GameStop Pulls PC Version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution

[Andy Chalk]

Digital is out of the question for me for the same reason as above - crappy internet - and even if I could buy digital, I wouldn't. I like boxes and manuals and all the rest of it.

But my copy of Deus Ex just arrived today from Future Shop, the day after launch. Shipping was free. So I paid exactly the same price as in-store, but I didn't have to drive an hour (one way) at $1.30 a liter to get there.

Hmm.

 

[Mouse_Crouse]

I am usually one to defend Gamestop, as I have not had all these terrible experiences that so many seem to have. My local ones have always been good. When the original story broke it really looks as both sides kinda were in the wrong here. Publishers should have listed what was in the box, and it was wrong to remove materials from peoples boxes (even if they were not told). However it is good to see both companies taking steps in the right direction. Sending them back until they can release a non-coupon'd version seems like an excellent compromise.

 

[EricKei]

Wait a second, Gamestop sells PC games? Since when did this happen? Last I checked (which was admittedly about 2-3 years ago), Gamestop only sold console and handheld games.

Depends on the location, I suppose. It HAS been a long time since I've seen any GS locations that had more than a token single wall section or less of PC games, most of which would stay up there for six months or more without seeming to move. Some of the boxes built up a visibly thick stack of price change stickers. Presumably, the disinterest in real-life boxed PC games is part of exactly WHY they're opening a digital games service.

 

[thephill]

who the hell buys pc games from shops anyway?
for me its steam all the way, and f you dont have fast enough interwebs for downloading it then order online and save a few £££. when i reorder games online they always arive on day 1 so i save cash and a trip into town-win win.

 

[Draconalis]

It came to light yesterday that GameStop was opening copies of the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and removing a coupon that offered owners a free copy of the game from cloud gaming company OnLive.

Am I reading this correctly? Are you buying a game to get a free copy of the same game?

I understand why people are angry that Gamestop did what they did, but I don't understand why people are upset that they are losing a coupon for a game, that they just bought.

Can someone explain this to me?

 

[Smooth Operator]

Good, because noone should be going to those scam shops in the first place.

 

[Tirnor]

Now see... I don't want to return it.. I just want what was put in the box by the manufacturer to be in the box when I buy it.

So, I'm not seeing how any remedy for that yet. Where should I go to get my OnLive coupon?

- Tir

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

Wait, wait, wait...... Gamestop still sells PC games? I thought that market had long ago forsaken hard copies in favor of digital distribution?

 

[Dogstile]

And the hate for Gamestop comes out once again even though the publisher pulled just as much as a dick move on Gamestop.

Hell yeah, go internet hate machine!

 

[Krantos]

I don't like Gamestop.... But they were in the right on this one. They came out and told people what they were doing and why, and Square even admitted they put the coupons in there without telling Gamestop.

Yeah, that's kind of a big thing.

Actually they didn't, they told people after they bought the game, got home, and found a distinctive lack of a coupon.

Ah, That's different then. So, yeah, SE and GS were both dicks this time around. No surprise there.

 

[viranimus]

So let me make certain I understand this.

Gamestop opens copies of games and then sells them new under the guise of "were packing in bonus content" and no one bats an eyelash for at the very least the last 3-5 years.


However, Gamestop opens a copy, and takes out a fairly retarded coupon (I mean if your buying the game why the fuck do you want a coupon for a free copy of it to use on a service no one wants to use for the game you just bought?!?>!) and people get up in arms because of the perception of theft?!?

So where was the hostility when gamestop stole the newness out of a copy of a game just so they could pack in some sort of bonus DLC code? Honestly it does not bother me that gamestop took out this coupon. it bothers me gamestop opens games and tries to sell them as new.

 

[Sylveria]

.... It's a steamworks title.... at no point can you not have it on a competing digital service. Wonder what's going to happen to Skyrim now.

Steam isn't a streaming service (yet)...
As far as I understood, this was a dispute over the fact that OnLive was included in the box, and since Gamestop is soon (apparently) opening their own cloud gaming service, they didn't want to contribute to a competing service...

Best Regards

Bad business plan for sure. OnLive isn't exactly breaking the bank and GameStop is on rather hard times themselves. Not to mention unless there's some pretty massive revisions done for internet service plans, specifically raising bandwidth caps without jacking the price way up, cloud gaming is not a viable idea, not yet anyway.

 

[Shifty Tortoise]

What's a Gamestop?

That's how little i care. Never used them anyway. But they're just being petty, Onlive isn't a competing service when Gamestop's service doesn't bloody exist yet.

 

[HyenaThePirate]

To hell with Gamestop. Consider me no longer a customer.

WHEN I buy a product, I'm BUYING the PRODUCT of another COMPANY. GAMESTOP does not MAKE or PRODUCE games. They are simply a retailer. OnLive is a service. What next, are they not going to allow GAMEFLY to advertise in Game Informer magazine? This is beyond the pail. I don't care what Gamestop thinks it's policy is, this was dirty, because it makes me question what ELSE Gamestop has been removing from my game boxes.

Would you buy a car if you knew that the car dealership was going through removing some of the extras the factory puts into every model so they can sell you extras?

This was as low as a company can get. And considering that I can go and buy this at WALMART, TARGET, or any OTHER retailer makes it a really poor judgment call for Gamestop. Regardless of how valid they feel their reason is, it still boils down to a grievous violation of consumer trust. They've already been skirting the line for a long time, now they've crossed it.

I hope this decision bites them back. Square took the high road and simply said "eh, we won't make a fuss." And I doubt ANYBODY was going to go running to OnLive because there was a coupon in the box. But hey, now I'm much more interested in OnLive than I was before, so great job Gamestop, mission accomplished!

I decided NOT to buy my preorder from them. I won't be preordering anything else, and I won't be shopping there again. Just the way I feel about it, everyone is entitled to their opinions, but to me this was a stupid move by a company that really wants sympathy right now with publishers working harder and harder to eliminate their "buy cheap, resell high" ripoff scheme anyway. Now I'm more on the side of those publishers.

Gamestop can go to hell.

 

[Plurralbles]

I can't really blame GameStop for doing it. Sure it was wrong for them to open up the box and pull out the coupon, but it was also wrong for Square Enix to put coupons for a competing vendor into the box in the first place.

That's what I came to believe after being a very loud anti-gamestop guy yesterday before all the information came out and it became clear it was just as much fault for Square Enix.

Still... I can't trust them to not open my game case, therefore, I canceled my preorder of skyrim and am getting it through amazon instead. I lost nothing for doing this.

 

[ThunderCavalier]

Well, imo everyone was wrong on both sides, but it's nice to know that it reached a sensible and reasonable conclusion, something that most stories these days have not been reaching.

Well done, Squeenix and GameStop. Neither of you had any great reputations, and this certainly didn't help, but you both reached a fine compromise.

 

[lockgar]

Gamespot really like to screw over the consumer.

 

[GeorgW]

That's better, but it's too little too late...
Now that we all know that they have no problem opening boxes, I'll be careful not to buy from Gamestop anymore.
Squeenix is in the wrong here too btw, but the Gamestop part will be the thing to remember from all this.

 

[Le_Lisra]

But who buys at Gamestop anyway..