Gaming Malaise and a Game Stop Anecdote

[Fimbulvetr3822]

When I went into GAME (the unimaginatively named UK equivalent), all I noticed was how extortionately expensive console games were.

Steam has ruined me.

I know that feeling, I usually wander into a GAME if i see one when i'm out and about on the off chance one of the 3 games i would actually pay money for on PS4 now is in the pre-owned section. But with my self imposed boycott of anything that has lootboxes and the utter sterility of console AAA games there just isn't anything that excites me.

 

[CellShaded]

Man, Gamestop is pants. I wanted to make use of their fancy 9.99 Deal (trade in two games on their list and buy a chosen brand new one for 9.99 of your local currency), scoured their list for two games that I owned and went to my local GS to trade them in. I was there for 15 minutes because the guy behind the counter spent 10 scrutinizing the hell out of one of my games, cleaning the disc again and again before calling over his colleague, only to end up refusing to take my games.

Out of curiousity, I sent one of my female friends to trade in the SAME games a month later, and they didn't even open the cases, they just accepted the games and gave her a receipt for her pre-order.

Gamestop is pants.

Also, yeah. Video game malaise is not fun. Don't get excited for any new releases anymore.

 

[takanabanana]

I must be lucky, my Gamestop's great. The staff's nice and helpful, the selection's really good for how small it is, and they really don't ask that many questions, maybe one or two more than any other store. They don't give much for trade-ins, but pawn shops and thrift stores give you even less, and I'm too impatient to sell on ebay or anything like that.

I get whatcha mean about not liking any modern big-budget games, Agents of Mayhem was the last game in years to get me properly hyped. It even managed to live up to it, too.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I love Amazon. Click, click, click and done. Not only that, but even locally there are at least three places (local grocery superstore, Best Buy, Target) I'd go before GameStop, unless they had something exclusive for a rare personally treasured release that was actually worth anything.

Having said that, the couple Gamestops I've gone to in the past have been mostly decent at least, and the worst bs I've run into was when I bought a PS3 a few months after it came out and the clerk was almost hesitant to sell it to me. Like he was legitimately surprised that anyone would want one. He literally said, "If you end up not liking it, not a problem just bring it back and you can trade it for a 360." No thanks I already sold my 360 so you won't be selling me another.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I'm sorry, but you're a crappy human being. She does exactly what she is required to do and you go ahead and bite her head off. We all have to make a living somehow.

No need to be sorry, sunshine! I guess you missed the part where I mentioned the clerk was laughing? Our exchange was light-hearted sarcasm and was perceived as such, but I?m not surprised that a miserable, constantly dissatisfied and negative person would gravitate towards any perceived negativity.

Point WAS I was dissatisfied with Game Stop, not the clerk. That the customer-facing side of an industry that?s pumping out more and more cloned and piecemealed triviality is so aggressive with their sales tactics, that the experience of going to Game Stop is akin to going to a used car lot, just shy of the clerks meeting us in the parking lot with shit-eating grins and limp handshakes and having clandestine, 1-hour meetings with a manager when we refuse to pay more than $59.99 for a game or turn down pre-order offers or season passes.

The fuck you people doing actually going into Gamestop still?! Its 2017! Buy the game digitally, use Amazon, or in a pinch go to Best Buy. Its just anti-Gaming to use Gamestop at this point. For shame!

I think the last time I went into a Gamestop was to by a Gamecube game, and even then I don't think I actually got it.

I love Amazon. Click, click, click and done. Not only that, but even locally there are at least three places (local grocery superstore, Best Buy, Target) I'd go before GameStop, unless they had something exclusive for a rare personally treasured release that was actually worth anything.

Having said that, the couple Gamestops I've gone to in the past have been mostly decent at least, and the worst bs I've run into was when I bought a PS3 a few months after it came out and the clerk was almost hesitant to sell it to me. Like he was legitimately surprised that anyone would want one. He literally said, "If you end up not liking it, not a problem just bring it back and you can trade it for a 360." No thanks I already sold my 360 so you won't be selling me another.

I hear ya?, but I?m old school; I like to browse randomly and that?d hard to do online. Also I like to have physical copies of my games; something about a digital copy doesn?t sit well with me. At least with a physical copy, as long as I have a power source, TV and functioning console, I can play my games; I don?t need to rely on an internet connection or a service provider to allow me access to my content.

 

[DefunctTheory]

I love Amazon. Click, click, click and done.

They also give you a pretty substantial discount on preorders. Not something I normally advocate, but if you're going to do it, you may as well do it cheap.

 

[Kotaro]

I buy all my console games online or at this one independent place that has a lot of retro games along with the newer stuff. Tag sales are also cool sometimes; I got a couple PS1 games for $10 at one yesterday.
The last time I was in a GameStop was to pick up a copy of Tales of Hearts R, which came out in 2014. And I only went to them because it was a limited-run game that only they got. Before that, I'd last been in a GameStop in 2012 for Xenoblade Chronicles, which was also a limited-run game that only GameStop had. Funny, that.
Of course, most of my gaming is done on my PC, so the majority of my games are bought via Steam or GOG anyway.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I love Amazon. Click, click, click and done. Not only that, but even locally there are at least three places (local grocery superstore, Best Buy, Target) I'd go before GameStop, unless they had something exclusive for a rare personally treasured release that was actually worth anything.

Having said that, the couple Gamestops I've gone to in the past have been mostly decent at least, and the worst bs I've run into was when I bought a PS3 a few months after it came out and the clerk was almost hesitant to sell it to me. Like he was legitimately surprised that anyone would want one. He literally said, "If you end up not liking it, not a problem just bring it back and you can trade it for a 360." No thanks I already sold my 360 so you won't be selling me another.

I hear ya!, but I'm old school; I like to browse randomly and that'd hard to do online. Also I like to have physical copies of my games; something about a digital copy doesn't sit well with me. At least with a physical copy, as long as I have a power source, TV and functioning console, I can play my games; I don't need to rely on an internet connection or a service provider to allow me access to my content.

This used to be the case for me, but now I've swayed more towards digital since every modern game needs to be installed and "verified" anyways (thanks, piracy). I really only get physical copies if it's a better deal or has interesting extra content included, which is also rare. I don't even think there's a discernible quality difference anymore as compression techniques have gotten better.

We're living in increasingly disposable times, but that's definitely another topic.

 

[Prime_Hunter_H01]

When I went into GAME (the unimaginatively named UK equivalent), all I noticed was how extortionately expensive console games were.

Steam has ruined me.

Only because Steam games go on sale. I refuse to spend $60 on a digital game. Atleast physical games I have something to show. On Steam, its 50% off atleast, and even then I hesitate unless I really want it.

Same, I tend to value physical games more now. $15 for a title that I have vague interest in, depending on the original price I may still pass it up if it is a steam game. Though for console, sweet, that is a deal.

 

[squid5580]

I live in either a very big town or a very small city depending who you ask. There is 2 GS 3 blocks from each other. 1 is by Walmart and the other is by the grocery store I use the most. I love going to the one by Walmart. The employees there are great. We chat about the games we are playing and whatnot. They offer other customers help when they walk in and that is it. No pressure or sales tactics. It is just a chill atmosphere and the store doesn't feel claustrophobic with all the funko pops and other toys staring at you with their dead eyes.

The other store is completely different. I will go in when I am shopping if I need Psn or Xbox currency. The store feels cramped. They try to upsell things constantly and pressure a preorder for the latest popular game. They act like they are working on commission.

Funny story 1 day I ended up going to both since I needed groceries and some stuff at Walmart. Nier Automan (or whatever it is called) was on special for the week. I checked the Walmart one first and figured I'd buy it after groceries if the budget would allow. It did so when I went to the second to buy it there was a $10 difference between the 2 stores (the first store being $39 and the second store was $49) brand new mind you.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I bought my first game in over a year and a half today! Destiny 2!... for my girlfriend?s son for his birthday, so it was basically against my will; if you?ve never stared into the eyes of a 12-year-old with ADHD who?s drenched in hormones and literally quaking with so much pent up energy, he?s molecularly unstable while he?s telling you he wants something, you don?t know terror; we?re building a panic room for puberty.

This is hilarious, what an image.

Shit Revengenece?

Is this a shot at Metal Gear Revengeance? Cause if so I take exception to that!

Anyway, I haven't been in a Gamestop to buy anything in years. I switched to PC soon after the xbox one was announced because I could clearly see where things were headed. The few times I've been in there it's always impressed me just how quickly their business model has become outdated. I did end up buying an xbox one eventually (I wanted a 4k blu ray player and I figured why not get Forza with it) but I got from Amazon and it came with digital game codes. No driving to the store, no obnoxious clerks, no hassle. To be fair though, it sounds like you gave that poor girl a pretty hard time just for doing her job as prescribed by management.

Long story short- Gamestop is video game purgatory.

 

[Kotaro]

I live in either a very big town or a very small city depending who you ask. There is 2 GS 3 blocks from each other.
-snippy-

Hah. It was similar in the next town over from where I grew up. There was a shopping mall with a GameStop on the first floor, an EB Games on the second floor, and FuncoLand outside, across the street. All three of them eventually became GameStops, so there are literally now two GameStops within the same mall, with a third across the street.

 

[Saelune]

I live in either a very big town or a very small city depending who you ask. There is 2 GS 3 blocks from each other. 1 is by Walmart and the other is by the grocery store I use the most. I love going to the one by Walmart. The employees there are great. We chat about the games we are playing and whatnot. They offer other customers help when they walk in and that is it. No pressure or sales tactics. It is just a chill atmosphere and the store doesn't feel claustrophobic with all the funko pops and other toys staring at you with their dead eyes.

The other store is completely different. I will go in when I am shopping if I need Psn or Xbox currency. The store feels cramped. They try to upsell things constantly and pressure a preorder for the latest popular game. They act like they are working on commission.

Funny story 1 day I ended up going to both since I needed groceries and some stuff at Walmart. Nier Automan (or whatever it is called) was on special for the week. I checked the Walmart one first and figured I'd buy it after groceries if the budget would allow. It did so when I went to the second to buy it there was a $10 difference between the 2 stores (the first store being $39 and the second store was $49) brand new mind you.

I got a mall with 2 Gamestops in it.

 

[WeepingAngels]

You shouldn't take it out on the cashiers, management is the one making them force all that crap down your throat.

This is how nothing gets changed. Take it out on the clerk and when enough people do it the clerk will complain to management. If enough clerks complaint o management then and only then may you see changes. On the other hand, Gamestop is pushing this shit because publishers are pushing this shit so if managers complain to corporate and corporate complains to publishers....

You see where we are here? Consumers need to speak up as well as refuse to buy this shit so as to send a clear message.

Ideally, people would complain to the clerks, the management, corporate AND the publishers but even one is better than none. It's ok for consumers to express distaste through retailers.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I actually know exactly what you're talking about, in every sense of the word, O.P.

When I was young--back in EB Games was still a thing here in the U.S.--I remember walking into those stores and being floored. Hidden treasures were everywhere. Games I'd never even heard of. I found Suikoden II on the shelf, brand new, after having just beaten Suikoden. I had no idea there was a sequel, and my brother and I immediately begged our mom right then and there for the game. Those were the days.
Even during the PS3/Xbox 360 generation, walking into those stores was still a treat. You could find games dating back ten years, sometimes even more, just sitting on their shelves. Sometimes they were scalping prices, but other times there were steals. It was a fun way to just go through all their games and see what I could find.

But something has clearly changed. When GameStop announced that they would no longer be selling or taking PS2/Xbox games and older, the magic died. It's not longer like looking through a fun candy store in wonder. It's like going into a "candy experience" where only the top selling (or so says the management and publishers) candy is for sale. It's so depressing. I look at the PS4 shelves and I barely see anything. The PS3 games are just the bottom of the barrel stuff, or games so popular of course I have a copy of it. That sense of excitement is long gone, and I find I get more joy just browsing the PS4 store now than I do actually going into GameStop.
Amazon is great too.

 

[WeepingAngels]

But something has clearly changed. When GameStop announced that they would no longer be selling or taking PS2/Xbox games and older, the magic died. It's not longer like looking through a fun candy store in wonder.

You have changed actually. Go into another retro store, one that still sells games all the way back to the NES and see if that magic is still there? Most likely you will find yourself wondering why these old games are so damned expensive.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

I'm sorry, but you're a crappy human being.

The OP is dating a single mom. He can't be too crappy :^)

She does exactly what she is required to do and you go ahead and bite her head off. We all have to make a living somehow.

Giving creative responses to dumb sales pitch shit livens up the employees' days.

That's actually a myth. 99% of people at the register who try to be "clever" are repeating warmed over dad jokes that, believe me, I've heard 6 thousand times already.

Real cleverness is exceedingly rare, and even when it does it's just a momentary respite from tedium and we might as well just get the transaction over with and move on anyway.

 

[McElroy]

99% of people at the register who try to be "clever" are repeating warmed over dad jokes that, believe me, I've heard 6 thousand times already. Real cleverness is exceedingly rare, and even when it does it's just a momentary respite from tedium and we might as well just get the transaction over with and move on anyway.

You give the same annoying sales pitch every time and you get to hear those dank quips every time too. It's just fair.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

99% of people at the register who try to be "clever" are repeating warmed over dad jokes that, believe me, I've heard 6 thousand times already. Real cleverness is exceedingly rare, and even when it does it's just a momentary respite from tedium and we might as well just get the transaction over with and move on anyway.

You give the same annoying sales pitch every time and you get to hear those dank quips every time too. It's just fair.

Nah, man. They only have to hear the pitch once. I've gotta say it 300 times a day. Ain't nothing fair about that.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I'm sorry, but you're a crappy human being.

The OP is dating a single mom. He can't be too crappy :^)

Because there aren't a thousand stories about evil step parents.