Unwrapped/Gutted new games at Gamestop/EB

[QUOTE="TheRaiderNation"]

"When they try to pass off opened games as new "because they were display copies". (Which is crap because I've heard of many employees taking games home overnight to play.) Every single time they are about to do this, I tell them no thanks and walk out." I read this in another post

I often wondered about this, I am sure this has happened before, I would not put it past them to actually take those games home and play them and then return them the next day

morph_basic

That's a problem at all used retail outlets for any media (music, DVDs, games), and it certainly needs to be addressed. I would personally rather have non-gamers working at EB and GS, just to avoid this situation. I don't need their opinions. More often than not, as with most members of our species, they have bad taste. Not only in games, but also in film and music. Interestingly, I found Fatal Frame used priced at 49.99 at my local GS, and convinced the moron that the game had been incorrectly priced, because it was a really old PS2 game. So, sometimes you do get lucky and find a clerk that is either A. unintelligent or B. a casual gamer, so they don't do this. More often than not, this isn't case, and you end up with jerk-offs hording rare games and collecting/selling them. Likewise, it's only inevitable that used games, especially, get brought home by clerks. I found a used copy of Parasite Eve for the PSX a couple years ago, asked the clerk about it, and got the blunt reply "One of my co-workers has it and hasn't brought it back)." This is a place of business, not your personal Blockbuster. Why can't it be like your average store? With average clerks who don't care about the products? Why do I have to deal with some opinionated moron with horrible taste asking me to pre-order a copy of Army of Two along with my copy of Baroque? Do you think I want Army of Two if I want Baroque and P3, douchebag? "What's Shin Megami Tensei...I've never heard of it?" or "I didn't know that there was a game called Star Ocean." Direct quotes from the recent past at Gamespot, my friends. Direct quotes.

Though I dislike the unsealed new copies, it is financially reasonable on the company's part, and, realistically, any game that suffers this fate could be found at a dozen other stores factory sealed, so just...buy it somewhere else. What I do find annoying, though, is that the price of used games is ALWAYS at least 20% higher than the price offered by other retailers (online and otherwise).

"When they try to pass off opened games as new "because they were display copies". (Which is crap because I've heard of many employees taking games home overnight to play.) Every single time they are about to do this, I tell them no thanks and walk out." I read this in another post

I often wondered about this, I am sure this has happened before, I would not put it past them to actually take those games home and play them and then return them the next day

TheRaiderNation

My friend would do that all the time when he was a Gamestop employee. It's cool if you work there but is total crap if you are an innocent customer.

[QUOTE="BobHipJames"][QUOTE="TheRaiderNation"]

Whether I like the place or not isn't the issue here. Passing along used games as new is however

Solori

Could we quit it with the misinformation, please? What you just said is not true. EB/GS does NOT sell used games new. I've never seen it happen, I've never heard it happen, it's corporate policy and store policy never to let it happen and if you EVER get a game that isn't brand new that's being sold as new, BRING IT BACK.

If you don't like the policy of gutting games (neither do I, more work for me), I've got an idea, don't shop there. Pick up your selective little heels and walk to another store.

It is not misinformation. It is an established fact that EB/GS lets their employees play the games then bring them back to the store and sell them as new. So yes EB/GS does sell used games new.

The issue here is whether it is ethical for EB/GS to pretend that a game is new just because they never "sold" it. IMO it is highly unethical to sell a game as new that has been played by an employee.

Please note that posting 4 messages in a row saying the same thing over and over again does not add more weight to your arguments. We got the message: you are a minimum wage employee of EB/GS who has a very strong attachment to your company. And you believe that if people don't like EB/GS policies they should shop somewhere else. I agree, that is the way it should work. But first, people need to be given the truth about the EB/GS policies so that they know that they should be shopping somewhere else. Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who are unaware that EB/GS sells used games as new. Threads like this help to give people info they need.

Thanks!!! I agree 100%! Esp with "Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there who are unaware that EB/GS sells used games as new. Threads like this help to give people info they need".

[QUOTE="TheRaiderNation"]

"When they try to pass off opened games as new "because they were display copies". (Which is crap because I've heard of many employees taking games home overnight to play.) Every single time they are about to do this, I tell them no thanks and walk out." I read this in another post

I often wondered about this, I am sure this has happened before, I would not put it past them to actually take those games home and play them and then return them the next day

Nifty_Shark

My friend would do that all the time when he was a Gamestop employee. It's cool if you work there but is total crap if you are an innocent customer.

Agreed, if you are innocent customer not knowing this, you are blindsided. Easy to make a choice and not buy the game if you know its been used, but if you have no clue they do this, well you just got hosed

Ask to see the game. Like it? Yes, no? Make a sales decision.

You don't have to walk out of the store with a game you don't like.

Period. /endthread.

I am absolutely appalled with this entire thread. It's totally insane. Asinine, even. If the game isn't factory sealed, and if it's against your anal principles to buy it that way, guess what, I've got an idea: DON'T BUY IT.

Don't like Gamestop's corporate policy? GO TO ANOTHER STORE. IT'S YOUR FAULT WE'RE THE LARGEST GAMES RETAILER IN THE WORLD.

Come to think of it, it's probably your fault I get paid minimum wage.

BobHipJames

If you are disgruntled for making minimum wage then perhaps it might be time to look for another career path. I think everyone here has a legitimate complaint when you have a company that will sell open games as new. I certainly request a sealed copy IF I have to go to a Gamestop to purchase a game that has recently come out but yet is in limited supply.

Take No More Heroes for example, please. It wasn't available at Best Buy or Circuit City and I wasn't sure about how readily available it would be if I waited for them to get them in stock, seeing as I work a lot and it's hard for me to break away at times.

I went the closest Gamestop that had No More Heroes available and they had one copy. One. It was gutted and on the shelf for display the day it came out. What's more is that Gamestop has decided to take on the proactive role to place the sticker price INSIDE the plastic cover on the spine of the game which means that if you tried to take it off you risked tearing off some of the cover art. That's absurd.

I also know that they receive their games several days prior to release so how do I know that an employee didn't take it home and play it. If that were the case, then it is really disappointing. Plus, according to Gamestop's policy ANY open game they receive when a consumer brings it in for trade is considered USED no matter what "pristine" condition it is in. Period.

Now your store might not do that but I buy games frequently and I buy them at many different places and many of the Gamestops that I have been to in the past 6 months have decided to adopt this practice along with the others discussed currently. It's a frustrating situation considering that they are a retail store that "specializes" in a hobby that many of us truly love.

Fortunately for me, I have a Fry's Electronics nearby that places SEALED, untampered with, games on their shelves that I can purchase without the worry that someone has played it prior to me.

You are fortunate. You have a guaranteed job because there will always be naive people that will come into the store and unknowingly allow themeselves to be taken in by this foolish practice. For you to defend it only capitalizes what many video game enthusiast, much like myself, has taken as a blatant disregard for their consumers and speaks volumes of the company and yourself.

Finally, understand that people are more disgruntled with the company policy and not neccessarily with those that work. It's the company, not you, that makes the corporate policy so don't take these complaints to heart.