What are you thoughts on Gamestop?

I know that a lot of people who play video games have some animosity towards Gamestop. I agree that they are not the best source to go to for recently released games and the used price for recent games are far too high. (usually only $5 dollars less than a new copy) You can get a lot of used PS2 games for some really good prices though. I was able to get Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, and Spider-Man: The Movie Game all for a total of just $5. Even on Ebay most of the time even if the games were dirt cheap the shipping price would be almost that much. I get the feeling that people focus too much on some of the less glamorous aspects of the business structure and miss out on some of the upsides. Am I wrong? What are your thoughts?

I'm aware of the typo in the subject title. I apologize.

I hate gamestop.

@falserelic said:

I hate gamestop.

I try not to have thoughts about GameStop.

I pay for the rewards zone pro thing. Just for Game Informer subscription. I still like getting magazines in the mail. I'm weak. =\


Getting random used games i missed out on at a discount is kinda cool. Picked up El Shaddai and King of Fighters 13 for cheap. I don't sell any of my games back to them though. Or buy any of their newly released games used

I think no one really likes Gamestop. But they do provide a cheap way for the average video game player to play more games.

I have no opinion on Gamestop really, the only think I have ever experienced that have informed my opinion of Gamestop, is that I saw a copy of Gears of War 2 for full price, two years after release!

I for one have very few problems with gamestop, but perhaps that is because I rarely shop there.

Gamestop seems fine when I would shop there myself, but so many of their policies just make me sick. The last straw was when they were opening up copies of Deus Ex:HR and pulling out those vouchers for Live.

They charge more than other stores.

well, its mostly their preorder bullshit that makes me actively dislike them. they pull all sorts of crap to get developers/publishers (whoever is in charge of that stuff) to force in preorder bonuses exclusively for gamestop. often times its pretty big stuff too. which is crazy.

i dont shop there because, well it sucks going there. the clerks are always pushy about preorders, and i dont blame them, i know they're forced to push that shit on customers, but it makes me not want to go there. i want to walk in, buy my game, and walk out. i dont want the guy to try and sell me 8 other things, strategy guides, other games, "hey bro, call of duty is coming out next month, you should preorder it or you might not get a copy!"

so now i buy all my games either from steam, amazon or i go to the target near my house.

in short, the hate they get is kinda justified by the way they do business, sleezy preorder nonsense, and making their employees super pushy.

Pricing is what gets me. Majority of the time you can get the same exact game on amazon for cheaper and it's new. Usually the only reason I go to gamestop still is if it's a gamestop exclusive game (xenoblade) or there is some huge blow out deal like buy 2 get 1 free or 50% off used PS2 games. Then it's actually worth it to shop used at gamestop.

I only shop at EB Games, same thing as GameStop, when they have an amazing sale which almost never happens. Frankly I never even go in their stores anymore ever since they changed used games to "recycled games" to appear eco-friendly. Get the fuck out of my face with that garbage.

Usually if I'm curious about what the other game journalist/review sites have on something I'll go to gamerankings (as that's all it covers are reviews of these websites unlike metacritic) then look at gamespot like the others, neither like nor dislike them. Will look at their review then compare to get an idea on the game I'm looking at.

I haven't stepped into a gamestop in over 4 years been doing most of my used game shopping through Amazon.com

@fox01313 said:

Usually if I'm curious about what the other game journalist/review sites have on something I'll go to gamerankings (as that's all it covers are reviews of these websites unlike metacritic) then look at gamespot like the others, neither like nor dislike them. Will look at their review then compare to get an idea on the game I'm looking at.

GameSTOP not GameSPOT. Don't worry I make that mistake all the time.

since i was able to pay for stuff on amazon i haven't gone to a gamestop. i don't mind waiting a day or two to get my game if i don't have to deal with being asked if i want to buy something used/pre-order/trade-in/sign up for something.

I go to other places to get games since they're closer now, but I've never had a problem with a GameStop before. I've had a few problems with GameCrazy's before, but it was nothing personal, as in, crap that I didn't approve of happened to my brother and friend at a few different ones, but not me.

@Rainbowkisses: That Nathan Drake pic you have is funny.

The place is fine, I've never had any major issues with Gamestop. I'll never really understand the vicious hate towards it. I go in, I say no to every question they ask me except "credit or debit?" to which I say debit. I walk out with my game. Done.

I think its a store.

Maybe your argument for buying ps2 games there might be valid if they had a good selection, but they do not.

If by some reason I buy used games that I totally I'm against, I choose Gamefly. Better sales and you can play the game first; plus they have have great rewards if you are a member. Also, amazon...

I worked at a local GameStop while in college (and for a bit after), and I can honestly say that 90% of the complaints we got in-store basically boiled down to the fact that we were a BUSINESS that (shocker) tried to make money. Case in point, the trade-in values - people would bitch about how they'd get $5 for Game X and we'd turn around and sell said game for $35. Yeah, you're getting hosed (sorta), but A) GameStop's gonna make its money and B) It's a service, not a right - nobody forced them to trade in their game or accept our money...or "credit".

That said, GameStop does / did some pretty hinky stuff and, like Activision, has a real knack for alienating its customers (and employees, for that matter). While Best Buy may be closing the gap somewhat, GameStop still has a place as a specialty shop and can offer a wider selection of games that many brick & mortar stores no longer stock.

I'd almost call GameStop a necessary evil, but it's not always evil and I think we're quickly approaching point where it won't even be necessary anymore.

The Gamestops around me are perfectly fine.

I only shop there to buy stuff for my family (usually at the last minute). The place would be far more bearable if they didn't fucking try to up sell me on everything.

I'm neutral really. I've had no real bad experiences with them, least not yet anyway.

Despite all the complaints, I've never had a terrible experience at Gamestop whenever I find myself going to one. That doesn't mean I never get asked if I'd like to preorder something or subscribe to whatever. I just recognize that is their job, and they may hate having to ask themselves, but store policy requires it. Besides being polite goes a long way in getting both of us on with our day.

I usually buy games from amazon because they put stuff on sale all the time. I shop at gamestop only if  the game I want costs the same on amazon and that's just for convenience.

i've got no MAJOR problems with it. I just dont go there. ever.

Gamestop is a store. Any hate or resentment can be like telling a blender "I hate you".

Gamestop employees on the other hand...

Gamestop is a dungbeetle rolling dung

Was there today. Bought Syndicate. Dude did not ask about reserving any games. And we chatted about 30 mins about video games. Dude was bummbed when He had to take a call and I left. 

Pretty indifferent, they kinda suck, but WHATEVS.

Never really had a problem with Gamestop. Sure, their nagging about pre-orders can be annoying, but eh. I still buy most of my games from them.

Gamestop is dumb, Amazon is where its at.

Up there with places I will not stop in at a mall, next to Spencers and Hot Topic, but for the typical used games reason. I find the way they take my nephews' games for 5 bucks of credit and turn around to sell them for 50 to be abhorrent.

I told them if they want to get rid of their old games, I'll buy them off of them for more than what GS will give them. Bolsters my collection and they're happy.

I avoid them when I can.

EB games (I'm Canadian), used to be completely fine. I never understood why people got annoyed with them. Then, in like the last year or so, they've just transformed into every bad thing that was ever said about them. Going there is such a fucking unpleasant experience at this point. Every time I go there some employee is up in my face talking about a billion different things and they staple two or three flyers to my fucking receipt.

Oh, and their "recycled" games garbage. What the fuck is that nonsense?

I don't. I don't think of gamestop until someone makes a thread trying to remind me that I'm not supposed to like it. Their focus is on selling console games and as a PC guy I have no reason to go to them to buy anything. The only time I buy console games are years after they came out, and by then they are always more easily found at other places online for cheaper then what they are selling. So I have no reason to ever go to one. I check their sales page on ebgames.ca from time to time, as they will some times have a good deal or two, but that's about it.

I have no issues with them, I have gotten some good deals on used games and trading in games. As long as you are a smart shopper and pay attention to sales and trade-in promotions you can do pretty well. Yeah they over price newer used games and have low tivs on lots of games, they are a business though they are trying to make money, they aren't being evil or unfair.

My biggest issue with them having worked for them for a year is the preorder bonuses and the type of people that work there. Preorder bonuses are just awful in general and make me have to buy from 3 different stores to get 3 different types of in game items is just frustrating and annoying. The other thing that made some gamestops suck was that the people that worked in their were just stuck up people who think they know whats best for you and always push warranties on you to boost their sales. There are always some group of people that actually want to give you what you want and just enjoy helping people but theres far too many bad employees.

I've had some real poor experiences with Gamestop. Once I went to buy FF XIII and was informed that I shouldn't buy it unless I'd played all the previous FF games, because it's all 'one long story' and I would be lost otherwise. When I tried to correct the employee's mistake, they informed me that they couldn't possibly be wrong because they'd played all the previous FF's and I'd admitted I hadn't, so they knew better than I.

And also once when I was job hunting I went to apply to a different local Gamestop and they told me they couldn't hire me because the management wanted to hire 'core' gamers and I wasn't one because I was a girl and I told them I didn't play first person shooters.

So those things happened. But whatever, I'll still stop by a Gamestop if there's one nearby and I know they probably have a game I want, since I enjoy purchasing an item and having it same day. But there's a bigger, better, independent game store near where I currently live, so that's what gets my business nowadays.

Don't care for them. But this is mostly from personal experiences from working at one briefly. Many of the employees there are kind of assy, sarcastic fanboys/girls of one type or another (like many gamers I guess... hmm...).

@Owlright said:

I've had some real poor experiences with Gamestop. Once I went to buy FF XIII and was informed that I shouldn't buy it unless I'd played all the previous FF games, because it's all 'one long story' and I would be lost otherwise. When I tried to correct the employee's mistake, they informed me that they couldn't possibly be wrong because they'd played all the previous FF's and I'd admitted I hadn't, so they knew better than I.

And also once when I was job hunting I went to apply to a different local Gamestop and they told me they couldn't hire me because the management wanted to hire 'core' gamers and I wasn't one because I was a girl and I told them I didn't play first person shooters.

So those things happened. But whatever, I'll still stop by a Gamestop if there's one nearby and I know they probably have a game I want, since I enjoy purchasing an item and having it same day. But there's a bigger, better, independent game store near where I currently live, so that's what gets my business nowadays.

I kind of had a similar experience when I was working there during a hiatus from my normal job. The manager was being kind of sleazy, and when I made it abundantly clear that I wasn't interested, he started getting very venomous and fired me after my first test-run week for "over-qualification."

I think it boils down to the some of the employees at the ground level being very elitist and unpleasant, and some of the management just being businessmen that have no interest in being there, or they just couldn't find a better administration job.

But that's just my experience.

they are alright. their used games are horrible sometimes. like what you said $5 off for a newer used game. another thing about their used games are the condition that they're in. sometimes they're just in horrible condition. i know it's not their fault but people take care of your stuff.

I'm fine with them but I really have no reason to buy from them. I'll either buy from Amazon or Walmart.

@vietthreat said:

My biggest issue with them having worked for them for a year is the preorder bonuses and the type of people that work there. Preorder bonuses are just awful in general and make me have to buy from 3 different stores to get 3 different types of in game items is just frustrating and annoying. The other thing that made some gamestops suck was that the people that worked in their were just stuck up people who think they know whats best for you and always push warranties on you to boost their sales. There are always some group of people that actually want to give you what you want and just enjoy helping people but theres far too many bad employees.

As another former employee, I have to agree, especially with the warranties/pre-orders. Being a gamer, first and foremost, I always had a really hard time pressing other gamers for a bunch of shit I know they didn't want. I never TOLD anyone what to buy, but just talked to them about games. Mr. Manager didn't like that at all.

And the company is so chicken-shit. I started there getting roughly 20-30 hours a week, but when Mr. Manager realized that I wasn't going to up sell every person that came in there, they cut my hours. Which is absurd, when every customer that came in mentioned how much they appreciated me NOT pushing that crap on them. But, within a couple months, guess how many hours I was scheduled for weekly? 15? 10?.........

Try 3!!! 3 hours a week! Why didn't they just fire me? Maybe it was because I never missed a day, was always on time, if not early(my other job at the time was in the arcade just a few doors down in the same mall), or that I had more knowledge of games and played more games than anyone who worked there. No, it was because I wasn't a rude salesman helping to line their pockets. Mr. Manager(every time I type that I feel like Michael Bluth should be saying "Its just Manager, George Michael") didn't have the balls to just say so.

Luckily I game exclusively on PC now, so I really have no reason to ever go back into one. Last time I did, I asked where they had their PC games at, and the guy pointed me at a box and said they only had codes for their download service. I replied, "I already have my own download service. Its called Steam, maybe you've heard of it?" And lo and behold, now they have the pre-paid Steam cards. Just trying to hold on to PC gamers however they can. Unfortunately for them, most PC gamers have debit cards!

i go to an EB games (same thing pretty much?) and it's pretty great

Maybe I'm just lucky , but all the gamestops I shop at locally have had pretty nice people working there. That's actually partially why I go back, I know a couple store managers who have always been cool to me. Perhaps it's because the upsell doesn't bother me, every retail store does it. Heck even restaurants try to push wine and desert on you. This is no different really.

So I'm polite to them when I turn them down for their protection plans and other whatnot and then we actually getting to talking games. I think they appreciate that I don't act like a jerk to them for basically doing their jobs.

That and there are a million other establishments that have had more obnoxious selling tactics. I think one of the reasons gamers complain about Gamestop so much is that it's one of the very first stores that a young person experiences such sales tactics with their own money. But once you go out more, you realize most everywhere does this upsell crap if not more.

I used to just hate Circuit City and CompUSA those places really treated you like you were stupid. Then of course there's car dealerships. Those are the worst.

I liked EB better when it was around before the merger, and the stores I still go to were originally EBs.

So far, the two Gamestops that I have used have been staffed with knowledgeable, caring staff that understands what you are talking about and doesn't try to feed you BS about something. I like them mostly because they buy back my games at great rates (made over $100 for turning in 7 games the last two times I have visited them).