Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
EBstop is really shortsighted. They are making maximum profits now but undermining consumer confidence. They are slowly driving people away. In the long run their operating practices are going to hurt them.
they aren't undermining consumer confidence, though.
The majority of the public has no issue with the weay they do business, and many are even pleased by it.
That's kind of the point. They do things that or particular niche may not all like, but we forget that we are not their entire market.
Excuse me, but this is an outright lie. The only customers that were pleased by purchasing an opened game at full "new" price were the hopelessly oblivious ones. Having worked at en EB for 4 years, I'd go so far as to say 99% of the customers there abhored that particular practice. And we lost a good number of sales to it, too. "Oh, no thanks" was a very common response to us telling them, "well, it's the last copy, blah blah blah."
Drez on
Switch: SW-7690-2320-9238Steam/PSN/Xbox: Drezdar
0
GreenStick around.I'm full of bad ideas.Registered Userregular
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
Are you seriously using this as a defense for their gutting retail games and displaying the boxes as such? Something they could remedy by just producing and shipping cardboard cutouts like they did a decade ago? Or putting out copies but fitting the racks with locks? Or putting out tickets? Or any of the tried-and-true methods that so many other successful video game retailers have used for ages without
Do you really think we have no right to criticize them (as "idiots") because they don't want to spend a little money on security measures that everyone else uses and would rather use real, new product as display cases?
Because that would make you an idiot too, right alongside GameEBstop. Really, Evander, you're the one that doesn't comprehend business. Or consumerism, for that matter.
And to everyone: the car analogies are retarded. Cars are, universally, sold in a manner that suggests they may have at least been test driven. They are not factory-sealed like games. They are not sold differently from retailer to retailer. It's a completely different thing. "New car" means something different than "new video game."
Ummm...
WHy should they spend a little extra money on the things that you suggest?
That is the part where you all don't seem to understand business. The TINY ammount of increased sales that they would get if they stopped gutting games, from folks like you all, would give them LESS money than it would cost to change their systems.
So you are asking them to make less money for no reason, when their current suystem works just fine.
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
Are you seriously using this as a defense for their gutting retail games and displaying the boxes as such? Something they could remedy by just producing and shipping cardboard cutouts like they did a decade ago? Or putting out copies but fitting the racks with locks? Or putting out tickets? Or any of the tried-and-true methods that so many other successful video game retailers have used for ages without
Do you really think we have no right to criticize them (as "idiots") because they don't want to spend a little money on security measures that everyone else uses and would rather use real, new product as display cases?
Because that would make you an idiot too, right alongside GameEBstop. Really, Evander, you're the one that doesn't comprehend business. Or consumerism, for that matter.
And to everyone: the car analogies are retarded. Cars are, universally, sold in a manner that suggests they may have at least been test driven. They are not factory-sealed like games. They are not sold differently from retailer to retailer. It's a completely different thing. "New car" means something different than "new video game."
Ummm...
WHy should they spend a little extra money on the things that you suggest?
That is the part where you all don't seem to understand business. The TINY ammount of increased sales that they would get if they stopped gutting games, from folks like you all, would give them LESS money than it would cost to change their systems.
So you are asking them to make less money for no reason, when their current suystem works just fine.
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Ummm...
What about it is wrong?
Just saying "bzzzzt" doesn't make me wrong. You aren't a game show host. We aren't even on a game show.
I should mention that the EB I go to is not run by Douches. Every new game I have ever bought was given to me wrapped up and unopened. Or, at the very least, they'd packaged it before I got there.
I've never seen them package a game up before selling it "New" to a customer, and I visit the store pretty frequently.
Again, the employees over here are not douches, which may be the key variable here.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
I'm fairly certain my trade paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is not a collectible either, but I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a copy where pages are creased even if - as you say - I'd be "getting what I paid for" which is (in the case of a book) the readable words contained therein.
And that's a book, which is not factory sealed. Whether you're a collector or not, the lot of you cannot be so daft as to ignore that the factory seal is there for the consumer so he knows it's a new product. That's what the seal is FOR. Otherwise they wouldn't have seals on games. It's not there for EB to fiddle around with. It's there for the customer. Deflowering a video game before I purchase it is just not cool.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
I think the reluctance of some consumers to buy gutted games isn't based on wanting a collectible, so much as it is wanting a game that definitely hasn't been tampered with after shipment(ie: remember the nail polish story from earlier in this thread). So I can understand why people, even ordinary non-gamer consumers, are skeptical of gutted games.
Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
EBstop is really shortsighted. They are making maximum profits now but undermining consumer confidence. They are slowly driving people away. In the long run their operating practices are going to hurt them.
they aren't undermining consumer confidence, though.
The majority of the public has no issue with the weay they do business, and many are even pleased by it.
That's kind of the point. They do things that or particular niche may not all like, but we forget that we are not their entire market.
Excuse me, but this is an outright lie. The only customers that were pleased by purchasing an opened game at full "new" price were the hopelessly oblivious ones. Having worked at en EB for 4 years, I'd go so far as to say 99% of the customers there abhored that particular practice. And we lost a good number of sales to it, too. "Oh, no thanks" was a very common response to us telling them, "well, it's the last copy, blah blah blah."
Again, you have NO IDEA what you're talking about.
The majority of consumers don't look twice when told that a game was gutted. a decent sized minority asks why, and are satisfied witht he answer. then is a small percentage that doesn't like it, but buys the game anyway. finally there is the less than one percent who refuse to buy it.
COnsidering how incredibly profitable Gamestop already is, trying to please that fraction of a percent doesn't make good business sense.
I'm curious? Do you save the outer plastic after you open a game? Most people are just going to throw it away anyway, so it makes no difference to them whether it's there are not.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
I think the reluctance of some consumers to buy gutted games isn't based on wanting a collectible, so much as it is wanting a game that definitely hasn't been tampered with after shipment(ie: remember the nail polish story from earlier in this thread). So I can understand why people, even ordinary non-gamer consumers, are skeptical of gutted games.
Also, Azio missed the part where I said they only gut ONE copy at my store. I buy at EBgames because I get my new game. I'm simply stating that anyone telling me I'm wrong for wanting a sealed game is an idiot.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
Ok first of all the car/game analogy is faulty we get it. But collecting something doesn't at all require that the item maintains a certain value. Many people collect things that have little to no monetary value what-so-ever. Collecting by definition only requires an emotional value, not monetary. I for one collect many things, games among them, and the last thing i want is a case which has had the sweaty shit encrusted fingers of some random 10 year old who fondled it.
Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
Are you seriously using this as a defense for their gutting retail games and displaying the boxes as such? Something they could remedy by just producing and shipping cardboard cutouts like they did a decade ago? Or putting out copies but fitting the racks with locks? Or putting out tickets? Or any of the tried-and-true methods that so many other successful video game retailers have used for ages without
Do you really think we have no right to criticize them (as "idiots") because they don't want to spend a little money on security measures that everyone else uses and would rather use real, new product as display cases?
Because that would make you an idiot too, right alongside GameEBstop. Really, Evander, you're the one that doesn't comprehend business. Or consumerism, for that matter.
And to everyone: the car analogies are retarded. Cars are, universally, sold in a manner that suggests they may have at least been test driven. They are not factory-sealed like games. They are not sold differently from retailer to retailer. It's a completely different thing. "New car" means something different than "new video game."
Ummm...
WHy should they spend a little extra money on the things that you suggest?
That is the part where you all don't seem to understand business. The TINY ammount of increased sales that they would get if they stopped gutting games, from folks like you all, would give them LESS money than it would cost to change their systems.
So you are asking them to make less money for no reason, when their current suystem works just fine.
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Ummm...
What about it is wrong?
Just saying "bzzzzt" doesn't make me wrong. You aren't a game show host. We aren't even on a game show.
The entire thing is wrong. Thank you for confirming, though, that to you the ends always justify the means in business. They don't and I truly pity you and anyone else that thinks so.
A business certainly has every right to pursue capital. But it's, well, absolutely insane to argue that every action they pursue is above criticism simply because it puts money in their vault. Telling people that they have no right to call EB "idiots" over one of their decisions is idiotic itself.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
I'm fairly certain my trade paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is not a collectible either, but I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a copy where pages are creased even if - as you say - I'd be "getting what I paid for" which is (in the case of a book) the readable words contained therein.
And that's a book, which is not factory sealed. Whether you're a collector or not, the lot of you cannot be so daft as to ignore that the factory seal is there for the consumer so he knows it's a new product. That's what the seal is FOR. Otherwise they wouldn't have seals on games. It's not there for EB to fiddle around with. It's there for the customer. Deflowering a video game before I purchase it is just not cool.
you do realize that it is more likely for something to go wrong with a product (that still makes it to market) BEFORE the seal goes on, rather than after, right?
At the factory you just have a bunch of assembly workers (or machines) shoving things into cases in bulk. Operating in bulk is a recipe for having some ammount of error. Then you have transit, where conditions are less than perfect, often (THIS is what happened to the Halo Limited editions). Finally, you have the store, where a single worker takes a disc out of a case, and puts it into a sleeve, then a drawer.
You're more likely to get a damaged game if you buy sealed copies, in fact, because the store would see any obvious damage, while gutting, and send it back defective.
Look, Drez, no one (of any level of intelligence) is telling you that you're wrong in prefering sealed copies. Personally, I almost NEVER buy gutted games myself. Still, though, it does not hurt me in any way when some one else chooses to buy it. What I don't understand is why you get so worked up about something which simply doesn't affect you.
Seriously, you guys have NO IDEA how business works.
It's fine if you don't like something, and no one is forcing you to shop there, but inorder to stay in business sometimes you HAVE to make decisions that some of your clientelle do not like.
It is fine to dislike the decisions, but calling them idiots for making those choices is pathetic. I'd like to see you all run a multi-national retail chain any better.
Are you seriously using this as a defense for their gutting retail games and displaying the boxes as such? Something they could remedy by just producing and shipping cardboard cutouts like they did a decade ago? Or putting out copies but fitting the racks with locks? Or putting out tickets? Or any of the tried-and-true methods that so many other successful video game retailers have used for ages without
Do you really think we have no right to criticize them (as "idiots") because they don't want to spend a little money on security measures that everyone else uses and would rather use real, new product as display cases?
Because that would make you an idiot too, right alongside GameEBstop. Really, Evander, you're the one that doesn't comprehend business. Or consumerism, for that matter.
And to everyone: the car analogies are retarded. Cars are, universally, sold in a manner that suggests they may have at least been test driven. They are not factory-sealed like games. They are not sold differently from retailer to retailer. It's a completely different thing. "New car" means something different than "new video game."
Ummm...
WHy should they spend a little extra money on the things that you suggest?
That is the part where you all don't seem to understand business. The TINY ammount of increased sales that they would get if they stopped gutting games, from folks like you all, would give them LESS money than it would cost to change their systems.
So you are asking them to make less money for no reason, when their current suystem works just fine.
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Ummm...
What about it is wrong?
Just saying "bzzzzt" doesn't make me wrong. You aren't a game show host. We aren't even on a game show.
The entire thing is wrong. Thank you for confirming, though, that to you the ends always justify the means in business. They don't and I truly pity you and anyone else that thinks so.
A business certainly has every right to pursue capital. But it's, well, absolutely insane to argue that every action they pursue is above criticism simply because it puts money in their vault. Telling people that they have no right to call EB "idiots" over one of their decisions is idiotic itself.
Are you implying that business is evil, or that looking out for one's own interests is evil, or what?
You clearly are upset that EB does not look out for your interests as much as you would like them to, but do you ever look out for their interests? No, you only buy from them what you need, and I'm sure that you buy it for the least ammount of money possible. That's fine, but why would you expect them to look out for you any more than you look out for them?
Evander on
0
ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Locks on the games/display cases - Customers can't look at the back of the box, and decide if it's something they want to buy. Blah blah blah "I know what I want already!" But most people don't... some browse, see something they like, read the back, then buy it.
Security cases - Two reasons these are stupid. First, they're expensive. No, they don't cost tons of money, but at $.10-.25 per case, times 3000 cases, times 5000 stores, you've just cost the company 1.5-3.75 million dollars. For what? To appease that 1%?
Second reason, they do nothing. There are easy ways to defeat the EAS tags that many stores have, not the least of which is to just keep walking. In this litigious society, attempting to stop a thief can get you into a lot of shit, even if they actually are a thief. Never mind the amount of danger you put yourself in asking someone to come back, walking outside after them, or whatever.
Your last paragraph was just a retarded attack with no real backup. Thanks for that.
they aren't undermining consumer confidence, though.
The majority of the public has no issue with the weay they do business, and many are even pleased by it.
That's kind of the point. They do things that or particular niche may not all like, but we forget that we are not their entire market.
Excuse me, but this is an outright lie. The only customers that were pleased by purchasing an opened game at full "new" price were the hopelessly oblivious ones. Having worked at en EB for 4 years, I'd go so far as to say 99% of the customers there abhored that particular practice. And we lost a good number of sales to it, too. "Oh, no thanks" was a very common response to us telling them, "well, it's the last copy, blah blah blah."
Again, you have NO IDEA what you're talking about.
The majority of consumers don't look twice when told that a game was gutted. a decent sized minority asks why, and are satisfied witht he answer. then is a small percentage that doesn't like it, but buys the game anyway. finally there is the less than one percent who refuse to buy it.
Excuse me, but I know exactly what I'm talking about. I worked at EB for four years. Everyone hated it. The customers hated it. We all (the staff) winced whenever we hit the last copy. We loved Sony for sending us PSX cardboard display boxes.
Mind you, I'm speaking from what I've personally witnessed, both as an employee and then within the last ten years as a random walk-in consumer. I've never seen anyone that HASN'T flinched or asked "so, that's new then?" even meekly when told that they were getting the already-opened copy. I don't presume, however, to speak for "the majority of consumers." Can you please cite by what authority you can do so? Please? Thanks.
COnsidering how incredibly profitable Gamestop already is, trying to please that fraction of a percent doesn't make good business sense.
Again, you're going to have to cite some kind of source to back up your "fraction of a percent" claim. Assuming, though, that it IS only a fraction of a percent? It's still bad business to unseal a factory-sealed item, whether it makes them more money or not. But I'm not even going to get into that here.
I'm curious? Do you save the outer plastic after you open a game? Most people are just going to throw it away anyway, so it makes no difference to them whether it's there are not.
Nope, I immediately discard the outer plastic. Did you have any kind of relevant point here? Again, the fact that I - the consumer - plan on discarding it has absolutely nothing to do with what EB can or should do with the plastic. I also throw away all those "system information" things that come with each game. Does that mean EB should discard those too?
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
Ok first of all the car/game analogy is faulty we get it. But collecting something doesn't at all require that the item maintains a certain value. Many people collect things that have little to no monetary value what-so-ever. Collecting by definition only requires an emotional value, not monetary. I for one collect many things, games among them, and the last thing i want is a case which has had the sweaty shit encrusted fingers of some random 10 year old who fondled it.
I hear you.
But EB doesn't gut ALL of their copies, just one or two of a game (more at the launch of a huge title) so I don' really understand why you might be offended at the existance of he practise.
Like I said before, the simple answer is to look at it as "I am buying a sealed copy of X", when you go to the store, and if they only have gutted copies left, well, then they are sold out of what you went there to buy.
I miss Japan. The games were inexpensive, you could find a store just by visually scanning the area (no matter where you were), they had new releases in stock, they had Wiis, and the pre-order system there isn't pushed down your throat*, and since I don't speak Japanese I had no clue what the guys were saying. I guess it's impossible for that kind of store to exist, since they're obviously not making any money whatsoever, right? Tssk.
* - At the back of every store, there are a limited quantity of tickets for any upcoming game (with the release date, which is always respected), and you only needed to take one, fill it, have the clerk keep the numbered half of the ticket and you'd go on your way. When the store gets it, bring your coupon, buy the game, and that's it. Anyway, it doesn't really matter since they have this incredible notion of "Hey guys, maybe if we have more copies, we'll actually be able to... sell more copies? What?". I've bought FFTA2 on launch day without a hassle or a pre-order.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
You don't seem to comprehend that you and Shadowfire saying that only a small percentage care doesn't make it true. Where's your proof, cupcake?
And it's not as if the game-gutting thing is the only reason. Gamestop is a blight on the game retail market and I think everyone would be much better off without them.
edit: Oh, I see. The fact that they are successful is proof that all their practices are held in high-esteem by all customers? Are you really this stupid?
edit 2: Let's talk corporate. I used to work for a big corporation in NYC. They rival Bloomberg. And Reuters. All three have news services. The company I worked for was a complete clusterfuck on so many levels. I dealt with clients that hated us for so many reasons. But they still subscribed because some of our data and delivery were better than the competitors. We had some very flawed practices and annoying policies. Horrible ones. Clients hated them. But we were still #1 or #2 or something in some respects over the competitors. This is a very vague but very true example. Success is not evidence that consumers/clients are even happy with the company they deal with.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
Yup.
But nw sales aren't irrelevant for them. They make a good ammount of money from game devs and pubs buying marketing from them, and high new sales also keeps the pubs from being unhappy that everyone is buying games used, where the pubs don't get a cut.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
That's how EB makes all its money though. They don't get shit all from new game/hardware sales. They make all their money on interest gains on pre-orders, and selling used games. They buy the used games for jack all, and then they add 40 dollars onto the price.
However, I really have to wonder if people buy many of those pre-owned games. As I said earlier, the prices of most of them, are not attractive.
The only time I'd buy pre-owned games is with the buy 2 get 1 free. Then I'll just strut down to JB-Hifi and trade those 3 games for a new release game.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
Yup.
But nw sales aren't irrelevant for them. They make a good ammount of money from game devs and pubs buying marketing from them, and high new sales also keeps the pubs from being unhappy that everyone is buying games used, where the pubs don't get a cut.
Of course, if their practice of presuring pre-orders for new games grows more prevalent among their various stores, they may end up pushing away walk-in consumers who come for new games, and thus lose the good favor of devs and pubs. They tread a thin line in that regard.
Oh, I see. The fact that they are successful is proof that all their practices are held in high-esteem by all customers? Are you really this stupid?
You're not good at business OR economics.
Assuming consumer incompitance is an awful mistake. Just because people don't mind shopping at a store you shop at doesn't mean that "they don't know what's good for them", it means that they ahave a different opinion from you.
Not nearly as bad as some of the things in this thread, but today I went to EB to pick up a new expansion pack. I'm not sure if this is standard practice, but when I opened it up I found the cd-key physically cut out of the back page of the manual and scotch taped to the cd.
I don't care terribly about the condition of my games, and I know they want to cover their asses about people losing their key but please don't fucking cut holes in my manual before I buy a game. I like to keep all my manuals and cd-keys together in a box so I don't lose them. If I want holes cut in my stuff I will do it myself thanks!
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
Ok first of all the car/game analogy is faulty we get it. But collecting something doesn't at all require that the item maintains a certain value. Many people collect things that have little to no monetary value what-so-ever. Collecting by definition only requires an emotional value, not monetary. I for one collect many things, games among them, and the last thing i want is a case which has had the sweaty shit encrusted fingers of some random 10 year old who fondled it.
Okay, so fucking buy the game online and stop bitching. Jesus.
On gutting: If the game works, then you have gotten what you paid for. The box and manual represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your game's packaging must be pristine then perhaps you should order online.
Warning! Tenuous analogy approaching!
If the car runs, then you have gotten what you paid for. The paint and upholstery represent a negligible fraction of the total value of the product, and most people who care so much about their condition are just looking for reasons to be upset. If your car's condition must be pristine then perhaps you should order directly from the factory.
See the point? If I want something new, see something advertised as new, and pay for something new, it had better be new. If it's not, why shouldn't I be upset?
No. That is completely different. The paint and upholstery represent a significant fraction, as in several thousand dollars, of a car's total value. They are also vital to several aspects of the car's function, namely comfort and not turning into a rusty piece of shit after light rainfall.
A used game and a new game work exactly the same. The end user's experience is exactly the same regardless of what condition the box is in.
No it isn't. My experience isn't as good if the box is damaged. I'm not just playing these games, I'm collecting them.
Well perhaps you should shop somewhere that caters to video game collectors, as opposed to EB games which caters to the other 99.95% of the people who buy video games. Pulling the "I'm collecting them" line gets you no sympathy from me or anyone else.
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
Ok first of all the car/game analogy is faulty we get it. But collecting something doesn't at all require that the item maintains a certain value. Many people collect things that have little to no monetary value what-so-ever. Collecting by definition only requires an emotional value, not monetary. I for one collect many things, games among them, and the last thing i want is a case which has had the sweaty shit encrusted fingers of some random 10 year old who fondled it.
Okay, so fucking buy the game online and stop bitching. Jesus.
Do you go into every thread and tell people to stop talking about the thread's subject?
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
Yup.
But nw sales aren't irrelevant for them. They make a good ammount of money from game devs and pubs buying marketing from them, and high new sales also keeps the pubs from being unhappy that everyone is buying games used, where the pubs don't get a cut.
Of course, if their practice of presuring pre-orders for new games grows more prevalent among their various stores, they may end up pushing away walk-in consumers who come for new games, and thus lose the good favor of devs and pubs. They tread a thin line in that regard.
They know this. They actually take customer comments and complaints very seriously when ranking stores. A store that gets complaints about being too pushy is SURE to be told to tone it down, and posibly even punished.
That's the part that confuses me so much about folsk like Drez. They think it's some giant evil conspiracy, as though if they put in a complaint to corporate, the executives would laugh maniacally upon hearing it, and exclaim "Our fiendish plot is working!"
They are looking to make the most money possible in a long term setting, and long term involves keeping your customers happy enough to keep shopping at your store.
I'll bother to find you some numbers when you bother to back up your statements that it is wrong for a company to look out for their bottom line.
I never said it was.
I said that "oh hey we're looking out for our bottom line over here" is not a catch-all excuse for any and all business practices a company may engage in. But that's apparently what you think and I really don't know what to say to that.
Oh, I see. The fact that they are successful is proof that all their practices are held in high-esteem by all customers? Are you really this stupid?
You're not good at business OR economics.
Assuming consumer incompitance is an awful mistake. Just because people don't mind shopping at a store you shop at doesn't mean that "they don't know what's good for them", it means that they ahave a different opinion from you.
You're not good at logic, business, economics, or ethics. Or common sense. Or reading. Because I never said "consumer incompetence" or even implied. I am suggesting that people occasionally or even often begrudgingly do business with businesses that they dislike or partially dislike or dislike a particular practice of.
You've never done business with someone you'd rather not have?
Jesus Christ, when I worked at Gamestop, we had a secret shopper complain about my work ethics, because he saw me tell a customer to wait on Guitar Hero III and save money for Rock Band, because the guy I was talking to told me he lived with a bunch of friends that would kinda fight for Guitar Hero playing rights.. What the fuck? I was apparently "wasting a sale". Even though the guy said that he'd wait for Rock Band.
Evander: Djiem makes a good point. Outsourcing to Bangalore. The company I used to work for oursourced one of its key functions to Bangalore, the one that essentially delivered data to our clients. It was...rough. Clients hated it. We lost some. Others begrudgingly stuck with us. The company certainly increased their profit as a result. Outsourcing has that effect.
In your opinion, the fact that their profits increased washes away any other effects the decision to outsource may have had, including client annoyance and employee annoyance, right? Because a company's ultimate duty is to their bottom line? Nothing else matters?
I'm just trying to get a feel for the scope of your economic and business concept here.
Posts
Excuse me, but this is an outright lie. The only customers that were pleased by purchasing an opened game at full "new" price were the hopelessly oblivious ones. Having worked at en EB for 4 years, I'd go so far as to say 99% of the customers there abhored that particular practice. And we lost a good number of sales to it, too. "Oh, no thanks" was a very common response to us telling them, "well, it's the last copy, blah blah blah."
It looked like he was implying that, instead of gutting games, we should use those display boxes on the actual shelf walls
Which would work for about a week, at which point we'd be completely out of boxes
Also, please try to remember that video games are toys, not collectibles. Your copy of Gears of War isn't suddenly worth less just because the instruction manual is creased. It's not a piece of fine art or a vintage book. In a few years your collection will be worth about 1-10 bucks per unit, and that 1-10 figure will be based on whether each game works and how good it is, not how pristine the box is. Most people do not give a shit.
This is the part that you don't understand about business:
You know Sears? Sears locks their games on the rack. You know FYE/Coconuts and Toys 'R' Us? They put security cases on each game. Walmart? Behind a locked case. All these are on display and customers have no trouble finding what they want or merely browsing.
So you know what I do? I shop at these places instead of EB.
You seem to think that EB has an inherent right to exist as a company and so all actions that the ends always justify the means, that the bottom line is the be-all-end-all and that any action that doesn't have an immediate increase on that bottom line is a flawed business decision. Bzzt. Not only is your perspective short-sighted, but it's also just flat-out wrong.
This is the same tune you've been singing for ages and it's been wrong from the get-go. I don't even think you have a misunderstanding in how business works, I think this is a fundamental logical flaw in your brain or something.
Ummm...
What about it is wrong?
Just saying "bzzzzt" doesn't make me wrong. You aren't a game show host. We aren't even on a game show.
I've never seen them package a game up before selling it "New" to a customer, and I visit the store pretty frequently.
Again, the employees over here are not douches, which may be the key variable here.
I'm fairly certain my trade paperback copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone is not a collectible either, but I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a copy where pages are creased even if - as you say - I'd be "getting what I paid for" which is (in the case of a book) the readable words contained therein.
And that's a book, which is not factory sealed. Whether you're a collector or not, the lot of you cannot be so daft as to ignore that the factory seal is there for the consumer so he knows it's a new product. That's what the seal is FOR. Otherwise they wouldn't have seals on games. It's not there for EB to fiddle around with. It's there for the customer. Deflowering a video game before I purchase it is just not cool.
I think the reluctance of some consumers to buy gutted games isn't based on wanting a collectible, so much as it is wanting a game that definitely hasn't been tampered with after shipment(ie: remember the nail polish story from earlier in this thread). So I can understand why people, even ordinary non-gamer consumers, are skeptical of gutted games.
Again, you have NO IDEA what you're talking about.
The majority of consumers don't look twice when told that a game was gutted. a decent sized minority asks why, and are satisfied witht he answer. then is a small percentage that doesn't like it, but buys the game anyway. finally there is the less than one percent who refuse to buy it.
COnsidering how incredibly profitable Gamestop already is, trying to please that fraction of a percent doesn't make good business sense.
I'm curious? Do you save the outer plastic after you open a game? Most people are just going to throw it away anyway, so it makes no difference to them whether it's there are not.
I am not saying that you have to like that EB does this, but you also do not have to shop there. Go buy your games elsewhere, and be happy. Live and let live.
Also, Azio missed the part where I said they only gut ONE copy at my store. I buy at EBgames because I get my new game. I'm simply stating that anyone telling me I'm wrong for wanting a sealed game is an idiot.
Ok first of all the car/game analogy is faulty we get it. But collecting something doesn't at all require that the item maintains a certain value. Many people collect things that have little to no monetary value what-so-ever. Collecting by definition only requires an emotional value, not monetary. I for one collect many things, games among them, and the last thing i want is a case which has had the sweaty shit encrusted fingers of some random 10 year old who fondled it.
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The entire thing is wrong. Thank you for confirming, though, that to you the ends always justify the means in business. They don't and I truly pity you and anyone else that thinks so.
A business certainly has every right to pursue capital. But it's, well, absolutely insane to argue that every action they pursue is above criticism simply because it puts money in their vault. Telling people that they have no right to call EB "idiots" over one of their decisions is idiotic itself.
you do realize that it is more likely for something to go wrong with a product (that still makes it to market) BEFORE the seal goes on, rather than after, right?
At the factory you just have a bunch of assembly workers (or machines) shoving things into cases in bulk. Operating in bulk is a recipe for having some ammount of error. Then you have transit, where conditions are less than perfect, often (THIS is what happened to the Halo Limited editions). Finally, you have the store, where a single worker takes a disc out of a case, and puts it into a sleeve, then a drawer.
You're more likely to get a damaged game if you buy sealed copies, in fact, because the store would see any obvious damage, while gutting, and send it back defective.
Look, Drez, no one (of any level of intelligence) is telling you that you're wrong in prefering sealed copies. Personally, I almost NEVER buy gutted games myself. Still, though, it does not hurt me in any way when some one else chooses to buy it. What I don't understand is why you get so worked up about something which simply doesn't affect you.
Are you implying that business is evil, or that looking out for one's own interests is evil, or what?
You clearly are upset that EB does not look out for your interests as much as you would like them to, but do you ever look out for their interests? No, you only buy from them what you need, and I'm sure that you buy it for the least ammount of money possible. That's fine, but why would you expect them to look out for you any more than you look out for them?
Locks on the games/display cases - Customers can't look at the back of the box, and decide if it's something they want to buy. Blah blah blah "I know what I want already!" But most people don't... some browse, see something they like, read the back, then buy it.
Security cases - Two reasons these are stupid. First, they're expensive. No, they don't cost tons of money, but at $.10-.25 per case, times 3000 cases, times 5000 stores, you've just cost the company 1.5-3.75 million dollars. For what? To appease that 1%?
Second reason, they do nothing. There are easy ways to defeat the EAS tags that many stores have, not the least of which is to just keep walking. In this litigious society, attempting to stop a thief can get you into a lot of shit, even if they actually are a thief. Never mind the amount of danger you put yourself in asking someone to come back, walking outside after them, or whatever.
Your last paragraph was just a retarded attack with no real backup. Thanks for that.
Excuse me, but I know exactly what I'm talking about. I worked at EB for four years. Everyone hated it. The customers hated it. We all (the staff) winced whenever we hit the last copy. We loved Sony for sending us PSX cardboard display boxes.
Mind you, I'm speaking from what I've personally witnessed, both as an employee and then within the last ten years as a random walk-in consumer. I've never seen anyone that HASN'T flinched or asked "so, that's new then?" even meekly when told that they were getting the already-opened copy. I don't presume, however, to speak for "the majority of consumers." Can you please cite by what authority you can do so? Please? Thanks.
Again, you're going to have to cite some kind of source to back up your "fraction of a percent" claim. Assuming, though, that it IS only a fraction of a percent? It's still bad business to unseal a factory-sealed item, whether it makes them more money or not. But I'm not even going to get into that here.
Nope, I immediately discard the outer plastic. Did you have any kind of relevant point here? Again, the fact that I - the consumer - plan on discarding it has absolutely nothing to do with what EB can or should do with the plastic. I also throw away all those "system information" things that come with each game. Does that mean EB should discard those too?
I'd rather buy my games elsewhere and also do my best to see the company burn to the ground along with all their shady policies and procedures. But thanks for the suggestion.
I hear you.
But EB doesn't gut ALL of their copies, just one or two of a game (more at the launch of a huge title) so I don' really understand why you might be offended at the existance of he practise.
Like I said before, the simple answer is to look at it as "I am buying a sealed copy of X", when you go to the store, and if they only have gutted copies left, well, then they are sold out of what you went there to buy.
* - At the back of every store, there are a limited quantity of tickets for any upcoming game (with the release date, which is always respected), and you only needed to take one, fill it, have the clerk keep the numbered half of the ticket and you'd go on your way. When the store gets it, bring your coupon, buy the game, and that's it. Anyway, it doesn't really matter since they have this incredible notion of "Hey guys, maybe if we have more copies, we'll actually be able to... sell more copies? What?". I've bought FFTA2 on launch day without a hassle or a pre-order.
See, this is the part that makes you crazy.
You can't seem to comprehend that consumers don't care about gutted games, and the like. Gamestop isn't lying to anyone; all of their cards are on the table. The fact that they are so highly profitable is proof enough that your concerns are not widely held.
True, though the reason they are so profitable is because they are a well designed used game store, not a well designed new game store. They've locked onto the used business model like a heat-seaking missle.
You don't seem to comprehend that you and Shadowfire saying that only a small percentage care doesn't make it true. Where's your proof, cupcake?
And it's not as if the game-gutting thing is the only reason. Gamestop is a blight on the game retail market and I think everyone would be much better off without them.
edit: Oh, I see. The fact that they are successful is proof that all their practices are held in high-esteem by all customers? Are you really this stupid?
edit 2: Let's talk corporate. I used to work for a big corporation in NYC. They rival Bloomberg. And Reuters. All three have news services. The company I worked for was a complete clusterfuck on so many levels. I dealt with clients that hated us for so many reasons. But they still subscribed because some of our data and delivery were better than the competitors. We had some very flawed practices and annoying policies. Horrible ones. Clients hated them. But we were still #1 or #2 or something in some respects over the competitors. This is a very vague but very true example. Success is not evidence that consumers/clients are even happy with the company they deal with.
No, I don't want the pre-owned version, which is 5 dollars cheaper. I'd rather pay the extra 5 dollars and have a totally new game. Fuck off.
Seriously, the prices on pre-owned games are just ridiculous, at EB.
Yup.
But nw sales aren't irrelevant for them. They make a good ammount of money from game devs and pubs buying marketing from them, and high new sales also keeps the pubs from being unhappy that everyone is buying games used, where the pubs don't get a cut.
I'll bother to find you some numbers when you bother to back up your statements that it is wrong for a company to look out for their bottom line.
However, I really have to wonder if people buy many of those pre-owned games. As I said earlier, the prices of most of them, are not attractive.
The only time I'd buy pre-owned games is with the buy 2 get 1 free. Then I'll just strut down to JB-Hifi and trade those 3 games for a new release game.
Of course, if their practice of presuring pre-orders for new games grows more prevalent among their various stores, they may end up pushing away walk-in consumers who come for new games, and thus lose the good favor of devs and pubs. They tread a thin line in that regard.
You're not good at business OR economics.
Assuming consumer incompitance is an awful mistake. Just because people don't mind shopping at a store you shop at doesn't mean that "they don't know what's good for them", it means that they ahave a different opinion from you.
So, I hear companies who outsource their tech support to India or hire little kids in sweatshops in foreign countries make a lot of profit.
I don't care terribly about the condition of my games, and I know they want to cover their asses about people losing their key but please don't fucking cut holes in my manual before I buy a game. I like to keep all my manuals and cd-keys together in a box so I don't lose them. If I want holes cut in my stuff I will do it myself thanks!
Do you go into every thread and tell people to stop talking about the thread's subject?
They know this. They actually take customer comments and complaints very seriously when ranking stores. A store that gets complaints about being too pushy is SURE to be told to tone it down, and posibly even punished.
That's the part that confuses me so much about folsk like Drez. They think it's some giant evil conspiracy, as though if they put in a complaint to corporate, the executives would laugh maniacally upon hearing it, and exclaim "Our fiendish plot is working!"
They are looking to make the most money possible in a long term setting, and long term involves keeping your customers happy enough to keep shopping at your store.
I never said it was.
I said that "oh hey we're looking out for our bottom line over here" is not a catch-all excuse for any and all business practices a company may engage in. But that's apparently what you think and I really don't know what to say to that.
You're not good at logic, business, economics, or ethics. Or common sense. Or reading. Because I never said "consumer incompetence" or even implied. I am suggesting that people occasionally or even often begrudgingly do business with businesses that they dislike or partially dislike or dislike a particular practice of.
You've never done business with someone you'd rather not have?
Yeah, and if we outlawed buying and selling entirely, no one would EVER get ripped off.
Corporate Bastards.
Well then, I guess we should legalise murder, since we can't ban living.
Don't like EB's practices? Don't shop there. There's probably a Best Buy next door, go there instead. Problem solved.
Who are you to decide what threads are allowed to exist? The same way we shouldn't buy at EB if we hate EB, don't post here if you hate here.
In your opinion, the fact that their profits increased washes away any other effects the decision to outsource may have had, including client annoyance and employee annoyance, right? Because a company's ultimate duty is to their bottom line? Nothing else matters?
I'm just trying to get a feel for the scope of your economic and business concept here.
Problem not solved; EB still exists in that case. The problem is EB's continued existence. Thread stays! Winner!