Big Dirty rants on Pre-Sales

[quote name='BigDirty.Blog-City.com']
The retail side of the video game industry needs to take a trip back to college to retake economics. The whole supply and demand thing really slipped by quite a few people. The point is that I don't feel the need to be giving whatever store a deposit on something that I wish to purchase, they should know the demand for product x will be great, and to order as many as they can. Granted, the audience can be fickle, but when it comes to a title like Unreal Tourney 2004, Halo 2, Madden 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the retailers should know to buy out the wazoo instead of pissing off their customers requiring them to lay money down for something that may, or may not (and that's in most cases), come out on the date that the retailer promised.

"What brought on this rant?" you ask. Well first off, back in January when EB had a trade 4 get 1 free special, I traded in four games for Dead Or Alive Ultimate Collection. They said it was going to be in store in February, which is now long past, and I at least thought possilbly end of March. Well, the game is back in development, and won't be seen until September at the earliest. This is how they really take people, fine, it was a promotion, but if a company runs a promotion, they better damn be able to deliver when promised, especially when dealing with the severe amounts of money up front, and being infamous for poor bookkeeping. I'm feeling like I would have been better off just throwing those 4 games out, since I'll probably never see them again, nor will I see DOA Ultimate.

OK, that wasn't the only thing that brought the rant on as well. Last night I was in EB in E-Dub, and I inquired if they would be getting in the new Serious Sam games (The Next Encounter for PS2/GC and Advance for GBA), and they said they would. I also asked how many copies that they were getting in, and they told me that they were getting one, and I then inquired if I can get it while it's still sealed. The conversation went something like this:

DIRTY: Will you be getting in the new Serious Sam games next week, Next and Advance?
EB Monkey: (Looks in computer) Never heard of them, what is it for?
DIRTY: Serious Sam The Next Encounter is for PS2 and Game Cube, Serious Sam Advance, Gameboy ADVANCE.
EB Monkey: Yeah we're getting the Serious Next for PS2 on Tuesday.
DIRTY: What about Advance?
EB Monkey: Uhhh. it's not in here
DIRTY: Can you tell me how many copies you'll be getting of the PS2 version?
EB Monkey: Two
DIRTY: Is it possible that I can get one of them before you open them for display?
EB Monkey: If we get two, we open two up for display, you gotta pre order

You can see where the conversation went, which included me going out the door. There's no need to pre-order a game that they know they're getting in, costs $20, and is likely to sit on the shelf for a while. But unless I actually put down money, and risk them losing it, I can't get a new copy. (New defined as sealed in box by the ORIGINAL factory seal). It just makes me mad.

[/quote]

Just thought I'd share it with other CAGs out here.

I may be just stating the obvious, but you kinda seem like a jerk. First, you can cancel your DOA and get whatever you want. Also, if you know you want something, especially wrapped, put the $5 down to have it held for you. If you had hundreds of people call you and ask you hold something, then never show up, you might start wanting some sort of proof they are actually interested besides just saying they want it. If you don't want to preorder, just don't expect to get things the day they come out. This thread is a total waste of time.

I for one think pre-ordering is a joke and a waste. I have never had a problem getting copies of a game, and there is no reason to lock yourself in at a certain store when you don't know who will have the best price.

So wait, are you blaming EB for Tecmo delaying the release of a game?

yeah im not really seeing whats got your panties in a bunch?if you planned on buying it for 20 on tuesday why wouldnt you just put the 5 down then and then pay the 15 on tuesday?

Pre ordering takes the thrill out of the hunt.


Example:
Fishing at a lake is more fun than fishing at a hatchery.

pre ordering is good. risk scares me.

[quote name='metroidkiller9']pre ordering is good. risk scares me.[/quote]

Pussy.

You've got a point, but it lacks solid foundation. Most people will just tell you to wait until the game actually releases. Chances are, you will get a copy.

well I'll replay to both sides here. It's tecmo's fault not Eb's. Did they cancel your pre-order? Did you ask if you could move it over to something else? I've never had a problem.

Obviously that clerk was stupid for not knowing what those games were.

EB and Gamestop think they are the only place in town to buy games. They are very foolish. They figure, "We'll order just enough copies to fill pre-orders then when people come looking for it, and we don't have any copies left, they'll know to pre-order next time." Ok, that's a sound plan....if it wasn't for the fact you can buy games at Walmart, bestbuy, circuit city, etc...and in most cases up to $10 cheaper if you wait a few days to a week. Pre-orders are guarenteed sales and they like guarenteed sales at these places, but they tend to forget that bad experiences, like not being able to buy the game there the day it comes out because I didn't pre-order, sticks out more in my memory than the time I did pre-order. thus making me an unsatisfied customer overall. Customer lost...

The only reason I pre-order games anymore is for the freebies (Zelda OOT disc, free stuff w/RE:Outbreak, link cable w/FF:CC, and bonus disc with Pokemon Coloseum). Otherwise, you actually end up paying a bit more b/c you get charged tax twice at some places.

[quote name='msdmoney']I for one think pre-ordering is a joke and a waste. I have never had a problem getting copies of a game, and there is no reason to lock yourself in at a certain store when you don't know who will have the best price.[/quote]

Yeah, completely agree with you, only problems arise on the lower-key titles that the "big box" stores don't carry. (I'm still without Colin McRae Rally 4 because the box stores don't carry it, and I absolutely refuse to buy the display copy from EB for full price)

[quote name='repetske']
I may be just stating the obvious, but you kinda seem like a jerk. First, you can cancel your DOA and get whatever you want. Also, if you know you want something, especially wrapped, put the $5 down to have it held for you. If you had hundreds of people call you and ask you hold something, then never show up, you might start wanting some sort of proof they are actually interested besides just saying they want it. If you don't want to preorder, just don't expect to get things the day they come out. This thread is a total waste of time.[/quote]
If you think I'm a jerk, that's your own perogitive. You seemed to miss the thing about the BAD BOOKKEEPING, having pre-orders frequently lost. I'm not going to risk losing what ends up being 25% of the cost of the game for their stupidity, and have to fight to get it back. Also, they said they'd get two in, if they get 2, why do they need to bastardize them both for their display purposes? And as for proof of interest, if I buy stuff from them, that's proof that I'll buy more from them, and I didn't ask them to HOLD it, I just asked if I could get it NEW, like the condition it should be in, not "taken out of the box for display purposes, and you don't actually know what went on with it, new".

[quote name='WildWop']
So wait, are you blaming EB for Tecmo delaying the release of a game? [/quote]
I'm not blaming anyone for the delay, I'm just saying that it's very sleazy of EB to run the promotion, knowing full well that the date isn't set in stone. And taking pre-orders for things like Halo 2 whenever they started, which I think was late 2002 early 2003, and Gran Turismo 4 when it was announced as in development, just to hold on to extra capital. If everyone stopped feeding into it, they would have to make some serious adjustments to their business model.

[quote name='pfunkpearl']well I'll replay to both sides here. It's tecmo's fault not Eb's. Did they cancel your pre-order? Did you ask if you could move it over to something else? I've never had a problem.

Obviously that clerk was stupid for not knowing what those games were.

EB and Gamestop think they are the only place in town to buy games. They are very foolish. They figure, "We'll order just enough copies to fill pre-orders then when people come looking for it, and we don't have any copies left, they'll know to pre-order next time." Ok, that's a sound plan....if it wasn't for the fact you can buy games at Walmart, bestbuy, circuit city, etc...and in most cases up to $10 cheaper if you wait a few days to a week. Pre-orders are guarenteed sales and they like guarenteed sales at these places, but they tend to forget that bad experiences, like not being able to buy the game there the day it comes out because I didn't pre-order, sticks out more in my memory than the time I did pre-order. thus making me an unsatisfied customer overall. Customer lost...[/quote]

EB and Gamestop both pay extra to overnight games for preorders and then get non-preorders two days later by ups ground around the same time as everyone else. They prefer a preorder so they know who to overnight the games to and to take care of their customers. Why spend the extra on shipping if they aren't sure who wants a game. I can't believe you people have me defending corporate stores, but not wanting to preorder and then complaining about not finding a game just doesn't make sense.

[quote name='BigDirty']I'm not blaming anyone for the delay, I'm just saying that it's very sleazy of EB to run the promotion, knowing full well that the date isn't set in stone.[/quote]

It seems unfair to me to expect EB to be the all-seeing all-knowing overlord of release dates. They are given a list by distributers/mfgs of when titles are expected to be in-store. Any game can be delayed for any amount of time at any point in its development, and the only people accountable should be the developers. NO release date is set in stone.

Also, you say nothing about the 4 for 1 deal being specifically for DOA:U, was it?

[quote name='WildWop']
Also, you say nothing about the 4 for 1 deal being specifically for DOA:U, was it?[/quote]

Can't think of any other promotion they had for it but yeah it was.

And I don't expect EB to be the know-all, be-all, on releases, actually they're on the bottom of the food chain (IMO). I'm griping on that because I probably could have sold the 4 games I traded in for $5 each, invested the $20 in some penny/nickel stock that was being manipulated, and ended up with more than the $58.30 that they'll be charging for the game when it finally comes out. (It's a stretch, but it could be done), or I also could have been "enjoying" my copies of F1 Career Challenge, Pulse Racer, and Haven. (I did turn around and replace my Mace Griffin)

Another gripe is that, now that they have my "money", they haven't contacted me, or said one word to me about the game being delayed. Some courtesy like that SHOULD be included with the presale, but sadly, the vast majority of the time, it's not.

Ok, I see where you're coming from then. A smart business move on their part would be to offer you a different game at the same price point. But that would be logical.

[quote name='Gameboy415']The only reason I pre-order games anymore is for the freebies (Zelda OOT disc, free stuff w/RE:Outbreak, link cable w/FF:CC, and bonus disc with Pokemon Coloseum). Otherwise, you actually end up paying a bit more b/c you get charged tax twice at some places.[/quote]

I used to do this too, until I found a lot of the "pre-order" bonuses could be picked up well after the game's release without the hassle of investing your money ahead of time. When I got Wind Waker a month after it came out, I asked the clerk if he had any OOT bonus discs and he gave me one. A lot of the other bonuses typically end up getting pennied out at Best Buy and whatnot, like the PC discs.

I went to the Nassau Park EB and the guy told me he had a whole register full of preorders that he kept, and in some occasions called the people up to get them to come down to redeem them. That dude tells the truth more or less and knows what he was talking about. Plus he said he goes onto CAG himself. That's the only EB in the tri-state area that I frequent just for those reasons.

I guess you were just blessed with an incompetent employee, which isn't too difficult to find these days unfortunately. I agree with what you're saying though. I don't go through preordering in the first place especially at EB because I can find better deals somewhere else. You shouldn't get frustrated though, its all part of the 'hunt'.

(Has society degenerated so much that this could be considered a hunt for survival? That's for another thread and another day altogether)

EDIT: That's East Windsor, right? I have yet to check that place out.

if you wouldve enjoyed playing pulse racer i say this thread be locked down right now.

i rememberseeing on the coupon for this deal that release date is subject to change. sounds like you should be more mad at yourself than anyone else.

I've never pre-ordered, and I never will.

You seemed to miss the thing about the BAD BOOKKEEPING, having pre-orders frequently lost. I'm not going to risk losing what ends up being 25% of the cost of the game for their stupidity, and have to fight to get it back.

Click to expand...

I've placed countless preorders at my local EB and I've never had them lose one. If you've had this problem, I'd say it's more an incompentent staff at your store than an EB in general issue. Besides, they give you a receipt when you preorder - is it that hard to hold on to it?

The other hole in your argument is that you name big-release games saying they should know to order plent of copies of them. Well....they do. At my local stores (not just EB, any of them) there's never any issue trying to get the latest Zelda or Grand Theft Auto. Sure, they like the preorders because it "guarantees" you'll buy from them - can blame a guy for tryin' to make a buck, tho I do hate employees that push preorders. Thankfully my local staff isn't like that. Preorders come in handy for those lesser known games. I'll guarantee you I'm going to be putting down a preorder for La Pucellle Tactics very soon, but I'll take my chances with Snake Eater unless there's some deal run on preordering it.

[quote name='magilacudy']EDIT: That's East Windsor, right? I have yet to check that place out.[/quote]
Yeah, the Serious Sam was at E-Dub.....

DOA:U was at Oxford Valley, which incidentally I found was horrible with the pre-orders after they took my trade-in.

If it wasn't for the lousy traffic getting out of the innards of Nassau Park, I'd go to that EB more often, but it usually takes a good while to get in/out, unless you're there at 8:50pm on a tuesday.