GameStop, GameFly Respond to Xbox One Policy Reversal

[Sarah LeBoeuf]

GameStop, GameFly Respond to Xbox One Policy Reversal

"It's a good day for gamers!" GameFly co-founder Sean Specter said of Microsoft's Xbox One backpeddling.

Microsoft's varied reactions [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125204-Microsoft-Drops-Xbox-One-DRM-Restrictions-UPDATED#] from the gaming community. Now other companies to which used games are integral to their success are weighing in. GameStop, the world's largest gaming retailer, stated that Microsoft's announcement was "great news" for the gaming community. Online rental service GameFly was similarly pleased, calling the reversal "a win/win for consumers."

It's no surprise that share prices dropped [http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/gamestop-we-applaud-microsoft-for-reversing-xbox-one-used-gam/] following Microsoft's Xbox One reveal in May. Though the retailer sells new games and consoles, most of its profits come from used games, and its trading and reselling policies have often resulted in ire from gamers and publishers alike. That said, there is a huge market of the gaming community that depends on being able to trade in games and buy them used. "We applaud Microsoft for understanding consumers and the importance of the pre-owned market," GameStop's statement added.

GameFly co-founder Sean Specter also had nothing but positive things [http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/gamefly-calls-xbox-one-reversal-a-win-win-for-consumers/] to say about the sudden change in Xbox One features. "I always felt good about the future of GameFly, but I feel better today... I think choice is always important and now consumers have more choice." Specter said that rental listings for the Xbox One and PS4 would start appearing on GameFly near the end of this summer.

Microsoft's response to weeks of negative publicity was pretty much unprecedented, and love or hate the Xbox One, it's going to be really interesting to see how this all plays out leading up to the console's November launch. If nothing else, this round of console wars will certainly be memorable.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/19/gamestop-we-applaud-microsoft-for-reversing-xbox-one-used-gam/]

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[Stevepinto3]

And the opportunistic vultures descend, only choosing to come out and say the DRM was bad AFTER Microsoft dropped it.

I mean, where was this support of the pre-owned market for the past few weeks? Oh, I guess that takes a back seat when you're hitting your quota for Xbox One pre-orders.

 

[Quiotu]

And the opportunistic vultures descend, only choosing to come out and say the DRM was bad AFTER Microsoft dropped it.

I mean, where was this support of the pre-owned market for the past few weeks? Oh, I guess that takes a back seat when you're hitting your quota for Xbox One pre-orders.

Did they really have to say anything? Did GameStop and GameFly really have to state that Microsoft's DRM pretty much screwed them out of profits for that console? You don't think maybe GameStop's 'quota' for Xbox One pre-orders may have been part of that?

'Sorry Microsoft, but we've hit our quota for Xbox One pre-orders. What's that, you don't remember the quota being this low? That's a shame, cause that's what we heard. We can't hear that well since we're absolutely smothered in PS4 pre-orders right now. Seriously, they just keep falling out of my arms, I can't even begin to hold them all!'

 

[Stevepinto3]

And the opportunistic vultures descend, only choosing to come out and say the DRM was bad AFTER Microsoft dropped it.

I mean, where was this support of the pre-owned market for the past few weeks? Oh, I guess that takes a back seat when you're hitting your quota for Xbox One pre-orders.

Did they really have to say anything? Did GameStop and GameFly really have to state that Microsoft's DRM pretty much screwed them out of profits for that console? You don't think maybe GameStop's 'quota' for Xbox One pre-orders may have been part of that?

'Sorry Microsoft, but we've hit our quota for Xbox One pre-orders. What's that, you don't remember the quota being this low? That's a shame, cause that's what we heard. We can't hear that well since we're absolutely smothered in PS4 pre-orders right now. Seriously, they just keep falling out of my arms, I can't even begin to hold them all!'

It hit it's pre-order cap for Xbox One just the other day and it hasn't been raised. Gamestop was actually running out of it's allotted pre-orders because the Xbone was just selling that fast, not because Gamestop was trying to screw them over.

Gamestop's voice would have been quite useful in the whole discussion, but they were completely absent, only choosing to speak up once it was convenient for them to.

I say we have a right to be pissed about what Microsoft tried to do, and I say we have a right to call out those that just sat on the sidelines waiting to see what would happen.

 

[Quiotu]

It hit it's pre-order cap for Xbox One just the other day and it hasn't been raised. Gamestop was actually running out of it's allotted pre-orders because the Xbone was just selling that fast, not because Gamestop was trying to screw them over.

Gamestop's voice would have been quite useful in the whole discussion, but they were completely absent, only choosing to speak up once it was convenient for them to.

I say we have a right to be pissed about what Microsoft tried to do, and I say we have a right to call out those that just sat on the sidelines waiting to see what would happen.

Did you miss the part where Xbox One pre-orders were limited to 16 per store, while the PS4 had 60?

That 'high demand' is a little grounded when you take that into account.

 

[Griffolion]

Wow, Jim was right. There really are Starscreams in this industry.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Didn't Gamestop start a campaign detailing all the faults of the Xbone? Are they going to update/retract that campaign?

 

[Dark Knifer]

Didn't Gamestop start a campaign detailing all the faults of the Xbone? Are they going to update/retract that campaign?

Did they? I'd be interested in reading that but I didn't hear anything about that.

OT: Think this is just a bit of pr, nothing really substantial because it's over. What matters it what they were saying at the time.

 

[Irridium]

Didn't Gamestop start a campaign detailing all the faults of the Xbone? Are they going to update/retract that campaign?

My guess is that they were only doing it with stores in areas with slow/no internet, to warn customers that there's a chance they wouldn't be able to play games on it. That's my guess, at least. The Gamestop near me had something similar, and I'm in an area with some pretty shit internet.

Again, just a guess, could be totally wrong. But it's what I'm going with.

 

[Something Amyss]

And the opportunistic vultures descend, only choosing to come out and say the DRM was bad AFTER Microsoft dropped it.

I'm betting Gamestop was on board with the DRM because it would have given them a borderline monopoly. There's probably a reason they didn't oppose it.

Of course, there were a ton of conspiracy theories that the company was actively sbotaging MS, so whatever.

 

[Something Amyss]

Let's face it. GameStop was never under threat from Microsoft's policies in the first place. As I recall they wanted it so that you could only sell your used games at a licensed retailer and GameStop would've been one of those retailers. The idea that GameStop was under threat was all just spin to make Microsoft look even worse for openly facilitating the supposed collapse of a business. Which is all very ironic as GameStop is not your friend. People ***** about how bad GameStop is in the first place, screwing the consumers over in order to make massive profits from used games.

They would have practically been THE retailer. I wonder if this would have resulted in antitrust investigations.

 

[WeepingAngels]

Let's face it. GameStop was never under threat from Microsoft's policies in the first place. As I recall they wanted it so that you could only sell your used games at a licensed retailer and GameStop would've been one of those retailers. The idea that GameStop was under threat was all just spin to make Microsoft look even worse for openly facilitating the supposed collapse of a business. Which is all very ironic as GameStop is not your friend. People ***** about how bad GameStop is in the first place, screwing the consumers over in order to make massive profits from used games.

1) Microsoft's plan would have given Gamestop a near monopoly BUT only short term. Gamestop would have been a fool to help shoot themselves in the foot for a short term monopoly.

2) Gamestop isn't your friend but they do claim to be and people have a right to expect Gamestop to stand up for gamers. What's their slogan again? Power to the Players.

Some say Gamestop did step up and badmouth the Xbone to potential pre-order customers but I have yet to see any proof of it.

 

[HyenaThePirate]

I know for a FACT Gamestop did this. I have a very strong relationship with my local gamestop managers. Imagine my surprise when I went to get a pre-order for the Xbox day one edition to discover that they pretty much had decided not to take any more (we met a limited quota!) until, and I quote, "Microsoft reverses its policy on used games and DRM."

That is what they were told and that is what they told me. I'd be interested in seeing if there is a corporate memo somewhere to support this.

The irony is that everyone I know thinks of Gamestop as the gaming equivalent of a bandit tribe. They have built a business by ripping off their customers from EVERY side of the industry.. buying used games for a pittance, reselling at triple the cost even when the title is fairly outdated, and hoarding all profits for themselves leaving developers swinging in the wind.

GAME STOP is not our FRIEND. GAME STOP is not the sudden ally created due to a common enemy. This is like if suddenly Jack Thompson began to defend the rights for gamers to share their games due to being works of art.

If there was ONE thing that might have come from Microsoft's plan is that it would have taken the piss out of Gamestop and probably spared many a poor gamer having to do business with the devil just to buy a game.
Gamefly on the other hand, I've no complaints. I try and if I like, I buy, and their USED (Keep) prices are virtually HALF that of the same used game at a Game Stop location.

That's why I placed my pre-order at Best Buy instead. I refuse to deal with GameStop ever again if I can help it.

And this nonsense of "I'll probably buy an Xbox years from now, you know, to teach Microsoft a lesson.." is flawed and/or stupid. All it does is potentially threaten to eliminate a competitor from the field.

Let's look at a nightmare scenario.

People decide to punish Microsoft. They opt not to buy the console at launch or well, for the next two years.
Microsoft takes major losses on their console. The losses are so substantial (realistically this could happen) that Microsoft follows Sega and retires their gaming division, except in regards to developing games for Windows.

Sony, finally victorious as the ONLY real console left standing (Wii isn't even in the same category... at this point the wii is about as close to a playstation 4 as a next gen console as those little tiger handheld units are to a Vita.) Sony then decides that the DRM idea is a good one. Of course they won't announce it at a press conference.. no, in typical Sony fashion (based solely on THEIR established history) they'll roll it out in a silent update. Then when everyone cries, they'll just tell us it's for us to deal with.

DRM becomes the norm because whilst some people can tout the victory over the Xbox, most won't care going forward in the future because they'll have no options. They'll want to play games.

In the end, the only winners are the people who were going to buy a PS4 no matter what anyway.

 

[lacktheknack]

Let's look at a nightmare scenario.

People decide to punish Microsoft. They opt not to buy the console at launch or well, for the next two years.
Microsoft takes major losses on their console. The losses are so substantial (realistically this could happen) that Microsoft follows Sega and retires their gaming division, except in regards to developing games for Windows.

Sony, finally victorious as the ONLY real console left standing (Wii isn't even in the same category... at this point the wii is about as close to a playstation 4 as a next gen console as those little tiger handheld units are to a Vita.) Sony then decides that the DRM idea is a good one. Of course they won't announce it at a press conference.. no, in typical Sony fashion (based solely on THEIR established history) they'll roll it out in a silent update. Then when everyone cries, they'll just tell us it's for us to deal with.

DRM becomes the norm because whilst some people can tout the victory over the Xbox, most won't care going forward in the future because they'll have no options. They'll want to play games.

In the end, the only winners are the people who were going to buy a PS4 no matter what anyway.

Actually, the Wii U is a perfectly good contender.

It has a small library and somewhat limited graphics, but if Xbox One died tomorrow, you don't think that they'd move some stuff over to the Wii U? Plus, it has the added advantage of already being out and having a giant set of exclusives that are making Nintendo fans geek right out.

Stop discounting it just because you don't care for it. By that logic, I can say "screw all your pansy-ass boxes, the only REAL winners are PC gamers".

 

[nevarran]

Ah, Gamestop, everyone's favorite retailer, used games and whatnot...