Poll: The Anti-GameStope Revolution

[nuba km]

... Question? If I only buy games from Gamestop new, does that count for anything? Because it seems like the Used Game formula is the crux of this revolution.

Also, with my Xbox I buy game DLC. THAT money goes right to the developers, right?

sure buy games new at gamestop but if there is a smaller game shop selling the same game at the same price close to you try and go there when possible and I think dlc money goes all or nearly all to the developers accept if you buy it on a separate disk in a shop.

 

[nuba km]

If buying used is a problem, then what does it matter where you buy the used games from? I see a lot of people here saying "I won't buy used from Gamestop" then turning around and saying that they'll buy from the indie store down the street that sells used. Essentially its the same thing. Every "indie" store I've been to around here has worse prices than Gamestop for used titles (and crap trade-in value) and are crappily managed by uber-geeks with no social or organizational skills. I even had one "lose" my store credit and then proceed to tell me it was my fault he fucked up.
Not saying all indie stores are bad tho, just the ones I've been to.
Back to my original question, if the whole used market is "bad" then why go to another store for used games?
Pretty hypocritical.

first of if you watched the video he said not to buy from an indie shop when the owners are dicks or their prices suck and also he understands the fact that people buy used games because they are cheap but try and buy a used game from another shop to lessen the stranglehold that gamestop has on the industry.

 

[nuba km]

snip

1. the point is to make gamestop your last priority when buying a game because I don't want gamestop to run out of business just to make it see that I (and other people) don't like it's current business model.
2. if gamestop decides not to sell a game only a few people who were going to buy it no matter what will buy it meaning the game makes a massive loss from the audience it can't reach. that is more power then a single shop should have. and I have a question were is gamestop's equivalent to McDonald's burger king.
3. there is another much cheaper try before you buy it is called lovefilm ya those guys also rent games you can rent 3 games for a month for around £10 and they get delivered to you house so gamestop is nowhere near as cheap and convenient as lovefilm and after you sent the game back if is worth $60 then get it in fact maybe the game will only be $55 or $50 after the month.
4. I don't hate gamestop and used games need to be bought less they shouldn't stop selling used games because otherwise you may not find that old games that you heard some people talk about and turns out now to be in your topp fove games of all time jusst to lessen the amount you buy used games (I mean in all my local gamestop new MW2 cost £40 and used costs £38 but guess what people buy the used game to save the £2 meaning that the people who made it lose out on about £10 for every person that does that).

 

[hyperhammy]

Nope, I like gamestop. Maybe I'm just lucky, but the staff at my local gamestop is pretty awesome. Gamestop is in no way a monopoly. If you want to stop buying from them, be my guest, but why start a revolution?

 

[Gunner 51]

First of all, OP - the spelling, grammar and punctuation in your post was terrible. It obfuscated your message almost to the point of being unintelligible. But having said this, I'll answer you as best as I can.

I shall concede that Gamestop is a major retailer, but it's main strength is it's convenience. It truly is a one-stop shop for all one's gaming needs in America - though it does have a few strengths over the likes of Wal-mart. It's not afraid of selling games with mature or controversial content in it. (To name one - pro tempore)

Though I think your main bugbear is that Gamestop has a habit of fleecing it's customers with it's trade-in policy and leaving developers and publishers out of the loop with it's second hand sales. But here's the rub: people WANT to trade games in with them and get money to be used in their next purchase. But the money Gamestop does offer is insulting, but this is the price you pay for their convenience and efficiency.

The solution to this is simple - don't trade games in with them. This denies them the chance to sell £20 worth of game at £35 while fobbing the punter of with £10. (At most)

I don't have a problem with Gamestop or any other shop selling second hand goods and keeping the profits for themselves. When money changes hands during a trade - the item someone has bought now belongs to them.

You don't see car manufacturers moaning about not receiving a cut of the profits when Joe Bloggs sells his car to Pete Bloggs. They had their money when Joe Bloggs originally bought the car from them in the first place. When money changed hands, that car was his personal property to used or sold on as he saw fit - as is his right to keep the money gained from the sale.

I am in agreement with you, to a point. But when the devs and publishers start mewling for money from a second hand sale - they've lost their right to moan about it when they received money from Gamestop in the first place. They know full well what is going on, but it's hard to take a plea of poverty seriously when these games make the publishers obscene amounts of profit.

If the publishers wanted to do something about the Second-hand market... They can do a few things.

1.) Product registration to a console number. Though I think this could be spiteful, immoral and possibly unlawful. As it impedes someone's ability to sell their own property.

2.) Open their own stores and undercut Gamestop directly - play 'em at their own game. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, eh? If they want a cut of second hand sales - they'd better be the guys to sell back to. This is very expensive, time consuming and won't work on products gained through digital distribution.

In essence, there's not much publishers can do about Gamestop. If they want to put the brakes on Gamestop's second hand policies - they should be making it more profitable and convenient to sell the product back to them.

I think that wraps things up on my end.

 

[dogenzakaminion]

Game stop isn't a monopoly at all.

They happen to be the only national chain of specialty game retailers. They are so far from the only game retailers that the idea of their being a proper monopoly is laughable.

-m

game another big game retailer also that is why we have to support the independent retailers so their is more of a competition for game stop meaning things will be better for the game industry.

Dude, GAME is UK only. Gamestop is mainly in USA.

OT: I don't buy from them anyway, since my nearest Gamestop is in Birmingham, which is you look on my profile, I am about 20 miles from Birmingham, so I'd much rather go to Tamworth to my Local Game or Gamestation. And let's not take down the biggest speciality game retailer in the world. Lots of people employed, bad economic climate, you see where I'm going?

Calumon: Don't stop me now! I'm loving Kingdom Hearts, I'm having a ball!

Actually GAME exists all over Europe. We have both in Norway, and I prefer Spaceworld, tbh, but that's the only other game store here, besides GAME and gamestop. Leaves me little choice. Plus, I just applied for a part time job at gamestop so...kinda have to like them don't I. Please don't flame me though, I'm a student and I need the money!

 

[Baby Tea]

If you can get every game you want at those places, Your really not under my definition of gamer, None of those stores sell anything besides MW2 and Halo and such

Well it's a good thing you're not an authority on the subject.
Nevermind that you're completely and objectively wrong, and that those store sell loads of different games. I've bought Shogun Total War, Half Life 2 (Orange Box, actually), numerous hard-to-find PC titles, Borderlands and more from those stores.

But I guess you only can play the games you like to be considered a gamer?

 

[mrwoo6]

I live in the UK. in northern Ireland. i think my nearest gamestop is in Ireland 2 hours away.

Its Steam for me. and sometimes GAME.

 

[Evil the White]

Game stop isn't a monopoly at all.

They happen to be the only national chain of specialty game retailers. They are so far from the only game retailers that the idea of their being a proper monopoly is laughable.

-m

game another big game retailer also that is why we have to support the independent retailers so their is more of a competition for game stop meaning things will be better for the game industry.

Pointing out, I'm UK born and breed and even I know that Gamestop doesn't have a monopoly. Also, Game is UK only, and it has plenty of competition. Like Gamestation, Toys 'R' Us, Asda, HMV, and several others, including online distribution services and indie places.

 

[Edorf]

I've never bought anything on gamestop because they're always more expensive (on new games). Most of the time I find used games for the same price as I can get new games in another store.

 

[LastMondaysHangover]

Having worked for GameStop 4 years, I can say that it was one of the best jobs I had ever held. Sure we had the standard upsell goals that every retailer may have, but the staff I worked with was awesome; Our DM was perhaps the coolest guy I had ever met and the customers knew what they were looking for and always asked for your advice on games.

I like GameStop, however calling them a monopoly is a bit of a stretch. I like their selection of games and I can save myself alot of money by getting used games. Unlike alot of stores that deal games, the employees actually know what they're talking about and are very knowledgeable about products. Games are expensive enough, so when I can save $15-20 on a used game, I'm going to buy it because I can't think of one time where I've had a bad (Scratched, damaged) used game.

 

[Ken Sapp]

I'm all for this. Fuck gamestop. Fuck big retail business in general. My favorite grocery store near my house that my parents have taken me to since I was a BABY and that I wanted to take MY children to, is closing down because they can't compete with the bigger stores. From now on, I'm only going to buy from SMALL BUSINESS, like the entirety of the world SHOULD! GAMENAZI WILL DIE! Their regime is at an end!

Get over yourself. If you want to blame someone for the failure of the smaller stores that you like so much point your finger of blame in the right direction, your neighbors who have chosen to shop at the national chain big box stores instead of the smaller local store.

 

[Skywatcher]

I would love to ask where I'm supposed to buy my games from, if I'm not supposed to be going to the one and only game retailer in my town. Wal-Mart? Because they are less evil and don't destroy local business?

The truth is that, in small to midsized towns in Ontario, there are no independently owned video game retailers. Like, at all. I'm not sure of the situation in larger cities like Toronto or Ottawa, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be driving 1-4 hours to get to a major city just to buy a game from a "local" mom-and-pop establishment (if they even exist).

I like my local Game Stop, too. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Some of the day staff has even bothered to learn my name and will treat me like a friend when I come in to trade or buy. Why would I go anywhere else when my friendly, local game store IS Game Stop? I'm treated better there than at the small, locally owned comic book/hobby/RPG store downtown, where the owner is downright rude.

Bottom line: when a local video game retailer opens up, and can provide the same kind of awesome customer service as Game Stop, I'll try it out. Until then, I'll stick to the only place in town where I can buy a game and be happy with the experience.

 

[xDarc]

snip

100% agree here. You laid it out nicely and hit close to home.

It's also never gonna change.

It would change if we were all mothers buying baby care products.

It would change if we were up and coming, 30-something single bachelors demanding performance and style out of a sports car.

It would change if we were seniors at the walgreens pharmacy.

Unfortunately, we are mostly naive teenagers as a demographic... therefore nothing will ever change, and new naive teenagers will constantly replace the aging ones... and that's all she wrote.

So everyone can pretty much stop wasting their breath now. : )

Unless... you want to start your own development studio and can get investors, and both of you think it would be best to raise the bar (eating into your profits) out of the goodness of your hearts; and enough people notice or are threatened by competition.

P.S.

I think something that might help would be to get rid of "pre-orders." I won't get too much into it, but it wasn't OUR idea- it came from greedy assholes behind the games industry... so you know it's not done for our convenience. Remember that capital is what matters in a capitalist system- and you are giving yours up for the promise of goods down the line.

Basically it's an interest free loan, lowers their price of doing business by eliminating waste and enables them a better perspective on profits; by which they can minimize their supporting costs accordingly.

 

[Therumancer]

snip

100% agree here. You laid it out nicely and hit close to home.

It's also never gonna change.

It would change if we were all mothers buying baby care products.

It would change if we were up and coming, 30-something single bachelors demanding performance and style out of a sports car.

It would change if we were seniors at the walgreens pharmacy.

Unfortunately, we are mostly naive teenagers as a demographic... therefore nothing will ever change, and new naive teenagers will constantly replace the aging ones... and that's all she wrote.

So everyone can pretty much stop wasting their breath now. : )

Unless... you want to start your own development studio and can get investors, and both of you think it would be best to raise the bar (eating into your profits) out of the goodness of your hearts; and enough people notice or are threatened by competition.

P.S.

I think something that might help would be to get rid of "pre-orders." I won't get too much into it, but it wasn't OUR idea- it came from greedy assholes behind the games industry... so you know it's not done for our convenience. Remember that capital is what matters in a capitalist system- and you are giving yours up for the promise of goods down the line.

Basically it's an interest free loan, lowers their price of doing business by eliminating waste and enables them a better perspective on profits; by which they can minimize their supporting costs accordingly.

I think there is hope, it's just slow in coming.

See all the teenagers we have now are going to grow up as gamers. Their kids are also going to be gamers but raised by parents who are more discriminating due to having been raised on games themselves. Remember it's the parents who are typically shelling out the money for the games their kids wind up with.

Also, adults have more money in general than kids, which is why baby boomers are still catered to (Generation X having been "skipped" economically which is why it's the "Lost Generation"). As the twitchy fingered kids of today get older, slow down, and still want to game, their demands for games are also going to change and become more cereberal. I expect turn based combat and the like along with real RPG elements to make comebacks as a result. When your primary market can't twitch, churning out another shooter isn't going to work so hot, not to mention the way how people change mentally as they mature as well, what appeals to a kid doesn't nessicarly appeal to an adult.

Right now the thing is that most of the gamers are young because it's coming up with this generation, so it's a fairly unique development enviroment which is going to change as gaming becomes part of popular culture and you have both large teen, and adult markets, combined with a savvy populance that grew up with games as part of life.

I think with time, your going to see more people pushing for consumer advocacy for gamers, and gamers themselves forming watchdog groups and the like. However right now that doesn't mean we can be lazy, an eye has to be kept out for policies developed right now that we don't want to become an integral part of gaming and which will persist for years and be accepted because "that's always the way it was".

While a lot of people claim to be older than they are, the number of adult gamers out there are fairly small. I for example am 35 and while there are older gamers, I'm positively ancient in terms of gaming since I've literally watched it rise up from the days of Pong and Atari and grow up as I did... gaming all the while. Game consoles and PC gaming were obscure enough for most of my own teenage years and such that most kids did not really "game" as we do now. Today consoles and gaming PCs are almost a regular fixture in most homes.


I'm rambling, but the point is that I launch these tirades because I believe it isn't hopeless. I'm hoping that people will vaguely remember reading the stuff I write at some point, and it will help the ideas form when the time becomes right. Besides, I then get to stroke by gray beard when you have a lot more people pushing the things I am, and asking these questions, and go "yup, I was there before all these whippersnappers".

Of course when that happens I am sort of hoping they will have released Cane-nect, so fogeys like me can control our game devices with the same device we used to gimp around with. Maybe even with a game where we can beat off toughs trying to steal our social security checks with it, or even score points by holding it like a gun and pretending to shoot kids off our lawn...

I seriously hope we see an era of epic senior-oriented gaming when I get there as well..

Oh well, my rambling has gotten too silly, time to end this message before I derail myself.

 

[nairb1582]

Game stop isn't a monopoly at all.

They happen to be the only national chain of specialty game retailers. They are so far from the only game retailers that the idea of their being a proper monopoly is laughable.

-m

You have other game retailers in your city?

That must be nice...

you dont have a wallmart or a target or a best buy in yours? what sort of one horse town do you live in that has internet access?

"Game retailers". Not "stores that happen to also have games". Name one other store within five miles of your house that is a store that sells exclusively games.

 

[Worgen]

Game stop isn't a monopoly at all.

They happen to be the only national chain of specialty game retailers. They are so far from the only game retailers that the idea of their being a proper monopoly is laughable.

-m

You have other game retailers in your city?

That must be nice...

you dont have a wallmart or a target or a best buy in yours? what sort of one horse town do you live in that has internet access?

"Game retailers". Not "stores that happen to also have games". Name one other store within five miles of your house that is a store that sells exclusively games.

gameover videogames, there used to be a few other stores in the mall also but I havent been there in awhile so Im not sure if they are still around, really the worry is that boycotting gamestop will instead of make more game exclusive retailers, it will just make it so ppl only get games at places like wallmart or bestbuy, the games industry itself seems to want to go the digital distribution route, that doesnt exactly help small retailers
hell look at pc gaming, its almost being eliminated from the physical marketplace, there are no specialty stores for it but big stores like frys tend to have a good sized pc selection