To the local Gamestop....

[lordlundar]

The place I can't remember is all old-school, they even have regular NES games in there.

Edmonton (the Play Me gives it away), right next to the Jasper Place bus terminal, right? If so, then the place you're talking about is Just for Fun.

And if you go to the Kingsway EB or GameStop, look for Joel at EB or Shannon in GS. I used to work with them and they know their stuff and are fun to talk to.

[edible_hat]

GK, your GameCrazy sounds like it's run by people who aren't quite all there.

less Game, more Crazy?

[Dreamstalker]

Traded it back to GameCrazy the next week for exactly the price I paid for it. I love that place!

Oh, I wish the game stores in my neck of the woods did that. I seem to be a member of the increasingly-rare breed of gamers who try their damndest to keep stuff in pristine condition. One thing that ticks me off is trading in a game that's virtually new save for the shrinkwrap for half (or less) of what I paid only to see it on the shelf 3 days later for near-MSRP.

If there was a prayer of it working as a business model, I would open a store that allows straight-across game trades, or at least make the store credit outlay match the average market price.

[Imogene]

Bought a very well used (some kid wrote their name in sharpie, dug little grooves into the case, and generally made a mess of it) copy of Breath of Fire 2 for the SNES once from a Slacker's, took it home, played and beat it in a matter of days (I was cheating. I'd played it before, and never gotten to the end...) took it back to the same store for a trade-in, the guy at the counter looked at me, and nearly said, "I can't take this. It's been used."
At which point the employee who'd sold it to me walks out of the back room, recognizes me, looks at the game, and says, "That's the condition I sold it in. Take it."
I smiled and continued to buy various items at that store until I moved out of Missouri.

[deafcat24]

I haven't really had any problems with EBGames in a big mall nearby.

However, a new one opened at a Wal-Mart plaza 20 minutes away, and is much easier to get to then the big mall.

It's been opened since the New Year, and I still don't know their phone number.

The website doesn't have it, yellowpages.ca doesn't have it (sends me either to a mall two cities away or the futureshop on the other side of the plaza). I could see it maybe a month or so, but it's now almost six months after it opened, and there's a blank where the phone number should be when I look it up on the eb website.

I know it has nothing to do with in store employees, but I had a complaint, since I would prefer going there over the futureshop for a game i want that comes out in June.

[Digitalpotato]

it's interesting that there are actually people liking world of warcraft here - say it anywhere else and you instantly hear those "I HATE THAT GAME THAT GAME SUCKS EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NEVER REALLY PLAYED IT!" statements and the stereotypes.

[fireheart]

There are three main game stores in Australia: EB Games, GameTraders and Game. There might be more, but those are the ones I know. The level of service I've had varies between the three.

Game employees I've noticed are a teensy bit rude at times. I once asked them if they had a certain game in stock (used, which they did sell) and they just went "it's been discontinued for a certain period of time." Without looking to see if they had used copies in stock.

EB Games employees are nice, but the store tends to get too packed to make a noticeable difference. I've had no problems though finding what I want. They're all a bit older than me though.

Gametraders staff are really friendly-the franchisee runs the two stores I frequent-and if they don't have the game I want either new or used, they'll try and get it in for me. They're also the only place I know that sells anime and lets me rent out PC games. (they also do rentals with their used games and some new ones)

[Geek King]

GK, your GameCrazy sounds like it's run by people who aren't quite all there.

That's just the thing, they are mostly nice and helpful, but have a hell of a time with the preorder computer if it's not a game on the preorder display. Now, I do tend to ferret out the games that come in below the radar, and don't get any word of mouth until all the reviewers put it on their "best of the year lists." So annoying.

[Andara Bledin]

That's just the thing, they are mostly nice and helpful, but have a hell of a time with the preorder computer if it's not a game on the preorder display. Now, I do tend to ferret out the games that come in below the radar, and don't get any word of mouth until all the reviewers put it on their "best of the year lists." So annoying.

Our local GameCrazy people are gaming geeks. They're mostly into the big name stuff, but they know quite a bit about the niche stuff, too. Their stock is mostly new games, too, with a healthy selection of used stuff. It's nice to be able to get a new game that hasn't had the shrink wrap pulled off.

^-.-^

[Dreamstalker]

Pretty much the only reason I shop at my local GameStop anymore is because there's an employee there who's more psyched about the Ghostbusters game than I am. It also seems to be one of the larger stores in terms of floor space.

The mall locations... The one in the closest mall seems to be trying to break the laws of physics...the space they have is just too darn small (I think it used to be an EBGames which--wisely--didn't try to overload the shelves and stockroom as there was a larger store about ten minutes away).

[Andara Bledin]

My local GameStop is in a decently-sized outdoor strip mall location. Their game selection sucks.

My local GameCrazy is a sliver store in a different outdoor strip mall, and is actually attached to a Hollywood Video. Somehow, with about 1/4 of the floor space, they have at least twice the number of games.

^-.-^

[fireheart]

So I wound up walking into EB Games today, just bored...

And I walked out with Final Fantasy X-2!

One question....have any of the female gamers here had a somewhat condescending attitude towards them? Doesn't matter whether you're buying Barbie's Bullimia Blowout Adventure or Final Fantasy X-2.

[Andara Bledin]

One question....have any of the female gamers here had a somewhat condescending attitude towards them? Doesn't matter whether you're buying Barbie's Bullimia Blowout Adventure or Final Fantasy X-2.

I've never experienced it personally, but I've witnessed it. It's not so much condescension as general dismissiveness. As if being female means that you aren't a gamer yourself, you're just buying stuff for your husband/boyfriend/son, etc.

I remember reading an article (or it might have been a forum post) about a woman that got the last Wii at some store, and there were guys trying to take it from her on the basis that she couldn't be buying it for herself. She had to have security walk her to her car, it was so bad.

I've come to believe that I must have some "don't fsck with me" vibe going on that keeps people from trying to pull that stuff with me. People who I know for a fact are actually creepy stalker types are perfectly normal around me, and that's both online and off. Not that I'm complaining, mind.

^-.-^

[MergedLoki]

for # 3 (not sure how gamestop works im in Canada we dont have gamestop here. local game store(s) are EB games).

but anytime i've traded games in/sold used games back to the store they just punch it into a computer and it spits out whatever it's worth (to the store, so the amount they can offer me back). MOST games i'm lucky to get.. like $5 or $10. but a few i've gotten $20+ on and been surprised.

So.. what they offer you for a game, and what they then sell said used game for is, in all liklihood, beyond the employees control.

but yea. assholes clerks are.. well just that assholes. one guy that used to be @ my local gamestore was some... I dunno 16 or 17 yr old douche. no matter WHAT you were buying or what game(s) you may be talking about (be it with staff or friends or whatever) he just HAD to jump into the convo and point out that 'game being talked about' (for xbox 360 as thats what me and my friends all own) is 'shit' and 'similar game/same game for PS3' is WAY better and I should be playing that. etc.

I finally just ignored him completely whenever he was there (to the point that I wouldn't acknowledge his exsistance because IF i did it would be to jam a PS3 up his ass to shut him up). he was gone about 2 months later and the staff they have now are friendly and polite.

[Nyx]

1. If I am buying a non Shooter M-Rated gun game and you say "Wtf man grow a dick and get GEARS OF WAR", then I will go get my games from amazon. not everyone likes Male centric power fantasies, fyi.

Ok, I'd be a SC here and when they decide to insult me, before getting it elsewhere, I'd grab A LOT more games and have them ring them up. Then I'd tell him to "have fun voiding and restocking them" and leave. Yes it is rude, but so is he, and yes it may hold up the line for other people, but I can wait for it to be slow, and if not he still deserves to get yelled at.