presells
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No thanks!
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26 commentsReplies
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
a girl that works at EB tried to seduce me into buying the guide, seriously, do i look like that much of a sexless loser? (i know the answer is yes SHUT UP)
needless to say, i didn't buy the guide
Henrietta said, (276 days ago)
Dude, Twigby, she totally wanted your penis. You should have bought the guide. You guys could have read it TOGETHER.
Corey Hart said, (276 days ago)
@Twigster: they don't get commission, do they? Why would she try and seduce you into buying the guide?
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
she folded up my "metroid prime" t-shirt (which i got for pre ordering) all nice for me in the bag
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
@corey My friend use to work at EB and while they don't get commission both individuals and stores have heavy incentives for selling lots of guides (and accessories) as that's where the larger profit margins lie
ABoyNamedArt said, (276 days ago)
Oh, man, my friends and I got conned like that when we were at Hooters once years ago. Ended up tipping $15 for a $30 meal.
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
@TWIGBY: You don't have to put down the whole deposit. I did because I am currently flush with cash, but by the 29th, any income will be going towards rent.
But still, I am weak.
Manuel said, (276 days ago)
@twigby: They don't make commission any more. I used to manage a EB store for 2 years, about 3 years ago, and I still work there (like once a month) just for the discount. Before the merge we used to get like .50 cents just for selling a subscription. The lower level employees don't get incentives anymore, its all for the managers now, which still isn't much.
The reason they push pre-orders so much is that each stores allotment of that game is determined by how many pre-orders they actually get. If they get 4 pre-orders for a game, they might only get like 3 extra to sell to walk ins. Pre-ordering games is just a sure fire way to make sure they have that game in stock to sell.
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
RE: The guides. Yeah, having worked in a Toys R Us selling games, and listening to my brother's Gamestop horror stories, retailers don't actually want you selling games OR systems. It's all guides and accessories. The games and the systems just drive traffic.
And presells are just about the best scam ever. Everybody pushes the hell out of presells because they drive traffic on release day and because they're essentially free money, especially when folks forget to pick up whatever they reserved (which happened a lot when I worked at TRU).
Don't even get me started on Gamestop's used games business. That there is pure profit.
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
counterpoint: IT'S GRAND THEFT AUTO
i hope i can make my own soundtrack with MP3s, the liberty city games tend to have weak sauce radio stations
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
I know. I'm knocking the mafia that sells the game to me, not the game itself.
GTAIV = WANT.
It just irks me that Gamestop is pretty much it when it comes to videogame retailers. There IS no one else.
Manuel said, (276 days ago)
@cm: There is an independent game shop in Alameda. Forgot what its called.
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
@manuel well as my story indicates this was back when metroid prime came out
i admit in TODAYS WORLD i am not hounded to buy guides anymore, if they did though i'd just tell them "fuck off, I'M A POKEMON MASTER!"
then start singing "I WANNA BE THE VERY BEST, LIKE NO ONE EVER WAS!"
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
@CM well you COULD always go big box like best buy, wal mart, toys r us etc.
HA HA HA
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
@Manuel: Cool. Good to hear someone's got one going. Though given my lack-of-car-ness, I probably won't be a patron.
I'm just sayin' that given that SF in particular has a hard-on for almost any kind of independent mom-and-pop operation, it's baffling that there isn't at least one game store, even, like, out in the Richmond or something.
Manuel said, (276 days ago)
@twigby: I had just started working at EB then, lowly part-timer at a very rich suburban mall. Games didn't need work to be sold there, but the kids sure did need some working on. Spoiled whiny ankle biters.
Manuel said, (276 days ago)
@cm: If there were ever to be a mom & pop game shop, they would had to set up shop long ago. To start one up now would be incredibly costly and even more slow to show profit. I agree Gamestop has got their hold of the market, hell they sell more games than Toys-R-Us and Walmart. But what about independent online shops? Have you check them out?
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
i'm really shocked at how lucrative the used game business, especially with last gen console games (gc and ps2 in paticualr i find.)
you trade in a GC game and they're all like "ho ho not so fast buddy, gamecube? for real? 5 bucks MAX" and you're all like "well, makes sense, it IS old" and then you see some welfare mom and their kids carry out an armload of GC games sold for 20 bucks each
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
@TWIGBY: Yeah, I suppose I COULD do that.
But SF hates Big Box. And, if anything, the apathetic kids working at Big Box stores tend to be even more ignorant of stock availability and what they're selling in general than the apathetic kids at Gamestop.
Okay, I'm sure it's not like that at every Gamestop. But the ones in the city are sinkholes of dumb.
Uncanny MONCHICHI said, (276 days ago)
@Manuel. I did a little business with online shops back when I had a Dreamcast. But no, not really, haven't checked them out.
Call me a Luddite, but I really much prefer brick and mortar stores, what with the browsing and instant gratification.
the way i get by said, (276 days ago)
pretty much i like going to EB's 'cos the ones i go to the people are actual gamers and i shoot the breeze and talk shop a bit. I remember when i went to go pick up the expansion pack for Dungeon Keeeper (yes I was one of 12 people who played that game) the manager and I had a lengthy discussion on how it was an overlooked masterpiece
wait you have to put down a FULL DEPOSIT?
that is fucking weak, i just need to drop 5 bucks
it's too bad there aren't more "mom and pop" game stores, the closest i have is game shack which is still a franchise, just a little seedier-ish. However mom and pop game stores have basically killed themselves by releasing product before street dates. Grumble....