Has Gamestop gone too far? (GTA San Andreas Promotion)

[esquire]

So, I decide to stop by the local Gamestop the other day. The first thing I notice is Balloons and a sign painted on a window saying "Reserve your XBOX 360 today." As I get closer I see the words "Welcome to San Andreas painted on the other window with police "Crime Scene Do Not Cross" tape across the front door. As I walk in, I hear urban/ghetto hip hop blaring over the speakers (as opposed to the usual skateboard music that is the flavor of the month). The employees are all wearing urban gear and dew rags, talking ghetto. But worse, and I think totally taseless here, is a body outline chalked on the floor right in front of the cash register. Next to the outline is the word "Owned" together with an arrow pointing to the body outline.

Ok, I like the GTA, but I think this is a little out of hand. First, the body outline is uncalled for. Why do they need to promote violence? Why the need to push the envelope here? Why the need to glorify gang mentality? Doesn't the game already do these on its own? And gamers wonder why games like GTA get a bad name! Sheez.

Second, the game is not meant for minors, yet by Gamestop promoting the game so openly in its stores, where minors and their parents shop, seriously causes problems here. You have parents who don't want to buy games like GTA for their kids, yet Gamestop is pushing it right in their face the moment they walk into the store.

For the record, I am not a parent. I am single and in my 30's, and I strongly abhor video game censhorship by any legislative body. I am however for the ratings system, and believe it should be strongly complied with and enforced. However, crap like this just makes me shake my head in disgust.

Am I over-reacting?

[joshnickerson]

I didn't visit my Gamestop today, but I was there yesterday and I didn't see any "bling" around. I noticed that on the GS website they got this huge ass ad for the damn game over the entire homepage, which was really annoying trying to get to other sections of the site.

But staying on topic, I think that's a bit tasteless. I'm honestly a little shocked, since I always hear GS had a strict dress code. I could see dressing up for Halloween, but not for a stupid game release. If they dress up for the port of a game to the Xbox, they should dress up for every game release. Why the hell wasn't the cashier dressed up in a gorrilla costume when I picked up Donkey Kong Jungle Beat?

[nate1749]

Kind of strange how they were talking ghetto.

I think the rest is fine though. I think you're over-reacting. Once you have kids (or just hang around young boys - ok that sounds bad) you'll understand how trivial this type of stuff is.

Nate

[swlovinist]

I wonder if it was the company going overboard or just a poor decision by the manager to inappropraitely advertise the game so stongly. I dont care if they dress urban, I dont care about the rap music, but the body line really does bother me. If I were you, I would contact the District Manager of the Store and express your feelings to them.

[jp]

I imagine they'll have enough law suits thrown at them soon enough over that. LOL


Guess I should go to my local Gamestop and see if they're doing it...

[nate1749]

I've seen body-outlines and coffins with dead people popping out and other people acting like they're going to kill you with some type of object (saw whatever), all at the family orientated haunted house.

In fact, last year there was a guy laying in a body outline (that looked like a dummy), and then he got up and walked close to you.

How is this any different? I guess you can expect it there rather than at the local game store, but you're still seeing it. Or maybe you don't think that's ok either - I don't know, hmmm. I'm curious.

Nate

[Brisco]

It's was probably just a local promotion from your area. During Madden releases, our stores have Barbecues, tournaments and once even NFL cheerleaders at the party. Its all about atmosphere. When Resident Evil 2 came out for the PSX (and again for the RE Cube rerelease) our store did something very similar with police tape and body outlines (one was ripped in two). We didn't dress up like zombies, but all of those who entered the store when we did that seemed to get a kick out of it. Don't get too angry when stores do things like this, we/they are only trying to get in the spirit of things. As for the ghetto talk, that's a little odd.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Looks like that store is trying hard for numbers.

I remember when I worked for GameStop, they made us wear sports jerseys when Madden came out each year.

Plus if the store looks the flashiest, they get a picture taken and it's used for the annual book GameStop uses for every store in the USA to show how to market with style as an example for other employees.

[Wavelflack]

You should play along with it!
Bring a gun and rob the store.


It'll help with Gamestop's "street cred".

[esquire]

Kind of strange how they were talking ghetto.

I think the rest is fine though. I think you're over-reacting. Once you have kids (or just hang around young boys - ok that sounds bad) you'll understand how trivial this type of stuff is.

Nate

That's the thing. If I had kids I'd imagine I'd be even more upset. I feel today's society is too de-sensitized from violence and its repercussions. As much as I like GTA, I'd never let my 12 year old son play it, if I had a son.

[Famidrive-16]

Am I over-reacting?

Holy crap, if you are serious, I am finding a Gamestop so I can see this.

[XxMe2NiKxX]

Hip hop culture is just like any other thing associated with music (and I use the term music loosely). Not everyone who listens to hip hop is going to go out and shoot someone, but "pretend" violence is part of the culture.

[SirDrexl]

Did they do anything special for BMX:XXX?

[esquire]

Hip hop culture is just like any other thing associated with music (and I use the term music loosely). Not everyone who listens to hip hop is going to go out and shoot someone, but "pretend" violence is part of the culture.

I never implied that. Besides, Police Crime Scene Tape and Body Outlines has nothing to do with hip-hop music. There may be songs about violence, but that doesn't mean its acceptable. But that's not what this thread is about and I don't want to get into perceptions and prejudices into other so colled "cultures." The fact is that Gamestop is using signatures of violence to promote sales, whether the sales are welcome or not.

[esquire]

Did they do anything special for BMX:XXX?

Or how about Dead or Alive Volleyball for that matter? Did they hire the Juggy Girls from the Man Show to come in dressed up as DOA characters bouncing all around? How about the Guy Game? Did they hire underage women to come in and pop their tops like in a Girls Gone Wild video?

[Cirrus]

Did they do anything special for BMX:XXX?

Or how about Dead or Alive Volleyball for that matter? Did they hire the Juggy Girls from the Man Show to come in dressed up as DOA characters bouncing all around? How about the Guy Game? Did they hire underage women to come in and pop their tops like in a Girls Gone Wild video?

Well, lets not forget that Gamestop sucks. I'll just add this to my nearly novel-sized list of things that piss me off about that store. (Strategy guide pushing, Reserve pushing, White boy tough-guy wanna-be pager salesman employees).

[Brisco]

No they didn't because those games are at best niche titles, the sames as games such as Katamari Damacy, but the GTA series sells millions, so the company does these stupid little dressup days to have fun with it.

If you don't like the atmosphere they are presenting tell the store manager how you feel, or the DM, or call the corporate office. But I'm sure that they'll continue to wear jereseys & BBQs for Madden, and maybe even dress up like Link for Zelda. Just let them know about it too, not just us.

[Brisco]

Cirrus said:

White boy tough-guy wanna-be pager salesman employees

Pagers? Really? They are wearing pagers? WTF?!? I didn't even know that companies still made them?

[Cirrus]

Cirrus said:

White boy tough-guy wanna-be pager salesman employees

Pagers? Really? They are wearing pagers? WTF?!? I didn't even know that companies still made them?

No, that's not quite what I was getting at. The boys that work at those stores remind me of the same kind of folks that try to hawk cell phones/pagers at the mall. "Wanna-be pager salesmen." It's just a vibe I catch from them. Very creepy.

[Push Upstairs]

As I walk in, I hear urban/ghetto hip hop blaring over the speakers (as opposed to the usual skateboard music that is the flavor of the month). The employees are all wearing urban gear and dew rags, talking ghetto.

How is this different than walking into a Gamestop on any other day?

[nate1749]

I still periodically deal with the customer service part of my company, and I've learned that no matter what you do, someone will complain.

Nate

[Fuyukaze]

I hate GTA, and to some degree, I hate Gamestop as well. That said, I realy dont see a problem here. They are simply promoting a game thats big. I like that. I wish more stores did this kind of promotions and did it for more games! Who wouldnt want to see a store done up Katamari style? Or maybe done up with a Mario theme? While I think the GTA series is bad for gaming, they are atleast keeping it in context of what they are pushing.

[Promophile]

I hate GTA, and to some degree, I hate Gamestop as well. That said, I realy dont see a problem here. They are simply promoting a game thats big. I like that. I wish more stores did this kind of promotions and did it for more games! Who wouldnt want to see a store done up Katamari style? Or maybe done up with a Mario theme? While I think the GTA series is bad for gaming, they are atleast keeping it in context of what they are pushing.

Heh yeah I agree. I would love having the place "horrored" up for the release of a Resident Evil game, or "RPGed" out for a Final Fantasy release.

[Retsudo]

When Gta San Andreas first came out on the PS2, I was in EB games and the manager was dressed(well tried his hardest to dress hood) Damn he looked like an idiot. I know the guy and he looked at me with embarassment because he knows im straight from the hood. I was going to say something, but the look on this guys face said it all. This guy never seen a hood in his life. Guess some people have to do what they are told to keep their jobs.

[esquire]

Who wouldnt want to see a store done up Katamari style?

Umm, I would. I despise that game.

However, your comparison and the one to Resident Evil are a little bit different here. Those games are based on fantasy/horror games, i.e. not real situations. San Andreas, although fictional is clearly meant to be Southern California, and is realistic. It's one thing to promote the next Star Wars game, its another thing to promote a game based on say Scarface or the Sopranos.

[GrandAmChandler]

You want Violence at FuncoLand / Gamestop? You got it.

http://www.geocities.com/darcytristessa/dr04.htm

I remember the day this happened. I was working the evening shift because I had college class in the morning ... Our whole region got security cameras promptly afterwards. I think that doing body outlines is ridiculous, because quite frankly, it's quite possible... Death is nothing to mess around with.

[pragmatic insanester]

next time i go and buy a new silent hill title, i hope i get thrown over the counter and raped by a clerk wearing carboard pyramid headgear. actually, konami should give away "broken" radios that randomly spew out our favorite in white noise shrieking.

[§ Gideon §]

Am I the only one who was reminded of the "32 pieces of flare" bit from Office Space?

[Promophile]

actually, konami should give away "broken" radios that randomly spew out our favorite in white noise shrieking.

That would rock. If they made such a collectable I would buy it in a heartbeat.

[kainemaxwell]

You want Violence at FuncoLand / Gamestop? You got it.

http://www.geocities.com/darcytristessa/dr04.htm

I remember the day this happened. I was working the evening shift because I had college class in the morning ... Our whole region got security cameras promptly afterwards. I think that doing body outlines is ridiculous, because quite frankly, it's quite possible... Death is nothing to mess around with.

Dude, that was at a Gamestop up the street from me, and I was just there the day before the shootings with a friend too.

[poloplayr]

The fall of Western civilisation is near.

[WanganRunner]

Sounds like a pretty stupid promotion to me.

But that's probably just because I'm sick to death of hearing about GTA.

[nik]

should of asked them for some crack, and placed a jar with 1 pickle left in it on the counter.

[aaron7]

You should play along with it!
Bring a gun and rob the store.


It'll help with Gamestop's "street cred".

Ahahahahahah sounds like a plan!

I don't think it's overboard. Yes it's overkill, but it's just promoting the game. I dunno lol

[MegaDrive20XX]

Am I the only one who was reminded of the "32 pieces of flare" bit from Office Space?

Touche' and very excellent example you bring up.

GameStop is the worst to do that for their employees, by wearing product placement pins of upcoming titles. Like it's Wal-Mart, Kmart or something "ASK ME ABOUT THE NEW DVD MOVIE RELEASES!" in big bold letters on the piece of flare...

[evildead2099]

Kind of strange how they were talking ghetto.

You just have to react in kind: "yo, bitch. Is you gonna sell me this muthafuckin game, or do I gotz ta bust a cap in yo ass?"

[kainemaxwell]

Am I the only one who was reminded of the "32 pieces of flare" bit from Office Space?

Touche' and very excellent example you bring up.

GameStop is the worst to do that for their employees, by wearing product placement pins of upcoming titles. Like it's Wal-Mart, Kmart or something "ASK ME ABOUT THE NEW DVD MOVIE RELEASES!" in big bold letters on the piece of flare...
Gamestop is pretty bad, we do the same thing at FYE with flare and signs here and there in the store.

[Tony Montana]

Alright, long post ahead...


As I get closer I see the words "Welcome to San Andreas painted on the other window with police "Crime Scene Do Not Cross" tape across the front door. As I walk in, I hear urban/ghetto hip hop blaring over the speakers (as opposed to the usual skateboard music that is the flavor of the month). The employees are all wearing urban gear and dew rags, talking ghetto. But worse, and I think totally taseless here, is a body outline chalked on the floor right in front of the cash register. Next to the outline is the word "Owned" together with an arrow pointing to the body outline.

Ok, I like the GTA, but I think this is a little out of hand. First, the body outline is uncalled for. Why do they need to promote violence? Why the need to push the envelope here? Why the need to glorify gang mentality? Doesn't the game already do these on its own? And gamers wonder why games like GTA get a bad name! Sheez.

Second, the game is not meant for minors, yet by Gamestop promoting the game so openly in its stores, where minors and their parents shop, seriously causes problems here. You have parents who don't want to buy games like GTA for their kids, yet Gamestop is pushing it right in their face the moment they walk into the store.


Am I over-reacting?

First, yes you are overreacting.

Everything you said I find amusing except the employees talking "ghetto". Although the fact you said ghetto kind of lets me know where you are coming from.

Parents are going to buy or not buy a game based on what they think, and more often just what their kid wants. If a parent has a problem saying no to their kid because GameStop puts up balloons and tape outlines they have bigger issues, in fact it might help some of the idiot parents that come in with their 10 year old kid to buy the game even though they are informed that it is Mature rated, they'll see what the game is really about. Just to debunk the whole its not meant for kids, neither is RE4, but if it were zombies around you wouldnt have minded.



Did they do anything special for BMX:XXX?

Or how about Dead or Alive Volleyball for that matter? Did they hire the Juggy Girls from the Man Show to come in dressed up as DOA characters bouncing all around? How about the Guy Game? Did they hire underage women to come in and pop their tops like in a Girls Gone Wild video?
Come on, more would have been spent on the balloons and tape then what money was made from those games, neither was even a medium sized hit. I think BMX: XXX sold 1 or 2 copies the day it came out. But how about Halo 2? There was a lot more "celebration" stuff happening for that release and that was Mature.


§ Gideon § said:
Am I the only one who was reminded of the "32 pieces of flare" bit from Office Space?


Touche' and very excellent example you bring up.

GameStop is the worst to do that for their employees, by wearing product placement pins of upcoming titles. Like it's Wal-Mart, Kmart or something "ASK ME ABOUT THE NEW DVD MOVIE RELEASES!" in big bold letters on the piece of flare...
I was never made to wear any of this "flare", once in awhile we had Madden name tags, I wore a Stewie pin, a SImpsons pin, some old school nintendo pins but only cuz I bought them.



The fall of Western civilisation is near.
Please tell me you were kidding.


Well, lets not forget that Gamestop sucks. I'll just add this to my nearly novel-sized list of things that piss me off about that store. (Strategy guide pushing, Reserve pushing, White boy tough-guy wanna-be pager salesman employees).

Wow, you got some serious issues to work out. I highly doubt they say much more than "Do you want the Start guide, you get 20% off if you get it with the game?", well thats just shameful. Reserves are just a way to let them know the interest in a game, how many people will buy it and it basically guarantees you will buy the game there, I guess sound business practice is a bad idea too. Im not even gonna comment on the pager thing.

[Cirrus]

Im not even gonna comment on the pager thing.

Thanks. Promise?

Maybe it's just Gamestop employees around here, but I have a hard time believing that I'm the only one who feels that they seem to attract a certain type of employee. And it's not necessarily gamers, either.

[sliop24]

Thats how it was in my local gamestop(Miami)
My friend works there and she says it was a one day promotion for Gta on XBOX. It was a company wide.

Secondly in reference to there dress code. It used to be strict it now is NON EXISTANT. Girl who work there can wear whatever they want and guys can where shirts with Khakis.

[Kroogah]

Wow.

Imagine if they did this same promotion for Vice City.

"Hey I just got back from my local Gamestop and it's AWESOME!!! They're playing great 80's music and everyone is dressed up in 80's clothes and talking in 80's slang! There's even a fake chalk outline on the ground! HILARIOUS!"

I can guarantee you no one here would be complaining and if they were they'd be labeled as humorless. But wow it's different when "urban ghetto rap hip-hop gang music" is involved. Gosh I fear for my life. Oh noes fall of western civilization.

[Promophile]

Wow.

Imagine if they did this same promotion for Vice City.

"Hey I just got back from my local Gamestop and it's AWESOME!!! They're playing great 80's music and everyone is dressed up in 80's clothes and talking in 80's slang! There's even a fake chalk outline on the ground! HILARIOUS!"

I can guarantee you no one here would be complaining and if they were they'd be labeled as humorless. But wow it's different when "urban ghetto rap hip-hop gang music" is involved. Gosh I fear for my life. Oh noes fall of western civilization.

Because 80's mafia members don't exist anymore, unlike "gangstas". Don't get me wrong, the promotion doesn't bother me at all, but I think the people that are offended by it are offended because there are still gangbangers out there killing people.

[spider-man]

They did the exact same thing at my gamestop for the ps2 release. I believe it was a higher up decision, rather than the manager's. I remember he complaining about how silly/stupid it was, but that they had to do it. I myself hate Gamestop, working there didn't help me any either LOL (I'm on my final weeks, then I'm free :D ). It's an all around crappy place to shop and work. Reason being that while shopping, you have to put up with the sales pitch, and working -- the management forces you to push sales (i.e. the sales pitch). I myself hated the sales pitch. So I would ask once, and if I got a no, I would simply drop it (My managers (we have 3 managers, despite being a really small store :hmm: ) hated that)). I see the customers as people, not giant walking wallets/purses. Plus you can't beat the wonderful hours that they give you (4 hours a week, wow :-P how great!). Basically, avoid that job like the plague.

[Kroogah]

Because 80's mafia members don't exist anymore, unlike "gangstas". Don't get me wrong, the promotion doesn't bother me at all, but I think the people that are offended by it are offended because there are still gangbangers out there killing people.

"80's mafia members don't exist anymore"? You can apply the same logic to San Andreas. The game took place in 1992. Oh but I'm sure that's different. I suppose if someone made a game where you got to run your very own death camp during WWII, and Gamestop promoted it, that wouldn't offend anybody because those don't exist anymore.

[Captain Wrong]

@Tony Montana *golf clap*

Gamers can be so uptight sometimes. Sheesh.

[goatdan]

I'm guessing that the promotion varies from store to store, and that one of the stores just got a little "creative" when they did all this stuff for the promotion of it.

Personally, I do feel it is a bad idea. While the people interested in that game may like the idea of it, if you aren't it is nothing better than an annoyance. If I walked in and wanted to know about picking up a game, and the employee kept walking around talking funny while sporting bandana's and stuff, it _would_ be a distraction. Knowing what the game is and all, I personally find it interesting... as long as I wasn't shopping for anything else that I needed information on.

Unlike a game like Halo that is a *fantasy based* game, GTA is closer to a real-world style game, and promoting it so strongly is strange. And for whoever said that Halo 2 had the same type of promotions, I never saw the employees anywhere all dressed up in various color Master Cheif suits with guns walking around. It was nifty stuff in the store that didn't relate to the violence of the game itself. I mean, you wouldn't put a dead Master Cheif on the floor. Maybe a big ol' Red and Blue flag or something, but it is a lot more abstract.

So anyway, coming from a strictly business standpoint it is a promotion that would seem to have the potential to lose them a lot of customers, while not gaining them much if any new interest when people randomly walk it. The risk vs. reward is skewed too close to risk for it to be worth it, in my opinion.

I do think it is rather creative, and if they had played it up right beforehand, they could have balanced out the reward side and maybe even tipped the scales. Telling preorders to come in for GTA day, having signs up saying that the world of SA was being delivered that day, and so on would make it more worth it for them.

So anyway, my answer is maybe... just maybe it was a good promotion. But probably not.

[kainemaxwell]

Wow.

Imagine if they did this same promotion for Vice City.

"Hey I just got back from my local Gamestop and it's AWESOME!!! They're playing great 80's music and everyone is dressed up in 80's clothes and talking in 80's slang! There's even a fake chalk outline on the ground! HILARIOUS!"

I can guarantee you no one here would be complaining and if they were they'd be labeled as humorless. But wow it's different when "urban ghetto rap hip-hop gang music" is involved. Gosh I fear for my life. Oh noes fall of western civilization.
I would have liked to see that kind of promo rather then the San Andreas idea...

[klausien]

I worked at Funcoland during the release of San Andreas for the PS2. We were asked to dress ghetto. I chose to come to work in my normal clothes. I was the only one, but it felt good. Plus, my boss knew that I wouldn't.

On the other side of the coin, Halo 2 midnight was fun even though it was cold as balls and I was the guy directing traffic outside.

[Kroogah]

Wow.

Imagine if they did this same promotion for Vice City.

"Hey I just got back from my local Gamestop and it's AWESOME!!! They're playing great 80's music and everyone is dressed up in 80's clothes and talking in 80's slang! There's even a fake chalk outline on the ground! HILARIOUS!"

I can guarantee you no one here would be complaining and if they were they'd be labeled as humorless. But wow it's different when "urban ghetto rap hip-hop gang music" is involved. Gosh I fear for my life. Oh noes fall of western civilization.
I would have liked to see that kind of promo rather then the San Andreas idea...

Thank you for proving my point.

[esquire]

Because 80's mafia members don't exist anymore, unlike "gangstas". Don't get me wrong, the promotion doesn't bother me at all, but I think the people that are offended by it are offended because there are still gangbangers out there killing people.

"80's mafia members don't exist anymore"? You can apply the same logic to San Andreas. The game took place in 1992. Oh but I'm sure that's different. I suppose if someone made a game where you got to run your very own death camp during WWII, and Gamestop promoted it, that wouldn't offend anybody because those don't exist anymore.

They could have done something like that for Prisoner of War or The Great Escape.

Funny you mentioned that, because when I originally posted I was thinking along the lines of Medal of Honor Pacific Assault or Battlefield Vietnam, two franchises already popular that had had followup releases just like GTA. Could you have imagined if Gamestop replicated old WWII propaganda posters, or painted slogans on the window such as (and excuse me here, but its just for historical reference) "Kill the Japs" or some line from Full Metal Jacket, like "A day without blood is like a day without sunshine." They could have the store manager dressed up like Gunnery Sargeant Hartman, yelling at the customers:


I'll bet you're the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddam common courtesy to give him a reach-around. I'll be watching you.

or if a kid started crying in the store, he would yell:


What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?

[Kroogah]

Because 80's mafia members don't exist anymore, unlike "gangstas". Don't get me wrong, the promotion doesn't bother me at all, but I think the people that are offended by it are offended because there are still gangbangers out there killing people.

"80's mafia members don't exist anymore"? You can apply the same logic to San Andreas. The game took place in 1992. Oh but I'm sure that's different. I suppose if someone made a game where you got to run your very own death camp during WWII, and Gamestop promoted it, that wouldn't offend anybody because those don't exist anymore.

They could have done something like that for Prisoner of War or The Great Escape.

Funny you mentioned that, because when I originally posted I was thinking along the lines of Medal of Honor Pacific Assault or Battlefield Vietnam, two franchises already popular that had had followup releases just like GTA. Could you have imagined if Gamestop replicated old WWII propaganda posters, or painted slogans on the window such as (and excuse me here, but its just for historical reference) "Kill the Japs" or some line from Full Metal Jacket, like "A day without blood is like a day without sunshine." They could have the store manager dressed up like Gunnery Sargeant Hartman, yelling at the customers:


I'll bet you're the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass and not even have the goddam common courtesy to give him a reach-around. I'll be watching you.

or if a kid started crying in the store, he would yell:


What is your major malfunction, numbnuts? Didn't Mommy and Daddy show you enough attention when you were a child?

Hell, I think that would be cool too. If they wrote "Kill the Japs" in the windows I'd find it hilarious. And I know a few former Gamestop employees who would probably LOVE to play Sgt. Hartman for a day. LOL

[AlexKidd]

I went there today to buy a ds(which they didn't have) and I did notice both of the employees wearing san andreas t- shirts instead of their usual nintendo gear but other than that nothing was going on at my gamestop.