Any former "GameStore" employees here? Share your SC stories!

[mariamousie1]

Wow, what an asshole. As for the Merry Christmas thing, I think everyone's too afraid to offend people. Nobody will die if they are wished a merry christmas and they don't celebrate it. This is how the conversation should go.
Me: Merry Christmas.
Other person: Actually, I'm Jewish/Muslim/don't celebrate Christmas for an unspecified reason.
Me: Sorry about that!
Other person: No problem.

See? Nobody died. Even if they were offended, they still wouldn't die. If they were offended, they would have to grow up and realize that other people celebrate other holidays. I say "Merry Christmas" because I celebrate Christmas. I'll say "Happy Hanukkah" if I know for a fact that a person is Jewish, but usually I'll just go with Merry Christmas. So I think that's a pissy rule and it's enabling this whole OMG offended thing. I don't think there's anything wrong with "Happy holidays" and I'll say that too, but getting fired for wishing a merry christmas? Holy crap.
Er, sorry about that. I guess I've been thinking about that a lot. Hope I don't offend anybody.

[Toujin]

I haven't had any problems with game stores I've been to. In fact, at the game store at the mall I frequent, they actually know me.

[Jack T. Chance]

Sad thing is, if you know enough about the PSP, you won't even need all this. Just a USB cable and a game.

But, see, you're forgetting that this was LAST CENTURY.... 1998 or '99.... no such thing as a PSP back then. Making CD-R copies of games using Clone CD was the very latest in piracy technology back then.

Then the game companies came up with copy protection techniques that Clone CD could NOT copy, and that was the end of making "backup copies" of your PC games.

[smileyeagle1021]

. I refuse to shop at Gamestop for the following reasons:

1. Trade-Ins prices suck
2. I hate being bugged when checking out being asked if I reserved the said game and then being looked down upon for not reserving it.
3. No I don't want your stupid Edge Card lol

that is exactly why I only buy games every couple of months, and when I do I drive all the way up to Logan (just under a 2 hour drive with traffic) to go to one of the last of the local (non chain) game stores... and dear God they have everything from the Atari to the newest PS3 stuff... and the employees there are awesome, and the only thing they try to push is a $1 disc repair warranty where you can go in to get scratches fixed at any time (and if it weren't 2 hours away it would probably be worth it).

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

My store has had least two occurrences of bug filled systems.

[Mr Hero]

I've worked at game stores and still work at one.
The logic I've heard from district managers on reserves is that if you come in and reserve a game, there's a reasonably high chance you will be coming back into the store to get the game when it comes out, thus they believe the reserve helps to build repeat business. They also assume that when you come into to pick up your game, they can also sell you a strategy guide with it, a one year replacement warranty on it and potentially get you to reserve another game.

What they fail to realize is the vast majority of customers who preorder pay off the full price of the game in advance and when they come in they just want to pick up their game, they don't want to spend more money.

Mything with reserves is that I don't want to commit to one store unless I think the product is going to sell out. DSi was one of the few items I reserved, and I did pay it off before my visit. It still didn't prevent them from pushing extended warrenties.

[MercenaryMuffin]

EB used to be great, before it was bought out by GameStop. Now it's just a shell of its former self.

Most of the guys I worked with were pretty cool...most. When I worked at GameCrazy (I think it's called GameTag now), there was this one guy who just freaked me out. He wasn't a full-time employee, but a call-over from another store. I guess they needed him to cover someone's shift or something.

Anyway, I ask the guy's name, and he says "James. But just call me Bruno, I don't answer to James any more".
Oookaay....so I look at his lanyard, and what do I see? A picture of "Bruno" in a fur suit.

Yes, he was a freakin' furry. *shudder*

Needless to say, that was a little awkward for the rest of the night, as he kept wanting to show me pictures of him dressed up like a dog...

[infinitemonkies]

Has anyone made the mistake of pre-ordering StarCraft 2?

My local Eb games had posters up for months with a release date of Dec 2008. Hell, I've got a poster from Blizzard for Warcraft 3, and it says "Fall 1998" on the bottom. They only missed that launch date by 5 years.(Sidenote: what was originally planned to be Warcraft 3 was actually released as an expansion for Warcraft 2)

Similarly, Chapters started doing pre-sales for the "final" book of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Scheduled release: Jan 2009. Best part, they started advertising it AFTER he DIED, book unwritten. (Sidenote: the book is still being written, by another author basing it on detailed notes RJ prepared, though the publisher decided to stretch it out for "at least" 3 more books)

[Jack T. Chance]

Has anyone made the mistake of pre-ordering StarCraft 2?

My local Eb games had posters up for months with a release date of Dec 2008. Hell, I've got a poster from Blizzard for Warcraft 3, and it says "Fall 1998" on the bottom. They only missed that launch date by 5 years.(Sidenote: what was originally planned to be Warcraft 3 was actually released as an expansion for Warcraft 2)

Similarly, Chapters started doing pre-sales for the "final" book of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Scheduled release: Jan 2009. Best part, they started advertising it AFTER he DIED, book unwritten. (Sidenote: the book is still being written, by another author basing it on detailed notes RJ prepared, though the publisher decided to stretch it out for "at least" 3 more books)

Now you know why I say what I do about Diablo III... I'll have people claim to me that Blizzard has changed, and they'll say that Diablo III will be out sometime this year... to which I generally reply that I expect to be playing it somewhere around 2012.

[EricKei]

Gotta love them release dates ^_^ then again, even I can't blame GS for things like Blizzard's legendary date slippage. Who do you think tells GS what those dates *are*...?

One other fun factoid -- how much they get of anything is based on those reserves...kinda. If a game gets no reserves, they get in 2-3 copies, max, on release day (I've seen as few as one). If they get fifteen squillion reserves, they get tons. For example, we got 900 (yes, nine hundred) copies of Madden every year (ours is the top-selling Madden district). Systems work the other way around. The manufacturer tells us we're getting X number of systems, and that's how many we sell. The problem comes when they overpromise, as they did with the Wii >_>

Yes, there are glaring bad sides to how corporate forces reserves, subscriptions/cards, and warranties on people. Personally, I look at their add-ons this way. Please forgive me if I sound like the 's advocate here...

Reserves: It gets a copy held for you, they call you once it's in (as opposed to when it's RELEASED -- here in tha Deep South, there's always a delay thanks to cheap shipping methods)... You change yer mind? Get yer $ back.

Cards: eh. Worth it in some circumstances. I only renew when I hit a big sale (I don't trade much in). If I'll save another $10-15 (the cost of the card) by doing so, I snag it. One thing I could never understand was people who trade in a ton of used games, such that the BONUS from the card would cover the cost of the card...and yet they don't want one when the total amount of credit they would get winds up being MORE than the original amount, even after deducting the price of the card... Note that the card bonus stacks with most (but not all) other discounts like Buy 2 Get 1 Free. Even if you don't think it stacks, have them swipe it anyway just to see. I've been right more often than not on "iffy" discounts.

Warranties: 3 bucks for an automatic replacement of a $60 game? I'm careful with mine, but yeah, it can be worth it. I always do it on systems, without hesitation. Yes, I know it's not cheap, but all I can say to that is "360 RROD". No warranty and it croaks: Mail it to MS and wait (assuming it's still under their warranty -- I think their 3-year special goes away soon). Under GS warranty and it croaks: bring it to any GS store anywhere and get a new one.

...Just remember to do what we pester our SC's to do, boys and girls. KEEP THE RECEIPT. Especially for warranties. I keep mine inside the game cases >_>

ProTip -- One last goody on used stuff. Unless some regions do it differently: Used means you have 7 days to bring it back for exchange/credit/refund w/receipt, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Yes, "Did Not Like" is allowable for this one. You have the balance of the initial 30 days after that to get credit or another game if it breaks. Again, with receipt. If anyone tries to give you sh-- over this one, ask to speak to the MOD to take care of it.

[MercenaryMuffin]

Few things here...

Reservations: I'm not opposed to them, I think they're a great idea. What I am opposed to is GameStop's incessant heckling of its employees to get MORE reservations. And if someone doesn't pick up their reservations...oh well, sucks for them. They're not getting a call to remind them, the money stays with GameStop. This is why we still had reservation money on some accounts from two years prior when I worked there.

Edge cards: Completely not worth it. Trading in your games is a terrible rip off, and I for one refuse to be part of it. A game you just traded in for five bucks will be immediately turned around and sold for thirty, if not more. And when that used game is bought, none of that money goes to the people who made the game. Instead of buying the stupid Edge card that doesn't really save you anything, just shop somewhere else...spending a few minutes looking online or looking at another store's price will almost always net you a better bargain than you could ever hope to get with the Edge card.
The Edge card gets you 10% extra on trade ins...whoopee. So now instead of getting $1.00 on Vice City, you get $1.10. Exciting.

Game warranties: Complete waste of money, assuming you're half way competent at taking care of your games. And even if they do get scratched, many other game stores like GameCrazy will resurface a scratched game for a dollar or less.
It should especially be noted that GameStop not longer offers in-store warranties on systems. I know this first-hand, because my original 360 got the Red Ring of Death, so I traded it in and got a replacement. That was in 2006.
Then my 2nd system got the RROD in 2008. I exchanged that one as well, since I had the receipt for said warranty, but I was informed I could not buy a new warranty. When I asked why, I was told GameStop no longer offers system warranties due to GameStop handing out so many replacements, and if I had any problems I had to go through the company that made the system. So that point is moot.

ProTip -- One last goody on used stuff. Unless some regions do it differently: Used means you have 7 days to bring it back for exchange/credit/refund w/receipt, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Yes, "Did Not Like" is allowable for this one. You have the balance of the initial 30 days after that to get credit or another game if it breaks. Again, with receipt. If anyone tries to give you sh-- over this one, ask to speak to the MOD to take care of it.

Wrong. "I didn't like it" is NOT a valid excuse for a return. Period. End of story. If a game is opened, it can only be traded for another copy of the same game. It can not be refunded. Ever.
Why? Because here's what happens: Customer buys a game. He plays it, and either beats it, or decides he doesn't like it. So he demands a refund on the game he has already beaten, thus essentially having played the game for free.
Nothing is gained by the store, nothing is spent by the customer.
GameStop and every store with this policy then becomes a glorified rental store.

Never once did I see someone get a refund because they didn't like the game. If you didn't like it, tough shit, you should have known what you were buying before you got it. Rent it at a store first, or do some research into the game. But we can NOT refund you based on personal taste. Too damn bad.

[Drakstern]

I remember pre-ordering Diablo 2.

God, I feel old now.

Anyhow, there's a reason I refuse to work in game stores, and fortunately, I haven't been pushed to a point of desperation that would force me to apply to one. I don't want to turn my hobby into my job. Same reason I can't work at a book store.

That said, I think I've lucked out at the Gamestop near where I live. I'm not in there terribly regularly, but the employees are mostly relatively knowledgeable and will ACTUALLY ANSWER QUESTIONS without going into fanboy rants. They'll also admit if they know nothing about a game. Though I did have one ask me to answer a question about a game for him, since he had no clue(it was Ar Tonelico 2... me and my obscure obscure jRPGs... though I like this one more for the music than for anything else. Akiko Shikata and Noriko Mitose are awesome singers... but I digress...) I don't go in there and hang out like I used to at the EB Games I got Diablo 2 at, but at least they're people I feel like I can talk to.

Also, most of them are huge nerds, so that's a plus.

[EricKei]

Few things here...

Edge cards: Completely not worth it. Trading in your games is a terrible rip off, and I for one refuse to be part of it.

Which is why I only buy used games, but not trade them. I very seldom traded games in (even when I worked there), and I no longer do so. That being said, I tend to save up money waiting for the megasales and then buy in binges, 5 or more used games at a time. If my card is expired and the discount from the card itself is more than the cost of the card -- or even close -- then yes, I'll get one, knowing that I'll be back for more within a year's time. While I agree with you totally on the poor trade in prices, I suppose it begs the questions -- a> Does that not make anyone (myself included) who buys used games part of the problem, and b> What are the realistic alternatives for tradeins? Few, if any, other big stores, take trades at all; pawn shops make the differential between trade in and sell prices even worse (most of the time), and the small game shops I've been to are just as bad *most of the time* (perfect example: Panzer Dragoon Saga at gametraders here...they buy for $25-40 and sell for 125)...There's online sites -- some are good, some are bad -- That's why I like stuff like goozex or CAG and the like. If anything, I blame the people who traqde in, at times...especially if they just want cash, which screws them over even worse.

It should especially be noted that GameStop not longer offers in-store warranties on systems.

I guess it HAS been awhile, lol. Good to know.

Wrong. "I didn't like it" is NOT a valid excuse for a return. Period. End of story. If a game is opened, it can only be traded for another copy of the same game. It can not be refunded. Ever.

Please see my post. I said USED, not new. Once you buy new and open it, that's it; end of story. Again, maybe it differs by district, but on used games we were always told to treat returns within 7 days as "no questions asked". There was even a "Did Not Like" tag in the system for those.


Drak - I preordered D2 as well. Special edition and everything. Now I feel old, too...>_>

[Drakstern]

Drak - I preordered D2 as well. Special edition and everything. Now I feel old, too...>_>

Did you pre-order Command and Conquer 2 also? Though at least Diablo 2 wasn't as disappointing...

I find it sad that I can't get as excited over new games as I used to. The last one that had me going 'OOH BOY OOH BOY' was Persona 4.

Though I am rather looking forward to Unidentified Fantastic Object, particularly since I'll actually have time to play my new Bullet Hell hotness when it comes out, unlike the last couple of iterations of the Touhou series, where I had too much work/school to really properly tuck into them...

But I'm rambling. And need to finish studying for my final finals...

[marcpork]

I just remembered about the worker "rental policy". The video talks about this. Basically, workers at gamestop are allowed to "rent" games so they can talk about them to customers and know more about them. They can "rent" new games and play them for a couple days and return them. The games they "rented" are returned and STILL SOLD AS NEW GAMES!

It pisses me off when I have to get a NEW game without shrinkwrap and already opened so I can't return it if there's a problem, but to find a played file already on my NEW game! That is not a new game! That is a used game! And I can't return it, because it's out of the shrinkwrap and they don't have any copies of the game left!

A new Kirby game should not have a 38% complete file on it!

This is why I shop online and pay extra for the insurance.