Question for Willco:
I feel like Gamespot gets copies of games in and sits on them for 48 hours to make bad sheeple who didn't preorder squirm. I refuse to believe they have no extra copies of Metroid in at this point in the game's sale cycle.
Nich says they did the same thing with Super Paper Mario. A MARIO game, and no extra copies? COME ON.
Anyways, everytime I go to Gamestop I regret it. They do an excellent job of making you feel like a tool for not bowing to their every capricious whim.
Question for Willco:
I feel like Ichiroustop gets copies of games in and sits on them for 48 hours to make bad sheeple who didn't preorder squirm. I refuse to believe they have no extra copies of Metroid in at this point in the game's sale cycle
GameCrazy is worse. Now they don't even ship PSP games to arrive on release day. They have this crap which is insultingly called 'quick turn'. This means psp games arrive 2 days after release even if ive pre-ordered.
I wanted to buy Metroid tonight. I went to two different Gamestops. At each one, I had the exact same exchange with the clerk:
Me: Do you have Metroid Prime 3?
Clerk: Yes!
Me: Great, I'd--
Clerk: Did you reserve it?
Me: No.
Clerk: Oh, then we're sold out.
What the fuck kind of patter is that? Say you have it first, then find out if it's true? I'd imagine it's corporate policy and designed to make me feel like I'm "missing out" by not preordering. Fuck that, I went to Target and they had two dozen copies.
Anyways, everytime I go to Gamestop I regret it. They do an excellent job of making you feel like a tool for not bowing to their every capricious whim.
Best Buy is further away and stores that dont specialize in something tend to care less when you inquire about the status of said something.
They're not supposed to hold games - we always sell through stock we carry. I had one key holder do that once and I fired him. I have on occasion responded to a person just like that, not because I am being a dick and withholding a copy, but because I assume most of the time that a person has pre-ordered it. I catch myself and let folks know ahead of time for the most part.
Shipments are based on pre-orders too. I think I had maybe six or so copies of Metroid to sell through, in addition to our reserves. That was it. Folks trying to get Wild Arms 5 tomorrow will be out of luck.
The used prices are totally wonky from time-to-time. The higher prices are meant to give the edge to people who get the sub, so they can knock off more dollars with that 10% off, but I rarely buy games that expensive used unless there is a deal like "Buy 2 Get 1 Free". Like, their used PS2/Xbox price selection is pretty good, GameCube is inconsistent, as is PS3 and Xbox 360. Sometimes I think I figure out how they price things and sometimes not.
Smell is a definite factor in some stores; not so much because of hygiene, but because managers are responsible for the cleanliness of their stores. My SM and I vacuum our store daily, clean off windows, etc. Some managers think that stuff is beneath them and let the store get dirty. And then it smells. I think the chain is not too far off from dictating cleanliness in corporate guidelines because this has been a complaint of a few stores (there is one I know off hand that reeks).
I thought about getting an edge card but then I realized it comes with gameinformer. I'll just borrow it from a friend, they don't ID check right?
I think the magazine isn't HORRIBLE anymore. I mean, it seems like they quit having "exclusives" with just EA and Ubisoft now... I think.....it's a really mainstream magazine. I wouldn't feel bad reading the at most two times a year good exclusives they have. I honestly don't remember the last big exclusive they had. the reviews suck mostly from what I've read.
Yeah, most retail outlets have a dedicated cleaning staff, but GameStop leaves that duty up to its managers.
I was so tempted to make a pun, Bloodwake, but sense kicked in and that was a crisis averted.
GameStop is cool for niche games you can't pick up elsewhere, used gems, limited edition stuff (BioShock, Starforce, etc.) and the occasional trade deals that are too good to refuse. If you have a good relationship with decent management, it should be a relatively easy, pain-free experience where you come to pick up your games and entitled to some perks. If you're looking to buy like one mass market title a year, like Madden or Metroid Prime or Mario Party, the convenience of Wal-Mart, Target and other big box chains easily have the edge.
I used to think GameCrazy was legitimate competition, but they've had a huge turnover in customers recently, because apparently they do not guarantee pre-orders. They'll just reserve something and you must pray that their allotment matches their reserves. Which seems completely distinguished mentally-challenged. Say what you want, but GameStop will guarantee your pre-order. I'll even send a lackey to go pick up more copies, including fucking PC games, at another location, just to get it for a customer.
I think the magazine isn't HORRIBLE anymore. I mean, it seems like they quit having "exclusives" with just EA and Ubisoft now... I think.....it's a really mainstream magazine. I wouldn't feel bad reading the at most two times a year good exclusives they have. I honestly don't remember the last big exclusive they had. the reviews suck mostly from what I've read.
I only offer the sub to folks that will actually save something with the 10% discount, although I do not (as we have been lectured) refer to the Game Informer as "free". Take that, corporate GameStop management!
... by the way, I got totally hit on by a chick at corporate?
Oh, I'm not arguing that point. It's VERY mainstream. Fuck, half of the Dan Hsu complaining about other magazines is probably about GI. It's very mainstream, and it has it's flaws, but it's a lot better than what it used to be.it's still not good enough for me to not bum it off my friend if I was REALLY interested in something in it. this friend I'm talking about is within walking distance so it's not a big disadvantage for me.