Halo 1 at Gamestop? Not so fast...

[kaedesdisciple]

I tried recently to find a new copy of Halo 1 at various Gamestops. Since it was re-released under the best of platinum hits at $10, I figured it would be a relatively easy pickup. I went to no less than 10 Gamestops, and I found quite a few. However, there was a catch: every single one of them was opened and had a "USED: $24.99" sticker on them. Suspiciously, each store had exactly one copy out on display. You might think, why not ask the employees? The most common answer I got: "Are you using a 360? Cause I don't think Halo 1 will work with it." After that was when I got the answer of no new copies in stock.

These "used" copies were all brand new games, obviously opened by Gamestop employees so that they could sell them as used at a markup of 150% over a new copy. It's not like you could even think that these were bought by actual customers; the contents were all perfect and they had zero shelf wear. One store, I could understand, two, yea sure maybe, but all of the ones I went to? That's some pretty shady dealings right there. I hardly think they are rare because the very first Best Buy I walked into had a good 10 new copies sitting right there on the shelf, all at $10.

Okay, rant over.

[FAMOUS]

nice updated avatar

[kaedesdisciple]

nice updated avatar

I don't know, what do you leave out for Helghast Santa? Somehow I don't think he eats cookies & milk...

[udisi]

I bet Gamestop did it because I believe corporate has moved all original xbox stuff to used inventory like they did with GBA, etc. There may have been no intention to up the price of a new game, but the used price in the system was listed at 24.99. Granted 24.99 for a used xbox game is pretty nuts. You should look and see if they had any xbox stuff with New stickers. I doubt they did, they probably moved it all over to used, not just Halo.

[Neil Koch]

I was at Gamestop yesterday and they still had new Xbox games out, but it was mostly the crap like 50 Cent Bulletproof that they can't get rid of.

BTW - to the OP. That is a shitty practice, but why did you go to 10 different Gamestops? 1 or 2 I could see...

[JSN]

The decision to sell them as used was made by the corporate folks. They receive them in their distribution center, open them, slap on used stickers, then ship them to stores. They’ve done this for many years. They did this whenever they bought the GameQuestDirect re-printed games too (Persona 2, Rhapsody, Rez, Zone of the Enders 2). Games from some smaller publishers tend to also get this treatment, often these titles are never even given a SKU in their new category. Who knows why? Probably if the new game was priced cheap enough they just mark as used and inflate their numbers on the profit margin reports they show to stockholders… I’d guess.

I will agree it’s retarded of them to have it for $25 bucks if it can be had everywhere else for $10. They probably don’t count on the $10 versions being stocked for very long, and they’re likely right. Once it’s sold out everywhere else then its back to business as usual.

[meancode]

Wait a minute, you went to 10 -- as in ten -- GameStop stores? Wow. You have way too much time on your hands my friend. I don't even go to one GameStop in a given day/week/month, much less 10!

You know what is sad, I just checked ebay and Halo 1 is going for around $15.

[kaedesdisciple]

Wait a minute, you went to 10 -- as in ten -- GameStop stores? Wow. You have way too much time on your hands my friend. I don't even go to one GameStop in a given day/week/month, much less 10!

You know what is sad, I just checked ebay and Halo 1 is going for around $15.

Too much free time? Hardly, there are a crapload of these stores in my home area and around my job. One mall near me has three by itself! After the first few it became a bit of a side curiosity for me as I hunted for other games.

[Push Upstairs]

I dunno if "you have way too much time on your hands" is the right phrase.

More like "world class masochist".

[MegaDrive20XX]

Pretty sad, when Best Buy still sells it for $10 brand new (Sure it's the BEST OF Platinum Hits) but yeah..it's just Halo 1...common as salt...

[sabre2922]

The local Hastings in my area have a few new copies of Halo 1 for $5.99 and strangely two of them look like original non-platinum-hits versions.

[swlovinist]

Gamestop is also known to jack up prices for the holidays on systems and used games. I used to work there and see the price increases near the holidays. The best way to speak is to not buy the product at the inflated price. They will not change their policies.

[8-bitNesMan]

The best way to speak is to not buy the product at the inflated price. They will not change their policies.

If they won't change then what good will not buying the product do? I try not to buy anything from them, but for every 1 guy like us there are 99 morons who will take their crap.

[mailman187666]

Gamestop is also known to jack up prices for the holidays on systems and used games. I used to work there and see the price increases near the holidays. The best way to speak is to not buy the product at the inflated price. They will not change their policies.

ok so it wasn't just me that noticed that. I was looking at Lost Planet for 360 not too long ago and it was $35 used. Since the holiday season, I've seen it go back up to $50 for a used copy of the game in a lot of stores. Each dtores has shitloads of copies in stock too being untouched, why would they raise the price on that?

[xtremegamer]

ok so it wasn't just me that noticed that. I was looking at Lost Planet for 360 not too long ago and it was $35 used. Since the holiday season, I've seen it go back up to $50 for a used copy of the game in a lot of stores. Each dtores has shitloads of copies in stock too being untouched, why would they raise the price on that?

Not sure what stores your shopping in but GS has it for $24.99 here locally and online.

http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=952108

[Habeeb Hamusta]

I work at gamestop and the answer is....Gamestop is not going to order new copies when they already have a shit ton of used ones. They'll never sell the used ones if he new ones are retailing for 10. Really we just lie to customers and say they don't make it new anymore....and so they buy the used ones. they did not move all of the new skus over to used but they did do that for gamecube and gba. Either way....halo fuckin sux

[josekortez]

I work at gamestop [and] Really we just lie to customers

Because of his honesty, I consider Habeeb Hamusta a king among men.

[gepeto]

ok so it wasn't just me that noticed that. I was looking at Lost Planet for 360 not too long ago and it was $35 used. Since the holiday season, I've seen it go back up to $50 for a used copy of the game in a lot of stores. Each dtores has shitloads of copies in stock too being untouched, why would they raise the price on that?

I have also noticed when they have there trade more get an extra 10/20/30 percent promotion. The tradein values plumment to an obscene low. Since the final merge with funcoland and eb they have just went crazy.

The buy 2 used get 1 free which has been a staple at gamestop now only shows up thanksgiving Black friday maybe christmas and if it is during the year it has been cut to a friday saturday,sunday sale.

I could never understand why all the firepro wrestling games ps2 are open. As well as fatal frame 3 Ps2. and being sold as new. It can't be the shef copy because all 6 new store copies were open.

[Daria]

Look it's simple. Gamestop just sucks.

[Habeeb Hamusta]

no the trade values definately don't drop with the 10/20/30 promo....but like that guy said....gamestop just sucks