Gamestop price gouging Xenoblade.

[Roxas1359]

And that's exactly why we need digital distribution.

Don't think that would work well on a Nintendo Wii game game that's on a dual layered disc, something rare on the Wii, but it would be nice. However this could only ever be feasible on the Wii U I think, and even then it would take a chunk outta the flash memory.

 

[Miss G.]

Wow so America gets the short end of the stick instead of Europe for once. I bought the game on release and didnt regret it it is actually my third favourite game of all time but even over in the UK this game had a small presence and disappeared from shops fast.

Most places I find it the used price is higher than what I originally paid for it new. I think its one of those that will retain high retail value and possibly get even higher as it becomes rarer.

Its really not the US getting the short end of the stick, it was because of reprints from Game Quest Direct. http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/17/game-quest-direct-and-the-secret-of-rare-game-reprints/
And also because GameStop can't really control the suggested retail price of New copies like they can with Used copies. They get brand new reprints, then open them up and put them on the shelves and call them Used so they can price gouge. Granted, I see it for $250 on ebay, so GameStop's Used price is way cheaper, but still, new copies are supposed to be like $50.

 

[Something Amyss]

Wait what?

Did I just warp into Australia or something?

Why is a year-old game that's mostly being sold in the "Used" section now (regardless of its status as "Used" or not) priced at $30 more than brand-new newly released games?

If it were because of 'limited stock' then practically every other game that isn't in print anymore would be at some ridiculous price on their used shelves as well, so I find it really hard to swallow that.

This is making my head hurt...

Scarcity is only part of the formula. There has to be some demand for it. Apparently, this was one of the few good games put out on the Wii, and therefore is up there in demand with the nails used to keep Christ up on the cross (in that there's only a few at most >.>).

 

[Something Amyss]

And that's exactly why we need digital distribution.

I agree. The scarcity of a handful of items must surely outweigh the lack of relative depreciation of the entire rest of the market.

 

[CrimsonBlaze]

This is pretty insane.

I had pre-ordered and bought Xenoblade Chronicles in order to support Project Rainfall and because the game looked interesting to me. The game was awesome and it just pains me to see Game Stop selling used (most which are actually NEW) copies at such an absurdly large price. I understand the method to this madness, but now, for those who haven't heard of this game and are now interested in trying it out, will have to pay a pretty hefty toll.

I wonder if this is the reason why Game Stop was willing to pay me almost $40 for my used copy of Xenoblade Chronicles a few months back, when the game itself cost $50 a little more than a year ago.

 

[NiPah]

It's a pretty ideal situation, if you can't tell Gamestop is fucking you over now you never bloody will.

Gamestop and Nintento* Those Club Nintendo codes don't just poof out of thin air.

 

[CloudAtlas]

And that's exactly why we need digital distribution.

Don't think that would work well on a Nintendo Wii game game that's on a dual layered disc, something rare on the Wii, but it would be nice. However this could only ever be feasible on the Wii U I think, and even then it would take a chunk outta the flash memory.

Not for same game in particular; in principle, for the future.

And that's exactly why we need digital distribution.

I agree. The scarcity of a handful of items must surely outweigh the lack of relative depreciation of the entire rest of the market.

Unlimited space on its virtual shelves is not the only advantage of digital distribution, but that's another story, and too off-topic.

 

[CrystalShadow]

... Wow. That's pretty bad.

I mean, I had an extremely hard time getting a copy of Xenoblade Chronicles, and I'm in Europe. But with some patience and a lot of hunting around I did still find a brand new (it was still sealed when I got it) copy of Xenoblade for £32 or so...

Then again I was facing importing copies from switzerland for £80, but those were also new, sealed copies...

Europe didn't get shafted by exclusive distribution rights of course... But this is a difficult game to get hold of at the best of times it seems.

Also, the british voice acting in this game (and Pandora's tower & The last story) is pretty funny to listen to.
I guess weird british voice acting makes a change from weird American voice acting... XD

 

[Roxas1359]

Not for same game in particular; in principle, for the future.

Yeah, it makes sense. To be honest though I'm still waiting for Nintendo to start making GCN VC games since those would sell like hot cakes, depending on which game it is. Really though I don't see Nintendo doing something like full on Wii digital games, stuff like a digital copy of Mario Galaxy for example, for a long time. It would be nice in situations like this though. Personally I like having the disc in a case with a manual and artwork though, but I'm usually called strange on a regular basis so I'm used to it. XD

 

[klaynexas3]

They're taking new copies and selling them as used, making it to where the company gets no money for those specific copies, essentially the same as pirating the game and reselling it. Why is no one getting on to them for this practice, whereas if you pirate one song for yourself to listen to you owe the company hundreds of thousands of dollars? Seriously, this is bullshit in the highest degree. I hope the piracy rate of this game skyrockets now, simply so Gamestop doesn't see a damn dime for these tactics. The people that actually made the game will have lost no money for it either way, at least this way the original assholes in this situation get nothing. Fucking hell. Seriously, they need to bring it on to the damn eShop already just so they can bypass Gamestop the greedy fucks. Even if the eShop is god awful in comparison to everything else, it'd still be better than this form of horse shit.

 

[Roxas1359]

snip

You do realize that GameStop are the ones who made the new copies right? They were the ones who localized the game in the United States, not Nintendo. While it's ridiculous yes, I'm certain that hoping that the game would be pirated more wouldn't help anyone. Hopefully this shows Nintendo that obviously there is a market for these games in the US since they didn't even want to localize Xenoblade Chronicles, hence why GameStop did and got exclusive selling rights for the game. It's worse when trying to buy the game online as it's usually $100 or more. Really the best bet in the end for this is for Nintendo themselves to reprint the game and have it distributed in other stores.

 

[SPELLEGRINO]

It's price gouging like this that leads to more people using emulators and homebrew on the Wii. It's unfortunate that it happens at all, but I am thankful that instances like this are rare in the gaming world.

 

[Miss G.]

What is weird is that these copies just happened to appear. Did a bunch of people suddenly sell their copies, enough to supply across the country? If they reprinted these then they can't sell them used and 90$, that is bullshit.

Game Quest Direct reprints the copies of rare games, when the interest in them gets them bought on sites like e-bay at the $100 range, with the Publisher's permission and takes half of the profit, while the publisher takes the other half without having to do any extra work beyond giving the go-ahead. GameStop gets these and then tries to sell them off as Used because they'll get in trouble for gouging the retail price of New copies. Thats why all the copies are showing up now, they're just reprints. Apparently GameStop did this with Fatal Frame games a while back.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I have no issue at all with the price given that it's not out of line with what real used copies of the game are going for. Sometimes that's just what happens when demand over the long term outweighs availability.

I do, however, take major issue with the fact that these copies don't appear to truly be used at all. That bugs me in two ways. First, it's just GameStop throwing it's weight around and being allowed to do whatever it wants. Second, because the games are being sold as Used and not New, the entirety of the extended profit is going into GameStop's pockets. Especially when demand for a niche game totally outstrips it's availability, the developer deserves to be seeing those numbers.

 

[klaynexas3]

snip

You do realize that GameStop are the ones who made the new copies right? They were the ones who localized the game in the United States, not Nintendo. While it's ridiculous yes, I'm certain that hoping that the game would be pirated more wouldn't help anyone. Hopefully this shows Nintendo that obviously there is a market for these games in the US since they didn't even want to localize Xenoblade Chronicles, hence why GameStop did and got exclusive selling rights for the game. It's worse when trying to buy the game online as it's usually $100 or more. Really the best bet in the end for this is for Nintendo themselves to reprint the game and have it distributed in other stores.

They may have "made" the new copies, but they themselves had no actual input to the process of making the game. They didn't even translate it, that goes to the people in the EU, hell, they didn't even get new voice actors or anything, Gamestop did nothing except put money up to gain full rights to sell a US version of the game, which they should still be sending revenue back to the actual developers of said game for each new copy sold, not switching tags and keeping all the money. And piracy would not help the situation at all, I just don't want Gamestop to be making any money off of this at all anymore if this is the crap they're going to pull. It just angers me in so many ways possible for them to pull this crap. And I'm fine with the fact that they may have a high price tag on it. It's a dirty business practice to basically hold a game hostage and sell it for high prices, sure, but I'd prefer that shady business to the outright stealing of revenue from the people that actually made the damn game. Had Gamestop actually made a decent amount of copies also, this situation wouldn't be as it is right now, but even so, even if they refuse to print another copy of a Xeno game ever again, I don't care as long as they aren't taking funds from the company that actually made the game. That is what I find to be bullshit.

And if that was just long rambling and incoherent thought, I apologize, but that just pisses me off so much. And maybe I don't understand this well enough also, I'm still under the assumption that Nintendo would have gotten some revenue off of new titles sold here, but now that I'm thinking about it, it might be that Gamestop, for having bought the localization rights, may have gotten all the funds for it anyway, simply because they paid that upfront price. If that's the case, I'll shut up, because I'm just making a jackass of myself.

 

[antidonkey]

So a rare game that's hard to find is selling for a fairly large amount of money? Shocking! This sounds like basic supply and demand. I assume people are outraged because it's Gamestop.

 

[MetalDooley]

So a rare game that's hard to find is selling for a fairly large amount of money? Shocking! This sounds like basic supply and demand. I assume people are outraged because it's Gamestop.

Exactly.A quick look on Amazon and Ebay reveals that used copies of Xenoblade are selling for roughly the same price or thereabouts and nobody gives a shit.The only reason people are making an issue of this is because it's Gamestop

 

[Elementlmage]

So a rare game that's hard to find is selling for a fairly large amount of money? Shocking! This sounds like basic supply and demand. I assume people are outraged because it's Gamestop.

So a rare game that's hard to find is selling for a fairly large amount of money? Shocking! This sounds like basic supply and demand. I assume people are outraged because it's Gamestop.

Exactly.A quick look on Amazon and Ebay reveals that used copies of Xenoblade are selling for roughly the same price or thereabouts and nobody gives a shit.The only reason people are making an issue of this is because it's Gamestop

Just two examples of the ignorance in this thread.

First, EVERYONE needs to read the article the OP posted. These are NOt used copies, they were NIB reprints of the original that Gamestop got from Game Quest and their MSRP is tagged at $50. Gamestop has gone through, and repackaged them as "used" in an effort to cheat their customers out of more money. There is nothing fair or reasonable about this situation.

 

[antidonkey]

So a rare game that's hard to find is selling for a fairly large amount of money? Shocking! This sounds like basic supply and demand. I assume people are outraged because it's Gamestop.

Exactly.A quick look on Amazon and Ebay reveals that used copies of Xenoblade are selling for roughly the same price or thereabouts and nobody gives a shit.The only reason people are making an issue of this is because it's Gamestop

Just two examples of the ignorance in this thread.

First, EVERYONE needs to read the article the OP posted. These are NOt used copies, they were NIB reprints of the original that Gamestop got from Game Quest and their MSRP is tagged at $50. Gamestop has gone through, and repackaged them as "used" in an effort to cheat their customers out of more money. There is nothing fair or reasonable about this situation.[/quote]

The MSRP doesn't mean squat. It's the suggested sale price but there's nothing legally requiring anyone to sell it at that price. New/Used is also irrelavent. It's rare and hard to find which means it's going to be expensive. Even if it's a second printing, it still could be very hard to get a hold of.

Let's say a comicbook shop owner is cleaning up and finds a copy of Action Comics #1. Turns out he bought this for his shop to sell when it was brand new but it fell behind a cabinet and was never sold. Are you saying he can only sell it for it's listed price of 10 cents? I hope not as that would be foolish.

Don't mistake anything I say as defending GameStop. I'm not a fan of the company or it's practices but this really is a simple matter of economics. Would a non-douchey company sell the new copies for $50...most likely but we are talking about Gamestop here.

 

[Something Amyss]

Unlimited space on its virtual shelves is not the only advantage of digital distribution, but that's another story, and too off-topic.

Nor is it completely a benefit. In this instance, the burdens outweigh the benefits (lack of tangible stock also preventing the decline of prices on most titles being of more burden than one or two rare titles being of benefit). People really need to learn to pick their battles, rather than doubling down on bad examples.