Game Stores Selling Opened Games as "New"

[votemarvel]

You saying that no, you want or "demand" a sealed copy won't make us shout "CURSES; YOU FOILED MY EVIL PLAN" and summon up a sealed game. It just means we'll sell it to the guy that actually wants to play the game and shows up 5 minutes after you leave.

Don't get me wrong while I want a sealed copy I don't get rude or 'demanding' from the person on the shop-floor.

I've worked retail myself and know how annoying customers can be so I am always polite, will thank the assistant for their time and mention that I am going elsewhere.

Sorry to say but on most occasions that last copy has proved to be anything but. I know it is likely something that has come down from people above even the store manager to say that it is the 'last', just as it is to push pre-orders and protection policies on hardware.

Yet if I am buying a new game I want one that(with Xbox games) has the certificate of authenticity intact and is still factory sealed. I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation with a game I am paying the retail price of a new copy for.

Edit: I'm in the UK and so the main games retailer around me is not Gamestop but GAME.

 

[Lincoln Keane]

my dad bought Fifa 11 for me for Christmas and asked for a sealed copy the guy who went to the back and got it accidentally got Fifa 10 instead

 

[everythingbeeps]

I'm not cool with it. And not really because I have this obsessive need to be the first one to open the game.

Rather, it's because of Gamestop's very shoddy and careless way of handling and storing these display copies. The discs are put in a paper sleeve and stuffed-to-bursting in a drawer with all the other ones. They're careless when the handle the disc itself, they're careless putting it in/taking it out of the paper sleeve, and they're definitely careless shuffling through the drawer looking for a particular game.

This absolutely scratches the discs. Before I wrote off display copies altogether, I would at least examine the disc if it was something I wanted enough, and always always ALWAYS, the disc was scratched.

So it's not that I don't consider an opened game "new", it's just that these open games are never in "new condition", because of the damage the employees do. It's not worth the headache of having to constantly examine the discs before buying. So now I don't bother.

Of course that leads to the other problem: As far as new games go, Gamestop will almost never have sealed copies of anything that isn't a brand new just-came-out-last-week game. They either just never have more than the one display copy in stock, or more troubling, some stores have started just opening EVERYTHING and making all their new games "display copies" (with the exception of aforementioned new releases). That's something EB used to do before the merger, and it's bullshit that Gamestop's adopted that practice.

So for people like me who don't buy used and refuse to deal with opened display copies, Gamestop is really only good for brand new release-day game purchases. Beyond that they're worthless.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

I honestly dont see the problem. Also did you know that gaming stores can put new shrink wrap on a game quite easily? So even your "unopened" games arent safe

 

[JediMB]

I don't really see how it makes a difference, as long as the contents haven't been damaged or altered somehow. Not that I think it's good practice, but for an informed consumer who knows what they're supposed to get with the game it's a non-issue.

(Meaning, I can deal with it myself, but hopefully no one else will get ripped off because of it.)

 

[MetalMagpie]

It's really the principal of the thing. I'm not paying full price for something that's been opened, I don't care if it's never been played. If I'm dropping 60 plus tax, I want it factory sealed.

Just a thought, but I'm assuming you buy clothing all the time that has not only been "opened", but probably tried on by someone else!

 

[Ando85]

It does kind of irritate me. Just one of many things Gamestop does that I hate. However, despite knowing I'm getting a tad screwed over I shop their anyway since it is the best source to find games in a store unless I order off the internet. It isn't that huge of a deal because as soon as I get home I will be opening the game anyways. However, I do hate how they plaster the game with stickers that leave a unappealing white residue if you try to remove them.

I know a few people who work or have worked at Gamestop. They do gut a copy for the shelf, but the thing is they let the employees take them home and play them. To me that is just taking it one step too far in selling the game as brand new.

A bit off topic, but while I'm in to ranting about Gamestop I might as well mention this. I hate how every time I buy games there I am constantly hounded to reserve games that I have no interest in whatsoever. It is also not just a simple no thanks and thats that a lot of the times. One time I was buying something for around 30 bucks and I pulled out two 20 dollar bills. I had just refused reserving Dawnguard (as I planned to just DL it off XBL). Then when he noticed I had that 5 extra dollars he hounded me again. The employees have to do this however. They must reach a certain amount of reserves each month or they get disciplinary action and may eventually lose their job if it continues. I find that utterly ridiculous for a minimum wage job. If anything they should get a commission, not threats of losing their job.

A lot of friends and family members have told me I should work at Gamestop since I am very knowledgeable about games. For the above reasons I refuse to do that.

 

[The_Blue_Rider]

I honestly dont see the problem. Also did you know that gaming stores can put new shrink wrap on a game quite easily? So even your "unopened" games arent safe

Well, guess why I'm avoiding those shitholes of stores. The two dedicated gamestores in my city were the worst places I've been to in regards of customer service, I rather go to one of the big electronic stores where the people working on the games / movies floor are friendly and I can be sure to get my game unopened. Not to mention that there I pay the same for a new game as across the street in GameStop for the same game used.

And the problem is this: If the game is opened then it is not new. If I pay full price for something I expect to be new than it has better to be new or I'm going to another store.

Why is it a problem if your disk has been out of its case? If its damaged you can demand a refund. And the chances of it being damaged are incredibly low

 

[Iwata]

Edit: Oh, and by the way, Gamestop employees do, in fact, play the gutted games. According to numerous former employees that can be turned up by a simple google search, they're allowed, even encouraged to take one game at a time home for four days at a time. Corporate encourages this because it keeps their employees informed about new releases. Knowing this, do you guys still want to defend calling these used games new?

Sorry, bullshit.

I WORKED at Gamestop. Quite the opposite from being encouraged, we were outright FORBIDDEN to play games at the store, or to take games from the store home. If we wanted to play a game, we'd have to do so by our own means, which Gamestop facilitate to us employees.

You never worked there, so it takes some guts to assume you know how we functioned! It's pretty obvious by now that this changes from region to region, but our Gamestop was known across our community for being run by gamers, for gamers, and it pisses me off to see people who know no better bitching about our service.

Funny, working at Gamestop made me realize just how much a corner of the gaming community actually sucks despite you being there every day bending over backwards to be helpful.

I'd like to know where people get this notion that because you work at a place, you've suddenly gained magical powers. When I was working at Blockbuster I kept hearing people saying how awesome, I could watch movies all day! Not only could I NOT (we had a demo movie running, but they were decided by our manager and we were forbidden to change the disc or watch any movies at the store), but we were even forbidden to rent new releases for two weeks, because those movies were reserved for customers! I never watched FEWER movies than when I worked at Blockbuster!

As for this whole "should be priced as used" crap, I'll just say this: we've had people coming in to trade games for us to sell as used that had been keyed to all hell, that had candlewax all over them, even a couple that had been broken and then superglued back together. And you're saying that the game we exposed to fresh air for the 5 seconds it took to move it from its case to a sealed envelope should be in the same price range as someone who spent 3 years treating their games as a beverage holder?

Grow up. We don't rape the games while you're not looking. They're still new, despite your exasperating debate on semantics. Don't like it? Don't buy there. Trust me, to us, there's nothing better than hearing an entitled, annoying customer say those magic words, "I'll never shop here again!"

 

[Warped_Ghost]

Many stores remove the CDs and place them elsewhere. It means that people can't steal games as easily, since stealing the box would mean they only get an empty box. Its still a new game, they just removed the CD beforehand.

I don't care, so long as I can return it as a new copy if need be.

I have to say it
Games havent been on CD's for over 5 years

 

[Kiardras]

If I don't break the seal, its not a new game.

Its understandable if its a display copy, but most companies these days just seem to have display cases set up, and you get a sealed game when you go to the till.

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

I've heard that that "last copy" is the one the employees are allowed to rent.

Need verification on this.

 

[Iwata]

I've heard that that "last copy" is the one the employees are allowed to rent.

Need verification on this.

As far as my workplace was concerned, that's false. We weren't allowed to use any store games, under any circumstances. We wanted a game, we'd have to buy it.

 

[Ando85]

I've heard that that "last copy" is the one the employees are allowed to rent.

Need verification on this.

As far as my workplace was concerned, that's false. We weren't allowed to use any store games, under any circumstances. We wanted a game, we'd have to buy it.

Are you sure it is like that everywhere? I had two friends who work at two separate Gamestops tell me they were allowed to take the games home. Not saying you are outright wrong but maybe they operate differently in different regions?

You do make a good point about the opened new games. To me I would prefer a sealed copy, but even if I have to get the last display copy it really isn't that big of a deal since I'll be opening the game up anyways. The game is still in really good condition and runs fine. I actually buy used as much as possible to save money and I have never encountered any problems with the game not working. If it did I could simply take it back.

It does kind of annoy me when the instruction book is gone, or they put it in a generic case. But, really it isn't that big of a deal. If I can play my game I am usually happy.

 

[everythingbeeps]

I honestly dont see the problem. Also did you know that gaming stores can put new shrink wrap on a game quite easily? So even your "unopened" games arent safe

Well no. Any idiot can tell the difference between shrink-wrap and cellophane*. True new games are wrapped in cellophane (i.e. the plastic that's a nightmare to take off), whereas shrink-wrap describes that softer plastic that you can rip apart easily. Game stores can do the latter, but they cannot do the former.

If a game's in shrink-wrap, I never trust that it's new, no matter the store.



*it may or may not be true cellophane, but it's comparable.

 

[everythingbeeps]

The employees have to do this however. They must reach a certain amount of reserves each month or they get disciplinary action and may eventually lose their job if it continues. I find that utterly ridiculous for a minimum wage job. If anything they should get a commission, not threats of losing their job.

This is good to know. I already pre-order most new games I buy, even when I know there's little reason to do so. Now I have a reason. I'm also oddly compelled to go reserve something right now, just for the hell of it.

 

[mykalwane]

Here is what I did when it happen to me. Took it home and played the game since I couldn't wait to play it. Went back the next day when they had gotten new orders in, and had more sealed copies of the game. Exchanged it and took home sealed game.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Snip.

Sorry, but no. New copies do not stay sealed behind the counter. I'll pick up a display case for a "new" game and they'll pull out a disc and slide it into that particular case, as they would with any pre-owned games. And whether or not the GameStop you go to practices this, the GameStop *I* go to(the only one closer than a 2 hour drive away) allows its employees to take home "new" games that were gutted merely so that they could have a display case on the wall.

Make sure your facts are correct before you correct me.

 

[GonzoGamer]

There are probably enough gamers that don't care/are total pushovers that Gamestop feels that they can do that. I don't see why an opened copy shouldn't have the used price; it's only $2 off the new price.
I just don't shop there.

 

[Astoria]

I can't believe how picky some people are. Bitching that the game isn't sealed is like bitching that a t-shirt doesn't have the tag on it anymore. The product itself is not damaged in any way at all and that's what you're paying for, the sticker on the box has no value it's just there as a extra precaution so the case doesn't open when it's being trasported. If they've taken something out of the case or it has been put in a console/pc then that's a different matter but if all they've done is taken it out for security reasons then get over it.