Corporations and the discarding of (gaming) Product.

[GameMasterGuy]

Guys, look at this from a business standpoint. They're legally obligated to destroy them instead of giving them away, otherwise potential sales from another store are lost to the developer/ publisher.

[AppleQueso]

what potential sales? they aren't getting sold either way

[BoneSnapDeez]

I'm surprised more GameStop employees don't just steal that shit. I know I would.

[GameMasterGuy]

what potential sales? they aren't getting sold either way

Not to gamestop, potential sales of that game. Not that specific copy, but the title in general. Say there's someone wanting Madden 08 En Espanol for some reason, and this gamestop gave it to him for free. Instead of buying it from Wal-Mart, the publisher would lose out on a sale due to the game being given to him free of charge.

[KDub]

It isn't just about destroying it for room or keep people from reselling it when they couldn't get money.

It also has a lot to do with how to they have to report the merchandise back to their distributor, the government/taxes and corporate. Giving it away for nothing, selling it super cheap or donating it won't have the same effect on their overall books and money they get back.

Even stores who do donate still throw things out.

It is a huge shame, a waste and disgusting.

[ElkinFencer10]

Guys, look at this from a business standpoint. They're legally obligated to destroy them instead of giving them away, otherwise potential sales from another store are lost to the developer/ publisher.

Let's look at this from an ecological standpoint. If you destroy something, those natural resources were used for no reason whatsoever. If you give something away, those natural resources were used so that someone somewhere will get enjoyment from whatever it was. There comes a point where ethics and responsible use of the planet's finite resources HAVE to come into play regardless of whether it's better for "business" to break something or give it away.

[GameMasterGuy]

I never said it was morally right, just economically.

[ElkinFencer10]

I never said it was morally right, just economically.

I know, I wasn't trying to sound argumentative towards you, just posing another perspective. Sorry if that go lost in the rhetoric.

[GameMasterGuy]

No problem, don't worry about it. I wonder how often GS does this?

[casterofdreams]

This isn't anything new. I did this for Staples back in the day. Its not Gamestop destroying it because they want to, it's the manufacturer not taking it back if it can't be sold. RTV (Return to Vendor) and RTW (Return to Warehouse) is coded on every SKU in a retail store. Microsoft wanted their Office 2003 and Vista back but Norton can care less every year so I took knives to them and chucked them out. They go from Inactive Status to Clearance and then to Final Status. I used to throw out perfectly good furniture like office desks and chairs. Printers and ink/toner for certain manufacturers would get the boot to the dumpsters too. CD-RW destroyed by the spindle but hard drives always get sent back, no matter the style/type. Just some examples.

I can understand this more because Gamestop did this to product that we care more for but such is the life of a retail store.