Current Events > All the things you hate about Gamestop is literally all the fault of publishers

(+) Yeah! (+)

Every time I hear some stealth Redditor whine about Gamestop employees pushing used copies and pre orders, like they held a gun to their head or something I'm forced to remind that it's how they make most of their money because if publishers didn't take the lions share of the profit from the sale of a new game leaving scraps for everyone else there'd be no need for them to push pre orders and used copies so aggressively.

But of course this is AAA publishers we're talking about and anything short of complete market dominance and ensuring they get every last nickel out your wallet is considered a failure.
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People really overstate the "upselling" that Gamestop employees do. I imagine walking into a car dealership or a high end clothing store would make these same people have a panic attack.
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BREAKING: Company wants money for product, more at 11.
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All the things you hate about Gamestop is literally all the fault of publishers

You assume there isn't a crapload more to hate about them.
Also, I look forward to the day they go out of business due to a download only game economy.
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Smashingpmkns posted...

People really overstate the "upselling" that Gamestop employees do. I imagine walking into a car dealership or a high end clothing store would make these same people have a panic attack.

Right? They reccomend a used copy, then ask if you have any preorders, then ask if you're a member. Jesus what has the world come to?
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Other retailers seem to manage fine without that stuff though
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

All the things you hate about Gamestop is literally all the fault of publishers

You assume there isn't a crapload more to hate about them.
Also, I look forward to the day they go out of business due to a download only game economy.

Download only? Fuck no
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

Also, I look forward to the day they go out of business due to a download only game economy.

Yeah, let's give game publishers carte blanche to have full control over the market. What could possibly go wrong?

I'll never understand people who want an all digital future. Don't you like actually owning your games?
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eston posted...

Other retailers seem to manage fine without that stuff though

Gamestop isn't nearly as big as companies like Amazon and Walmart, is this bait?
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Gamestop is for chumps. There are very specific exploits to use with them to your advantage, but outside of that, you're a chump if most of your gaming money goes there.
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GrindcoreShark posted...

Don't you like actually owning your games?

I do but it doesn't seem to make a difference with required updates and whathave.
Owning a digital copy is still owning it. (Should be rather but somehow the consumer always gets fucked.)

let's give game publishers carte blanche to have full control over the market.

How does gamestop in any way impede that?
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GrindcoreShark posted...

Yeah, let's give game publishers carte blanche to have full control over the market. What could possibly go wrong?

I'll never understand people who want an all digital future. Don't you like actually owning your games?
https://imgur.com/M0MRS6S https://imgur.com/2aSpfEp https://imgur.com/hHqVnxE https://imgur.com/cxqXCmv

What was the last AAA game you bought that didn't have a major patch the first time you ran it?
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

I do but it doesn't seem to make a difference with required updates and whathave

Oh wow. Games these days get updated? Might as well burn my entire physical collection as apparently updates make them useless

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

Owning a digital copy is still owning it. (Should be rather but somehow the consumer always gets fucked.)

Not it isn't. You own a license and nothing more.

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

How does gamestop in any way impede that?

Because retailers keep prices in check and break some control away from publishers. Could you imagine a future where publishers have full control to set any price they want knowing you have no other way to get what you want?
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Everything wrong with gaming now is the fault of publishers, let's not stop at Gamestop.
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GrindcoreShark posted...

Because retailers keep prices in check and break some control away from publishers.

No, competing game companies do this through market competition. You're acting like the only reason some games arent' $100 is because Gamestop stands as a vanguard against their evil ways!
Fucking LOL.

Could you imagine a future where publishers have full control to set any price they want knowing you have no other way to get what you want?

I would buy an indie game, continue playing the ones I own . . . you realize this hasn't happened to the pc exclusive market right? Game prices are still regulated by what consumers are willing to pay . . .
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Oh wow. Games these days get updated? Might as well burn my entire physical collection as apparently updates make them useless

Facetious diversion. Many big name titles nowadays are either broken, missing large chunks of content, or literally can't be played without the initial update. No one's talking about your snes collection.

Because retailers keep prices in check and break some control away from publishers. Could you imagine a future where publishers have full control to set any price they want knowing you have no other way to get what you want?

Guess what steam is?
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eston posted...

Other retailers seem to manage fine without that stuff though

Look at Walmart's/Target's/Best Buy's/etc's catalogue of products.

Now look at EB's/GS's.
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I've experienced Gamestop employees trying hard as fuck to upsell their shit. Always wondered if it was truly a company policy that pushes this or maybe it's just an individual fuck tryna overachieve because he works in video games.
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They push it. That's how it is in all digital retail. I only hope they get commission instead of being harangued about it.
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Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

No, competing game companies do this through market competition

You do understand Game publishers while technically competing against eachother conspire together on alot of things. Why do you think the whole Silver and Gold editions BS is an industry wide thing now? If Activision see EA getting away with charging 150 bucks for a base copy of FIFA now that there's no physical market you can bet the next CoD will cost that much if not more and still be loaded with microtransactions and season passes

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

. You're acting like the only reason some games arent' $100 is because Gamestop stands as a vanguard against their evil ways!
Fucking LOL.

While you're dramatizing a bit, yeah. Having physical copies in the hands of retailers like Gamestop and Amazon keep prices in check

Anarchy_Juiblex posted...

you realize this hasn't happened to the pc exclusive market right? Game prices are still regulated by what consumers are willing to pay . . .

Because there's more than one storefront to buy on PC. You have Steam, GoG GMG, G2A, straight from the publishers themselves etc, so that keeps orices down. On console you only have the store set up by the console manufacturer, do you really think Sony or MS would ever allow 3rd party store apps on their platforms?

Guide posted...

Facetious diversion. Many big name titles nowadays are either broken, missing large chunks of content, or literally can't be played without the initial update.

Am I being baited? Every game gets updates these days, so that means I should just chuck my entire physical PS4 collection?

Guide posted...

Guess what steam is?

One storefront on a platform with many others to buy the same game. You can't make this comparison for consoles
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Wait so it was the publishers who got chocolate (I hope) on the manual of the new game I bought there that time?
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GrindcoreShark posted...

Am I being baited? Every game gets updates these days, so that means I should just chuck my entire physical PS4 collection?

>Accusing others of trolling while putting words in their mouth about tossing your stuff.

JustCElogic

Oh god damnit, 2018 account.
I'm out, I wish I could mass ignore them.
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What is with the Gamestop Defense Force that has popped up here recently?
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X-Pac_Heat posted...

What is with the Gamestop Defense Force that has popped up here recently?

I'm not saying they're innocent or pure by any means, however let's put all the facts out there that alot of the hate is misdirected
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Cause the publishers force GS employees to open up a brand new game for a display copy, and then proceed to sell that to you as New, and then if you do decide to buy it, puts a stupid sticker on the case that can easily damage it when you try to remove it.
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my gamestop must not care because i've literally never experienced any of this. I grab my game, they ring it up and say have a nice day.
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LightHawKnight posted...

Cause the publishers force GS employees to open up a brand new game for a display copy, and then proceed to sell that to you as New, and then if you do decide to buy it, puts a stupid sticker on the case that can easily damage it when you try to remove it.

So just don't buy a display copy?

SauI_Goodman posted...

my gamestop must not care because i've literally never experienced any of this. I grab my game, they ring it up and say have a nice day.

Same, but then again the GM of my local one is an old friend
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Conflict posted...

Best Buy, Walmart and Target don't engage in these practices so no it's not the fault of publishers. It's the fault of store policy

Best Buy, Walmart, and Target also sell a million other things to the point where their bottom line is not impacted by the sale of a $3 protection plan.
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Conflict posted...

Best Buy, Walmart and Target don't engage in these practices so no it's not the fault of publishers. It's the fault of store policy

GrindcoreShark posted...

eston posted...

Other retailers seem to manage fine without that stuff though

Gamestop isn't nearly as big as companies like Amazon and Walmart, is this bait?

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X-Pac_Heat posted...

What is with the Gamestop Defense Force that has popped up here recently?

Recently? There has always been a Gamestop defense force on gamefaqs. They have been defending the whole 20 questions bit forever.
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GrindcoreShark posted...

LightHawKnight posted...

Cause the publishers force GS employees to open up a brand new game for a display copy, and then proceed to sell that to you as New, and then if you do decide to buy it, puts a stupid sticker on the case that can easily damage it when you try to remove it.

So just don't buy a display copy?

SauI_Goodman posted...

my gamestop must not care because i've literally never experienced any of this. I grab my game, they ring it up and say have a nice day.

Same, but then again the GM of my local one is an old friend

If it is there only copy, and they try to force it on you, that is shit business.
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One storefront on a platform with many others to buy the same game. You can't make this comparison for consoles

Best Buy, Walmart, and Target also sell a million other things to the point where their bottom line is not impacted by the sale of a $3 protection plan.

Gee, it's almost like gamestop and consoles are falling behind the times.
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Muffinz0rz posted...

Conflict posted...

Best Buy, Walmart and Target don't engage in these practices so no it's not the fault of publishers. It's the fault of store policy

Best Buy, Walmart, and Target also sell a million other things to the point where their bottom line is not impacted by the sale of a $3 protection plan.

Just for the record, Best Buy makes a significant amount of money off their protection plans but they also have the "ability" to sell like $300-$500 ones for shit like $3k-$5k TVs which of course GS can't cause they don't sell anything near that expensive.
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idk why people get so buttfrustrated at Gamestop. It's just like any other store, all of them try to get you to sign up for credit cards and shit. Gamestop just asks for pre-orders instead. Simply declining and moving on with your life is not difficult.
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Game publishers didn't cause Gamestop to start selling collectibles that collect dust until they rotate into the continual clearance sales.

Veggeta X posted...

I've experienced Gamestop employees trying hard as fuck to upsell their shit. Always wondered if it was truly a company policy that pushes this or maybe it's just an individual fuck tryna overachieve because he works in video games.

I always figured it was a company thing. Some jobs will give their employees scripts to follow because they believe it will help with customer satisfaction.
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KStateKing17 posted...

Veggeta X posted...

I've experienced Gamestop employees trying hard as fuck to upsell their shit. Always wondered if it was truly a company policy that pushes this or maybe it's just an individual fuck tryna overachieve because he works in video games.

I always figured it was a company thing. Some jobs will give their employees scripts to follow because they believe it will help with customer satisfaction.

If you want to see where this is going, just look to the past:
https://www.sbnation.com/2014/11/26/7281129/radioshack-eulogy-stories

MC_BatCommander posted...

idk why people get so buttfrustrated at Gamestop. It's just like any other store, all of them try to get you to sign up for credit cards and shit. Gamestop just asks for pre-orders instead. Simply declining and moving on with your life is not difficult.

What other stores do you go to that do this, and why is it acceptable to you that people waste your time when you're giving money to them?
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Guide posted...

What other stores do you go to that do this

Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Kohl's, any jewelry store, any furniture place, any department store at a mall, hell even some grocery stores have rewards cards and shit now.

Guide posted...

and why is it acceptable to you that people waste your time when you're giving money to them?

Oh no they took 10 whole seconds out of my day, the sons of bitches!

It's ultimately so minor I wouldn't even call it an inconvenience.
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Consumers fault too.
We won't accept a higher price then $60 standard edition so they gotta cut every corner they can to make a profit.
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MC_BatCommander posted...

Guide posted...

What other stores do you go to that do this

Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Kohl's, any jewelry store, any furniture place, any department store at a mall, hell even some grocery stores have rewards cards and shit now.

Guide posted...

and why is it acceptable to you that people waste your time when you're giving money to them?

Oh no they took 10 whole seconds out of my day, the sons of bitches!

It's ultimately so minor I wouldn't even call it an inconvenience.

It inconvenienced me enough to shop elsewhere, fuck aggressive counter tactics. Good fucking riddance to them.
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It really doesn't make sense to blame consumers in this case. It's a producer's job to appeal to consumers.
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Last 2 times I went, they didn't try to upsell anything or push any pre-orders on me. Although once the employee asked if I wanted a used copy.
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So Gamestop isn't at fault for shitty trade in values?
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Mr_Karate_II posted...

So Gamestop isn't at fault for shitty trade in values?

No, they inherited that from Funcoland.

GrindcoreShark posted...

Don't you like actually owning your games?

You don't own any software, physical or otherwise.

Stop blaming digital when consoles are the problem.

BadderHare posted...

GrindcoreShark posted...

Don't you like actually owning your games?

You don't own any software, physical or otherwise.

Stop blaming digital when consoles are the problem.

First Sale is ownership enough for most purposes.