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"GameStop Enters Sellout Talks"


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5 hours ago, Keatah said:

I've never ever understood the concept of pre-ordering or waiting in line at 12:00am for a new release. Not even as a kid. Never had to get something on release day. Oh I'm sure I did some times, but it wouldn't be on purpose. No emotional build-up. No interest in having to be the first or any of those hollow pursuits. It's out when it's out. And believe me, the stress level is a lot lower when you can purchase or order on your own schedule and not when some marketing department dictates.

 

Generally, pre-ordering is pointless, but I've run into a few times that it's worth securing a copy for yourself (mostly smaller games where they only get a few copies). I'd also like to point out this was some time ago, and the idea of ordering online still felt sketchy at times and not as fleshed out as it is now. I was talking like 10 or more years ago. 

 

When it was a smaller game or event, I think the midnight release just seemed like a small mini-party of sorts. It was neat enough to see and enjoy the game, but the place I live saw a minor midnight release only having like 30-40 people at absolute most.

 

I just hate how much space is wasted on the plastic crap. To think that they plan to make the game selling space even SMALLER... I dunno how to accept that from a store where it's main name is GAMEstop and not CRAPstop. If I wanted CRAPstop, I'd go to Wal-Mart or many of the other stores available. 

 

1 hour ago, MrMaddog said:

Oh wow...playing PC & Xbox games over a wired LAN, I did that back in the 2000's when gaming cafes were around.  And you know what?  They closed down once broadband became available and affordable for everyone. (I've even looked into the possibility of opening one up with my friend only for it becoming less viable due to WiFi available at any public place.)

 

I'm even more amazed that they would remove space for games to put in couches & PC desks and the revenue will be having a PowerUp membership just to play the friggin' games there.  Sure kids could hang out there to play Fortnite with each other, but don't they already do that on their phones?

 

I can see a minor advantage of having (essentially) a Game Lounge thing... Not all of America has high speed or broadband available. I finally got a couple options just a few years ago with radio-based internet, but that's relatively expensive for kinda shit speeds (like $70 for 5Mbps). With less and less physical and more and more digital, not having high speed is basically the equivalent of not having full access to modern gaming. That and as more and more people can't shell out money for a $60 game or a $300-500 console, I could see the idea of dropping X amount on a membership to just come and play games whenever without having to invest in a console or PC as a bonus. 

 

Not justifying it... Just acknowledging there's a partial market for it, but also not enough of a market to support an entire company. GameStop needs to just accept its tombstone. :lol:

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Do they all look like this inside now? I haven't been to Gamestop since 2013 (Shin Megami Tensei IV I think was the final game I got at Gamestop). The one in Beaufort was pretty good and everyone in there knew me even though I was only there for about a year. Sad to see what it's devolved into over the past 20 years or so. Where the hell are all of the games? Oh, yes, that's right. They are being sold by Amazon now.
 

Gamestop will die, and I don't see a way out of it. They might be able to get by in certain specific locations by hosting LAN parties (can consoles do this?) or tournaments, but those would need to bring in at least enough money to break even and I doubt the majority of them will be able to do that. I also doubt that most people would be interested in that because they can play online and not have to worry about going anywhere. So yeah, Gamestop is dead and should just give up now while they can still afford to pay their remaining employees' salaries.

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We have about 5 or 6 gamestops in the area and it appears that due to the changes of the stores becoming gaming lounges now, that only 2 stores actually sell games?! I do NOT see how this will keep them alive for much longer. 

 

Also as for pre-orders? I've been hosed over twice trying to do pre-orders with them. This last time I pre-ordered for a limited release game and kept wondering why I was never notified about it once I saw it was for sale in the stores? I then go and look and find that my confirmation number no longer existed in their system? I contacted support who told me they couldn't do anything because they had no record of my pre-order on file with them? 

 

After some digging, I think this was a result of their website hack over the summer. I'm guessing they restored their servers using an older backup and my pre-order disappeared as a result of that incident. Still it just made me not want to attempt to give them my business anymore. We have plenty of Bestbuys and some other gaming related stores that I can purchase from. It was only their exclusives that kept me buying from them in the past.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkew4g/gamestop-instructs-employees-ignore-law-enforcement-not-shut-down-coronavirus

 

A memo sent to workers says GameStop views themselves as "essential retail."

 

Unbelievable

 

GameStop issued the following statement in response to our story, defending their decision to stay open:

While GameStop is best known as a provider of gaming and home entertainment systems, we also offer a wide array of products and devices that are important to facilitate remote work, distance learning, and virtual connectivity. As millions of Americans face unprecedented challenges adapting to virtual learning, working and interaction, there is significant need for technology solutions and we are one of many providers of these products that are remaining open at this time. Schools, businesses and families are now suddenly dependent on being able to connect through technology. While there are many businesses and organizations far more critical than ours, we believe we can have a positive impact during this very challenging time. The health and safety of our employees and customers is of utmost importance and we have and will continue to take extensive precautions consistent with CDC guidelines. We are complying with all state, county, city and local ordinances and we will continue to adjust to any future developments.

“Due to the products we carry that enable and enhance our customers’ experience in working from home,” reads the memo, “we believe GameStop is classified as essential retail and therefore is able to remain open during this time. We have received reports of local authorities visiting stores in an attempt to enforce closure despite our classification. Store managers are approved to provide the document linked below to law enforcement as needed.”

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Yeah, "essential" to their bottom line, maybe. I sure hope their pawn shop business takes care to sanitize trade-ins. 

 

This is the biggest stretch imaginable: 

Quote

we also offer a wide array of products and devices that are important to facilitate remote work, distance learning, and virtual connectivity. 

I guess XBOX could be considered a "distance learning" tool, but this statement deserves 4 Pinocchios. Shame on them. 

 

They used to sell productivity software. I bought my first computer modem at Electronics Boutique (forerunner of GameStop) but that was almost 30 years ago.

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Potential silver lining: since they track and photograph everyone who walks in their many stores, they could be a useful cog in the epidemiological tracking of coronavirus. 

 

Their financials are very grim. The one near my house used to be a Mattress Warehouse and I hope something cooler than THAT moves in when GS is gone. 

 

1964219983_ScreenShot2020-03-20at11_04_32AM.thumb.png.d474d12760a57f51c0f0a6d34715f969.png

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They're disgusting, listen to this corporate call to the area/local-store managers.  They clearly to NOT give a shit in the least bit.  This guy is a former employee who has been a whistleblower about their crap for some time now, and oddly GS never revoked his access codes to get in on the calls.

 

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2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

They're disgusting, listen to this corporate call to the area/local-store managers.  They clearly to NOT give a shit in the least bit.  This guy is a former employee who has been a whistleblower about their crap for some time now, and oddly GS never revoked his access codes to get in on the calls.

 

Yeah, I have friends up here that think that EBGames up here in Canada is better than GS in the US, but this call is actually from EB Canada.

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*very* briefly we had pre-ordered Animal Crossing through them for my wife (with a nominal deposit, not full purchase price). 

 

She got to thinking about it, though, and decided that she'd rather have it digitally than having to fool with the cartridge all the time.  We bought a larger MicroSD card for her Switch instead, and she was happily playing Animal Crossing when she got up for the day this morning.

 

likely it won't be a drop in the bucket to them, but i think it's an interesting paradigm change considering that we were some of the last holdouts of our friends for physical-only copies of stuff.

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10 hours ago, Curious Sofa said:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkew4g/gamestop-instructs-employees-ignore-law-enforcement-not-shut-down-coronavirus

 

A memo sent to workers says GameStop views themselves as "essential retail."

 

Unbelievable

 

GameStop issued the following statement in response to our story, defending their decision to stay open:

While GameStop is best known as a provider of gaming and home entertainment systems, we also offer a wide array of products and devices that are important to facilitate remote work, distance learning, and virtual connectivity. As millions of Americans face unprecedented challenges adapting to virtual learning, working and interaction, there is significant need for technology solutions and we are one of many providers of these products that are remaining open at this time. Schools, businesses and families are now suddenly dependent on being able to connect through technology. While there are many businesses and organizations far more critical than ours, we believe we can have a positive impact during this very challenging time. The health and safety of our employees and customers is of utmost importance and we have and will continue to take extensive precautions consistent with CDC guidelines. We are complying with all state, county, city and local ordinances and we will continue to adjust to any future developments.

“Due to the products we carry that enable and enhance our customers’ experience in working from home,” reads the memo, “we believe GameStop is classified as essential retail and therefore is able to remain open during this time. We have received reports of local authorities visiting stores in an attempt to enforce closure despite our classification. Store managers are approved to provide the document linked below to law enforcement as needed.”

I agree with their statement. I need someplace to clean my copy of Freddy Got Fingered during lockdown or I'll stab someone.

Edited by Magmavision2000
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On 3/22/2020 at 3:47 AM, Random Terrain said:

GameSlop is closing? Nooooo!!! I need my overpriced germ-covered scratched up game discs!!!!!!!!

 I, too, am gonna need a place to buy such discs, but Only if the box is dented in a least 3 spots, the cover is backwards, the artwork is missing, the plastic is torn off, the manual is gone, the hand written game title is misspelled, and there are at least 4 stickers on the box, at least one of which should say "Pre-Owned" or "Used", while the rest are different prices.

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15 hours ago, GoldLeader said:

 I, too, am gonna need a place to buy such discs, but Only if the box is dented in a least 3 spots, the cover is backwards, the artwork is missing, the plastic is torn off, the manual is gone, the hand written game title is misspelled, and there are at least 4 stickers on the box, at least one of which should say "Pre-Owned" or "Used", while the rest are different prices.

also at least one of the stickers doesn't come off, leaving that papery gluey residue on the box.

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