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Kanluwen wrote:Hahaha, no.

I had preordered three games(Age of Conan's collector's edition as a present for my father, Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, and the original Mass Effect).

Each time, when push came to shove they kept saying that "Oh, your order shipped so check with your local store".

Each time, my local store had no record of ever receiving anything.

Each time, Game Stop then claimed that I did not "properly fill out the notification forms for shipments".

Bear in mind that those games all had a biiiiiiiiiig difference in timeframes for releases. Each time I only preordered via Game Stop because they had something unique which also affected the gameplay in such a way that it was dumb not to preorder through them.

Did you end up purchasing from amazon or they re-order everything for you again?

Yeah, that's what I thought. But what I don't understand is how there being a lot of GameStops means that they are screwing up your order ... or constitutes shady business dealings for that matter?

And to echo Luna, what was the resolution?

Manchu: the "shady business dealings" is related to something which I have seen quite a few of their shops go out of their way to buy things faaaaaaaaar less from minors than they do from someone with a clue.

Ex: My neighbor, who is 13, was told that Modern Warfare 3--the week it released--was only being bought back for $20.

When I went in and asked, I was told $48.

If removing used games is need to save the industry, I say let it die. I actually don't think I could be a gamer if I had to buy every game new.

Luna: the resolution was me telling my credit card company to stop payment as they did not deliver on their goods; with three weeks to do so.

It wasn't like I preorder things at the last minute. I preorder things the day a preorder is available if I really, really want it. By three weeks in, you can't get preorder bonuses and if that's what you're after it is not worth trying to.

I don't doubt that it happens but I do doubt that it's a policy.

As for throwing their weight around, would you agree that only a publisher would find that to be a negative? (Or, conversely, a consumer with no access to GameStop because there were not yet enough of them around.)

Bought back value $20
trade in value $48

sounds 100% legit to me.

Kanluwen wrote:Luna: the resolution was me telling my credit card company to stop payment as they did not deliver on their goods; with three weeks to do so.

Sounds like you had a record of the pre-order. I don't think I would have accepted the store's version of events the first time, much less the second or third times.


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LunaHound wrote:Bought back value $20
trade in value $48

sounds 100% legit to me.

That's a good point, but I assumed he meant trade-in value or buy-back for both.

Manchu wrote:Automatically Appended Next Post:

LunaHound wrote:Bought back value $20
trade in value $48

sounds 100% legit to me.

That's a good point, but I assumed he meant trade-in value or buy-back for both.

The number makes too much sense to be a coincidence, coming from a 13 years old and an angry customer.

It also didn't take into account for the specific time period.
E.G Gamestop didnt project an accurate number for the popularity and worth of a game.

For example, lets say Bestbuy. lot of their buy back price and resold price has changed drastically depending on the popularity
of a game as it grew... lets say.... Dark Souls for example.

nomotog wrote:If removing used games is need to save the industry, I say let it die. I actually don't think I could be a gamer if I had to buy every game new.

I never buy used games but I pretty well agree with this statement. I don't want to see the stuff put out by an industry that crumbles before the sweeping tide of GameStop, which badgers me to pre-order every single game that the industry produces every single time I transact any business in any of their stores (even online!).


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LunaHound wrote:The number makes too much sense to be a coincidence

Yeah, that is exactly what you would expect there.

Manchu wrote:I don't doubt that it happens but I do doubt that it's a policy.

I doubt it's a "written" policy but considering I saw it happen in a Game Stop I visited while out of state, I don't doubt it's something they're told to do when they're being trained up and if they can get away with it.

As for throwing their weight around, would you agree that only a publisher would find that to be a negative? (Or, conversely, a consumer with no access to GameStop because there were not yet enough of them around.)

It's definitely a problem for the publisher, but also the developer.

Look at, as an example, the preorder bonus for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier via Game Stop.
FREE Upgrade to the Signature Edition

Pre-order Ghost Recon Future Soldier and get a free upgrade to the Signature Edition! While Supplies Last. Pre-order Ghost Recon Future Soldier and receive a code to register for the VIP beta. Available online and in-store while supplies last.

Online/ In-Store Pickup Customers: A code and instructions on how to redeem your VIP beta invitation will be emailed the following Monday after pre-order is placed.
Store Customers: A code and instructions on how to redeem your VIP beta invitation will be printed on your receipt at time of reservation.

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Future Soldier Signature Edition
More details

FREE Upgrade to the Signature Edition
- Bonus Moscow Suburb In-Game Co-op Multiplayer Map
- 2 Bonus In-Game Weapons
- Bonus Head Customization Mode
-Limited Edition Penny Arcade Weapon Skin Featuring Twisp and Catsby

Compare that to everywhere else here in the US.

Depending upon where you preorder from...
Best Buy only has the bonus in-game weapons.
Amazon has early access to a map called "Drilling Ship"(note: Early access; not EXCLUSIVE access).
Wal-Mart only has two skins for your standard guns; no bonuses except that and a $10 eGift card.

So that's a gun skin--which according to Ubisoft will NOT be made available through them--, some customization options for your character, and a coop multiplayer map (Which if you have not seen the previews for it, is you fighting off hordes of bad guys...at a Game Stop in Moscow) which are not available anywhere but Game Stop.
For a developer, a map is quite a bit of work to not be able to make it available overall.




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LunaHound wrote:Bought back value $20
trade in value $48

sounds 100% legit to me.

I don't do many buybacks/trade-ins so excuse me. If I buy games, I generally keep them.

Pardon my misstep in that.

They told me they would BUY IT BACK for $48 when I took it in. Same day, same store, even the same employee.

Am I the only person whom's gamestop tries to save him money?

I mean, The one I go to now.. I go in there to buy 12 months of XBL subscription, and the sales clerk goes into the back and hands me 12 + 2 months of XBL, and sells it to me for the same price.

The old one screwed me over though; I sold them six games for $1 each, though to be fair it was a bunch of four/five year old games, and they all sucked. Except Shadow of the Collosus, I really regret selling that one

So Kan, now you are saying that it is (or rather could be) a problem for the developer but I'm still not seeing a problem for you, the consumer.

Manchu wrote:So Kan, now you are saying that it is a problem for the developer but I'm still not seeing a problem for you, the consumer.

Really? You can't see how having a retail company which is actually able to push developers around and keep exclusive content for them exclusive is a problem?

For FPS games, exclusive content(i.e. guns) which have a direct impact within the game causes a problem.
Ex: BF3 and the preorder bonus which Game Stop alone had.
Access to 3 highly powerful guns AND some of their biggest accessories...on day one. In multiplayer, that puts you at a huge disadvantage. In the case of Battlefield 3, the "day one access" in this case was the DAO-12 shotgun(an unlock for all classes) and the Frag Rounds(which are the second to last unlock for Shotgun ammunition and still ridiculously powerful even now), the M60 machine gun(ridiculously powerful--even now) and the extended magazines, and the SKS (the only "dud" in the group of three guns according to those who preordered--except it was a sniper rifle which came with a flash suppressor at the start, meaning that your shots would not show on the minimap).

Then there's the Ghost Recon Future Soldier example I gave...an entire map which will not be available to anyone else but Game Stop customers, an entire level of customization for your MP characters not available to anyone else but Game Stop customers, and the (admittedly meh) lack of a gun skin for anyone but Game Stop customers.

Wait wait wait. Anyone can buy the game at GameStop for no more expense than buying it anywhere else. So again there is no harm to the consumer.

Manchu wrote:Wait wait wait. Anyone can buy the game at GameStop for no more expense than buying it anywhere else. So again there is no harm to the consumer.

Not everyone shops around for preorder bonuses. One should not gain an advantage by simply shopping at a store.

Game Stop--NO MATTER WHAT--always has SOME kind of advantage for its preorder bonuses. It's more obvious in FPSes with multiplayer, however, as it alters the dynamic of play.

Kanluwen wrote:One should not gain an advantage by simply shopping at a store.

People should not benefit for shopping around for the best bargain?



That is the first genuine LOL I have posted for a while.

While I will never believe the outright lie that used games are killing the games industry, I too hate Game Stop (I just choose to hate them for something that isn't imaginary).

To go down the list:
-Horrible Service
-Jerk Employees (generally, YMMV)
-Constantly trying to sell me Game Informer subscriptions I don't want
-EDIT: Horrible selection (again YMMV)
-Trade in X game for $10 so we can sell it for $30
-EDIT: Pre-order bonuses I can get on board with, but I hate those in general

There are a lot of problem with Game Stop and stores like it. But killing the video game industry isn't one of them.

Manchu wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:One should not gain an advantage by simply shopping at a store.

People should not benefit for shopping around for the best bargain?



That is the first genuine LOL I have posted for a while.

You're not "shopping around for the best bargain".

You're "shopping around for an in-game advantage".
It's not as big of a deal when it applies to "single player only"(like ME3's preorder bonuses were) but when someone is getting a highly ranked gun and its "best" ammunition right off the bat, there's a problem.


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Preorder bonuses "in general", I don't hate....provided it's something which isn't affecting the actual gameplay.

Weapon skins or something? Yeah I'm fine with that, it doesn't matter one bit if your gun looks like a tigerbear.

Kanluwen wrote:You're not "shopping around for the best bargain". You're "shopping around for an in-game advantage".

I don't see any difference. Anyone can preorder the game at GameStop for the same amount of money as anywhere else.

Really this isn't a legitimate problem that a consumer could have with GameStop. I can see WalMart having a problem with it. So far you have complained on behalf of developers, publishers, and retailers but not yet consumers.

Retailers, developers, and publishers are not the ones who have to play with the people who "shop around" for their in-game advantages.

But you could have done the same at zero additional expense. The fact that you didn't and then got mad about is a complaint against yourself rather than GameStop.

Manchu wrote:But you could have done the same at zero additional expense. The fact that you didn't and then got mad about is a complaint against yourself rather than GameStop.

Just playing the devil's advocate, what if there are no GameStops near where you live?

Slarg232 wrote:

Manchu wrote:But you could have done the same at zero additional expense. The fact that you didn't and then got mad about is a complaint against yourself rather than GameStop.

Just playing the devil's advocate, what if there are no GameStops near where you live?

If some random kid can drive 700 miles to get a dorito taco from Taco Bell, I think anyone else can manage to drive to a game stop. I doubt I've ever seen one farther off than 100 miles

Slarg232 wrote:Just playing the devil's advocate, what if there are no GameStops near where you live?

Then the problem is that there aren't enough GameStops rather than the problem being that there are too many, as Kan originally alleged.

LordofHats wrote:

Slarg232 wrote:

Manchu wrote:But you could have done the same at zero additional expense. The fact that you didn't and then got mad about is a complaint against yourself rather than GameStop.

Just playing the devil's advocate, what if there are no GameStops near where you live?

If some random kid can drive 700 miles to get a dorito taco from Taco Bell, I think anyone else can manage to drive to a game stop. I doubt I've ever seen one farther off than 100 miles

I.... But..... See here....

I got nothing to come back to that

Manchu wrote:But you could have done the same at zero additional expense. The fact that you didn't and then got mad about is a complaint against yourself rather than GameStop.

But again, you missed the point. It's an in-game advantage at--as you put it--"zero additional expense".

Your argument is that it's "shopping around". Not everyone pays attention to preorder bonuses; nor do they have an interest in buying such a bonus when it unbalances the game.

Game Stop KNOWS it can do this crap and get away with it because they are one of the biggest chains out there, and given that people can (and do) trade in /sell back their "old" multiplayer heavy titles for the next "hit multiplayer title" to Game Stop--there's a problem here and it's not the developer or publisher.

GameStop relies on people paying attention to this. If GameStop had it's way, all people who bought the game would have the in-game advantage because they would only buy from GameStop. In effect, any one who cares about being competitive should do business with the company that allows them to be the most competitive.

There really is no problem here whatsoever, except for competitive players who don't pay attention to companies that spend a lot of money trying to get their attention.

There is a problem here, giving competitive advantage based off of money spent ruins the gameplay.

It's not based on money spent.