Help me explain how GameStop is screwing over gamers and developers alike

[Savagezion]

Gamestop is the same as any other retail store as far as games go. Most, if not all, of the stuff posted against Gamestop in this thread is bogus crap. Publishers control release prices over retail stores.

Gamestop is not some evil coorperation and I don't understand gamers targeting them so hard. Gamestop is the only store in the Kansas City area that doesn't overcharge for their games. Other game stores are gouging prices on every system from Atari to PS3. Claiming them as "collectables" or "high in demand". As such Gamestop gets more business and most of these other stores rarely have more than 5 customers in them and most of them are "just looking". Usually they have to sell something other than games to keep their doors open.

Most gamers frequent Gamestop, Best Buy, Target, Wal-mart, and then it varies. In that order usually. That is also my own preference personally too. All of you spouting Wal-mart in this thread should really visit Target's electronics departments. Of course, it depends on the size of you local Wal-mart compared to your local Target. But a Supercenter vs. a SuperTarget Target usually wins out across the board. And Gamestop beats both of them with price and variety.

 

[Dan E]

The unnecessarily high game prices. 5 years ago it was 50 bucks per game now its 60. The amount of "hardcore gamer" employees who will make fun of you because you are not buying some mega tbs game. These reasons hurt developers more because of the high prices i wont buy a game unless i know i will like it, and i will buy somewhere else or not at all because of the employees.

Inflation and economics thats what makes prices rise and fall.

 

[duchaked]

Brand new game: $60 (also it's not sealed, FYI)
Same game used: $55 (wtf?)

 

[MegaManOfNumbers]

Watch the entirety of Extra Credit's episode: Project Ten Dollar. it'll explain it better than we can.

 

[shinigamisparda]

If you want to help developers, you have to spend more and buy the game new. If you want to save money buy the game used, but you give gamestop your money instead of it going to developers. You have to choose which is more important to you.

Exactly. I understand that everyone wants a good deal but the fact we as gamers need to realize that if the boys at the developing end don't get their due then we're gonna be the ones who'll be hurting in the end. I, for one, am willing to pay 20 to 30 dollars extra to ensure that a developer will stay around and keep producing high quality games. It's time we stop thinking about ourselves in the short term and ensure a future this isn't laden with generic crap because no one wants to take a risk.

 

[EvilMaggot]

i buy my stuff from the internet... mostly because i cba to move down to gamestop... also its to far from my home and no i dont buy it from gamestop's online site... because in denmark its shit and its more expensive than the site i normal use or its from GAME.co.uk they usually have good preorder offers ^^

 

[Throwitawaynow]

They screw over customers because they have the used games market cornered, and are able to knock $5 off the new cost of a game, call it used, and actually get people to buy it. Before they bought out EB games, the highest cost you would see on a used game was about $20, with the average being somewhere between $5 and $10. This is barring, of course, extremely rare games sold at specialty shops and through auctions. A lot of people also claim that they're screwing the industry over by not giving the developers a cut of the used game profits, but that's a load of bull, and as far as I can tell is a piece of PR spin coming right from the mouth of the publishers.

Almost everything you said was wrong, it's actually kind of impressive. The things you weren't wrong about arn't their fault and involve customer choice. As stated others have used games, department stores are starting to do it so in no way cornered. The highest cost of a used game before they bought EB was NOT $20 I have no idea where you got this info, and the average was not 5-10.

Brand new game: $60 (also it's not sealed, FYI)
Same game used: $55 (wtf?)

To both, if someone buys a used game that was released recently for $5 off how is that screwing them over? They could just buy the new game for 60. I'm about to buy a $55 force unleased 2 used game because I know it could suck I may want my money back (7 day full price return if you don't like the game, 30 day return if it doesn't work.)

Edit: Also they institued a new points system where you get free shit just for shopping there.

 

[THEMILKMAN]

They don't, they act as any legit business should act.

Gamestop didn't hike up game prices, the demand for games did that.

I will however admit, some of they're employees could be a bit nicer (although most of the ones I've talked to are friendly and they know their shit). And don't buy used games there, you can get them so much cheaper at a used DVD/game/CD store.

 

[The_Echo]

The unnecessarily high game prices. 5 years ago it was 50 bucks per game now its 60. The amount of "hardcore gamer" employees who will make fun of you because you are not buying some mega tbs game. These reasons hurt developers more because of the high prices i wont buy a game unless i know i will like it, and i will buy somewhere else or not at all because of the employees.

Game prices go up pretty much every generation or so. And it's not just GameStop selling games for $60. It's almost everywhere. You could also keep tabs on games you're interested in, so you know if you'll want to spend your money on it. That's what I do, anyway.

OT: I have no problem with GameStop. The employees around here aren't jackoffs like most of you seem to portray them as, and I don't do the whole used game business so I'm not particularly bothered by any of that either.

 

[TheEvilCheese]

We all know why used game sales hurt developers. When you buy a used game the developers do not see a penny of that money, and when games are so expensive to make, it really is difficult for them to recover the money invested in making the game when over half of the sales are used game sales.

.

Over half?
That means for every copy sold new, more than one copy must be sold back to gamestop.

That isn't exactly likely.

 

[twistedheat15]

The unnecessarily high game prices. 5 years ago it was 50 bucks per game now its 60. The amount of "hardcore gamer" employees who will make fun of you because you are not buying some mega tbs game. These reasons hurt developers more because of the high prices i wont buy a game unless i know i will like it, and i will buy somewhere else or not at all because of the employees.

What games stop to you go to with hardcore gamers as employees? A majority I've ever been too prob has 1-2 that knows a bit about games and can describe it, but for the most part they know as much about games as the toilet paper stocker at walmart. And the prices are really because of gamestop that's just their retail price. I've been to random stores like sears or walmarts that'll have launch titles still for sale for $50.

 

[MrBrightside919]

I dunno why people complain about Gamestop so much...

I like Gamestop...good prices and variety for used games (the prices are higher for more popular games that sell really well)...the people at my local stops pretty nice and they definitely know their stuff...

 

[LarenzoAOG]

I'd be the first to admit I've been ripped off ny Gamestop, but they wouldn't have such high prices if we didn't buy from them. So it does no good complaining about Gamestop if we keep buying from them, use Amazon to buy used games or get Gamefly or something, then maybe Gamestop will be forced to drop some prices.

 

[Irridium]

Its a tough economy, people are trying to save money any way they can. People shopping at Gamestop is pure logic money-wise.

If Publishers/Developers want to put the squeeze on Gamestop, all they have to do is either lower their prices more quickly over time, just charge 5-10 USD less for them, or actually release good, relatively bug-free games.

Because why the fuck should I pay full price for game thats buggy, short, and not fun?

 

[Lullabye]

They have a huge freakin monopoly on our industry.
http://screwattack.com/videos/TGO-Episode-41-The-Revolution

 

[spartan231490]

It's not. They give customers what they want.

This, is a smart man. the number one rule of business: give the customers what they want. if they were really screwing us over, we would buy from online, putting them out of bus.