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

[MrPopo]

And in the real world outside their bubble that's called USED. I won't buy a game, even if they're the only one with it, if that's the copy they have. One I have to trust they didn't self-rent it out as employees are allowed to do. And two, that box and manual(if it still exists) is on display with dirty peoples fingers, fluids, and other germy garbage getting all over it.

No idea how Gamestop can legally sell an opened game as new, especially when missing items inside! Unbelievable that Consumer Protection Groups are monitoring this.

Probably under the same guidelines that define the difference between a new and a used car. You can get several thousand miles on a car before it tips over that line (my dad works for a dealership and drove a loaner that had to keep being changed out as he put miles on them).

[Fragems]

Technically it's supposed to be sold as "open box" although they never bother to label them that way. Think it mostly centers around the fact that they don't want to have to constantly relabel stuff when they get down to their last copy or when they get restocked. That being said usually if they aren't getting a restock of the game they will start discounting that last copy. I've gotten quite a few collector's editions that way.

[retrosportsgamer]

I'm going to throw a "good" Gamestop's way. Taking advantage of their Black Friday sale online, I enjoyed the experience for a couple of reasons:

- You can check out as a guest, don't need any login bs
- Free shipping over $25
- Items arrived the following Tuesday
- Didn't have to navigate their stores or deal with associates

[Sarge]

In my opinion, if the game hasn't actually been played and is complete, it should count as "new", even if it isn't sealed.

I have used this to my advantage, of course, when I got a "new" copy of Suikoden Tierkreis, and it already had a saved game on it. The manager refunded me the difference between the new and used price. My guess is that an employee took it home and played for a bit.

I guess in technicality, it could be sold as open-box, but there are a lot of retailers beyond GameStop that sell things at the new price, even if it's been opened, so I don't think there's anything illegal there. If you're the type that must have the game sealed, then the easiest solution is to not buy their last copy. It's not going to bother most people, though, and it's certainly not a gross miscarriage of justice. I especially don't care if it's their last copy of a hard-to-find game.

[TEKTORO]

It's the principle new games should absolutely come factory sealed for numerous reasons. Primary problem here this is being done so people don't buy new and go for the used bottom line. Look how f**kd the industry is because of it, you have developers and publishers scrounging for ways to make back money they put into delivering a product at the expense of a consumer only. We have more DLC, add ons, online passes etc and more shitty rushed games with day one patches like never before all because of shifty business practices like these.

Honestly if it was ok then why are we on the verge of a digital format only push vs GS. Sorry to say GameStop does not give two craps about their employees, you or your hobby.

[Exhuminator]

Sorry that say GameStop does not give two craps about their employees, you or your hobby.

I sincerely agree with you. I haven't stepped foot in a GameStop since 2007 after realizing what you just said was true, even way back then.

There's just no excuse for unsealing a game just to put it on a shelf. The reason is supposedly "but somebody will steal it so we keep the disc behind the counter". Okay. Toys R Us got around that yyyyeeearrrs ago by simply using paper inserts to stand in for the games on the shelf instead. You just take the paper insert up to the counter, pay for the game, and then the employee hands you your brand new STILL SEALED by the manufacturer game. There are only nefarious reasons why GameStop doesn't use this time proven method.

[TEKTORO]

Got that straight, it cost 10 cents to print a mock cover with a 15 cent black generic case.. All recyclable so what gives. Lol

[Fragems]

The fact that they make a wall of preorder box art shows that they could easily do just that .

[TEKTORO]

So they wanna sell new games (sarcasm). So far still the only good would be (birds chirping).

[Sarge]

I'm not sure "nefarious" comes to mind. They just use a similar model to other open-box items sold in other stores. I get that some of you care deeply about it, but there aren't enough people that do care enough about it for it to bother them. It certainly doesn't bother me, especially if I'm going to be taking the cellophane off as soon as I get home anyway. Now, if there's stuff missing, I'm not going to be happy, and if I want a sealed copy to put on my shelf, I won't be buying their last copy, but otherwise? I don't see it as a big deal. It's not like they're selling all their new games opened.

Toys 'R' Us is also pretty much the only retailer that uses the card system that I know of. I'm not entirely sure why more don't, because it does address quite a few concerns. Might be from a floor space perspective, given that a lot of GS stores are quite small, so having a wall of paper slips with printouts in addition to finding somewhere to store all those cases might be tricky. Dunno.