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

[CRTGAMER]

Time for me to drop my 2 cents worth in. I have been reading comments about boycotting GameStop and about how horrible it is that they are throwing out the cases and manuals of lower cost/value games. If this is so important to you, then spend more money there buying complete games. That will show them that the complete titles are more desired than the loose ones.

JY

That's the irony. The price is the same for used games complete or disc only, all the same SKU. Its not only Gamestop tossing out cases, but the trading public. How can one be so lazy as not to put the stupid manual back in its case!

I went to Bookoff the other day and ALL the used disc based games on the shelf are COMPLETE. There are even some used import GBA carts still in the boxes. A different mentality in this Japanese run store.

Gamestop is compounding the problem by accepting the incomplete games and now tossing out all the cases and manuals. I'll shop at Gamestop untill I can't find anymore Retro games complete there.

[BlackDS]

At least that rack wouldn't be too difficult to flip through. My local GameStop just has cardboard boxes on a flat table that's about waist height. Flipping through those discs is a feat of its own!

Yeah that's how my Gamestop is as well. Also, Game cases for even the DS have been removed so it doesn't only apply to last generation games.

Those are probably used games that were sold to them like that.

[BurningDoom]

At least that rack wouldn't be too difficult to flip through. My local GameStop just has cardboard boxes on a flat table that's about waist height. Flipping through those discs is a feat of its own!

Yeah that's how my Gamestop is as well. Also, Game cases for even the DS have been removed so it doesn't only apply to last generation games.

Those are probably used games that were sold to them like that.

I'd say the same thing on the DS games. My Gamestop has both in-box and out-of-box used DS games. Same thing with the PS2 games, but it's only games that are like $15 or more that have their boxes still, while with DS games it doesn't matter the price.

[dunpeal2064]

It really does suck that Gamestop is throwing away cases to their ps2 games, but I do not see why people are complaining about it. I love my older systems more than my new ones, but people have to understand that Gamestop is not a retro game store.

The only alternative they would see as profitable would be to not take those games at all. I don't see how this is any better. There are tons of PS2 games, and without their ability to limit trades of a certain game within a console, they have to either take all or none. There are just too many titles to keep space on the shelves for the PS2.

I remember when Game Crazy (attached to Hollywood Video) which WAS a retro store, started throwing away the cases to their ps1 games, while still carrying NES, Genesis, and SNES games. I never understood that move, keeping all these $2-$3 cart only games, and ruining tons of ps1 rpgs value.

[CRTGAMER]

I remember when Game Crazy (attached to Hollywood Video) which WAS a retro store, started throwing away the cases to their ps1 games, while still carrying NES, Genesis, and SNES games. I never understood that move, keeping all these $2-$3 cart only games, and ruining tons of ps1 rpgs value.

One good thing I liked about Game Crazy was the disc polishing service. The negatives were their move tossing out the original cases, and covers for the Hollywood Video rental covers. Gaaah, I hate the way rental stores wipe out the limited game shelf space with every crappy movie tie in game. As bad as when Guitar Hero killed the PS2 market, when the remaining new releases were yet another plastic guitar based game. The Game Crazy's here were selling the PS1 games stacked on a stick, not even a protective envelope!

[irixith]

Those are probably used games that were sold to them like that.

See, now I don't know how Gamestop in the US works, but I have never ever been able to trade an incomplete game there in Canada -- they only accept them complete! Disc only games are a no-no -- they sell them, but they don't take them the way. You'd think they'd just save themselves the trouble, you know?

[dunpeal2064]

I remember when Game Crazy (attached to Hollywood Video) which WAS a retro store, started throwing away the cases to their ps1 games, while still carrying NES, Genesis, and SNES games. I never understood that move, keeping all these $2-$3 cart only games, and ruining tons of ps1 rpgs value.

One good thing I liked about Game Crazy was the disc polishing service. The negatives were their move tossing out the original cases, and covers for the Hollywood Video rental covers. Gaaah, I hate the way rental stores wipe out the limited game shelf space with every crappy movie tie in game. As bad as when Guitar Hero killed the PS2 market, when the remaining new releases were yet another plastic guitar based game. The Game Crazy's here were selling the PS1 games stacked on a stick, not even a protective envelope!

Stacked on a stick?! That pains me

I did like that they would fix discs. Also, they ordered games for you, which, if it worked, was awesome. I ordered Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy 2. They got them both in, but an employee set the FF2 aside (in a easy to see spot behind the counter) and then told me that only the first came in.

They did have their goods and bads, but now that they are completely gone here, I do miss em a bit

[noiseredux]

so today I ducked into a local Gamestop and was really happy to find Yggra Union complete for PSP used for $10. I bring it the register and the clerk cannot find the actual game. He checks multiple places and says he's really sorry but it's just nowhere to be found. I said "oh man... I keep seeing the game at other Gamestops, but they never have the case or manual and I only buy games complete." He said, "yeah I'm the same way." Then he proceeded to just GIVE me the case and manual for free so that I could pick up the disc-only copy next time I saw it and then I'd have a complete copy.

Fucking evil heartless bastard, right?

[Limewater]

so today I ducked into a local Gamestop and was really happy to find Yggra Union complete for PSP used for $10. I bring it the register and the clerk cannot find the actual game. He checks multiple places and says he's really sorry but it's just nowhere to be found. I said "oh man... I keep seeing the game at other Gamestops, but they never have the case or manual and I only buy games complete." He said, "yeah I'm the same way." Then he proceeded to just GIVE me the case and manual for free so that I could pick up the disc-only copy next time I saw it and then I'd have a complete copy.

Fucking evil heartless bastard, right?

Funny thing is, he knew exactly where the Yggra Union disc was. He was just keeping you occupied while his buddy siphoned half of the gas out of your car and took the loose change out of your cup holder.

[CRTGAMER]

so today I ducked into a local Gamestop and was really happy to find Yggra Union complete for PSP used for $10. I bring it the register and the clerk cannot find the actual game. He checks multiple places and says he's really sorry but it's just nowhere to be found. I said "oh man... I keep seeing the game at other Gamestops, but they never have the case or manual and I only buy games complete." He said, "yeah I'm the same way." Then he proceeded to just GIVE me the case and manual for free so that I could pick up the disc-only copy next time I saw it and then I'd have a complete copy.

Fucking evil heartless bastard, right?

Good move and a good employee! That is better then tossing the case and manual as other stores would do when a game is missing. Upsetting, if the game turns up later for the next customer, but your gain to get a complete set.

I do this often, buy a game at one location and go to another to get something missing like a manual. Gamestop does have a seven day refund policy in case I can't get a complete set.



The Gamecube games are a real pleasure driving around different Gamestops hunting for all the extra booklets. The obscure game specific Nintendo Power subscription flyer, each game has their own unique ad. The really fun hunt was getting Gamcube Animal Crossing with all the extra booklets and especially the memory card with the original sticker and the welcome mail save intact. Don't ask how many Gamestops this took. I know, Its a Players Choice cover (no concern) and I'm still missing the tree sticker. In honesty, I found the Animal Crossing memory card at a local swap meet sold cheap. The seller did not know how hard this is to find compared to the regular memory card.