Does anbody actually enjoy going in Gamestop? I've yet to meet one person that will honestly say that they enjoy their trips to Gamestop. I love the idea behind Gamestop; a store for gamers. But the execution is terrible. Terribly profitable some might say, which is definitely true. But at what expense? There have been a lot of blogs and articles lately about the state of the industry as it pertains to used game sales.
But can we all address the elephant in the room? Gamestop.
This debate wouldn't even be taking place were it not for Gamestop's monopoly of the used games market. Before Gamestop came along, nobody really talked about used game sales. It wasn't until people realized that Gamestop was making billions and billions of dollars of of used game sales. Part of it is Gamestop's business model that pisses people off. And I can understand why. It's as if Gamestop goes out of their way to piss their customers off. And why not? They own the used game market. Hell, they own the dedicated retail video game store market.
I have always defended Gamestop, or anybody elses right to sell used games. I hate the way Gamestop does business, but the alternative - giving publishers control over games after they've sold them to you - is far worse. Besides, the market will correct itself, it always does. I can't think of a single company that has owned a market, while simultaneously pissing off their customers, and stayed on top. I know a lot of people will point out Microsoft and Windows, but as I type this more and more people are replacing their PC's with Mac's. The cable companies owned the tv market until satellite came along.
I'm a bargain bin shopper myself. I love going in Gamestop and hitting the cheap used game bins, but I hate that I have to go in Gamestop to do it. They never have enough people at the registers, and even with a seemingly endless line of customers staring them down, the clerks see fit to chat away about games with the customers. I love talking games as much as the next person, but when you have a line of 20 people waiting to check out, well then maybe you should keep the chatter to a minimum.
And then there's the constant badgering of customers to reserve every game coming out. You know, when I'm asked, "do you want to reserve anything? Silent Hill is coming out soon!", and I respond with, "no I'm good". This is not an invitation to try to figure out what games I like by running down the list of all the games coming out. It means I don't want to reserve anything.
And I made it a point to never trade anything in at Gamestop, ever again, many years ago. I know they're trying to make money off of them, and it's their right to screw people as much as allowed, but eventually the money train is gonna come to a halt. I often held the position that if you don't like it, don't trade/shop there. But I've recently spent a lot of time thinking about this subject and I've come to the conclusion that Gamestop takes advantage of their customers.
Ever tried to call a Gamestop and ask how much they'll give you for a particular game or games, only to be told that you should just bring them in? It's because they know that once you're in the store you'll probably accept whatever insultingly low price they offer you for your games. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been in Gamestop and witnessed some mom, with a sack full of games, get pissed because they offered her next to nothing for the games, but then go through with it anyway. It's because it's easier just to take whatever they offer once you're in there with the games.
But Gamestop's ultimate goal is to remove the desire to collect. More than once have I've gone to buy a used game based on the quality of the case I found, only to have the clerk try and give me another case instead. Sure, I make them give me the right one, but why try to switch it in the first place? What does it matter to them which game case I get? It's because they always try to switch it for one of their generic "used game" cases. They want to remove that desire to keep the game, but instead always trade them in for whatever is next, furthering their business model.
Many other places sell used games, it's just that they don't cram it down your throat. Gamestop's monopoly of the dedicated retail game store is what's fueling publishers to include things like online passes. Do I agree with online passes? 100% no. But I'm not blind to what caused it. Gamestop is the sole entity behind the used games debate in this industry, and until someone offers up some competition, it will continue to be that way. I will always vehemently defend a person or business's right to sell their property that they paid for. But agree with it or not, publishers are taking steps, not against used game sells, but against Gamestop. In the end, only the consumer suffers.
Am I gonna stop shopping at Gamestop? No, because I like buying used games and I love the idea of a dedicated gaming store. But I hate going in Gamestop and as soon as I have a decent alternative I'll drop Gamestop like a bad habit. Eventually someone is gonna take notice of the disdain that people have for Gamestop and offer them an alternative.
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