The 5 Absolute Worst Things about Gamestop

Gamestop has essentially monopolized the used game trade, and gamers have little other choice but to bow down to the corporate altar. Whenever the suits get involved, you can expect a shiny but soulless experience. Here is a rundown of the 5 most annoying things gamers deal with every time they visit their local Gamestop.

[mintaro]

ive never been to a gamespot before, but is it really that bad?

[EZCheez]

I've been in line behind "the pokemon kid." You'll stand in line for half an hour while he asks about everything pokemon while you wait to pay for your game that takes all of thirty seconds. The only thing worse than them are the dreaded "pokemon parents" because they really don't know anything.

And the used game prices are ridiculous. I went into a Gamestop a few days ago planning on buying a used copy of Motorstorm, and left quickly after seeing a price tag of $45.

Sadly though, I played the role of comment guy once. I had to though. I saw someone picking up a copy of Lair, and I had to stop him. For all I know it might have been the copy I traded in a week after I bought it.

[Lifendz]

You want to buy used games, then go Ebay. Cut out the middle man. I know I know, some of you don't have credit cards/bank accounts and others simply don't have the patience to wait for the game to arrive but I'm telling you, when you get a used game for 30 bucks (35 after shipping) it makes a difference. Only ten bucks right? Well do that ten times and you see it adds up.

I also only sell my games via auction sites. After Gamestop offered me 25 bucks for Madden 08 the week it launched I sold it on Ebay for 20 bucks more than they offered.

[Joey Gladstone]

Because of the Smug as$ personnel who work their and know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING of gaming, only to try and convince you to buy the latest copy of the Conan Game or some other non-selling mediocre piece of ish...
....
...
....."The JOEY has Spoken"

[Siesser]

Agreed; for the most part I don't mind the store as I don't sell my games, and like the idea of just popping in and depositing a little here and there to just pick up the game at no cost when it launches. But my God, some of the employees their take there position as a CSA to be some sort of credential for gaming guru, when half of what they say is wrong. Not all of them mind you, but the bad seeds just seem to stand out so much because they're so much more vocal. Smug, condescending, elitist pains in the butt. And then when I correct them about someting, they have nothing better to say than "no, that's wrong."

[Uncle Jesse]

cut..it...out!

[Captain Tuttle]

This is old.

[xplosneer]

I have too. Like over 2 months ago and I'm pretty sure it was on N4G.

[xionpunk]

I was just about to say the same thing. The date says feb 14th 2008 on the article though. A little recycling I guess.

Anyways, yes, Gamestop sucks. I have started buying all of my game related stuff at Best Buy.

[cain141]

Thats because it is an absolute dublicate...

http://www.n4g.com/gaming/N...

They lifted the article off this other site...

[Mc187]

this atricle is older than jesus.

[Keyser]

Bubbles for trying though.

[wind_dragon]

bubble up for making me chuckle...i knew i wasn't crazy, i had definitely read this here before

[jinn]

there employees r cool, they r playing games everytime i go there and its fun to join them. Gamestop is my alternative home.

[Iron Man 2]

Dark Sniper hates Gamestop because it is full of a bunch of brainless Xbox fanboys who don't know jack about games or gaming,Dark Sniper suggest taking your business elsewhere

Just look at the comment above Dark Sniper's comment,Dark Sniper can't help but to ponder if jinn is one of them

$niper

[Superiorrior]

@Jinn

Wow, you are definitely some kind of loser huh?

[Salvadore]

In Sweden we have EBGames/Gamestop, but the clerks are very friendly and nice to talk to.

[Delive]

is a list of alternate locations for used games with better prices and options. Columbus Ohio? Westpoint Videogames. Rome-Hilliard rd. hole in the wall? yes. Good deals in trade in and new games? Hell yea.

[Keyser]

I live in Columbus, OH now so I will be checking this store out.

To stalkers: Even though now you know where I live also know I carry heat. Yeah, I'm an American. :)

[MattFoley]

Toyriffic in Minnesota and Wisconsin, a little better then Gamestop and sometimes they break release dates to steal Gamestops buisness, Halo 3 and Madden came out a week early.

[kira989]

I have at least 3 Gamestops by my house in Fl. Some of them have a$$hole employees described in this articles but others actually recommend quality titles...

Its also a place where a whole bunch of gamers in the neighborhood go and hang out and talk about games and stuff...

This article doesnt pertain to every single Gamestop..

[avacadosnorkel]

the last "new" copy of the game you want is sold to you off the shelf, unwrapped, with a sticker on it.

But u ever wonder what stops them from selling real clean used copies as "new" games, unwrapped, with a "new" sticker on it?

[Grown Folks Talk]

We should leave all of the new copies sealed & live on the floor so everyone can steal them. When the new games come in, we gut 1 to use as the display box on the shelf. The rest go in the cases behind the counter. When someone can come up with a valid, reasonable explanation as to why we would sell a used game as new when we don't make squat on new merchandise, please let me know.

[ambientFLIER]

What does selling a used game as new have to do with the fact that you don't make anything on new games? Not the same thing. If you pay someone $25 for a trade on his used game, and re-wrap it as new and sell it for 59.99 instead of 49.99 as used, you make more money. Nothing stopping someone if they're shady.

[Grown Folks Talk]

Because then you have to remove the used item you just took in from inventory & add it to the new. All of which corporate can easily see, which leads to a nice meeting with loss prevention, & you to a new job. Thanks, please try again.

[v1c1ous]

the 3 closest gamestops near my house have some cool employees.

sometimes i walk in there just to check out games, not buy anything, and they are kinda enough to give me promotional artwork or usb stuff for free.

it all depends where you are.

[abbottry]

The Gamestop near me has the nicest employees, they know a lot about video games, and they'll talk to you about games and cheats and everything. They're pretty cool.

[primoproof]

comment guy....

[PStriple703]

there's alot of ps3 fans at the gamestop bye me

[gEnKiE]

Ya, customer service blows.... Nothing like a no-it-all gamer....

[gEnKiE]

lmao...."Know-it-all gamer"

[Blink]

Gamers should set up a site to sell and trade games themselves..cut out the middle man

[allstarpt19]

amen to that american gangasta style lol

[rivithed]

Goozex.com for trading. Or Gamefly.com for used.

[Howler9443]

Yeah, if I want a used game, I go eBay. Gamestop and EBGames are a bit pricey for, "Used" games.

[rivithed]

When you stop by GameStop the day of a game's release and they ask you, "Did you reserve it?" and they give you a scared look like you might not be getting it. Then it's like "sike" as then open a shelf filled with a game. Hate the pushiness of making you get a reservation.

[permutated]

That doesn't really bother me, because it's obvious they just want as many copies available as possible.

Business tactic.

[JS1HUNDRED]

Everyone of them apply to EB Games too :)

[Fat Bastard]

That article was feaking hilarious, because it's almost all true. Like Sniper said, they are mostly Xbots. I bought a PS3 there so I could use all my credit, but when I asked for it the guy stared at me like I was a retard or something. And if you ask which is better, they'll say "360 cause it has better games". I haven't heard that before.

[nirun]

the best thing that ever happened to me in gamestop (ebgames up here)

finding Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for PS2 for 39.99

BOOYA!

[permutated]

Lucky.

They want $89.99 for it now.

Can you believe that?

[PS360WII]

The only one I agree with is Used games 54.99. That's a joke and a bad one at that.

Seriously though being mad at them saying Hi and a guy talking about games at a games store? Idiot employees are everywhere and not all Gamestop stores have them. So what if some kid wants to ask questions about Pokemon, it's kind of the employees job to answer customers questions.

[PSWe60]

There are 2 GameStops and 1 EB Games near my house and they're not that bad, they're only jerks around holiday time around parents or stupid kids askin' for Pokemon Games

[gamesblow]

If anyone acted like that in my district... --------> There's the door. As a matter of fact, when I hire someone I ask them their 2 current favorite systems right off the bat and then their all time favorite. If the xbox 360 is at the top. They're not getting hired.

I also don't adhere to half the garbage they're talking about. Subs and pre-orders?? Not at my store... Sorry. You can ask anyone of my employees if they work in a decent environment and they love it. Also, 5.75 an hour? That's odd... I'd hate to live in their state.

[kn]

If you don't like it, don't shop there. There's always wal-mart, target, best buy, circuit city, amazon, and ebay.

The gamestops near me actually have pretty decent employees.

Clearly this poster has no idea how to use Gamestop. Case in point: I just bought, played, and returned COD4 and it cost me $2 total.

I bought the "$54.99" used COD4 and used a 25% off coupon plus a 10% member discount. I paid $35.75 for it. I used store credit -- no sales tax... I played it for a week and traded it in for $30 plus the extra 10% membership or $33. I paid $275 to play COD4. That's cheaper than a blockbuster rental.

Sure, not all deals work out like that, but if you pay attention, they can happen pretty often and I take advantage.

I get so tired of listening to people whining about EB/GS... Don't shop there. They aren't putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy used or to even shop there in the first place. Feel free to open your own store or go down the street to Wal-Mart and pay $59.97 for the latest release. After all, Wal-Mart employees are top-of-the-foodchain when it comes to gamer knowledge.

[Grown Folks Talk]

It's human nature to moan & complain when they have total control to avoid something. How many times have you heard someone complain about the cost of cigarettes or how cold it is outside during their smoke break?

[cain141]

http://www.n4g.com/gaming/N...

Not much of a difference at all...

[killtheaquitted]

if it was the author who moved it

[Quickstrike]

I don't know about most people I find Gamestop to be a great place to buy games. I will one day work there and I wont make the same mistakes past employees make like the "sup" comments.

[ROCCOZILLA]

i cant stand takling to half of these xbots,they make sick.they think that xbox is gonna make it another year.i told your dreaming,its as dead as hd dvd,and they say maybe hes right when i turn my back.they do have some ps3 fans and they just sound smarter when you talk to them.its not shooter this and shooter that.that getting old.PLAY B3YOND!!

[ROCCOZILLA]

i wish they would just take them off the shelfs,im sick of hearing about the RROD.xbox is dead leave it to rest.PLAY B3YOND!

[Tsukasah]

Open zone is that way ---->

[AlterEgo]

my list is as follows:

1) Pre-Order Whoring

-there's not a single time I've been where I haven't been absolutely hounded to pre-order something.

2) the 360 Fanboy Employees

-they'll shun you into oblivion for going in there and asking to buy the PS3 version of any game...or tell you "that game sucks" to anything you purchase thats PS3 exclusive. They make it their BUSINESS to tell YOU how much the PS3 sucks. As if you asked.

3) The Trade-In Values

-do I really need to explain this?

4) The Ludicrous Used Game Prices

-same as above

5) The Laziness of the Employees

-a few times I'll ask if they have 'blah-blah' for PSP... and an immediate NO comes out...like...you didn't even LOOK for it. And they give me the straightest of faces...

WARNING: If you aren't going in for the sole purpose of PURCHASING an XBOX 360 Video Game, I wouldn't advise stepping through the door.

Sears is much better. The employees in the electronics section are elderly and know nothing about video games, so you just go in and buy. No idiot opinion / bashing of a game you came to buy...and you don't have to pre-order...cuz nobody shops there :-). They have plenty.

[Surviver]

How did this get approved.
The exact same thing was published months ago.
(disappointed)

[cain141]

Unless those of us who see the issue report it, people will aprove it...

[permutated]

I guess I'm guilty of being the 'comment' guy.

However, I don't recollect on personal stories, and every time I recommend a game people run up to the register to purchase it.

C-h-a-r-i-s-m-a.

[Tsukasah]

GameCrazy actually gave me 35 dollars for Oblivion, and 35 for UT3! It may not be much, but it is over half price. Gamestop gave me 15 for Resistance >.>. I've been going to GameCrazy lately for my gaming needs and have been completely satisfied. Their used pricings aren't that bad either. it was 40 bucks for Motorstorm(used). Considering the prices they give you for trading games in, the used games are bound to be expensive, but I was very surprised that it's only a 5 dollar difference between the two. I guess it just depended on who worked there too. One time I went into game crazy and hated it. The clerks were tall, bald, fat and muscular henchmen looking people! O_O!!! They made me pay 40 dollars for goldeneye, while my grandma went in there a week before christmas and a teenager was working in there and she got goldeneye for 15 dollars! Gamestop also only offered 25 dollars for an almost new fat PSP. GameCrazy gave me 75. Again, I think it may depend on who is working. If you see a tall, fat, bald guy working... don't do business. If you see a teenager who is unbiased(wearing a PlayB3yond shirt, and an xbox 360 keychain necklace thing) then by all means do business!!!!!

[kingOVsticks]

yeah I started goin to gamecrazy too i got some 12 free game rents when i bought a psp and the mvp card gives me a free year subscription but they can be pretty dumb about the prices too sometimes like why the hell would warhawk be 47.99 and doesn't comes with the head set when the download only cost $40?

[Fade_Walker]

NOT ALL GAMESTOP'S ARE LIKE THIS!!

First of all its $6.15 for starting, some employees...yes they are morons but there are alot of them that know what the heck they are talking about.

and if you dont like gamestop...THEN DONT GO THERE!!

[cartman313]

I would cry if I only made 6.15 an hour.

[ambientFLIER]

Isn't minimum wage more than $7 now?

[chanto23]

FTMFW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- 30% more value for your trade-ins
- 5% less on new games

[kingOVsticks]

when the idiot employee pisses me off but I'll hold off on the whole mothers basement thing more of a small dorm but its just as bad and taco bell gives me gas 0.o

[Asurastrike]

I love the annoying little grin they get when you are trading in a game and they are obviously f**king you.

[Sssamba]

At least three times I've called them, asking them if they have a certain game in stock. I ask them to hold said game for me until I get there within 30 minutes. I get to the store and turns out they were holding the wrong game for me, and they don't even have a copy of the game I asked them for! Aren't video game store employees supposed to know a little bit about video games?

Recently, I made the mistake of buying into the whole "Pre-order Patapon at Gamestop and get a free demo!" Yeah, so when I called in to pre-order, they had know idea what the fawk Patapon was. I should've known right then and there I was making a huge mistake. So I stupidly made the pre-order anyways. Two times I call them after I read that the Patapon demo was out in stores, and each time the jackass on the other end had no idea what I was talking about!!

Eventually the last phone convo I made with them went like this:

Me: "Hi, do you have the Patapon demo that came with my Pre-Order in stock yet? Yeah yeah, I know *jokingly* 'Patapon?? Wuzz that?' It's a game for PSP spelled P-A-T-A-P-O-N."

Them: "Uhh........let....me...c heck. Let's see here......Oh yeah we have it"

Me: "What?? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I'll be right down to come pick it up! Thanks!"

So I go down there... Only to find THEY DON'T FAWKING HAVE IT IN STOCK. His excuse? "Ohhh...Sorry dude, I was looking at the wrong game demo."

-_-; Needless to say, I cancelled my pre-order with them and plan to head straight to Play-N-Trade as soon as the game comes out. I'm never making the mistake of walking into another Gamestop unless forced to do so by gunpoint.

/rant

[Tru Enuff]

I really hate Gamestop. When you trade games in they don't give you hardly nothing for them.

[Chug]

Except for on Xbox 360 launch day. I live about 70 miles from the nearest EBgames, and I worked until about 4pm, got off work and called EB to see if they still had any 360's left. To my amazement they had 1 core unit left! Even more amazing is the fact that they said they would hold it for me for 2 hours. Got in my car and cruised up there and sure enough, they had saved it for me : )

[ScorpioKyle]

don't go to gamestop, you get more money back for your games on ebay.

[moodymofo]

gamestop is awsome if you have an edge card a new used game is only 50 bucks and where else can you buy a used game and return it within 7 days for a full refund.and this guy who wrote this seems to not only have a problem with gamestop but with people in general he sounds like a whiner.what kind of person calls somebody a crak addict because they turned in a copy of halo 3?the guy is a dummy

[SIXAXISofEVIL]

Selling your games at Gamestop is the worst. I put that sh*t on eBay, get about 70% of my money back, instead of 10%.

[Rhezin]

why the hell do you refer to yourself in the 3rd person. CREEPY

[White-Sharingan]

I've worked at Gamestop, and trust me its worse when stupid people arrive asking:

Do you have the PlaystationDS?

Is there any mario game for the PSP?

there is nothing worse than a casual gamer/no gamer.

I thought the same about gamestop and sometimes still do, why do they even hire clueless people there? but when I worked there, the tables turned for me, now I hate the customers I mentioned above.

BTW I agree, Used games are too expensive, seriously? wtf? Even the people who work at gamestop hate gamestop XD

[themonkeydidit89]

i dont even buy new games from gamestop, they jack people around...
so they wont be getting any of my money

[naptime1322]

this is old...

[imageicb]

hilarious

[sonyfanonly]

IT IS TRUE THAT GAMESTOP IS FULL OF XBOTS ONLY A FEW ARE ACTUAL GAMERS THAT PLAY ALL KINDS OF GAMES THEY ARE THE PEOPLE I TALK TO

[DarkSniper]

The only time Dark Sniper finds Gamestop of any use is when there is a specific used game he is looking for. The only other time is when there is a big title that he preordered that will be released at midnight.

Midnight releases are the only true reason to preorder a game at Gamestop as you feel you get an incentive for doing so by obtaining a copy of said game several hours early.

$niper

[BrotherNick]

People complain, but yet are too damn lazy to put games on ebay :P I sell my games for more, and the buyers pay less for used...learn to ebay and you can make your dollar stretch more.