Is Gamestop Evil? The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

[jp1]

Modman rant.

, it's alright man...calm down.

Anyway, I don't frequent gamestop because if I purchase something new I want it to be new. If I purchase something used I would like for it to be in at least "ok" condition. I can't get either of those things at my gamestop so I don't shop there. Simple.

I can't speak for all gamestop stores but besides the above 2 points the stores near me are small, crowded, not well stocked with things I want, overpriced, and staffed with people who are less than helpful. I don't "hate" gamestop or consider them an "evil" corporate entity. I simply don't give them my business because as a customer I expect to be treated better.

[Beak]

My friend works at Gamestop. I would never shop there, but he likes working there just fine. Whenever people bring in retro games, while GS won't buy them, he usually offers to buy them off of the customers. He ends up getting a lot of really cool SNES/Genesis/PS1/DC games for really cheap. People come in there and if they can't sell the game sometimes just chuck it in the trash. He just picks it up and bam, free game!

Overall the store sucks though. What's the point of buying used games for such high prices when there's this thing called the interwebs.

[lisalover1]

I only have 2 major grievances against Gamestop: The labels on game boxes are impossible to remove, and the fact that the online buying system is horribly incomplete, and doesn't let you specify if you want the original case and manual. Those things really make me hate Gamestop.

[noiseredux]

I only have 2 major grievances against Gamestop: The labels on game boxes are impossible to remove, and the fact that the online buying system is horribly incomplete, and doesn't let you specify if you want the original case and manual. Those things really make me hate Gamestop.

any game I ever bought on their website arrived in generic cases.

[GSZX1337]

Supply and demand.

Jesus Christ, it's not fucking rocket science!

But it can involve rockets and SCIENCE!

[the7k]

If you have a heat gun, that'll work in seconds. A hair dryer on high will work, but it may take a couple of minutes.

The stickers are thermal for the image of the bar code, game title, sku number, etc... on the top.

The adhesive itself on the stickers is not thermal in any form whatsoever and using a heat gun will just damage and yellow your case's cover art.

It's worked for me, is all I can say. Whenever we use the heat gun in the store, 90% of the time its to get caked on stickers off.

Of course, it's best to take the cover art off first.

I only have 2 major grievances against Gamestop: The labels on game boxes are impossible to remove, and the fact that the online buying system is horribly incomplete, and doesn't let you specify if you want the original case and manual. Those things really make me hate Gamestop.

Labels hard to remove: heat has worked for me. If that doesn't, just use Goo Gone or something.
Online Buying: Didn't GameStop recently make a guarantee to ship original cases/manuals to online customers?

Overall the store sucks though. What's the point of buying used games for such high prices when there's this thing called the interwebs.

Most people at my store don't know of this thing called the interwebs.

Everytime I recommend them to check reviews at Metacritic, or see if they can sell their retro stuff on eBay, or check Amazon to see if they have any of what they're looking for, they stare at me with a completely blank face - as if I had just told them that the antimatter generator's control reactor has an anomaly and we should salvage the dilithium crystal articulation frame post haste because the double-shear attachment lug explosive bolts won't hold the electro plasma system energy converter in place.

[DNT 2.5]

I actually Prefer Gamestop to my Independent VG store
If any of you are in Edmonton, and in West Edmonton mall there is a store called "Play me" I traded in several PS2 games They gave me $20 for a lot of ten, the next day I walk in, my games are on the shelf in the NEW TRADE IN'S section selling for $85 Each!
My other local one "just for fun" Is awesome! I can buy a New Boxed Psone for about $80! I bought my dreamcast(s) there, $60 each with a controller, VMU, AV cables, and Powercable, Did I mention they sell games for almost every system from 2600 onwards? And cheap too! $20 for a lot of 25 atari games!
Gamestop compared to Just for fun is terrible
Gamestop compared to Play me is Awesome

[arion]

There isnt actually a Gamestop around where i am but there is a shop that seems to have the same buisness model called Gamestöðin they buy games very cheap like im amazed
anyone actually sells games to them.

And they seem to think if it's a cartridge system the games and the console must be made of gold and charge like crazy for them.

But they do sell ps2 titles rather cheap and so far i've been able to grab some dreamcast and gamecube titles. But i cant help but think when i get some fairly cheap games someone got really screwed by selling them.

[Beak]

Everytime I recommend them to check reviews at Metacritic, or see if they can sell their retro stuff on eBay, or check Amazon to see if they have any of what they're looking for, they stare at me with a completely blank face - as if I had just told them that the antimatter generator's control reactor has an anomaly and we should salvage the dilithium crystal articulation frame post haste because the double-shear attachment lug explosive bolts won't hold the electro plasma system energy converter in place.

Wait--the electro plasma system isn't holding?! Oh sh*t!

[GSZX1337]

Everytime I recommend them to check reviews at Metacritic, or see if they can sell their retro stuff on eBay, or check Amazon to see if they have any of what they're looking for, they stare at me with a completely blank face - as if I had just told them that the antimatter generator's control reactor has an anomaly and we should salvage the dilithium crystal articulation frame post haste because the double-shear attachment lug explosive bolts won't hold the electro plasma system energy converter in place.

Wait--the electro plasma system isn't holding?! Oh sh*t!

I got some caulk.