]

Win.

[quote name='drbutchevil']Reading comprehension is good stuff. I said I didn't even look at it till I got home (pretty much my only mistake), and was instantly thrown off by the aforementioned instruction manual, which was indeed the way described, which lead me to look and see what other bootlegs of the game were like. As for the case thing, its been awhile since I bought a DS game, used, or otherwise, so I thought perhaps the case was merely a new type that I hadn't seen before. Goina check over the next 2 days to see if a local store gets another copy, I called the store I got it from and they apologized and told me to bring it in to their store, or any other and tell them what happened and they'd replace or switch it for another game without a hassle. Like I said, not asking for sympathy, as this was my fault as much as it was Gamestops, just posted this as a warning to those who may be going out this weekend to make purchases via B2G1F.[/quote]

Looking at the product before you purchase it is good stuff too. Especially since the case is a lot thicker, feels completely different, looks completely different, and resembles nothing like the original is definitely good stuff. And why would you need to warn. Theres already threads in the DS/GBA section that lists many other bootleg games. But my biggest problem with your post was can you spot the problem here and you have a close up on the cartridge. I spotted the problem with that first picture you posted immediately. Not exactly hard to spot a gigantic clear ds case with a badly printed cover and did I mention the gigantic clear case?

[quote name='Squarehard']Looking at the product before you purchase it is good stuff too. Especially since the case is a lot thicker, feels completely different, looks completely different, and resembles nothing like the original is definitely good stuff. And why would you need to warn. Theres already threads in the DS/GBA section that lists many other bootleg games. But my biggest problem with your post was can you spot the problem here and you have a close up on the cartridge. I spotted the problem with that first picture you posted immediately. Not exactly hard to spot a gigantic clear ds case with a badly printed cover and did I mention the gigantic clear case?[/quote]

And did I mention I hadn't bought a DS game in a rather long time? I believe so, no need to be a prick. That insult I'm sure won't be read though, nor this, since you seem to have trouble reading more than one sentence at a time.

[quote name='drbutchevil']And did I mention I hadn't bought a DS game in a rather long time? I believe so, no need to be a prick. That insult I'm sure won't be read though, nor this, since you seem to have trouble reading more than one sentence at a time.[/quote]

Sorry to act like a douche, but its just very hard to believe anyone could be that stupid, but stranger things has happened. And I read every line, I just filter out all the dribble.

Plus, youre helping me kill time.

i see bootleg ds/gba games at gamestop all the time. Never buy anyof them

[quote name='karkyco']LOL, a game about crime in Chinatown turns out to be a bootleg, oh the irony...[/quote]
lol thats just crazy, I dont see them selling it intentionally though.

[quote name='Squarehard']Sorry to act like a douche, but its just very hard to believe anyone could be that stupid, but stranger things has happened. And I read every line, I just filter out all the dribble.

Plus, youre helping me kill time.[/quote]


Why are you being such a jerk?

This is what you get for buying used.

Also, I've found some eBay listings with the same counterfeit version as you:


eBay listing of counterfeit GTA: Chinatown Wars

eBay listing of counterfeit GTA: Chinatown Wars


I reported the listings, and it would be best if users on here do the same.

[quote name='Squarehard']Looking at the product before you purchase it is good stuff too. Especially since the case is a lot thicker, feels completely different, looks completely different, and resembles nothing like the original is definitely good stuff. And why would you need to warn. Theres already threads in the DS/GBA section that lists many other bootleg games. But my biggest problem with your post was can you spot the problem here and you have a close up on the cartridge. I spotted the problem with that first picture you posted immediately. Not exactly hard to spot a gigantic clear ds case with a badly printed cover and did I mention the gigantic clear case?[/quote]

My Gamestop put some of their used DS games in CD jewel cases with the pre-order art due to them not having the original box arts. The carts are still 100% authentic.

[quote name='Rozz']My Gamestop put some of their used DS games in CD jewel cases with the pre-order art due to them not having the original box arts. The carts are still 100% authentic.[/quote]

I have yet to see that, and Ive been in a lot of GS. Would be interesting though.

Went and returned it (and the other 2 games, Oblivion GOTY and Disgaea 3), today, rebought Disgaea 3 which I had bought Wednesday, and they gave the rest to me in cash, went down the road to Best Buy where I got a new copy of GTA:CTW for $20 (and an ad which I PM'd a copy of Pure at Walmart too). Alls well that ends well I suppose. Employees were really suprised by it though, all 3 there were looking at it and checking the manual and such. The manager (a buddy of mine) mentioned hes going to probably send it to the DM to hopefully have him put the word out to stores about taking trade ins of bootlegs, though honestly I expect the game to be on the store shelf tommorow, if it isn't already. Think I'll stick to only buying used disc based games now, bit harder to bootleg those, will buy any DS games I may want new.

If you look at the games before you buy them, it's fine to buy used games. it's pretty easy to tell if it's a bootleg.

its sad that theres way too much of these on ebay. rockstar and nintendo needs to join forces on this since ebay seems to not be doing anything about it.

[quote name='darkslime']If you look at the games before you buy them, it's fine to buy used games. it's pretty easy to tell if it's a bootleg.[/QUOTE]

I think that should be gamestops job.

It's not simply eBay, that's just the easiest way for the bootleggers to get it onto American soil. There are plenty of websites that sell DS bootlegs for dirt cheap.

I won't show any info re:name of the website, because I wouldn't want to tempt anyone with their super-cheap prices for the bootleg junk, but here's a screenshot for GTA:CW from one place that I know of:



They have everything from Electroplankton to why-would-they-bootleg-this??? titles like Littlest Petshop: Spring Printemps (sp???) and Bunnyz. Go figure.