I never shop at GameStop. Prices are always higher than the local Best Buy, selection consists of mostly used games you either already own or never want to play, and the people tend to be at least a month behind on their game knowledge.

Sounds like a bad idea to me. Doesn't the wii have the worst attach rate for sales? Seems like they would open themselves up for someone like Bestbuy (who I think are still playing with the idea of used games) to come in and really steal the market from them completely.

I pretty much just buy my games online anyways, either of way of direct download or get them shipped to me. The video game stores by me are just so clueless that I can't rely on them anymore.

Does this mean the space for PC games, which has gone from full walls down to a single section down to a single shelf, may finally be reduced to an actual singularity?

Insert GIANT facepalm here.

Seriously, this is why whenever I need a "hardcore" game, I go to my local game shop. The guys there know where to find anything I need, and the prices are ALWAYS better than Gamestop

Funny as I thought hardcore gamers put them on the map and now they want to cater to casual gamers..lol.

Translation: Most casual gamers will be bamboozled to buy more shit from them than hardcore gamers.

BTW: Gamestop sucks.

Meh...the last game I bought at a GameStop was Madden NFL 2005 (Collector’s Edition) on the PS2, and that was in August 2004. I’ve long since switched to Best Buy (Reward Zone points FTW!)

WiiFit, it is you who I blame! :<

Not really. But seriously, that's pretty stupid.

fuck that. dtoid retail stat!

*in after anti-Wii/anti-GameStop circle-jerk*

I'm not going to worry about this until I actually see my local GameStop/EB Games stop stocking "hardcore" games. I actually really like my two local stores because they're the only place I can get old PS2 and GameCube games in person.

If it does screw all that up, well... shit.

Agree with sterling, there are games that many people like and there are games that loyalists like. Both types of games are self sustained through their healthy sales regardless of any media label.

This is of course nothing new, go through any entertainment industry and you will find the same - monthly comics bought by the loyalists, graphic novels bought by far more. Summer blockbusters watched by millions, Coen Brothers films wtached by loyalists. Girls Aloud bought by millions, Radio head bought by loyalists.

Both markets work and one doesn't interfere with the other. There is no problem and I wish people would stop getting worked up about something which is perfectly normal.

retarded decision, just retarded...

I don't see anything to worry about; it's not like Gamestop is the only place to buy games nowadays.

I stopped buying from gamestop along time ago. I just buy everything off amazon now -_-.

seems kinda of odd though. It seems to me that casual gamer is the kind that is likely to buy 1-5 games in a year. I've alot of friends in that casual niche who bought a wii when it came out and actually haven't bought any games for it. they play a little wii sports here and there, but the more or less don't touch the thing at all. on the other hand, the more "serious" gamer likely buys 1-5+ games in a month.

Good for you zerosyphon -- you are the part of the Gamestop team that makes me feel like I still have some hope. :)

I do not buy from Gamestop, this does not affect me...

Buy from smaller retailers, both in store and online. You're doing a good thing by doing so anyway.

Babbage's (owned by Gamestop) use to be where i could find older not as popular titles. Not anymore. Their hand held and PC selection is atrocious. And they won't freaking lower the price of the Zelda collector's disk. (still $50)

I have been buying from amazon mostly lately because what happens when you order from Gamestop is they give you a release date then when you go there to pick up your game, its not there, it will be in the next day, so you go back the next day and its still not there and yet you have to go back again. This wastes gasoline which is VERY expensive here now and wastes time that you could be using to play another game. Amazon ships the game right to your door and for anything over 25$ they do not charge shipping so that covers most game purchases. Their prices are almost always a buck or 2 less than Gamestop as well. Even if you can't get a game from amazon there are a million other game retailers out there and most only charge about 3$ shipping per game, it becomes more economical to pay the 3$ shipping rather than to make 3-4 trips to the Gamestop store just trying to get your game.

Gamestop USED to be GREAT for pre-orders, wait that was EBgames (Gamestop still used paper slips back then which meant your preorder could get lost, which was bad). Remember when they actually used to call your house to tell you that a game was in instead of having an automated voice do it? I was getting such good service from them that one day I actually had people from a gamestop store call me to talk to me about games that I might be interested in preordering, this was several years ago though.

I also notice a disturbing trend about Gamestop employees, they ALL seem to have the exact same personality and they are almost the same size and look almost the same too, and this is across many stores. Its like they only hire a certain type of person for the job. Its like Gamestop has brainwashed a whole section of our young people!

As far as the original article, I think they have already alienated their hardcore audience with their policies, selling opened games as new and selling used games in very poor condition without the cover and manual. Most of the smart people have moved on to shopping online because its just a better experience and less hassle all around. The only people that are left are the ones stupid enough to fall for gamestop's ploy of buy more trade more, so thats all they have left to cater to.

But now it makes sense, if the games of the Wii and the DS have a low attach rate that means that gasp, people will trade in more games for measly store credit then people will buy more games and trade them in and the cycle continues!

Wow this is really bad, I would always go to Gamestop of obscure games like mentioned above Persona 3 and Odin Sphere. If this happens its going to be a lot tougher for me to find games.

Good Lord.


My bf and I counted; we've bought about 20 games (spanning two psps, the Wii and two 360s) since last August; if we counted the time he got his 360, and then when I got mine, that number gets really, really close to 50. Why do they want some putz who buys maybe two Wii games a year over us? Are they even considering the customers who also buy xbl time, or new controllers, or whatnot?

I know where I'm not going to be buying my ps3. * grumbles * Idiots.

For the record, I'm not coming after you :)

Anywho, I'm a Gamestop employee. I really doubt that this will change much of anything, and is being blown completely out of proportion. We're still gonna carry Neo Geo Battle Coliseum, and Fire Pro Wrestling and all those obscure titles that no one noes exists. Having a bigger "focus" on the DS and Wii would be great though... since we never ever have any of those games/systems in stock. It's a sad fact, but, Carnival Games and Mario and Sonic at the Olympics out sell Mario Galaxy 9 times out 10, in my store at least. It's just good business to stock what people buy.

I seriously doubt that we'll just drop the "hardcore" gamer though. I have no evidence other than those games DO sell, but not a lot. Which is why we only get 3 (or less) copies of each. Carrying any less than would cauw3 Gamestop to lose money... and well it's freaking Gamestop and we know how much they love money.

Weak!!!!!! I ust to work at the stop and thats the only time i bought games and for the discounts and free bee's. I thing Gamestop is retarted and while i was a retard for that most part, most casual gamesr are retards. As a Hardcore gamer and a non employee at the stop i choose to by my games at Best Buy and anywere else at gamestop.
I can careless of the free stuff cause its always a bunch of crap and customer servicce really sucks their. I always here gamestop complaints and all their BS people they hire. Hireing a bunch of Taco Bell Rejects and High School Drop outs. I had t o work thier cause i had no choice and i was in college. So to hell with gamestop. I ll take my money else were.

@Two - I was praying someone like you would comment in this thread. Despite the way an announcement looks, we have no real way of knowing what the intentions of a company as big as Gamestop are. I deeply hope you are right!

The preorder system works really well for so called "hardcore" games however the system has gotten worse in recent years as they no longer personally call your house as I said before. But it still works because if no one wants to buy the game at least it gives gamers an option to preorder the game and get it that way. This way Gamestop isn't stocking unnecessary stock and losing money because games don't sell. Other than the fact that they won't preorder any game that costs 19.99 or less, thats BS imo.

Honestly there are very few people in my area that go looking for the Persona 3's (and most if any are the employees of the store), its mostly SOCOM's, and HALO's that the main consumer wants, you can judge by what you hear other patrons of the store talking about when they are buying games. However this is nice for me because it means that I have a full rack of RPG's to choose from!