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GameStop Offers $50 Certificate For Coupon Fiasco

First time accepted submitter milbournosphere writes "It appears that GameStop has a guilty conscience. They are offering a $50 gift certificate to any person who bought the new Deus Ex at GameStop. You may recall that GameStop has admitted to removing the OnLive codes good for one free game from new, unopened copies of the game. From GameStop's email: 'For your inconvenience, we would like to offer you a free $50 GameStop gift card and a Buy 2 Get 1 Free pre-owned purchase. We want to earn back your trust and confidence in the GameStop experience. Please bring in this email and your store receipt or order confirmation from GameStop.com and present it to a Game Advisor.'"

104 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. Corporate humility at its best by richdun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Please humbly accept our apologies. To make this better, we'd like to offer you the chance to buy more stuff from us.

    1. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 2

      In another leaked memo, it was found that GameStop had instructed employees to deny that this "was part of the plan all along."

      --
      Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
    2. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Cryacin · · Score: 1

      Give em a break. Their business model is dead and they know it. Just like we no longer buy dead tree, why should be go and buy a hunk of plastic in a bit of dead tree? Much more convenient to impulse buy from your lounge chair.

      --
      Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
    3. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Pharmboy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      In all fairness, what they are offering sounds much better than the coupon they took out. Unlike the Sony asshats that offered a free month (zero cost to themselves) for unleashing your credit card data all over the net.

      IMHO, this seems like a fair deal and an honest attempt to correct a mistake. After all, no one bought the game originally just to get the coupon, so most of the purchasers are getting way more than they paid for.

      And...... of course it is a coupon for their own company, plus BOGO offer on used. The people who missed out on the coupon were *already customers*, so it isn't like the $50 will go to waste. In this instance, it seems like they really are trying to fix a mistake.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    4. Re:Corporate humility at its best by kamapuaa · · Score: 2

      Who buys? That business model is dead and gone. Much cheaper just to download off a bittorrent site.

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    5. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I disagree. I could go on steam right now and buy the witcher 1, along with the witcher 2, both of which I quite want to play.

      Or, I could buy the boxed copies off of amazon for cheaper.
      And get a manual, a story book, a cd with extra missions and a making of cd. Just for the witcher 1.
      For 2 I'll get a coin, a map, a replica of an ingame pamphlet.
      Buying physical copies for some games is very very beneficial. Plus it gives you a nice collection on a shelf. I just need to get 2 pen drives, put the updates on them and put them in the box to have a copy of the patches that remove the drm.

      I kind of regret what I've bought on steam because it means I don't have boxed copies on my shelf. But then again, games at my fingertips is also very nice.
      All options have benefits.

    6. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Hijacked+Public · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It wasn't a mistake, it was a purposeful altering of a product prior to selling it as 'new' without telling anyone.

      The claim is that they didn't want to sell what is essentially a coupon for a competitor's store, and I don't blame them, but they could very well have been up front about that prior to the sale and included this 'deal' in its place then instead of now.

      It is annoying to me and I don't even game.

      --
      "Sacrifice for the good of The State" - The State
    7. Re:Corporate humility at its best by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

      In this instance, it seems like they really are trying to fix a mistake.

      If they wanted to "fix" the mistake they could pay for OnLive service for anyone that was deprived of the experience by this unethical practice. Anything else is just blowing smoke up the customers asses.

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    8. Re:Corporate humility at its best by f()rK()_Bomb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      i buy stuff from steam every week pretty much in their sales as do my friends. games are just overpriced, that's the real reason people download them. I won't buy deus ex till it's half price for example. online stores allow you to easily expolit the long tail effect since you don't need to keep stock on shelves.

      --
      "The space elevator will be built about 50 years after everyone stops laughing." - Arthur C. Clarke ~1980
    9. Re:Corporate humility at its best by PopeScott · · Score: 1

      Speak for yourself son. I like my dead trees. I'm not going to tell you to get off my lawn, but I LIKE a physical copy.
      Now get out of my tree.

    10. Re:Corporate humility at its best by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

      Who buys? That business model is dead and gone. Much cheaper just to download off a bittorrent site.

      Only cheaper if you don't get busted...

    11. Re:Corporate humility at its best by PopeScott · · Score: 2

      IMHO what they should have done PRIOR to this whole batch of idiocy: Accept the coupon themselves. Just like many grocers have been doing for years for their competitors coupons.
      Corporate short sightedness strikes again.

    12. Re:Corporate humility at its best by hairyfeet · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Uhhh...because many of us, in fact I would argue soon ALL of us, have data caps? I'm all for buying online but the fabled "download anytime model" is gonna die hard. Kinda hard to "shop from your lounge chair" and download it if it is gonna cost you $1.50 per Gb if you go over. And if anything thanks to Amazon my family buys more dead tree databases than ever before. With Amazon I can just slap some money in my account and let mom go to town. I do the same for my boys for games, and myself for games and musical equipment.

      So I'd say buying dead tree and plastic is alive and well, it is GameSlop douchebaggery that is dying out. You treat your customers right you'll have plenty of business. but TFA shows GameSlop simply doesn't understand that concept.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    13. Re:Corporate humility at its best by edward2020 · · Score: 1

      Does that additional stuff (with the possible exception of the extra missions) actually add any value to your gaming experience?

      --
      Don't worry about the mule, just load the wagon.
    14. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      How is that not a mistake? Given they are now apologizing . Hint: purposefulness does not change whether something is a mistake or not.

      "It was a mistake to punch Joe in the face." "It was a mistake to steal the cookie." "It was a mistake to watch the Matrix 2." "It was a mistake to pick the chocolate flavor." "It was a mistake to have sex with the bosses daughter." All common usages of mistake for something done purposefully.

    15. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      I'd put good money on the bet that within 20 years, we'll see a resurgence of physical media - books, games,etc.

      I agree, if it's not banned either by environmental regulation or by media collusion. These so called millennials don't yet have enough perspective to understand what is going to come of the trends that they're embracing. People my age lived through the obsolescence of 8-Track, vinyl records, cassettes, BetaMax, DIVX, VHS, LaserDisc, MiniDisc, 5.25" floppies, 3.5" floppies, Zip Disks, Jaz Disks, Bernoulli disks, MO drives and I'm sure a few other things that I haven't thought about since the 1980s. When they've been stung a few times, like the rest of us have, I think they'll be more reticent to embrace digital distribution.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    16. Re:Corporate humility at its best by HaZardman27 · · Score: 1

      I wanted a physical copy of The Witcher 2, but ended up purchasing it on gog.com instead as it is a sister-company of the developer and I wanted to make sure more of my money went directly to them to support the lack of DRM and overall quality development they do.

      --
      Apparently wizard is not a legitimate career path, so I chose programmer instead.
    17. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Imrik · · Score: 1

      Well, if the extra stuff is just going to go in a box and take up space, you aren't really getting more. As for cheaper, I just checked the prices and they have roughly the same price (2$ more on amazon for new, 2$ less for used) not including shipping and handling. Lastly, if you download (legally or not) you don't have to wait nearly as long.

    18. Re:Corporate humility at its best by splutty · · Score: 1

      I would argue that all of you in the US will have data caps with a pay per GB, possibly, yes.

      In most countries in Europe that really wouldn't work, either due to there being enough choices to punch whoever tries this in the face, or due to it simply being illegal.

      There have been lawsuits and other badness around this model for mobile phones, which sets a bit of a precedent.

      --
      Coz eternity my friend, is a long *ing time.
    19. Re:Corporate humility at its best by hairyfeet · · Score: 1

      Oh don't worry comrade, soon our corporate overlords will simply bribe the right people and the next thing you know you'll have three strikes laws as far as the eye can see! The thing about OUR corps is they never ever keep their douchebaggery to themselves, no sir, they spread it all over the planet! Enjoy citizen!

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    20. Re:Corporate humility at its best by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Speaking as someone who is stuck in a hotel with lousy, intermittent wifi, you won't regret that decision.

      (yes i know about offline mode.)

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    21. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Tomato42 · · Score: 1

      I won't worry for telcos bribing suits, long time before that happens we will have software patents in Europe.

      As this doesn't seem anytime soon I still sleep well.

    22. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Tomato42 · · Score: 1

      That's why I don't use optical media for anything but regularly refreshed backups.

      Having everything in big RAID arrays is just more convenient and makes moving to new disk drives a breeze.

    23. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Haedrian · · Score: 1

      In most countries in Europe that really wouldn't work, either due to there being enough choices to punch whoever tries this in the face, or due to it simply being illegal.

      We have them here. We only have 3 companies and they're pretty much reached a balance between them. They've always had the cap so nobody saw it strange.

      That said between midnight and 6 is free, so I tend to download all my stuff that time, and end up going over the cap 3-4 times.

    24. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Gaygirlie · · Score: 1

      Uhhh...because many of us, in fact I would argue soon ALL of us, have data caps? I'm all for buying online but the fabled "download anytime model" is gonna die hard.

      Here in Finland none of the ISPs have data caps on regular hardlines, and still only a few of them have data caps on mobile connections with the majority having uncapped ones. So far all the capped ones have received lackluster reception from the consumers and thus they've simply been dropped eventually from the ISPs' service plans. Not to mention that connection quality is usually atleast acceptable if not great, and atleast my ISP doesn't even do any traffic shaping either. So, atleast here those "download anytime - models" will work.

      But you're right. It's hard to miss all the news about Verizon, ComCast et. al. there in the US pushing hard for data caps for everyone. It just makes you wonder what will e.g. Valve do once everyone has a data cap. Especially with the ever-increasing size of games, like they often weigh in at 16Gb or more even now, sooner or later Valve will have to either start buying lobbyists and congressmen and try to change the tide, or buckle up and stop serving US citizens. Or atleast they'll have to incorporate some feature to Steam that'll make it easy to schedule the downloads to a certain timeframe, and a way of monitoring how much data Steam has transferred, in and out. Unfortunately, those still won't be enough for the less technically-adept gamers who will end up going over their cap...

    25. Re:Corporate humility at its best by JonJ · · Score: 1

      Does your gaming experience actually add any value to your life?

      Of course it does.

      --
      -- Linux user #369862
    26. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Sinthet · · Score: 2

      They did it on purpose, definitely, but it was a mistake to do it at all. The $50 dollars definitely covers the cost of the coupon, and the buy 2 get one free deal also results in "free" stuff to the customer. I think Gamestop is being fair here: They're giving the customer back what they took (arguably more, a coupon can only be used to redeem one specific game that they already had, they can get anything with this gift card), and extending a special offer to those they screwed over.

      At the very least, they listened to complaints and admitted their mistake. In the corporate world, this is rare, but it shouldn't be rare. Gamestop just gained a point or two in my book.

    27. Re:Corporate humility at its best by LibRT · · Score: 1

      "Their business model is dead and they don't know it." FTFY.

    28. Re:Corporate humility at its best by arisvega · · Score: 1

      Also, here is 50 bucks. Please don't sue us.

      --
      The three laws of thermodynamics:(1) You can't win. (2) You can't break even. (3) You can't even quit.
    29. Re:Corporate humility at its best by josath · · Score: 1

      I'm in the US, I pay $50 a month for 18/2mbit cable, with a 300GB cap. Over that, it's $5 for 25GB (which is $0.20 per GB). I've gotten close, but haven't gone over 300GB yet.

      It's amazing what happens when there is competition -- there are two cable internet providers in my city (Comcast and Astound)

      --
      sig? uhh, umm, ok
    30. Re:Corporate humility at its best by regrepsnefpoh · · Score: 1

      Did anybody else notice that fifty dollars off a new game leaves you paying ten dollars in cash? I wonder how much they actually lose on that deal.

    31. Re:Corporate humility at its best by djnforce9 · · Score: 1

      Well hopefully in 20 years, Internet access will be as commonplace as electricity is today so "being tethered to the internet' won't be an issue any longer. Right now it is because everyone doesn't have a reliable connection either due to geographic location or poor service in general. I'd be very shocked if old mediums re-surfaced all of a sudden.

      Libraries around my area are even struggling to remain relevant (to the youth at least) by letting you check out video games (no joke, it's really happening).

    32. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Pharmboy · · Score: 2

      Several other have already articulated why this *was* a mistake, and it certainly was. What matters most is that they admitted it was a mistake, and instead of punting the blame, or being miserly in dealing with it, they put their money where their mouth was and instantly stopped the practice AND compensated everyone who was affected with something that was worth much more than the original coupon, arguably twice the value since the coupon was good for any game, plus the buy1/get1 on used, any used.

      Companies are going to screw up from time to time, there is no way around that. What makes them a good company or a bad one is if they admit a mistake, and how they compensate for the mistake. In this instance, I think they were very fair, and it would appear that many people agree with that assessment.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    33. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Kalriath · · Score: 1

      Or they could have swapped it out for an Impulse coupon of the same value, since they bought that out (and promptly fucked it up, but that's pretty typical of a global mega-corp).

      --
      For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
    34. Re:Corporate humility at its best by Restil · · Score: 1

      I actually liked the in-box junk that came with the old Ultima games. The cloth map, and the trinkets, and the faux-leather bound user manual/"Book of Lore". Something real-world and tangible to bring just that little bit of extra life to the game.

      -Restil

      --
      Play with my webcams and lights here
  2. Uh No Thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of class action lawsuits: "Hey there friend, sorry we fucked you so hard last time, here's a coupon for $10 off your next ass-fucking at any of our many locations."

    1. Re:Uh No Thanks by D'Sphitz · · Score: 2

      If this were a class action settlement the coupon would be good for $3 while the lawyers would take their $47 in cash.

    2. Re:Uh No Thanks by sjames · · Score: 3, Insightful

      To be fair, it's not a $50 off on a purchase, it's a gift card. In a class action suit, you'd have to spend $150 in order to take advantage of the $50.

      I have no idea what the original OnLive code was worth, but the gift card is genuinely better than a dollars off coupon.

    3. Re:Uh No Thanks by Aladrin · · Score: 1

      It was worth $49.99.

      In other words, they are preventing a ton of lawsuits by giving you the value they stole from you. As a nice bonus, you can still buy what you would have originally had, or you can buy something else.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    4. Re:Uh No Thanks by Haedrian · · Score: 1

      by giving you the value they stole from you.

      Except that you're going to use this value at their stores and not be able to take a peek at a competitor's company which you just might like more.

      Its a win for GS. Allright the customer gets an equal value, but its not that fair IMHO.

    5. Re:Uh No Thanks by tycoex · · Score: 1

      I'd say it's definitely a win for the customers too. Either you get a 50 dollar coupon for a useless streaming site for a game you already own... or you get to actually buy any game you want for 50 dollars. Sounds like a total win to me.

    6. Re:Uh No Thanks by Aladrin · · Score: 1

      Oh, I missed that it was a GS-only gift card. I assumed it was a Visa one.

      Well then they haven't dodged the bullet, because you still can't end up with what you were supposed to. They're still up for a lawsuit. That's really stupid.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
  3. Re:Still not acceptable for serious collectors by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 1

    Wait. Does that include the mail-in registration card? Also, does that mean there are game collectors who compare different registration cards sent out by companies and look for little differences, in the manner of these guys? Is that healthy? And couldn't you just view these as a "special GameStop edition"?

    --
    Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
  4. Friends by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Friends don't let friends buy from GameStop.

  5. They've done this for years by Jim+Hall · · Score: 4, Informative

    I haven't bought new from GameStop in years because of their general practice of lending new copies of games to employees and then later selling those games as new. Last time I tried to buy a new game from them, it looked like this guy's game, so I just walked away without buying. Now I only buy new from my local Target store, or online from Amazon.

    I still go to GameStop to buy and sell used games, though.

    1. Re:They've done this for years by JordanL · · Score: 1

      I decided a long time ago that if I couldn't pay the "new" price for the physical game, I probably didn't want it enough. And in that sense, I figured I'd rather support my local game development company than my local screw-you-completely retailer.

    2. Re:They've done this for years by quickgold192 · · Score: 1

      I bought Starcraft 2 from one of Amazon's partners (sold by Amazon, fulfilled by someone else) to find out that the "new" game I ordered had already been activated by someone else. Amazon has a very generous return policy so it's easy to see that someone had bought the game, activated it, and returned it. The problem is that it was sold as "new." Of course, getting my money back was easy but I'll never buy anything requiring an access code from Amazon again.

    3. Re:They've done this for years by Raenex · · Score: 1

      I still go to GameStop to buy and sell used games, though.

      Good God, why? You'll get much better deals on eBay, either buying or selling.

  6. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by ewanm89 · · Score: 1

    well, technically, they are making a client to do just that, in practice they are making it for android tablets specifically along with ipad client. Add to that the UK release next month and I guess they are already quite busy.

  7. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by Bucky24 · · Score: 1

    Too much work for not a large enough audience (or rather not a loud enough audience who pays money)

    --
    All the world's a CPU, and all the men and women merely AI agents
  8. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe once you reach puberty, your vocabulary will expand to include other adjectives than "gay". For example, I would not use "gay" to describe you - more like, you are a retarded moron.

  9. Re:hmph. typical by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Why yes sir, the rotting banana peel and a mummified female index finger were part of the original packaging."

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
  10. Why was parent modded troll? by intellitech · · Score: 1

    Why was parent modded troll? He may have been a little passionate about Sony, but he was right on most counts.

    It sounds like a damn good deal, especially if the only people affected were already GameStop customers.

    It really does seem like GameStop is trying to apologize for this mistake. so fucking let them already.

    --
    vos nescitis quicquam, nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat.
    1. Re:Why was parent modded troll? by sorak · · Score: 2

      I am a firm believer that, if I try to take X from someone, and get caught, I need to do far more than "return X". It's not about revenge, but about making this kind of behavior unprofitable enough so that the losses exceed the gains. I didn't buy the game, but if I bought something there, and didn't get EXACTLY what I paid for, including the game, the box, the manual,. and everything else that the manufacturer had wanted me, the customer, to have, then I would feel that they had cheated me.

      "X plus a coupon" is a start, but it doesn't fix everything.

    2. Re:Why was parent modded troll? by Riceballsan · · Score: 1

      I have to agree with you there. What game stop did was retarded, an abuse of all trusts, and borderline illegal. But I do have to admit this attempt to fix it, is actually abnormally good for a snafu of this sort. Most companies even despite outrage will at best offer the customers to come in and get the receipt, gamestop is basically giving out 1 free new game (personally I do see the BOGO used game coupon as a ploy, that is a coupon that gains them more then it costs them) as compensation for screwing someone out of a coupon that I am guessing is worth $15 (haven't seen the actual coupon so I can't say for sure). Honestly I was expecting crocodile tears and a coupon that is only equal to the one they stole, for gamestops service of the same type.

    3. Re:Why was parent modded troll? by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      Why was parent modded troll?

      My last 5 comments were modded troll, not just this one. IE: drive by modding by someone who does like me. The system is supposed to be designed to notice this and deny mod points in the future to people who use points like this. I can karma to burn, so it doesn't hurt me, just shows how petty some people are.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  11. I believe that qualifies as a mistake. by intellitech · · Score: 2

    It wasn't a mistake, it was a purposeful altering of a product prior to selling it as 'new' without telling anyone.

    I believe that qualifies as a mistake. Not an accident, but a mistake.

    --
    vos nescitis quicquam, nec cogitatis quia expedit nobis ut unus moriatur homo pro populo et non tota gens pereat.
  12. Buy 2 Get 1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I understand the $50 as a sorry.. But how can they offer the Buy 2 get 1 pre-owned game, when that is a everyday sort of deal. Or at least Everytime I walk into my local gamestop they have signs posted about it.

    1. Re:Buy 2 Get 1 by Binestar · · Score: 1

      This is extremely easy to answer: The removal of the coupon got them bad news on CNN, etc. By saying they are giving everyone a $50 credit and mentioning their buy two get one free on used, they are actually paying very little for good advertizing. Every news story about this will include their deal for their used games.

      If I was the cynical type, I'd say they planned it all along for the free advertizing.

      --
      Do you Gentoo!?
    2. Re:Buy 2 Get 1 by Sinthet · · Score: 1

      Usually, the buy two get one free deal only applies to certain (usually older) used games. I'm assuming this will apply to all used games.

  13. Gamestop's Side by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I did not see many people taking Gamestop's side in all this. From their point of view publishers have been trying to ruin their business for a long time now. First they debate the legality of second hand sales. Then they begin offering their own distribution methods. Now they are specifically advertising for a competing market but using the old one that got them rich in the first place.

    1. Re:Gamestop's Side by Tridus · · Score: 1

      Probably because most people have a story like mine: go to Gamestop to buy a new game, and instead get a lecture about why I should have pre-ordered a month ago. Walk across the street to big box store that doesn't specialize in games. Buy game. Never go to Gamestop again.

      I didn't even know I wanted the game before release, and I shouldn't have to put up with that nonsense from a game store when a random big box can stock new games without a fuss.

      I can't think of any other retailer as terrible at selling their core product as Gamestop is that manages to stay in business. Nobody is on their side because they make buying games a miserable experience.

      --
      -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
    2. Re:Gamestop's Side by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 1

      If they didn't want to distribute something that was in normal packaging of the product they should have negotiated a special run of the game, not broken every shrink wrap. It happens all the time (like certain games offering special unlocks when buying at certain outlets).

    3. Re:Gamestop's Side by Legion303 · · Score: 1

      "From their point of view publishers have been trying to ruin their business for a long time now."

      If they don't want to sell items that include incentives from those publishers, they are free not to sell those items. If instead they open the boxes, steal part of what's being sold, and then sell those boxes as "new," well that's when people tend to not take Gamestop's side.

      I was going to pre-order Forza 4 from Gamestop before this happened. Now I'm going to pre-order it from somewhere else. Anywhere else. Fuck Gamestop.

    4. Re:Gamestop's Side by Ravadill · · Score: 1

      Not to mention having to explain why i don't want disc insurance and why im not in the game club and no i don't want to buy a magazine.. ect.

    5. Re:Gamestop's Side by Grave · · Score: 2

      GameStop's core product is used games, which they are massively better at selling than anyone else. You can complain about pricing if you like, but they move huge volumes of used games. Think it's not worth it to buy a used copy for only $5 less than new? That might be true of you, but whenever a big title is released like Call of Duty, those used copies are often sold before they even get put out on the shelves. GameStop only sells PC games at all to avoid upsetting publishers - the money earned from the square footage spent on PC games is, in many stores, not worth it compared to console formats.

      Was it incredibly stupid to yank the OnLive coupon? Yes. Was that coupon really worth $50? That's a personal decision. I don't feel that it was--all it provided was a different medium to play the same game, whereas with this gift card you can get a different game.

    6. Re:Gamestop's Side by MimeticLie · · Score: 1

      Their business isn't selling games, it's selling used games. That's what makes them money. It's no wonder they have an antagonistic relationship with publishers.

      However, regardless of what you think about things like included day one DLC or paid multiplayer passes, this was absolutely unacceptable behavior on Gamestop's part. And they know it. This is a pretty blatant attempt to dodge a class-action suit.

  14. Corporate naming b.s. by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does anyone else throw up in their mouth a little bit when they read a corporate euphemism for "store clerk" like "game advisor"?

    1. Re:Corporate naming b.s. by Legion303 · · Score: 1

      "Associate Financial Assistant"

    2. Re:Corporate naming b.s. by LordofEntropy · · Score: 1

      I don't know, would you rather be a Hydro-Ceramic Technician or Dishwasher?

      --
      Entropy just isn't what it used to be.
    3. Re:Corporate naming b.s. by lgarner · · Score: 1

      Doubtful.

    4. Re:Corporate naming b.s. by chip_s_ahoy · · Score: 1

      Well, no...I tend to tilt my head to one side like a cocker spaniel encountering a Brussels Sprout that has fallen off the dinner table.

    5. Re:Corporate naming b.s. by nacturation · · Score: 1

      I have the same reaction when people tell me that Slashdot has "editors". Puh-leeze... they're just glorified mouse clickers.

      --
      Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
  15. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by MickyTheIdiot · · Score: 2

    do you think they bother to Shill slashdot when half the posts will always be about the lack of a linux client.

  16. Trust? Hardly. by Alzheimers · · Score: 2

    "We want to earn back your trust and confidence in the GameStop experience."

    Sorry guys, you lost that when you sold me a copy of Sins of a Solar Empire without a disc in the case.

    That was before I "trusted" digital downloads. Because of that, now it's the physical stores I don't trust. Ironic.

  17. pre-owned? by spagthorpe · · Score: 1

    "...and a Buy 2 Get 1 Free pre-owned purchase."

    So basically anything in the store then.

    --

    WWJD -- What Would Jimi Do?
    (Smash amp, burn guitar, take home the groupies)

  18. Dear GameStop: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    STOP OPENING MY GAMES. This is why I never buy from GameStop / EB, because you have the audacity to OPEN everything before I do. You know what shrink wrap is supposed to mean?, it means I'm guaranteed on getting an UNALTERED product.

    ESPECIALLY with most stores not taking back opened copies.

    Oh, when you hear about say,
    selling used games as if they were new, or say, ripping off the customers, and then trying to distract them with a shiny gift card,
    it makes me trust you even less then I did before.

    1) Stop opening games. Sell them in their box. Even Bestbuy's game vault is better then getting an opened game.
    2) Fork over $10 for the service they should have gotten in the first place, AND give them a gift card. I don't care how much the gift card is, that's not the issue, it's allowing you what you should have gotten to begin with, and then adding on an act of contrition.
    3) Just stop your used game business. You are screwing over gamers and game companies. If you want, then buy the used games for 1/2 of what you sell them for, just don't act like trading 3 games in for a 5$ discount is a steal, especially when you sell each of the games for $5 under what you were for a new game.

    Future Shop annoys me, Best Buy infuriates me, I hate the very concept of Walmart, and Gamestop / EB is STILL at the bottom of my list. I LOVED EB, it was the store for me, the store that seemed to understand the gamer geek, and you are lower then stores I hate even getting near.

    It might be because of what I / we once had, but we can have it again, just treat me with respect, and carry stuff I actually need, (has anyone ever tried to get a PS3 cable to let their backcompatible PS3 read PS2 memory cards? 1, just 1 would have been good enough, and I might have kept caring).

    1. Re:Dear GameStop: by 6Yankee · · Score: 1

      You know what shrink wrap is supposed to mean?, it means I'm guaranteed on getting an UNALTERED product.

      Or that they have a shrink wrap machine in the back. According to Google, you can pick up a small one for 500 GBP. Sell enough used/altered stuff as "new" and it'll pay for itself in no time.

    2. Re:Dear GameStop: by Sinthet · · Score: 1

      Their entire buisness model is based on selling Used Games. They make next to nothing on a new game purchase, usually only $5 or so, however, a used game is nearly 100% profit. That's also why they always ask you if you want to buy a used copy of the game for less when you try buying a new disc. MOAR PROFIT.

  19. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by whoop · · Score: 1

    There is this interview with the OnLive CEO. It mentions a Linux client someday...

  20. Hilarious waste of Time and $ by MoldySpore · · Score: 1

    This is wasteful corporate stupidity at it's best. First, pay employees to spend time opening factory sealed new games to remove a voucher for a free ~$50 game from a competing service included in something they are selling. Then, when people find out about it, claim to have done nothing wrong at first, alienating and forcing people to question their trust in GameStop, and then after people have ample time to stew over it, follow it up by sheepishly offering a free $50 game purchase AND a Buy 2 get 1 Free purchase to help "earn back your trust and confidence in the GameStop experience". Which winds up costing GameStop the original cost of the employees pay to spend time removing the vouchers PLUS the $50 game PLUS the possible additional free used game (which most won't use and will just use the Free voucher, thereby netting GameStop no positive sales from the offer), all to fight the THEORETICAL purchase of a game from OnLine.

    Brilliant.

    But really, anyone who still shops @ brick and mortar stores is asking for this sort of thing. Steam and NewEgg don't remove vouchers. Nor do they require gas $ to take a trip to the store. Or charge tax. Or require you to deal with annoying sales people. Used games and console games? Yea you can get those online too. *sigh*

    --

    "I hope you know how very lucky you are to know me, because I am so incredibly incredible."

    1. Re:Hilarious waste of Time and $ by MacGyver2210 · · Score: 1

      anyone who still shops @ brick and mortar stores is asking for this sort of thing. Steam and NewEgg don't remove vouchers. Nor do they require gas $ to take a trip to the store. Or charge tax. Or require you to deal with annoying sales people.

      Yes, but when I want a game NOW....I want it fucking *NOW*...not in three to six business days, or for an extra $30 for super-rushed shipping on a 1lbs package.

      --
      If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
    2. Re:Hilarious waste of Time and $ by lennier1 · · Score: 1

      Don't forget OnLive, who actually benefit from this whole thing.
      - They don't have to honor the $50 vouchers GameStop has thrown away.
      - They get free publicity as a company who decided to give something for free to their potential customers and have been wronged by a competitor.
      - ...

      Their marketing department should send a huge fruits basket to the GameStop HQ to say thanks.

    3. Re:Hilarious waste of Time and $ by MoldySpore · · Score: 1

      I admit to having that urge too. But then I remembered that I can get stuff from newegg in less than 2 days, and that is with standard shipping. It never takes more than 2. And if you can't wait a measly 48 hours to play a video game, you are either an impatient child or you get everything you deserve when you head to a local shop. Also, Steam downloads your game instantly. Faster than than it would take you to head to your local shop in most cases. My steam games never download slower than 2.0 MB/s

      --

      "I hope you know how very lucky you are to know me, because I am so incredibly incredible."

    4. Re:Hilarious waste of Time and $ by Kalriath · · Score: 1

      Maybe they don't, but they probably paid Square a small fortune to include the coupons in the first place, and got ripped off by the retailer - you can bet Square isn't going to give OnLine a partial refund...

      --
      For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
    5. Re:Hilarious waste of Time and $ by lennier1 · · Score: 1

      That's more of a matter of OnLive's lawyers looking into how they can suea hefty sum out of GameStop. It's not Square's fault that a retailer has caused financial damages by removing those coupons.

  21. What a laugh by Petbe · · Score: 1

    "It appears that GameStop has a guilty conscience." Simple answer is that, they do not have a conscience. The reason for this is not out of guilt but out of profit. This has always been about profit. Why did they remove the coupons in the beginning? Because it was aiding their competition, in other words their potential profit. And why did they decide to offer the $50? Obvious reason, profit in the long run. They realized the sheer amount of backlash from this and attempting to win people's hearts. All this is going to do is give people who decided to stop going to GS, to continue not going and get a $50 giftcard.

  22. Makes you wonder why they open new games.... by Fallen+Kell · · Score: 1
    --
    We were all warned a long time ago that MS products sucked, remember the Magic 8 Ball said, "Outlook not so good"
  23. Re:Who has been following Origin/EA by Khyber · · Score: 1

    Which part of the EULA allows that, again? EA really doesn't want to see me in the courtroom again.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  24. Re:Still not acceptable for serious collectors by cfalcon · · Score: 1

    There's plenty of collectible video games. For instance, if you have a World of Warcraft Collector's Edition? That thing is worth quite a bit on ebay.

  25. Re:hmph. typical by MacGyver2210 · · Score: 1

    That was the Left4Dead: Garbage Truck Edition right?

    --
    If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits
  26. Re:Who has been following Origin/EA by HycoWhit · · Score: 1

    Here is a link to the story about the data mining with a screen shot of the blurb: http://www.gamesradar.com/ea-backtracks-slightly-over-disturbing-data-mining-origin-eula/

  27. Re:From a Libertarian Perspective... by bky1701 · · Score: 1

    Having no problem with selling things that have been opened and modified as "new" is exactly why libertarianism is bull.

  28. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

    Chalk it up to a bigger market, you mean.

    --

    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  29. Hey baby, sorry about beating you up by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

    I've totally changed though. Just don't leave, is all I'm asking, give me another chance. If you stay, I totally guarantee that I won't beat you up again, much, for at least a week, unless you do something dumb and get me mad again, or I have a drink, or I want to.

    --
    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
  30. Re:Still not acceptable for serious collectors by Teknikal69 · · Score: 1
    I think I can top this the UK branch of game tryed to pull a fast one on me basicly I wanted to buy a ridge racer game for the PSP new and I'd lifted the relevent box out of the New games section. The cashier made several attempts to attempt to make me buy a used copy instead (I can only assume they make more profit second hand) after basicly an argument over me not wanting a used copy the sale went through for a new copy.

    I got out the door and luckily checked what I'd bought they had given me and obviously used copy and charged me the full retail price, the UMD case was even cracked the manual was a mess after a second argument and a massive waste of my time I eventually got new shrinkwrapped copy.

    I don't know how they can possibly believe stunts like this benefit them I haven't bought anything from them since.

  31. Re:uhm.. by Sinthet · · Score: 1

    The implication is: Buy 2 of our products, then take another one for free.

  32. Re:Who has been following Origin/EA by Khyber · · Score: 1

    Yep, that looks like a clear violation of the anti-tying provisions set forth in the Magnuson-Moss warranty act.

    --
    Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
  33. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by Onymous+Coward · · Score: 1

    Yeah, kind of. Except I disclosed my relationship to OnLive.

    I think it's a neat technology and I'm interested in what other people (would genuinely) think. Usually you get people saying "It'll never work" though they've never tried it. And it's trivial to try it. That bugs me. I hate people talking out their asses like that.

    I also flog Perspectives every time HTTPS woes are mentioned. I have no relation to the project, but I think it's a great technology with some hope of doing something about the CAs-are-fucked-up problem. I want the Perspectives solution investigated and reviewed. Marlinspike thinks there's something to the method -- he created Convergence. There was precious little discussion about Convergence/notaries in the last HTTPS-related Slashdot article, which was really fundamentally about Convergence. That bugs me. I hate people failing to see what's relevant.

  34. Guilty conscience? I think not. by Morpeth · · Score: 1

    There's no conscience there, they're just p*ssed they got caught yet again, exposing their terrible business practices, I'm amazed honestly that anyone even shops there anymore, you don't even know if the game you're buying is new, legit, etc. I'll just stick with Steam, Amazon or even Best Buy.

    Their management is running that company into the ground, the sooner the better I say. They deserve to die screaming and in flames.

    --

    'The unexamined life is not worth living' - Socrates
    1. Re:Guilty conscience? I think not. by mysidia · · Score: 1

      Either that or this is a marketing promotion, to go even further. So they "removed" a free game from competitor coupon and included their own coupon for a "game from us", for the dilligent customers who learned about this whole thing.

      How is this not a marketing thing to benefit Gamestop at further expense to the competitor?

    2. Re:Guilty conscience? I think not. by Morpeth · · Score: 1

      It might be a 'marketing thing', but the only PR it's gotten them is bad, and rightfully so; so I'm not sure it was in any way successful if that was the intent.

      I think it benefits Gamestop only at the expense of the consumer more than anything else, and in the end I hope it hurts their bottom line and reputation -- what little's left of it -- even further.

      --

      'The unexamined life is not worth living' - Socrates
  35. Re:they're afraid of OnLive? by Kalriath · · Score: 1

    Neat technology? It's all about making it so you don't buy games, you rent a license to run the game on a central server from your dumb terminal (with the associated datamining, and the inevitable monthly demand to pay again for the same game). It's one step towards not actually owning computers, but simply dumb terminals that connect to servers run by giant conglomerates who shaft you with monthly fees - and that's not even counting the ISPs with their gargantuan per-GB fees making sure you end up paying twice to three times for the game. I'm not even willing to try a service built on such a craptastic premise, but I'll sure as hell continue to talk about how much I loathe it regardless.

    --
    For a site about things like basic rights, Slashdot users sure do like to censor "dissent".
  36. Also, please don't sue us. by Sir+Realist · · Score: 1

    Please?