Gamestop to Merge Used/New Games?

[GameNinja]

Reading around Kotaku, I stumbled upon this rumor article and was surprised to not find a thread here on it:

http://kotaku.com/5862094/eb-gamesga...tion?tag=rumor

Apparently EB Canada employees have now been instructed to merge their used/new games sections and remove clear indication of whether a game is "used" or "new" by having the same white stickers etc. They are now supposed to stack the used games on top of the new games to cover them as well. The sticker (presumably the one with the bar code and the price) still says NEW or USED.

If true (which apparently it is, at least for Canada) it seems like marketing psychology to get customers to buy more used games, which I believe GS has a higher profit margin on.

For most of us I guess it is kind of annoying but not really a huge deal. For the average customer (like the article points out) they may easily mistake the game for new, which becomes a problem with the growing amount of online codes etc.

[Emperor Megas]

Just...wow.

[Lady Jaye]

Fuck. I work near an EB Games, I'll check if they started pulling this crap. If this is so, then I guess I'll give more of my business to Future Shop/Best Buy and The Source when they have amazing deals. The point made in the Kotaku article is a good one: what about the online codes, etc.? How some games with online components are associated to a one-use code and once that code is used, you must pay to access that feature.

If that policy is in effect, I'll contact the Office de la protection du consommateur (the Quebec equivalent to the Better Business Bureau) and see if that's even legal. Might be lucky and some law would prevent this practice to come into effect here. In any case, if that happens elsewhere in the country, I think people should contact their provincial consumers' protection agency to see if EB Games can really get away with it.

[Ludwig]

Well maybe the bump up the prices for used games and hope people will fall for it, thinking they are new. Who knows?

[Tupin]

Technically, all of their games are used, so it's really no big deal. I never shop at Gamestop unless I specifically am looking for a used game because that's what I will get no matter what.

[GameNinja]

Well maybe the bump up the prices for used games and hope people will fall for it, thinking they are new. Who knows?

Apparently they already have some of their used prices above their new prices, probably because they were not yet "updated" or something.


From the employee cited in the article:
"There are also MANY games where the new copy is as cheap as $19.99 but the used copies stacked on top of it are $34.99."

[portnoyd]

Publishers are gonna be mighty pissed.

[duffmanth]

Fuck just when I thought I couldn't hate Gamestop/EB anymore! Their used prices are retarded, $5 less than new, fack no! Oh well...just another reason why I never shop there.

[Osaka]

Having (regrettably) spent many years working for various Gamestop stores, this comes as absolutely no surprise to me. It's no secret that GS make a MUCH higher profit on their used games than their new ones. If they had their way, they wouldn't even sell new games since they make next to no money on them, but that obviously would not fly. When they give you $20 store credit for a brand new game that they will turn around and sell for $54.99, it's no wonder they want to try something like this.

Gamestop does get a lot of customers who know how this works though, and I can't imagine this going over to well with the gamer crowd.

[Flashback2012]

Technically, all of their games are used, so it's really no big deal. I never shop at Gamestop unless I specifically am looking for a used game because that's what I will get no matter what.

See...now why would you post something like when you know it's absolutely not true. I understand everyone loves to get their digs in on the company 'cuz it's internet cool to do so but at least have a semi-legit jab when you do. I mean I'm looking right at a copy of Sonic Generations on PS3 I picked up over the weekend from there that has it's shrink wrap completely intact. You're trying to tell me that's used?

I do realize you're being facetious a bit in your remark and I get what you're saying. It's safe to assume you're in the group of people who insist opened = used. I personally don't agree with that point of view completely but that argument has been beaten to death already and we'd be nitpicking semantics anyway.

As for the matter at hand, I'm surprised they're trying this...again. EB did this before the merger and it blew up in their faces. Not only did the employees hate it, but the customers did as well. I remember there being talk of something like at Gamestop when I was still there but it was vehemently opposed by store managers because it made their "Title On-Hand" more time consuming and it was a waste of man hours. If they do decide to implement this, I fully expect a nice backlash from employees, customers, and possibly other sources such as publishers. Since we live in the information age, it's not that hard to notify a staunch anti-used company like EA or Ubisoft to inform them that GS is doing this which could result in a delay in getting their shipments or outright denial of product.

Long story short...pwn some douches if you have to. Scorch them on the surveys. Call and complain to customer service, I'm pretty sure it's still a toll free number. Contact the BBB or it's equivalent. Start an Occupy Gamestop movement and set up a "I only want to buy new sealed games" day.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Seems like a way to save shelf space. Perhaps they are looking for ways to fit the games that are coming for the next generation of consoles.

[Flashback2012]

Having (regrettably) spent many years working for various Gamestop stores, this comes as absolutely no surprise to me. It's no secret that GS make a MUCH higher profit on their used games than their new ones. If they had their way, they wouldn't even sell new games since they make next to no money on them, but that obviously would not fly. When they give you $20 store credit for a brand new game that they will turn around and sell for $54.99, it's no wonder they want to try something like this.

Gamestop does get a lot of customers who know how this works though, and I can't imagine this going over to well with the gamer crowd.

The new games can and do make a profit, just not nearly as much as the used games do. They're simply a means to an end for Gamestop to acquire used product that they can mark up however they see fit. New games are great for getting people in the door. The store I used to work at has no less than 3 or 4 COD: MW3 posters in their windows. Gotta hype, Hype, HYPE that new game! I'm sure if there's used copies in the store, they'll try to peddle those first but the plan it to entice them with the new and then hit them with the used (at least that's how it always used to be).

[Sunnyvale]

I'm kinda confused by all the Gamestop hate. I hate em, so I don't go there, problem solved, who cares what they do? If you don't like their policies, trot on down to Hastings or Best Buy.

I find this type of thing so common on the interweb. "Let's all bash Ebay!" Never mind that without Ebay, your game wouldn't be worth half what it is, but they took more than 10%, so people get pissed? Don't like Ebay, don't use it. Don't like GS, don't go.

Durp!

[Bojay1997]

I do realize you're being facetious a bit in your remark and I get what you're saying. It's safe to assume you're in the group of people who insist opened = used. I personally don't agree with that point of view completely but that argument has been beaten to death already and we'd be nitpicking semantics anyway.

I think you are ignoring the whole policy of letting employees "borrow" new games to use overnight. You can believe what you like, but under the law of many states, opening the factory packaging makes an item "used". In fact, Gamestop settled a lawsuit several years ago which required them to post in their stores that their "new" merchandise may be opened and that under the laws of some states, that would make the item used. Personally, I have a couple local GS stores that have great managers and therefore, they know if I am buying something there, it has to be factory sealed or they will just tell me they don't have it and they never try to pressure me into accepting a resealed copy. Similarly, I have generally had good luck with their website. Having said all that, I fully understand why some people hate Gamestop and at the corporate level, they are among the worst companies I have ever dealt with.

[BlastProcessing402]

I first heard of this a week or two ago, and I still don't get the outrage. Is it a little annoying/stupid to arrange things like this? Sure. Is it something to get all head asplode over? No. Oh dear, you'll have to pay attention to what you're buying as you shop, whoopdeefreakindoo!

(And didn't the policy of employee "borrowing" end a few years back? Not that it would matter if you got there before they were down to display copies, anyway.)

[camarotuner]

"Long story short...pwn some douches if you have to. Scorch them on the surveys. "

I'd just like to point out that "pwning douches and scorching them on the surveys" will not in any way effect policy and only punishes the poor hourly wage jokey who rang out your transaction since the survey hit nails them and they don't have anything to say about policy.

[Clownzilla]

Our Gamestop ripped out all the shelving and just placed a gigantic bargain bin in the room.

[Dobie]

Our Gamestop ripped out all the shelving and just placed a gigantic bargain bin in the room.

I know you say that facetiously, but my GS is pretty damn close to that. There's 3-4 bins of games, accessories, and plastic doo-dads all just thrown together in the middle of the store. Holy hell is it annoying trying to find an older 360 game somewhere in that mess.

I think their ultimate business plan is to just throw everything in a pile on the floor, and put a little metal box up by the door for you to put money in. Think "Hoarders" meets "G4."

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Other big box entertainment retailers that buy/sell used games, movies, etc. typically shrink wrap them and shelve them in the same section as the brand new product.

I'd personally prefer segregated new and used product but GameStop isn't pioneering anything here.

[Ro-J]

I'm kinda confused by all the Gamestop hate. I hate em, so I don't go there, problem solved, who cares what they do? If you don't like their policies, trot on down to Hastings or Best Buy.

I find this type of thing so common on the interweb. "Let's all bash Ebay!" Never mind that without Ebay, your game wouldn't be worth half what it is, but they took more than 10%, so people get pissed? Don't like Ebay, don't use it. Don't like GS, don't go.

Durp!

But doesn't it make you nostalgic for all of the Funcoland hate that used to be plastered across the forums? The more things change...