GameStop 101: Your Questions Answered!

[Hobie-wan]

They could have a promo case on display or even just a piece of cardboard with the cover art on one side and info on the back. Seems much more efficient to me.

That's what Toys R Us used to do with the Vidpro cards.

[pvt_awol]

Can you explain to me what the deal is with their pricing strategy on games? Used especially?

It is VERY often that a greatest hits, or a slow selling game will be $19.99 at all major retail stores. But GameStop will want $24.99-$29.99 for the same game. And not because the store is slow to adjust prices.

Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii has been $20 bucks brand new and sealed at Wal-Mart for a couple of years now. Yet the used copies are still $24.99 at GameStop. Any chance you could shed some light on why this is the case so often?

I come across really good deals at GameStop from time to time, and then really crappy ones too. There seems to be no consistency.




As a side note.... I recently bought Chrono Trigger for the DS during the B2G1F, and every single copy in the store was missing the poster out of the box. They were complete otherwise, and a few looked brand new. Do the employees like to "keep souvenirs" once in a while or what? LOL

[bladerunner]

I gotta ask: what is the pay like for GS employees? What do clerks expect to get (just minimum?), ASM and store managers? Benefits? Raises?

And no I am not looking for a job.

[Metal Jesus]

I have a question about the resurfacing process, specifically with the Gamecube. Last year, I bought Metroid Prime 1 & 2 used at a GS, in what looked like perfect condition visually. One of them played on my GC, and the other...no go. Took it back, and had the same problem. Finally the guy at the counter said: "Oh, your Gamecube may not like our resurfacing..." then he hand examined each used copy until he found one that wasn't resurfaced, took it home..and sure enough, it worked! Now when I go to buy GC games, I have to ask if they have been resurfaced or not.

Have you heard of this before?

Also...I just want to say, it's pretty cool you are doing this. Gamestop is such a large part of the gaming community, whether people like it or not, and it's nice to get some honest dialog!

[Veriz]

Can you explain to me what the deal is with their pricing strategy on games? Used especially?

It is VERY often that a greatest hits, or a slow selling game will be $19.99 at all major retail stores. But GameStop will want $24.99-$29.99 for the same game. And not because the store is slow to adjust prices.

Lego Indiana Jones on the Wii has been $20 bucks brand new and sealed at Wal-Mart for a couple of years now. Yet the used copies are still $24.99 at GameStop. Any chance you could shed some light on why this is the case so often?

I come across really good deals at GameStop from time to time, and then really crappy ones too. There seems to be no consistency.

As a side note.... I recently bought Chrono Trigger for the DS during the B2G1F, and every single copy in the store was missing the poster out of the box. They were complete otherwise, and a few looked brand new. Do the employees like to "keep souvenirs" once in a while or what? LOL

New games, such as LEGO Indiana Jones are reduced in price faster so they can be sold off faster as well. Once a title such as this is no longer shipped to GameStop new anymore the only game left to buy is the used version so you want to get rid of the new copies quickly. Most customers are grandparents or parents who know nothing of gaming. They are not like you, me and most people on this forum that will take the time to see if any other stores still have new copies laying around. They come in the store with a list and they want to be in and out as soon as possible. If the game is older and out of print they are not going to take the time to see if other stores still have new copies that did not sell, they will get the used one and be on their way since in their mind that is the only way you can get the game.

As far as the souvenirs go it's hard to say. The biggest issue would be promo items for reservations. I would always make sure we set aside our reserved amount of promo items plus a few extras just incase before I would let my employees take any, but I can not say all store managers would do the same it is a hit or miss depending on the store and the persons working there.

I gotta ask: what is the pay like for GS employees? What do clerks expect to get (just minimum?), ASM and store managers? Benefits? Raises?

And no I am not looking for a job.

I am sure pay is different based on location and cost of living, but I will give what I know from the stores I worked at in Texas and South Carolina. Regular employees make minimum or maybe a little above with previous expierience or skill with a foreign language. 3rd key managers make a little above minimum and ASM makes between 10-13 an hour, maybe a litle more based on the area. Store managers get the shaft with salary, starting around 28-29 a year and working a lot of hours. I once counted my average hours a month I worked by my pay and it came out to less than minimum an hour lol. Its sad I started with more pay at an entry level position at my new job. As far as perks they are slowly going away more and more. You get 10% employee discount and it can not be used on new systems or time cards. Luckily you can combine your discount card plus employee discount for used games so not too bad there. And yes, employees are able to check out games. I myself would only let my employees check out used games if possible since its already bad enough the new games have to be opened. When I first started for GameStop when I was 17 the employee discount was 25% off just about anything, they have been slowly taking away perks as the company has grown larger its sad.

As a side note when I started working for GameStop at 17 I lived in Texas at the time. After a few years we moved back to South Carolina to be closer to family but there was not a GameStop in my home town to transfer to so I got a job at the local EB Games. Let me just say EB GAMES WAS AWESOME. Way better treatment of employees, better perks, better sales and even had some small commission type programs for employees. Plus the discount card was only $5 and you didn't have to worry about a dumb magazine to go with it. I was sad when I found out EB Games would be merging with GameStop lol.

I have a question about the resurfacing process, specifically with the Gamecube. Last year, I bought Metroid Prime 1 & 2 used at a GS, in what looked like perfect condition visually. One of them played on my GC, and the other...no go. Took it back, and had the same problem. Finally the guy at the counter said: "Oh, your Gamecube may not like our resurfacing..." then he hand examined each used copy until he found one that wasn't resurfaced, took it home..and sure enough, it worked! Now when I go to buy GC games, I have to ask if they have been resurfaced or not.

Have you heard of this before?

Also...I just want to say, it's pretty cool you are doing this. Gamestop is such a large part of the gaming community, whether people like it or not, and it's nice to get some honest dialog!

Yes, I noticed some versions of systems depending on how old they were would have trouble reading resurfaced games. I am not sure why but some just won't read them. The biggest problem was the double layer PS2 games, older model PS2 systems already had a hard enough problem trying to read them and when you add resurfaced to the mix it was almost always a no win lol.

And thanks. If you are like me I don't have a ma and pap store in my area I can visit so sometimes I have to go to GameStop or order online. I know employees at most stores that are not trained well make all of the employees look bad but its not always the case so I just thought I would shed some light on issues. Its sad, but I don't even shop at the store I used to manage anymore due to poor service now that me and all my staff are gone. I drive across town to a different store where the manager runs a tighter ship, the store is cleaner and they have better selections and service. I went to my old store only once to cancel my reservations so I could take them across town to the store I shop at now and the 3rd key tried to tell me they could not be canceled without manager approval who was not in. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him who I was and that I still had my DM's number and would love to call him and tell him about that new "policy." Kid just didn't want his numbers ruined but I didn't feel bad for him after that lie.

They could have a promo case on display or even just a piece of cardboard with the cover art on one side and info on the back. Seems much more efficient to me.

That's what Toys R Us used to do with the Vidpro cards.

I miss this! There was no better feeling growing up going to Toys R Us and your parents would tell you to run and pick a card for a game, then you went to pick it up in the "cage" lol.....things were so much simplier.

[ATARI800XLfan]

My question would be do you think the Atari Jaguar could have handled a Arcade port of STUN Runner?

[weaponepsilon]

After a few years we moved back to South Carolina to be closer to family but there was not a GameStop in my home town to transfer to so I got a job at the local EB Games. Let me just say EB GAMES WAS AWESOME. Way better treatment of employees, better perks, better sales and even had some small commission type programs for employees. Plus the discount card was only $5 and you didn't have to worry about a dumb magazine to go with it. I was sad when I found out EB Games would be merging with GameStop lol.

funny story. I once tried to work at the Funcoland because I thought it would be awesome. like you I was 17. They wouldn't hire me because I was a punk kid with long hair. I got hired at Software ETC and worked the very few local stores for a few years. I left right after they announced that they bought out Funco. i could've stayed on and became a manager of my own GS, but I wasn't really in love with the company. Pretty much I was screwed out of a huge windfall for the company and the corp reaped all the benefits. I got hired on by a very small local competitor as a manager afterwards. I had fun, but the company sucked. We amicably parted ways and they were bought by EB games and within a year, were themselves bought by GS. Sigh, the good ol' days are gone...