GameStop Digitals

[Me-Hostage]

I've never purchased a game digitally from GameStop, so can someone tell me how that works? I assumed it would be code to download onto the PS store, or am I wrong?

[Deathbymonkeys]

It just prints a code on the receipt. Put that code in the ps store like any other it gives you the game.

[Me-Hostage]

Originally Posted by Deathbymonkeys

It just prints a code on the receipt. Put that code in the ps store like any other it gives you the game.

So the code for the game will be in the email? I just put it in the PS store then... afterwards I read it was bad to buy digitals from GameStop. :\

[Polard55]

ITs depend on your priorities, but I must say buying games physically is still much better.

[Zivouhr]

Speaking of Gamestop, unfortunately, another outlet for games disappearing being the unfortunate part, a lot of the stores in my range are closed now and have left empty shells of buildings behind.

What Gamestop did right:
Offered free, unique bonus items with pre-orders, like the Star Wars Biker Scout when you pre-ordered Star Wars Battlefront on PS2. Or even something like a free poster, a keychain, and simple stuff like that.

They often had games that were more rare to find.

They allowed you to order games to have shipped to the store so you could pick them up when they arrived.

Of course those were the days before internet really took hold with the same service of delivering to your home brand new on release day.

What they did wrong:
Give you a few cents for many games you traded in that were in great shape. Some games being 10 cents to a quarter each, then selling it for $20.

My number one reason that I stopped going to Gamestop? I got there a week after release day and said, do you have this new game in stock? Yeah, sure. They then would start to ring up the game disc on the register after pulling it out from a drawer and then finding the case on the shelf, each opened, and then attempting to charge me full price for a used game. I stopped them each time and said this is going to be a gift for someone, you don't have a brand new sealed copy? No, sorry, this is it. Goodbye.

I rarely ever went after too many of those experiences. Don't sell me used games that were just released brand new, and then charge full price when they're giving me 10 cents for my older used games. If they said, "Hey, since this is opened, we'll take $10 off", or even $5 off would've helped. I asked the guy one time, since that's already opened and played, can you take off $5 at least? Oh no, I can't do that. I walked away and found a Target, Walmart or other store that had it in stock sealed and brand new.

Their excuse always was, Oh, that's the display for the game on the shelf, the game is brand new.

[heyadol]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

My number one reason that I stopped going to Gamestop? I got there a week after release day and said, do you have this new game in stock? Yeah, sure. They then would start to ring up the game disc on the register after pulling it out from a drawer and then finding the case on the shelf, each opened, and then attempting to charge me full price for a used game. I stopped them each time and said this is going to be a gift for someone, you don't have a brand new sealed copy? No, sorry, this is it. Goodbye.

This is my number one reason as well, they even do that on release day (maybe not if you pre-order).

The number two reason I stopped is they are officially a pawn shop in my state. I wanted to trade some games and they required finger prints and two forms of ID. Seemed like a lot for the $1 they were offering for those old games, I ended up donating them to Salvation Army instead.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by heyadol

This is my number one reason as well, they even do that on release day (maybe not if you pre-order).

The number two reason I stopped is they are officially a pawn shop in my state. I wanted to trade some games and they required finger prints and two forms of ID. Seemed like a lot for the $1 they were offering for those old games, I ended up donating them to Salvation Army instead.

That is something that they put you through all that nonsense just to trade games. Good for you to donate them versus Gamestop's corruption.

Thanks, yeah, the whole charging full price for an opened game they took from the shelf box that was supposed to be brand new sealed was ridiculous. It's good to just walk out and find it elsewhere. They lost plenty of sales over the years from that nonsense.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

Speaking of Gamestop, unfortunately, another outlet for games disappearing being the unfortunate part, a lot of the stores in my range are closed now and have left empty shells of buildings behind.

What Gamestop did right:
Offered free, unique bonus items with pre-orders, like the Star Wars Biker Scout when you pre-ordered Star Wars Battlefront on PS2. Or even something like a free poster, a keychain, and simple stuff like that.

They often had games that were more rare to find.

They allowed you to order games to have shipped to the store so you could pick them up when they arrived.

Of course those were the days before internet really took hold with the same service of delivering to your home brand new on release day.

What they did wrong:
Give you a few cents for many games you traded in that were in great shape. Some games being 10 cents to a quarter each, then selling it for $20.

My number one reason that I stopped going to Gamestop? I got there a week after release day and said, do you have this new game in stock? Yeah, sure. They then would start to ring up the game disc on the register after pulling it out from a drawer and then finding the case on the shelf, each opened, and then attempting to charge me full price for a used game. I stopped them each time and said this is going to be a gift for someone, you don't have a brand new sealed copy? No, sorry, this is it. Goodbye.

I rarely ever went after too many of those experiences. Don't sell me used games that were just released brand new, and then charge full price when they're giving me 10 cents for my older used games. If they said, "Hey, since this is opened, we'll take $10 off", or even $5 off would've helped. I asked the guy one time, since that's already opened and played, can you take off $5 at least? Oh no, I can't do that. I walked away and found a Target, Walmart or other store that had it in stock sealed and brand new.

Their excuse always was, Oh, that's the display for the game on the shelf, the game is brand new.

Well it really isn’t “Used” if no-one used it. They open up the case to stick the disc in the drawer so no-one steals the disc and then display the case just to let you know the game is in stock. No gameplay from anyone has been done on the disc unless it is in the Used section. So if people didn’t steal then they wouldn’t have to do that. I’ve seen people taking 1 of the cases off the shelf and then dashing out of the store only to find out that there is no disc and that they just stole an empty case. Then they try to go like Um my disc is not inside so then the Cashier asks for a receipt and it is like uh I don’t have one. So yeah theft on videogames in retail stores has always been a problem so GameStop came up with a way to prevent it. No theft means no GameStop trying to prevent theft.

They have specific prices for the New and Used sections. Plus their system knows how many copies they have of both the Used and New so they can’t mess with that system by altering a New to be Used.

As for Trade-Ins, as more people trade a particular game in and have too much of or if the Used copies of the game are not selling then the value decreases. So it can be best condition and not matter. So basically over time the game will only decrease in value unless it is like a really rare game. But anything that is common to find in most GameStop stores is worthless or only worth something after it has came out. There’s many games even for like PS4, Xbox One and Switch that they won’t even accept anymore if the value has dropped down too low no matter what the condition of the game is like.

[Zivouhr]

Originally Posted by MOONPHASE

Well it really isn’t “Used” if no-one used it. They open up the case to stick the disc in the drawer so no-one steals the disc and then display the case just to let you know the game is in stock. No gameplay from anyone has been done on the disc unless it is in the Used section. So if people didn’t steal then they wouldn’t have to do that. I’ve seen people taking 1 of the cases off the shelf and then dashing out of the store only to find out that there is no disc and that they just stole an empty case. Then they try to go like Um my disc is not inside so then the Cashier asks for a receipt and it is like uh I don’t have one. So yeah theft on videogames in retail stores has always been a problem so GameStop came up with a way to prevent it. No theft means no GameStop trying to prevent theft.

They have specific prices for the New and Used sections. Plus their system knows how many copies they have of both the Used and New so they can’t mess with that system by altering a New to be Used.

As for Trade-Ins, as more people trade a particular game in and have too much of or if the Used copies of the game are not selling then the value decreases. So it can be best condition and not matter. So basically over time the game will only decrease in value unless it is like a really rare game. But anything that is common to find in most GameStop stores is worthless or only worth something after it has came out. There’s many games even for like PS4, Xbox One and Switch that they won’t even accept anymore if the value has dropped down too low no matter what the condition of the game is like.

I hear what you're saying Moonphase. I totally understand and have no problem with the concept of having a blank case on the shelf with all the detailed information on it. What they can do is make a deal with Gamestop HQ to order an extra game case just for display purposes only.

I also heard a Gamestop employee talking to another employee one time saying they play the new games in the back room to see what it's like before having to buy it. How can it be proven they didn't play the disc in the back room?

Plus it's also absolutely true that the case is covered front to back with greasy fingerprints and germs from possibly hundreds or thousands of people as it goes from shelf to register and back to the shelf. Hold it at an angle to the light and I saw it a few times while in the store, wondering if they'd offer me the display copy again. It can be cleaned but that's extra work for the customer when he/she can walk next door to another store and buy it brand new and sealed, with no germs all over it.

I've seen some people use the public bathroom stalls and walk right out without washing their potentially germ ridden hands. Then they probably go visit Gamestop to look at the new game cases, and then go touching all the door handles at food restaurants. It sounds unlikely, but it's very possible.

Bottom line is, if a regular retailer like Target, Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon started selling games where the shrink wrap cellophane was missing, people would not want to pay full price for it, so Gamestop, if they insist on selling their important display copy, should either reduce the price by $5 or more for the game, or not sell their display copy.

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by Zivouhr

I hear what you're saying Moonphase. I totally understand and have no problem with the concept of having a blank case on the shelf with all the detailed information on it. What they can do is make a deal with Gamestop HQ to order an extra game case just for display purposes only.

I also heard a Gamestop employee talking to another employee one time saying they play the new games in the back room to see what it's like before having to buy it. How can it be proven they didn't play the disc in the back room?

Plus it's also absolutely true that the case is covered front to back with greasy fingerprints and germs from possibly hundreds or thousands of people as it goes from shelf to register and back to the shelf. Hold it at an angle to the light and I saw it a few times while in the store, wondering if they'd offer me the display copy again. It can be cleaned but that's extra work for the customer when he/she can walk next door to another store and buy it brand new and sealed, with no germs all over it.

I've seen some people use the public bathroom stalls and walk right out without washing their potentially germ ridden hands. Then they probably go visit Gamestop to look at the new game cases, and then go touching all the door handles at food restaurants. It sounds unlikely, but it's very possible.

Bottom line is, if a regular retailer like Target, Walmart, Best Buy or Amazon started selling games where the shrink wrap cellophane was missing, people would not want to pay full price for it, so Gamestop, if they insist on selling their important display copy, should either reduce the price by $5 or more for the game, or not sell their display copy.

If you couldn’t tell by my post, I used to work for Gamestop many years ago so I know all of the dark secrets with them including things I was not proud of doing despite working there for quite a bit of time until I was laid off(about 5 and a half years).

But the whole trying out a game thing on a New copy, yeah my boss would have never allowed me or any of the employees at my location to do that with a New copy. The rule at least at my location was could only do that on a Used copy if there is more than 1 copy available otherwise my boss would have sent me packing. So there was no doing that with a New copy only if at least 2 people traded the game in. I personally only did it with a few titles since I was already getting 25% used games between the Employee Discount and the GameStop Pro Membership which gives you the 10% off discount on Used games and Extra Credit on Trade-Ins.

GameStop will only do a discount on a damaged copy. Places like Wal-Mart do the putting the games in a glass case that only an employee can unlock which many people hate for not being able to really look at the game while deciding to purchase it or not which makes it frustrating to the Employee as well. Some places like Best Buy do the putting each copy of a game in an individual security case which is mostly more annoying for the employees. It’s hard to please people on this besides just having the game on the shelf with no protection and hope for the best that someone isn’t dumb enough to steal it.