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

[Jmustang1968]

I hate gamestop for producing more copies. One for selling them at an absurd price for a used copy and two for devaluing my copy by half.

$90 is not half of $100 and change.

Before they started producing more copies, the game was close to the $200 mark. Now its at half.

I think sealed copies with artbooks were going for 150-160, but opened copies were fetching 95-110.

[Fragems]

I might redeem the power up rewards points I have earned over the past few weeks for a B2G2 Preowned Wii Game Coupon and buy 4 "used" copies of Xenoblade Chronicles with my next paycheck if they are still around by then. That would make them around $43 a piece after taxes. If I were to put the 3 spare copies on Ebay I would probably make my money back and maybe a little bit more even after fees if the market value sticks where it is.

Calculations:
$90
$81(Automatic 10% off used games)
B2G2 coupon= $171.72(After 6% sales tax) for 4 copies

Current VGPC.com average value for CIB copies around $76-80.

$76 x 3= $228

After %15 fees= $193.80

The trick is finding a Gamestop with 4 copies . Might have to do some calling around I know for a fact that at least 2 of the 4 stores in my area for sure have that many copies, but whether or not I can coax them out of the clerks is another question . The online store has a limit of 1 per customer hopefully the shops are not the same.

According to the store finder 7 gamestops within 20 miles have the game. All are posting as "low stock" though might have to see if any single store can fill the order or can have more copies shipped in from another store.

[oxymoron]

So you guys are saying that if I'm nice to the guy he'll ship across country for a $10 game? How does it even work? Like when do I know it has arrived?

Edit: It worked!!!!!!!!!!

[Hobie-wan]

I hate gamestop for producing more copies. One for selling them at an absurd price for a used copy and two for devaluing my copy by half.

$90 is not half of $100 and change.

Before they started producing more copies, the game was close to the $200 mark. Now its at half.

Go look at the link again. Click the CIB and new in the upper right of the chart. Crazy people might have been asking $200, but on the major websites on the internet where anyone could get it, It topped out at $165 as far as sales go. Most were less than that.

[Luke]

I'm almost at a loss for words (but that wouldn't be like me now, would it?).

I just got carded, at a Game Stop. It's not my usual store, but it's in the same city and had the game I wanted (Splatterhouse, to unlock the three original games) cib. I heard that the new version is nothing to write home about, but at around two bucks a game it was worth it. I digress.

I walk in the store wearing a single breasted suit, powder blue tie with silver tie clip and say "You have a game on hold for me. Splatterhouse for the 360". The clerk asks, "Do you have your powerup (or whatever it is called) card?". After I provided that he states "I'm going to have to see your id".

I ask, puzzled, "Why?".

Apparently it is now store policy to check everyone's id's for Mature rated games. The clerk also said "An assistant manager got caught selling an M rated game to a kid and was fired".

Was the wool pulled over my eyes? Isn't the esrb rating a guide, not a law? Has this happened to anyone else who is obviously a grown man?

[MrPopo]

Was the wool pulled over my eyes? Isn't the esrb rating a guide, not a law? Has this happened to anyone else who is obviously a grown man?

Correct; the ESRB is merely a guideline like the MPAA ratings. It sounds like corporate is really cracking down on people purchasing M rated games who are under the guidance.

[SpoonyBard]

That usually only lasts for a few weeks after the incident takes place, then they go back to not caring.

I also assumed that the ESRB was simply a guideline and that people were only fired because of store policy.

[prfsnl_gmr]

I also assumed that the ESRB was simply a guideline and that people were only fired because of store policy.

This is correct. ESRB ratings - like MPAA ratings - are not connected to any law, and there is no legal prohibition on stores are free to sell M or AO rated games to minors. Accordingly, if someone was terminated for selling an M rated game to a minor, then he or she was fired for violating store policy. (Also, the stores in Charlotte are pretty strict about this policy, and I have more than once seen a sales associates refuse to sell M-rated games to an unaccompanied minor...This usually leads to a parent entering the store and getting upset that GameStop would not sell his or her child an M-rated game... )

Also...Gamestop is awesome right now. I have received some insane deals there this month on used PS3 and Wii games.

[noiseredux]

Luke, Splatterhouse 2010 is not as bad as folks make it out to be. It's not great, but it's a fun, mindless beatemup with tons of gore. It def earned its M rating haha.

That said, yes, the real reason to own it is the unlockable trilogy. But I do feel it gets a worse rep than deserved.

[FerretGamer]

I'm almost at a loss for words (but that wouldn't be like me now, would it?).

I just got carded, at a Game Stop. It's not my usual store, but it's in the same city and had the game I wanted (Splatterhouse, to unlock the three original games) cib. I heard that the new version is nothing to write home about, but at around two bucks a game it was worth it. I digress.

I walk in the store wearing a single breasted suit, powder blue tie with silver tie clip and say "You have a game on hold for me. Splatterhouse for the 360". The clerk asks, "Do you have your powerup (or whatever it is called) card?". After I provided that he states "I'm going to have to see your id".

I ask, puzzled, "Why?".

Apparently it is now store policy to check everyone's id's for Mature rated games. The clerk also said "An assistant manager got caught selling an M rated game to a kid and was fired".

Was the wool pulled over my eyes? Isn't the esrb rating a guide, not a law? Has this happened to anyone else who is obviously a grown man?

It's worse at Target. They have to scan your license/ID in order to get past the computer prompt.

Other than that, I am almost rarely carded and to be honest if they think I look under 18, I'll take it as a compliment.