Game Stores Selling Opened Games as "New"

[Solid Reece]

Many stores remove the CDs and place them elsewhere. It means that people can't steal games as easily, since stealing the box would mean they only get an empty box. Its still a new game, they just removed the CD beforehand.

I don't care, so long as I can return it as a new copy if need be.

People still steal the boxes though.

OT: It only bugs me it they put that sticker to seal the case after. They used to always leave a residue. I go to the store so often they stopped doing that for me.

What I hate is when I see five, ten, twenty gutted box on the self. Its almost telling you that their will be no sealed copies.

 

[hedges1001]

A few months ago I purchased Skyrim from a local game store and the clerk told me that this particular copy of Skyrim was the last copy, so he took the display box put the disc in and sold it to me at full retail price. I'm a pretty chill dude so I was like, "Cool, I got the last copy." I then later purchased Borderlands from a different local game store and the same occurrence as previously stated happened. Again, I shrugged it off and went on my way. Recently, I just purchased Red Dead and again it was the "last copy." After this third occurrence I'm beginning to suspect that game stores purposely open up and remove discs from their games. Maybe they do this to lock up the discs or to let employees take them home. Regardless, it's starting to bug the life out of me they are selling unsealed games as new, for full price.

Has anyone else experienced this before and are you cool with stores doing it?

personally as an ex-employee of a game store I am cool with it.

a) stores have X amount of shelf space and Y games. they wont fill the shelves with demo cases unless head office says they have to. this is because the proper box art is of infinite better quality than a print out in a demo case.

b) when you display the proper box on shelf people will try to nick the games so the simplest solution is to take out the disc to minimise the loss. most big releases have extra copies out back so if you ask you'll definitely get one.

c) as for taking games home, most stores only let staff take pre owned stock home

 

[The Elf Herself]

I've never even thought of this as a problem, to be honest.

The part that matters to me when I buy the game is the game. I'm not going to keep the box/case, I'm not going to buy it and not play it, I'm not going to re-sell it, and I'm not going to erect a shrine to the Game Gods - I'm going to play the game. What matters to me is that the disc/product codes have never been used. If they have, I will get in my car, drive to the store, explain what happened, and ask for a refund.

Okay, I can get behind the idea that a display copy should be, perhaps, slightly cheaper than a factory-sealed one. A lot of stores will do this with other display products, so maybe that's fair. I can see that.

But this has really never bothered me, on the whole. I buy a lot of my games through Steam and Steam-like services, and there aren't enough new releases that I honestly care about, and those that I DO care about, I would pre-order, which should guarantee a factory-sealed copy anyway. And if I walk into a game store and think a new game looks interesting and want to buy it - which rarely happens, since I'm poor as shit - I'm not emotionally invested enough to give a crap about the packaging.


And there are enough places that don't gut games that if it bothers you, you can shop someplace else. Simple enough solution, I'd think, unless there isn't one near you. But then there's always ordering online - so it's not like the only option is to buy from places that gut games.

Besides, I really hate removing the plastic crap from game cases. It's sticky and clingy and annoying. So, really, the store saved me several minutes of my valuable time that I can now spend playing the game I spent $60 on.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Except you're not overpaying, except by using a determination of value that just does not matter. Sealed or opened doesn't affect the current value of the game. It may affect some nebulous future value of the game, but with digital distribution, there just won't be any value to old games, since their value is based on rarity and there's literally a million of them out there.

It matters because that determination of value applies to anywhere else I would buy it -- or to Gamestop itself, if they happened to have a copy that they had labeled as used. Face it, used is worth less than new, opened is used, gamestop routinely rips off their customers.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Except you're not overpaying, except by using a determination of value that just does not matter. Sealed or opened doesn't affect the current value of the game. It may affect some nebulous future value of the game, but with digital distribution, there just won't be any value to old games, since their value is based on rarity and there's literally a million of them out there.

It matters because that determination of value applies to anywhere else I would buy it -- or to Gamestop itself, if they happened to have a copy that they had labeled as used. Face it, used is worth less than new, opened is used, gamestop routinely rips off their customers.

"worth less"? It's an opened box. I'm not going to waste any more time explaining this to you because you've apparently decided that AN OPENED BOX IS A DEVALUATION OF PROPERTY, SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE, or something.


Value is what people assign to things. If the game works as new, then it's new. If it does not, then it's broken.

Another reason why "buying used" is just fucking hilarious, most of the time, you just get the same product after someone else has taken it's virginity. If you're ok with that in a spouse, I'm not sure why you're not ok with someone getting to first base with a game before you.

Fucking hell, my analogies rule.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Ah yes, I get it, because you never actually play games, the simple act of opening a jewel case SERIOUSLY DEVALUES THE PRODUCT, ZOMG! CALL THE POLICE. DEY RUINED YOR MINT CONDITION GAMEZ

Also, dude, I pay $99+ for retail games, $40-60 for imports and $60+ on Steam, the fact that teh retailer has also *GASP* opened a fucking box in order to prevent theft makes little to no difference to the product itself.

Yes, it seriously devalues the product, because if I want to get an open box game (i.e., a used one) I can buy it for half the price, either elsewhere or often in the same freakin' store. If I'm paying for new, I'd better be getting new.

Used games are cheaper because they're used. Merely opened games aren't used, because they've never been used. Used games have been played, so there's a greater chance of a flaw or defect having developed through use. Games that were merely opened will generally only be flawed or have a defect if it occurred during manufacture/packaging/shipping. And it's the same for factory sealed games.

All it takes is a mistake in handling after opening the game to cause a defect that wasn't there before it was open. What's more, it doesn't matter, it's considered used the moment the shrink wrap comes off, just like with toys, DVDs, or anything else that people collect.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

As far as I know it's only Gamestop/EB Games that does that and no I'm not cool with it. That's why I don't shop there anymore.

 

[hedges1001]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Except you're not overpaying, except by using a determination of value that just does not matter. Sealed or opened doesn't affect the current value of the game. It may affect some nebulous future value of the game, but with digital distribution, there just won't be any value to old games, since their value is based on rarity and there's literally a million of them out there.

It matters because that determination of value applies to anywhere else I would buy it -- or to Gamestop itself, if they happened to have a copy that they had labeled as used. Face it, used is worth less than new, opened is used, gamestop routinely rips off their customers.

there is also the fact that some people dont know the definition of used. used is a game that has left the store, gone to a machine what plays it and is the played and THEN traded-in, then sold as second hand. not a disc that's been removed from its box.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Ah yes, I get it, because you never actually play games, the simple act of opening a jewel case SERIOUSLY DEVALUES THE PRODUCT, ZOMG! CALL THE POLICE. DEY RUINED YOR MINT CONDITION GAMEZ

Also, dude, I pay $99+ for retail games, $40-60 for imports and $60+ on Steam, the fact that teh retailer has also *GASP* opened a fucking box in order to prevent theft makes little to no difference to the product itself.

Yes, it seriously devalues the product, because if I want to get an open box game (i.e., a used one) I can buy it for half the price, either elsewhere or often in the same freakin' store. If I'm paying for new, I'd better be getting new.

Used games are cheaper because they're used. Merely opened games aren't used, because they've never been used. Used games have been played, so there's a greater chance of a flaw or defect having developed through use. Games that were merely opened will generally only be flawed or have a defect if it occurred during manufacture/packaging/shipping. And it's the same for factory sealed games.

All it takes is a mistake in handling after opening the game to cause a defect that wasn't there before it was open. What's more, it doesn't matter, it's considered used the moment the shrink wrap comes off, just like with toys, DVDs, or anything else that people collect.

Yes, and I would have to imagine that if an actual defect was caused during opening, they'd change the valuation accordingly. But the mere act of opening the shrink and removing the disc does not mean the disc has magically been owned by someone previously.

And people collect older things, things that have value, because they weren't made to be collected. Here's the catch. Anything that is marketed as a "Collector's Edition"? EVERYBODY goes out and buys one to put into storage somewhere in hopes that it will be worth a lot of money some day. Only because everybody did it, it has no rarity, and thus doesn't have worth.

The value in a modern video game is in the playing of it. Any money after the fact is purely trivial in determining the value at purchase. Thus, a game that has only been opened and not damaged in the process has the same value as a shrinkwrapped copy.

I'm not talking about money after the fact. I'm talking about how much it would cost to get an identical item if I shopped around. Anywhere but gamestop, an opened item would count as used, and have a lower price as a result. This is a fact. I do not understand why you cannot comprehend this.

 

[GAunderrated]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Except you're not overpaying, except by using a determination of value that just does not matter. Sealed or opened doesn't affect the current value of the game. It may affect some nebulous future value of the game, but with digital distribution, there just won't be any value to old games, since their value is based on rarity and there's literally a million of them out there.

It matters because that determination of value applies to anywhere else I would buy it -- or to Gamestop itself, if they happened to have a copy that they had labeled as used. Face it, used is worth less than new, opened is used, gamestop routinely rips off their customers.

Used is worth less than new, and Gamestop rips off their customers, but opened is NOT USED.

Only consumer's of gamestop think that opened is not used because they made up that silly rule to suit their own purposes. Every other retail or online service sells new copies as sealed.

If it wasn't sealed I could return it for a refund or get a new copy that is sealed. Buy a new copy from gamestop that has been gutted then go to amazon and sell that "new" copy. Except if you try and sell it as new you would get complaints because new is classified as factor sealed copy. You would have to sell it as "like new" which does devalue the game because it is not factory sealed. But I never put it in a console so clearly its "new" right? Nope

So yes opened products are not new, despite what gamestop wants you to believe to suit their agendas.

 

[ResonanceSD]

All it takes is a mistake in handling after opening the game to cause a defect that wasn't there before it was open. What's more, it doesn't matter, it's considered used the moment the shrink wrap comes off, just like with toys, DVDs, or anything else that people collect.

Oh, so you don't actually play games, you just collect boxes.

Also, and here's a crazy idea.

if the game doesn't work

brace yourself

TAKE IT BACK!

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Except you're not overpaying, except by using a determination of value that just does not matter. Sealed or opened doesn't affect the current value of the game. It may affect some nebulous future value of the game, but with digital distribution, there just won't be any value to old games, since their value is based on rarity and there's literally a million of them out there.

It matters because that determination of value applies to anywhere else I would buy it -- or to Gamestop itself, if they happened to have a copy that they had labeled as used. Face it, used is worth less than new, opened is used, gamestop routinely rips off their customers.

there is also the fact that some people dont know the definition of used. used is a game that has left the store, gone to a machine what plays it and is the played and THEN traded-in, then sold as second hand. not a disc that's been removed from its box.

*sigh*

I'm posting this again:

Brand New
Items must still be in manufacturer's seal
Opened items can't be listed in this category even if they were never used

Like New
Opened and used items that still appear brand new
Must include all boxes, instructions, and artwork from manufacturer

Very Good
Cases and boxes can show wear (scuffs, cracks, scratches)
DVD, CD, game disc, or game cartridge can't be scratched or scuffed
Items must include all boxes, instructions, and artwork from manufacturer

Good
Item can be missing only one of the following items:
Media box or sleeve
Artwork
Instructions
DVD, CD, game disc, or game cartridge can be lightly scratched or scuffed
The media item must work without the need of repair or resurfacing
Skipping CDs, DVDs, and game discs can't be sold
Fuzzy or snowy VHS tapes can't be sold
Games that don't load or play can't be sold

Acceptable
Media items in generic cases
CDs and DVDs must be in a plastic case (no paper sleeves)
Items missing more than one of the following:
Media box or sleeve
Art work
Instructions
DVD, CD, game disc, or game cartridge can be lightly scratched or scuffed
Media item must work without the need of repair or resurfacing
Skipping CDs, DVDs, and game discs can't be sold
Fuzzy or snowy VHS tapes can't be sold
Games that don't load or play can't be sold


Unacceptable - The following items cannot be sold on Half.com:
CDs and DVDs that skip, jump, freeze, or otherwise don't function properly
Games that skip, jump, freeze, or otherwise don?t function properly Imported DVDs (U.S. region 1 DVDs may be sold)
Region-free DVDs manufactured outside the United States
Promotional music
CD jewel cases with promotion marks (saw cuts, punch-outs, drill holes, UPC strikes)

Source: http://pages.half.ebay.com/help/policy/pricing.html

I sincerely hope I never buy something online that was put up by one of the chuckleheads in this thread that are saying opening the shrinkwrap does nothing to the value. They'd fleece me.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Here's why it matters: I. Do. Not. Like. To. Over. Pay. It's a ripoff. End of.

Ah yes, I get it, because you never actually play games, the simple act of opening a jewel case SERIOUSLY DEVALUES THE PRODUCT, ZOMG! CALL THE POLICE. DEY RUINED YOR MINT CONDITION GAMEZ

Also, dude, I pay $99+ for retail games, $40-60 for imports and $60+ on Steam, the fact that teh retailer has also *GASP* opened a fucking box in order to prevent theft makes little to no difference to the product itself.

Yes, it seriously devalues the product, because if I want to get an open box game (i.e., a used one) I can buy it for half the price, either elsewhere or often in the same freakin' store. If I'm paying for new, I'd better be getting new.

Used games are cheaper because they're used. Merely opened games aren't used, because they've never been used. Used games have been played, so there's a greater chance of a flaw or defect having developed through use. Games that were merely opened will generally only be flawed or have a defect if it occurred during manufacture/packaging/shipping. And it's the same for factory sealed games.

All it takes is a mistake in handling after opening the game to cause a defect that wasn't there before it was open. What's more, it doesn't matter, it's considered used the moment the shrink wrap comes off, just like with toys, DVDs, or anything else that people collect.

Yes, and I would have to imagine that if an actual defect was caused during opening, they'd change the valuation accordingly. But the mere act of opening the shrink and removing the disc does not mean the disc has magically been owned by someone previously.

And people collect older things, things that have value, because they weren't made to be collected. Here's the catch. Anything that is marketed as a "Collector's Edition"? EVERYBODY goes out and buys one to put into storage somewhere in hopes that it will be worth a lot of money some day. Only because everybody did it, it has no rarity, and thus doesn't have worth.

The value in a modern video game is in the playing of it. Any money after the fact is purely trivial in determining the value at purchase. Thus, a game that has only been opened and not damaged in the process has the same value as a shrinkwrapped copy.

I'm not talking about money after the fact. I'm talking about how much it would cost to get an identical item if I shopped around. Anywhere but gamestop, an opened item would count as used, and have a lower price as a result. This is a fact. I do not understand why you cannot comprehend this.

Because it's not a fact. You know why they give you a discount? So you won't go bitching to management about how they tried to charge you full price for an item that was opened, but had no visible defects whatsoever. So they toss you a 10% discount in the hopes that you'll shut the fuck up, and as a gesture of goodwill to hopefully keep you shopping there.

No, at every store I've ever bought a display item from, they've /offered/ the bloody discount, because it's an open package and they know it's not worth as much. It's also a way for them to get a little extra good will from the customer for next to nothing. Do any of you people ever buy anything that's not a videogame? Seriously.