Perhaps I've become progressively more disenchanted with the gaming industry as a whole. So I want to pose this question to the masses:
The FTC has approved the merger of EB games and GameStop. (Old news really) The real consumer side policy changes will probably start taking effect either near or post christmas season. Now, here's my problem. I don't really like either chain in that they are an immense rip-off, but I like GameStop less than EB so when I have a hankerin' I goto EB; when I have to. Occasionally they will have some items tolerably priced and the 'discount card' at least helps offset the damage. For the most part, I raid some non-traditional sources for my stuff, the prices are typically more acceptable, but milage may vary in selection.

I like to be more concious about who gets my money and just how much they truly care about my business. If done properly, a smaller business can supply a better product than a big chain. I've had a recent experience with hardware stores because of a plumbing project I had to do. The disparity in service was incredible. If I have a choice I'll be going to the little hardware store for my stuf instead of Home Despot.

Essentially, I really don't want to support GameStop. While I'm sure they don't care terribly about some looney college student. since they have scads of folks tripping over themselves there every day to buy their overpriced stuff and sell them other stuff for pennies on the dollar. The question is, where do I go now? And perhaps the answer really is 'nowhere'.

This 'industry' has felt progressively more greed driven as time goes on. Guides magically become 'bibles', and anything remotely worth buying in the wild typically gets scooped up for Ebay. People smell money and with it comes questionable tactics on all fronts. I'd rather put my money where the business is more on the up and up than just jonesing to make a quota, sales target, or an extra $15 from padding out the shipping price. I also tend to not support the 'professional' ebay resellers very often. I see no reason to encourage what is essentially a scalper behavior. I saw it during the big action figure boom in the '90s and there's no reason I can think of to regularly support them.

So where do you go when it looks like everything is just not worth it?

There was more, but I'm just not feeling coherent enough to get it properly organized.

Hex.
[ "Where will you run to when it all falls down; who's gonna pick you up off of the ground?" --Heart ]