Gamestop Blunder?

[KingYoshi]

I just got back from gamestop where I picked up a brand new factory sealed Devil Summoner 2 Collectors Edition (with the clear plastic box and plush Raiho) for 20$. I thought this was pretty odd considering they had Persona 4 (used) for 40$, lol. I also grabbed DDR:Mario Mix (used) for 10$. Has anyone else saw these items THAT under priced at gamestop?

[tubeway]

....yes.

[Damaniel]

I haven't seen either of those games for that cheap, even though I've seen a bunch of those Devil Summoner 2 collectors editions all over the place lately. However, I remember going into a Gamestop a few months ago and seeing Dark Spire (the DS dungeon crawler) for $9.99, just 2 or 3 weeks after it came out. Even the sales guy was sure it was a mistake, but that was the actual price in their system. I don't think it stayed at that price very long, but that was still a huge discount for a game that was still new (the normal price was $29.99).

[Baloo]

Yeah, once in a while Gamestop really undervalues stuff. I think they have Game and Watch Collection for DS marked at like $10.

[Bojay1997]

I haven't seen either of those games for that cheap, even though I've seen a bunch of those Devil Summoner 2 collectors editions all over the place lately. However, I remember going into a Gamestop a few months ago and seeing Dark Spire (the DS dungeon crawler) for $9.99, just 2 or 3 weeks after it came out. Even the sales guy was sure it was a mistake, but that was the actual price in their system. I don't think it stayed at that price very long, but that was still a huge discount for a game that was still new (the normal price was $29.99).

It wasn't a few months ago and it wasn't a mistake. Dark Spire came out in April 2009 and dropped first to $20 and then to $10 and went as low as $5 which it still is if you can find it at GS. As for the original post, Gamestop drops prices on games every week or so and Devil Summoner happened to be a game that wasn't selling, so they dropped the price. I'm not sure why this post is in this section. We have a deals area where this would be very appropriate.

[Porksta]

Back when they sold movies they had a "used" I'm Not There DVD. This thing was fucking mint as shit, I guess someone opened it, never watched it, and traded it in. Keep in mind this was just as it came out on video. It was marked $2.99, and since it was used I got another 10%. The sticker came off perfectly, no residue or anything, like it had just been put on. Flipped it on Amazon for about $15 a few days later.

[Dangerboy]

You have to keep in mind - GameStop isn't always looking at it from a collector's view. Unless it's a *insanely mainstream* rarity (Ico, Marvel Vs Capcom) it's an item taking up valuable space.

Games like Dark Spire, most SMTs, etc all sell to the very few niche customers in the beginning, and then they'll collect dust. We had about 3 or 4 of the Plushie bundles dust collecting since the original launch. For the space those 3 games take up, they can get 20 to 30 copies of a hotter selling title they know will sell. So they'll dump the non-selling product to move in stuff that they can sell.

Hell the Beatles bundle just dropped from $250 to $180 today, and the MvC $150 arcade sticks are down to $99. Even Star Trek Online just dropped 10 box on both the LE and the other, and that just came out.

[jdc]

I bought the Halo3 Limited Edition (Master Chief helmet) set new and sealed for $5 less than the regular edition. Like a previous post said, they were clearing them out because they were taking up too much room at regular price. I was very happy that day, lol.

[mnbren05]

Retail sales at its finest. Sit on merch at full price for as long as possible then slash the price and absorb a loss. If they sit too long on something for full price, they risk not being able to sell their stock. It is much better to lop off some % and sell the supply off then get stuck with a fistful of ET carts.

[kupomogli]

Devil Summoner 2 Collectors Edition (with the clear plastic box and plush Raiho) for 20$.

Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless Army sucks, there isn't anything in my mind that would tell me different that this one sucks. The fact that this game was selling like crap I picked it up for 29.99 when it first dropped price assuming the Atlus fanboys would all pick it up as well as since it comes with the plushie other people would.

Seems like people still don't want it even at the current price.

But anyways. I can't tell you if DS2 sucks or not. I still have mine sealed and have no plans on ever opening it. The first one is that bad. Pretty graphics, but some awful gameplay.

[ScourDX]

Dangerboy hits the right note. It is all come down to shelf space. I doubt GS will want to keep Rockband & Guitar Hero mammoth box for very long. If they cannot sell them fast, they have to drop their price.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Devil Summoner Raidou Kuzunoha vs the Soulless Army sucks, there isn't anything in my mind that would tell me different that this one sucks. The fact that this game was selling like crap I picked it up for 29.99 when it first dropped price assuming the Atlus fanboys would all pick it up as well as since it comes with the plushie other people would.

Seems like people still don't want it even at the current price.

But anyways. I can't tell you if DS2 sucks or not. I still have mine sealed and have no plans on ever opening it. The first one is that bad. Pretty graphics, but some awful gameplay.

Alright negative Nancy, some perspective here for you. Slap Persona on the box and I'm sure it would sell better... I personally put Devil Summoner and Nocturne (soon Strange Journey, IDK where Devil Survivor falls yet, haven't tried it) over DDS and Persona myself. I wouldn't go so far to say DDS and Persona suck. I just have a preference for the others. All the SMT series are solid really, it's great that they put the world out in more than one flavor.

Edit: Also keep in mind that titles such as Lufia 2 and Earthbound were also heavily discounted. Some of the last SNES games I remember seeing often in large chains for only $10-$20. Retail pricing does not indicate quality or future desirability.

[Gameguy]

It wasn't a few months ago and it wasn't a mistake. Dark Spire came out in April 2009 and dropped first to $20 and then to $10 and went as low as $5 which it still is if you can find it at GS. As for the original post, Gamestop drops prices on games every week or so and Devil Summoner happened to be a game that wasn't selling, so they dropped the price. I'm not sure why this post is in this section. We have a deals area where this would be very appropriate.
You guys are lucky, the EB Games in Canada still has Dark Spire for over $30. Tons of the deals I see posted are just available in the US for some reason. Touch Detective 2 is still expensive here and I know it's under $10 used in the US.

I do notice at EB Games that some new copies of games are way less than used copies for some reason. A used copy of Conan for PS3 is $14.99, a new copy is $4.99.

[Daria]

It wasn't a few months ago and it wasn't a mistake. Dark Spire came out in April 2009 and dropped first to $20 and then to $10 and went as low as $5 which it still is if you can find it at GS. As for the original post, Gamestop drops prices on games every week or so and Devil Summoner happened to be a game that wasn't selling, so they dropped the price. I'm not sure why this post is in this section. We have a deals area where this would be very appropriate.

Yeah I picked up a sealed Dark Spire for $5 not that long ago. (:

Although I paid full price for Devil Summoner because I wanted the plush. ):

You win some, you lose some. \:

[Flashback2012]

I just got back from gamestop where I picked up a brand new factory sealed Devil Summoner 2 Collectors Edition (with the clear plastic box and plush Raiho) for 20$. I thought this was pretty odd considering they had Persona 4 (used) for 40$, lol. I also grabbed DDR:Mario Mix (used) for 10$. Has anyone else saw these items THAT under priced at gamestop?

Great find, I paid full price for my DS2, but it's inaccurate to compare the price of a new game with a similar title that's used since there are different price structures set up for the types of games that they are.

Gamestop is able to set the price of their used inventory to whatever they want with no input from the original publisher. Used inventory is generally based off the supply/demand setup. I say usually because I've seen multiple stores with 20+ copies of a game like GTA IV and they'll still want $40 for it. Seriously though, non mainstream games like that fall under the supply/demand scheme a lot more. Look at MvC2 on PS2. They're aren't that many copies floating around used and demand is still high so GS is able to charge $80 for it (and sadly, people willingly pay that much to acquire it).

New games pricing starts with the MSRP. Generally if you see a price drop on a new item, a couple of different things had to occur. Usually what happens most of the time is the publisher lowers the MSRP of the title and GS responds accordingly. I'm sure GS is given a kickback of some kind for units purchased at a higher price after the title is discounted.

What can also happen is GS has units that don't sell and is left with dead inventory taking up valuable real estate on their shelves. They can drop the price on the title and sell it as a loss just to clear up space and make up the difference elsewhere (such as giving you only $20 for your Dante's Inferno instead of $22).

In retail, these kinds of tactics have been around in one form or another for a good long time. ;)

[skaar]

Rdtail sales at its finest. Sit on merch at full price for as long as possible then slash the price and absorb a loss. If they sit too long on something for full price, they risk not being able to sell their stock. It is much better to lop off some % and sell the supply off then get stuck with a fistful of ET carts.

They don't absorb the loss, they get a rebate from the distributor who then gets one from the pub.

[garagesaleking!!]

wow its been like a year since I have heard or seen anything about ddr mario mix. I completely forgot about that game. Whats it go for these days?

[deltoidsteep]

A year or so ago i got a brand new copy of Drill Dozer there for 5 bucks. Ever since then its been over 30 even though they still have a ton of copies left. Very strange..