DISQUS

Aeropause Games: Hey Gamestop! Stop Opening My New Games!

  • extrarice · 2 years ago
    One reason why I don't shop at those stores anymore. I just hit Target, or Amazon (free shipping ftw) and be done with it. I'm sick of the pushing for securing reservations on upcoming games.
  • Niels · 2 years ago
    Heh. Here in Holland it's common practice in almost all game and mediastores. Actually, almost nobody thinks it's a bad thing. Usually the discs are behind the counter. You grab the game, which has nothing in it except for a booklet or so and then bring it to the counter and then the shopclerk get's the disc from the back.
    You know the Starcatalogue thing? Nintendo points? It's only in Europe and Japan. They should be inside the case. They're usually gone in these kind of stores. Other people, or the shop clerks, nick them out.
    Since a few years I try to get all my games, cd's and dvd's in the original seal at (mostly) online retailers. Or if there is a new AAA game out like Gears Of War they usually have extra sealed copies in the back. So I just ask one of those.
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    Speaking as someone who worked for EB Games for 3 weeks once (before Gamestop bought them), you can always just ask for a shrink-wrapped one. The ones behind the counter haven't been opened.

    Wanna know why I got fired? I switched shifts with a girl (the manager okayed it) and when it came time for her to cover my shift, at the last minute she called and said she couldn't make it. My *** manager told the regional manager that *I* was the one who did it, not her. I called him and complained but apparently he was buddy-buddy with the store manager, and didn't believe me.
  • Paul · 2 years ago
    Opening new games? That's just scummy beyond belief. And there's a whole generation of new gamers who won't know any better and get nailed by it.

    They must really not want to be in business anymore. These days I always find better pricing from a big box retailer and have absolutely no reason to buy from them except for the occasional very rare, collectible used game, and even then when it's very cheap.

    Do I feel guilty at shopping at an online or big box retailer? Not when the pull crap like that.
  • Andrew Herron · 2 years ago
    This is common practice in Australia too, the difference being that here they will still let you return the game for full price as long as you keep the receipt. No shrinkwrap required

    Particularly at EB Games, who have a 7-day return policy... I had time to finish Red Steel before I exchanged it for a copy of Marvel:Ultimate Alliance
  • Cruds · 2 years ago
    I'm also from Holland and but here the cases are completely empty, no booklet nothing. I really don't care just give them the case and they fill it with everything, the game, the booklet even the Nintendo points and by the receipt they can tell or you bought the game new or used. It never been a problem.
  • Chris Pereira · 2 years ago
    I've had it happen to me a variety of times, and I've just given up on caring for the most part. The only thing I hate is when they say how they *MUST* seal the thing with ultra-sticky tape, causing my nice game case to end up sticky or ruined.
  • Subnet6 · 2 years ago
    This happened to me once too. I understand they can't keep the media in the show floor cases, but to try to squeeze you by selling you an opened copy? Thats pure horseshit. Pardon my french.

    I was pissed at first. Then the next time they tried this stunt, I very politely asked if I could get a sealed copy and surprisingly, they very politely agreed. They got me a sealed copy from behind the register. No sweat. Ever since then, when I buy a new game at GS or EB (which is rare) I don't bring up the empty case, or they try to fill it with and opened copy. One time they gave me some guff when I asked for a sealed copy and I said it was for a gift and that shut them up pretty quick.

    To get the best out of gamestop you really have to know how to handle yourself. Their practices take advantage of uninformed consumers. If you know what you're doing, they are great resource. If you are a typical customer not looking over your shoulder you can get burned. It used to piss me off but now that I'm so used to it, it doesn't bother me so much.
  • Brandon · 2 years ago
    I have experienced this many a times as well. I want a new copy but apparently they are out except for the couple copies that they took out of the display cases and just pop the game in thinking it's all good.

    I don't like the practice either and only pre-order games from Gamestop now because I come back with my receipt asking for a new copy and they ask you what is wrong with the disc? WTF? this is a brand new game I'm pretty sure the policy on the back of the receipt reads that an exchange will be offered for 14 days after the purchase for the exchange of the same game but you get grilled for a good 10 minutes before anything even happens.

    But what can you do except buy games from Best Buy and Target instead which is what I've started doing.
  • sifer2400 · 2 years ago
    idk this i think is very strange if those assholes at my game stop pull that shit on me there is gona be a fight and i would want to see the manger and all that shit but its never happened to me maby its cuz i usually buy games on the first day that they come out
    P.S is it just me or is every GS/EB employee's just asshole's the guy at my GS takes advatage of every suker that dont really know much about what they want to get there kids
  • Nate · 2 years ago
    This is why it's sad that Rhino was bought out by EB (or whoever bought it). They would let you exchange any game for 7 days after you bought it, for full price, even open. Something about a happyness guarantee.

    The reason why America won't let you exchange open games is the DMCA. Blame the Sony's and RIAA for crap like this.
  • bob · 2 years ago
    I worked at these stores, eb before they were bought out by the evil corp of gamestop was not allowed to open items.....
    They can "check out" games and then re-wrap them and sell as new. company policy.
    I think we should invest in a shrink-wrap machine...all my games are new according to eb/gs! Returns FTW
  • Infi · 2 years ago
    I've been reading over this again and again but I just can't figure out what the fuss is about. Surely if you buy a game retail you ARE going to open it anyway, right? I mean if there was something missing or damaged inside, then sure, but otherwise what difference does the plastic seal make - it's not like you'd ever want to buy a game retail and then resell it on ebay without playing it, would you?
  • fillerbunny9 · 2 years ago
    as Bob said, EbGames and Gamestop allow employees to check out, and play games, and then turnaround and sell them as a "new" game. I can understand your frustration and it's why I avoid shopping there whenever possible. silly me, if I am paying money for a game that is assured to me to be unplayed to ensure no damage and/or loss of battery life (for battery backed cartridges) and contain everything it was shipped with, I don't want a previously opened copy. there are plenty of other shady business practices that encourage me to not shop there as well.
  • Roy · 2 years ago
    What do you suggest them to do? It's new as in, it's never been sold to or played by anyone else before. When they run out of stock of a game, they are free to sell the display copy as new because, well, it is new. The way I see it, you can easily walk out and buy it somewhere else, or wait for the game to be restocked.
  • Inochimizu · 2 years ago
    I worked at EB Games and we did the same.

    However, when we put the new games in their cases we apply a seal on the case so that we can know if it was opened or not. If the seal is still in place and not broken then the game is considered new. Also, we only emptied cases when we needed to have them on the floor, otherwise the cases were kept unopened.
  • Chris · 2 years ago
    FINALLY someone is bringing this issue to the foreground. I am really sick of the game store (singular because there is only one big company left doing only game stores) opening copies of games and selling them as new.

    I argue that if I bought a BRAND NEW SEALED copy of a game they have a lot of, like Madden 2007, and then proceeded to open it right in front of them in the store, they would NOT give me full credit if I tried to return it. But they feel that it is OK to sell us an opened copy for full price. The SOLUTION is to take 10% off, at LEAST. Please acknowledge that it is a reduced quality, we are not dumb.

    I believe that this is hurting certain niche title sales as well. An example would be Every Extend Extra. Sure, it's a niche title, so they only bring in 1 copy at a time, and that's fine , I understand. Now, I love music games, and I buy games new and sealed ONLY, as well as a lot of other game collectors I know. I can imagine that Gamesop CAN'T figure out why that one copy of EEE can't sell, so they order less and less of niche titles.

    I went to many different Gamestops and EB Games (same company) and all only had that one open copy on the shelf. I figured, no wonder they think they can't afford to bring in more copies, they think they can't even sell ONE copy. So I try Toys 'R Us, and they have 6 copies, all sealed and ready to go. I bet they get more sales of niche titles because Gamestop does it so stupidly.

    And that leads me into how FEW games they actually ORDER! If they don't get preorders for a game, they won't bring it in AT ALL sometimes, usually getting it LATE. Their store name is GAMEstop. If I can't get a new game on release day at GAMEstop, THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG. They will give you a story about how the game maker doesn't make enough copies, but THIS IS A LIE. Walk to any other store and they will have a shelf full of the game.

    It is ridiculous that I would have to preorder a game from them. They need to order what they want to sell. IT'S THE ONLY THING THEY CARRY - GAMES! I am going to game-only stores less and less. Best Buy will have a hundred or more copies of Halo 3, why deal with preordering it from a game store that will only get enough for the suckers, IF that many at all!

    There is no reason to have to pre-order every game you want to buy. It's ridiculous and bad management on their part. People need to start boycotting these policies. STOP PRE-ORDERING! Make them do their own buying and ordering, it should be THEIR JOB - not ours. No other store is run this way. Imagine having to pre-order a DVD movie you want, or a call phone or camera. It is the company being lazy.
  • Tim · 2 years ago
    Wow, I don't shop at EB and gamestop because of other reasons but this just makes me even more glad I don't. I can't believe this. What if you want to buy the game as a gift for a friend? I've bought plenty of games that I don't open right away. Who's to say I don't have the right to return it whenever I feel like if its still in it's "new" condition. Such bullshit. I'll stick with Target, ToysRUS and Best Buy thank you.
  • Andy Moore · 2 years ago
    A lot of people don't realize that EB Games employees can borrow new games to try them out without paying. They just open up a new one and take it home. Then they return it and still sell it as new. So your "new" game has potentially been played before.
  • phil · 2 years ago
    I agree about the issue. This happened to me at EB Games before, and it felt like I was buying a used copy. I like to open my boxes, smell the fresh ink, etc. Ever since then, I went to Best Buy to get my games. They have the games upfront sealed in boxes. I just hand them a slip showing what game I want, and they grab a fresh new box from the cage. That's how it should be done - not by ripping the box and telling me that it's still the same game experience.
  • FrameShift · 2 years ago
    Hey there. I appreciate your position here, and you're duly even-handed about individual employees. But as an employee of a retailer with similar policies, I will say that our branch's profitability would be significantly damaged if it wasn't for the trusty old heat gun.

    That said, Viva la Palahniuk!
  • Erdrick · 2 years ago
    I worked at Gamestop for about three years, but that was almost four years ago now. I can honestly say that I am an avid video game collector and pretty anal about certain things when it comes to games. The thing is that I never had a problem re-shrink wrapping returned video games (or borrowed through the employee check-out policy) because we were the only ones that offered any sort of a return policy on opened, used games which was great I thought, because it eliminated the need to go rent a game and find out that you could complete it in the given time period, so it saved me and my customers a few bucks any time we bought a game like that (such as Wario for the GameCube, I remember buying that, beating it that day, then returning it the next because there just wasn't enough content to warrant a 50$ purchase). That return policy was great and I didn't have a problem getting pre-opened, new games because I knew everyone in the store cared about it, and if you brought back a disk and tried to return it as new, we scrutinized it and if there were smudges, or any marrings of the disk/manual/case whatsoever, we would offer to take it as a trade in and would refuse to return it. So, I saw it as a trade off, you risk the chance of getting a pre-opened game (in brand new condition still, not sealed) for the chance that you would want to return the game over the course of that week. So that's my take on the situation. If it's a game that you know you want to keep and you want it sealed, sure, go somewhere else to get it. But if it's a game you're not sure of, head to GameStop/EB/Funcoland/etc. for their return policy which is pretty much exclusive to them. And if you want to trade in, well that's a whole different can of worms, I refuse to trade in my games to these places because they completely rip you off. I know it's a business, but the markup on these items is friggin ridiculous. I've seen games with a trade-in value of somewhere around 3$ go for over 30$ the moment they're put up on the shelf as used. Also, buying a game (that just came out) for 50$, finding out I can beat it, then trying to trade it in for 20$ seems ridiculous to me too when they'll turn around and sell it for 45$. I can't bring myself to support that kind of practice...
  • James · 2 years ago
    You do realize that its the Game..IE the Cd, Cardridge or whatever is still NEW..it has never been inside a system or anything like that..they just need to make a display case so that they can show they actually have the game in stock. So stop pissing a moaning.... the game is new, it hasnt ever been in a system, ergo NEW!
  • Volk · 2 years ago
    This is not a "shady practice", as this occurs in every one of their 4,000 stores. Companies do not send display boxes, so therefore, if the game store has ONE copy of the game, they open it, take the game out in order to have something to put on the wall for you to look at. It usually goes into a baggie or envelope and sits behind the counter until you buy it. It is STILL "new", as it's never played, only opened. It's not like they're selling you an opened jar of baby food or something. The stores are supposed to place a sticker on the opened new game, so that you CAN return it for full value within the 7 days. The alternative is, they can stop taking games out of the box, place them on the wall where they can be stolen, and you can pay even HIGHER prices for games.
  • Tinkergirl · 2 years ago
    Sorry - can't work out why that would be a problem to anyone here. Could be that its an American thing, as the Europeans don't seem to bother. You buy a game for the contents of the disk - not generally for the state of the shrinkwrap on the outside (or the quantity of ink smell).

    I used to work in UK-EB (before it became Game, and it wasn't the same as US-EB) and we simply never had enough 'dummy/fake' boxes to put on the shelves - so unless you didn't want to see any boxes on the shelves, at least some of the disks would have to be gutted and put out. Also, it was against your training to fill a gutted box if there was a shrinkwrapped box behind the counter - simply because you'd then have to spend time to gut another one to make up the numbers on the shelf display. I really can't work out why that would be such a big problem to anyone. (We did have the 7-day returns policy, mind you.)
  • Jim · 2 years ago
    They did this to me once as well. The clerk was rude as I guess is expected based on reading every one elses responses. I think the employees are just agro because they are treated like shit by management, and management is treated like shit by corporate and so on. They all just pass the buck. The consumer is the ultimate loser when they shop at GameStop.
  • Anthony · 2 years ago
    Hey bro keep up the fight here in Minnesota I had the exact same experience. I had the same roboto disclaimer from the manager but I did you one better I got them to call up corporate and they had a talk. On top of that the Gamestop in my area has not only been doing that with new games but they've been labeling used games as new which got them a write up from Better Business. I've been cheated on buying stuff from the ones in my area a total of 3 times I am sick of this stuff as well. Thats why I havnt bought anything from them in over 4 months.
  • Liebe · 2 years ago
    I worked at Gabestop for a year, and with the hours (and 2-3 staff at hand) given to each store, it is unreasonable to to think that we could fabricate dummy cases for each new game. Stores like Target and Wal Mart keep their games behind glass, which doesn't allow customers to see and read the backs of the cases at will. Yes, they can try to contact an assistant, but those are much bigger stores, with probably less knowledge of the product. I really don't see the problem, I've bought new games from my old store and had that happen. This is all a Gamestop employee does when they open a new copy.
    1. take a razor to the shrinking and side binding.
    2. Remove the disk and place it directly in a sleeve
    3. Put it alphabetically in the drawer with the other UNOPENED copies we will sell first, leaving the display for the last possible sell. If we see fit, we can even substitute the dvd case, if the customer wants. Trust me, the games fly from the shelves fast enough that it is VERY rare when a new case gets beaten up.
  • hd3rd · 2 years ago
    yea gamestop/funcoland/ebgames are shady indeed. i got a psp for xmas used the back hinge was busted so i went to return it they said we have stuff in the back i wait for a bit and the kid come out shoves the psp in a box and tells me have a good day
    he didnt expect me to open the box in front of him and what i found was a cracked psp a scratched,burned and gouged screen. The kid promptly heads to the back and leaves the other kid to deal with me.
    after talking to the kid he tells me i have to drive 30 mins after allready driving there for 30 mins...... we to to the eb games 30 mins away to get a psp that worked for 1 day and died. SO we made another 30 min trip to another funcoland to get a working psp this works but for how long
  • Anthony · 2 years ago
    James Munn (and Andy Moore above me) is exactly right - Gamestop and EB (even before being bought out) would do the same crap - allow employees to take home videogames that were brand new and return them to the store within two days and resell them as unused. I know this cause I worked at Gamestop for about 6 months. Do yourself a favor, buy from a retailer like Target or online entity like Amazon and then sell it on Ebay for more money then getting scammed at the scam retailers like EB/GS. Like the author said - the minute you walk out of the store with a new game the resale value (for you) drops about 60 - 80 percent.
  • BinaryDemon · 2 years ago
    In the local gamestop, they even remove the CD's from the boxes. When you bring the box up they get the CD's from a storage location behind the counter- a great way to curb shoplifting. Except that occassionally they will but the wrong CD's back in. For example: the game Sonic Riders is 3 CD's and what the idiots working there have done is accidently put in disk 1 of 3, disk 3 of 3, and disk 3 of 3. The first time, I didnt check or realize their blunder until many hours later. Then I had to go back to the store and exchange them.
  • Xcat · 2 years ago
    Chill out guys. I work p/t at a Gamestop ONLY so that I can take home games and play them and pocket $30 bucks a week, if even that much. Who needs Gamefly when you've got that going on? It's not something every store can do but Gamestop encourages us to do this.

    It allows us to give customers a knowledgeable and honest opinion of the games without having to pay for every title that hits the shelves. I understand why smart consumers get outraged over this, because you're paying for something that's suppose to be factory sealed but it's also Gamestop's policy that if we don't bring back the game in factory new condition it comes out of our paychecks and we just bought it whether we want to or not. We sign each game out on a log and have 3 days to bring it back and most responsible managers check the disks for scratches before returning it to the case.

    Now when people buy one of these games we have round plastic security seals that are suppose to be placed on the covers. If that seal is still there and you've got a receipt you can get your money back just the same as if it were factory sealed. If this is the last copy of the game they have and don't throw a sticker on there, ask them to if you may need to return it. Or better yet check the disk quality, which is something you should be doing on used games too as some retards take back unplayable games and they slip through the cracks. If it's scratched even the slightest ask for a discount which we CAN give out. But we're not going to offer that shit away if we don't have to.

    Now also know that all of those covers sitting on the shelves are the real covers for the games. We have to gut these titles and lock the disks behind the counter. That means if you're buying an "open" game, it doesn't mean it's been played. There are generally 2-4 gutted boxes sitting out there for every new game, which means there are 4 open disks available for employees to borrow for a few days. There's a whole shitload of game cases on those shelves right? That means there's a shitload of games that will eventually be sold out of packaging.

    As for pre-orders, yeah it is a good thing. Not because some company brainwashed me into believing that either. My store is brand new in a still developing area and we do shit for business. If we were getting in the same quantities as our hella busy mall based store we'd have a stock pile of shit we can't sell while they'd lose sales because they couldn't keep it in stock. Our supply is based on the demand (not just the projected demand) which the customers create at each individual store. It doesn't rip you off or inconvenience you in any way to pre-sell a game, other than having to listen to some pimple faced kid try to sell you a Game Informer subscription each time you shop there.

    Also, for titles like the collectors edition Burning Crusade, Wario Ware, Twilight Princess, Gears of War, and many others if you take the 2 minutes to plan ahead and reserve one you can get one the day it comes out. Every shift I work I end up sending desperate people to Best Buy and Wal-Mart for games and accessories that fly off the shelves, but if they pre-sold one they'd have it in their hands right then. You don't have to pre-sell shit but it's often the best way to get your hands on hot items without having to drive around town hunting one down.

    So here's some solid advice. If you buy a game that's new, but open and the clerk gives you shit when you ask about it... rip him a new one for being a lying asshole, then ask for a discount. Or if you absolutely refuse to buy something like that then get your own head out of your ass. It doesn't fucking matter who removed the plastic wrapper if the game is in perfectly new condition and is returnable.
  • eric · 2 years ago
    Would you all like some cry with your whine?
  • FizixMan · 2 years ago
    I bought Soul Calibur 3 from ... crap, can't remember the name. Anyways, sealed and all. Get home, unwrap, open up... EMPTY. Instruction manual, yes. Game disc? Negatory. Thankfully they exchanged it, but what kind of BS is that?
  • Dorian · 2 years ago
    With places like Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Wal-Mart, and Amazon where you can buy games and not have to worry about opened games being sold as new or being hassled to preorder, Gamestop suddenly seems irrelevant. It's a shame, too. I used to buy all my games at Gamestop, but it's gone to shit since the merger.
  • The T to the K · 2 years ago
    I purchased Big Brain Academy at a Gamestop last year. The game was displayed in one of those cardboard countertop holders, and all of the cases were opened. I assumed they were all new, and the clerk got the game out of a drawer and popped it in the case. When I got home, I discovered that the gamecard already had two saved game files on it! Unfortunately, a 40-mile drive kept me from raising heck, so I've protested with my wallet and haven't been back since.
  • JE SPE · 2 years ago
    They do this at Gamestop in Greenville, MS. They also do this at EBGames in Cleveland, MS. Its sickening, and it's a good thing I don't buy from them.
  • D-FENS · 2 years ago
    I don't get the problem. Really - you bought it new, the only difference being that the package had been opened. The disc itself had never been played. that is the only difference in used or new. So, the only difference is the air within the package being slightly more fresh and the plastic wrap being the same as the other sealed games.

    So....ummm..why are you complaining?

    To this day i've never understood why buying a game new is so important to you people. I worked at EB for a few months, and i can't count the number of times people paid 5 to 25 bucks just so they could have a 'sealed' copy. It's a stupid fetish. Get over it.

    The joke of this article is that you're one of those asshole customers. Take a second to think about how stupid you're being. Say you and I walk into the store together. You buy a new and unopened copy of Pirates, while i buy the used one. We both come back 4 days later, to return the game for store credit. At this point, your game has been opened and is in identical condition as mine. We could even swap the games and gues what - YOU STILL GET THE FULL AMOUNT in store credit. How do i know this? It's called a receipt. You paid X dollars, I paid Y Dollars. I paid less, I get less money.

    At NO point will you return a game that was new, but happened to be from the 'opened' new, and have the person returning it going 'your receipt says 20$, but i'm only giving you 15$.'

    Whatever condition the game is in - you get refunded WHATEVER the receipt says. It could be sold to you in a Gamecube case that's beat to hell, but as long as you paid full price, that's the money you get back.

    So, you're not mad voer that - you don't mention whether or not you've been screwed on a return - which chances are you haven't. You're just mad because you wan to be Marco Polo - be the first person to touch something. It's stupid, it's childish, and it really is about as irrational as it gets. Read the comments - people willing to start fights - simply because their case has been opened prior to them getting it.

    Do you really need that chinese air?

    you're an ass. :)
  • Paul · 2 years ago
    I worked at a Software Etc game unit 14 years ago. As employee's we were allowed to 'borrow' brand new games. I just had to bring it back in a couple of days and shrink wrap it.
    If someone brought back a "defective" Sega game they had purchased new, we allowed them to trade it for another copy. I would try it in the store's Genesis. If it worked fine, I put the game back in its box and reshrink wrapped it.
    If I remember correctly Software Etc and Gamestop merged when I was working there in 1993 or 94? Later? You have been buying resealed games for years, you just didnt know it.
  • linoth · 2 years ago
    ...wow, somebody's just now noticing this in retail?

    I'll admit that I'm a fairly common customer at one of the local EBs, and most of the employees recognize me coming through the door. And a few times I have bought one of these "new" games. Doesn't really bother me, since I was just going to, what's that term... open it and play it ANYWAY. If it's that important to you, I'm sure the employees will be willing to let you give the disc and manual a once-over just to be sure it's in perfect condition.

    By the way, EB and Gamestop were not the company that started this practice. It seemed pretty much expected in an office supply store that I worked at as well. It was a "high shrink" store, which means we had a theft problem for those not in retail, so we rarely put a boxed copy of anything pricy on the shelf. In the case of software that would be staying on the shelf, such as Windows, we could order an empty box for the shelf.

    Hard drives? Routers? We never ordered any empty boxes for those. We'd take it out of the box, put the box out on the shelf and store the contents in our lock-up area. When we were down to the last one, we'd put it back into the box, take the whole thing over to the shipping center, and put shrink wrap on it. Just like new.

    Again, this practice is NOT as unusual as you think. The only major stores I've never seen do something like this was... hmm, Walmart and KMart?
  • PhonZ · 2 years ago
    That happened to me once too. And I mean once because that was the last time I shopped at GS or EB for that matter. I was picking up some old GBA games for a friend, which I had to buy used cuz they were old games. I also decided to buy myself Ghost Recon 2. Anyway he tried to sell me a membership for the used games to save like 10% and I told him I don't buy used games. He tried to get me a used copy of GR2. I told him no. So finally after 10 min of this shit, I get my games and go. I get home and find the bastard gave me a shrinkwrapped copy of GR2. I'm pissed. I go back to get a new copy. I tell the lady I want a new copy not this shrinkwrapped crap. She respondes it is new. I respond I want an unopened copy, so I got it and now I never shop at GS or EB.
  • Me · 2 years ago
    You make an excellent point. Calling an opened package "new" is fraud. Some items (for instance Star Wars crap) appreciated markedly in value for being in mint and unopened condition. Will the store honor this 30 years from now if you intend to collect this piece? Stick to your guns on this one. They should call it something else ("security opened") and mark it as such in case you wish to return it.
  • Ian Garatt · 2 years ago
    There's a very simple solution guys.... If you want to buy a NEW game, go to Target or ANY other retailer. They stock it for the same price, or slightly cheaper. EB/GS is only good for used games. Period.

    Plus, as previously mentioned, if you're buying a new game, you're probably going to keep it. Buying it as a gift? Hello Target!
  • Kristin · 2 years ago
    Once my fiance went to Gamestop and bought Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow for his DS. He bought a "new" copy and paid the "new" price, but when he started the game up, there was already saved game data on it.
  • Gaia Theory · 2 years ago
    Honestly, the practice should stop. It is completely hypocritical.

    Gamestop/EB open factory sealed games and sell them as new, yet if a customer opens a factory sealed game and tries to return it, it is not considered new by the store.

    Here's the deal - THEY say it is because you have likely played it... SURPRISE!! The open games in the store have likely been played too and they have no way to prove they haven't.

    Certainly, many of these opened games are used in the demo machines, and many are borrowed on lunch hours, or for the night (despite a corporate policy that doesn't allow 'borrowing').

    Not only is the practice of opening factory sealed games a piss off to customers, it is also a massive waste of time for employees.

    Until Gamestop/EB stops opening up factory sealed games and selling them as new - I will NEVER shop at their stores. Period.
  • Phil · 2 years ago
    Stores that care about quality do not have the name EB/GS. I don't think Best Buy / Target etc will ever be dumb enough to have ripped-open boxes that have a sticker on there saying "Buy me. I'm new."
  • Gaia Theory · 2 years ago
    One more point:

    Gamestop/EB need to take a stroll into Best Buy and realize that 'open' product is sold at a discount compared to factory sealed items, and all 'open' items are clearly marked as such.

    The practice should end... if only there was some way to force them to do stop...
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    I 'might' be an employee of Gamestop, INC. Here is what you NEED to know about the whole concept.

    1) New vs Used... as far as the store's definition... New = NEVER BEEN PLAYED, while Used = Pre-played, traded in.
    Each new item is shipped to us in the plastic, we cut the stickered area and plop the unused disc into a sleeve (hence the un-used quality).

    2) I'm not sure if you have noticed or not... but Gamestop has MUCH smaller stores (even mall stores) that do not have the floor space of a massive Best Buy or Fry's. Therefore, 'gutting' as it is called is required to avoid theft.

    3) NEW as of months ago... all 'new' but opened games are supposed to be rewrapped in our special bags upon purchase, so that we know whether or not an item has been played and therefore has lost its new quality.

    I don't think it's a perfect policy, and you have a right to be irritated... but get over yourselves and realize that theft caused it.
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    Anonymous, your point #2 does not hold up. Having smaller floor space should not make it easier to steal, when employees can basically see you no matter where you are. If you're saying that since EBGamestop has smaller stores, they have to put more of their inventory on the floor - that should not make a difference either. Do wrapped games get stolen from Best Buy more often than at EBGamestop? (That question would only be answerable if EBGamestop put their shrinkwrapped games on the floor, instead of behind the counter.)

    I appreciate that you are defending the company you work for, but there must be some better system for security than opening the products. None of us would buy, say, an opened computer at Best Buy, unless we got the Floor Model discount. EBGamestop could put a security person in the stores whose sole purpose is to do front-door bag checks (which opens another kettle of fish) or pay attention to customers' locations, but boo-hoo, that would hurt their bottom line and perhaps mean they would have fewer stores.
  • Steve · 2 years ago
    I can do you one better. My wife and I bought a copy of The Bard's Tale for the Xbox from what was our local EBGames at the time, and we'd actually pre-ordered it. The kid goes to take the game off the shelf, and I ask why the hell he's doing that, but he assures me that it's brand new and that they just didn't get enough copies, so this was the display copy. The game had just come out a couple of days before, so I begrudgingly accepted the game. I get home to find out that he gave me the PS2 version in the Xbox case! So instead of being able to enjoy our game THAT WE PRE-ORDERED, we ended up having to go back to the store the following day and exchange it for the game we were supposed to have been given...
  • Josh · 2 years ago
    I can understand your annoyence, but let me ask you a simple question. When you got your game, did it not work? were there scratches? Honestly im GLADE they allow Gamestop employees to do this. Know why? When i go into a store, i want a valued honest opinion. I want the people im asking to know what they are talking about. Its impossable to buy every game, but this policy allows the workers to have more knowledge about games i want to know about. Jeez, you guys are whinning over shrink wrap. If it doesnt work take it back and get something else. Or if this policy is way to much for you(heaven forbid) then just dont shop there. I do not work for EB/GS but this policy in my opinion is A OK. Working at gamestores is a lot of work. I worked at gamecrazy before my store was shut down. and it wasnt all playing games(infact if you did you were firied) theres a lot of hard work that goes into working at these stores to make them nice and presentable. SO having this perk is good for YOU and me. get over it.
  • Xeracy · 2 years ago
    I worked at a gamestop for the holidays once. They're policy for employees to check out games for a few days at a time makes me wonder how many copies of pc games have been taken home, burned and copied down the key, and returned to the store to be reshelved.
  • Lauren · 2 years ago
    When EB sells a new game that isn't in the shrinkwrap, the disks are placed in a white CD holder and sealed witha small, white sticker. Although the game packaging has been removed, if you were to try and return the game, the "newness" of the disk is not determined by the plastic wrap. In that case, it is determined by the integrity of the sticker.

    I used to work there. That's how it works, folks.
  • Kevin · 2 years ago
    I personally just bought an older copy of Mega Man Anniversary collection to play on my Nintendo Wii. (the irony, I know) But the whole EB experience was just spewing with a puree of bullshit from entrance to exit. I had reserved the game upon my arrival, so when I got there I had told them my name and what I had pre-ordered and they were quick to oblige me. They brought my copy of Mega Man up to the front UNSEALED with TWO *New* labeled stickers on the front of the game for some reason. Was it not new enough the first time? Surely there is a logical reason for this sort of debacle, so it didn't set me off too much as long as my game worked fine (and it does), but then things got quirky.

    I had been making idle chat with the store manager because I love videogames, and then he says, "why don't you check out our binder full of game release dates (that I'm already aware of) and see if there's anything you want to put on reserve. And I'm already thinking I just want to take my game and bolt. So I humor him, let him open the binder, flip through the pages showing me Crackdown, Mario Party 8, blah blah. And then he says, "You really might want to reserve a game for the Wii because they're tough to find when they first come out." That's when bullshit meter to the max went off. First of all, it is exponentially easier to manufacture software, and as a result has NEVER been an issue to find a copy of certain software within 48 hours of its release. Secondly, there are significantly more wii games than wii consoles right now, and to say there'd be a line of people waiting at the door for a copy is total crap. Wii titles are absolutely cake to find, hands down, new or 5 months old. But try finding Wiimotes lol. Anyway, I am always harassed in EB games more than I want to be. I want to write in to their company to stop putting the dollar bill pressure on everyone, but, I'm sure someone in coorporate had a study done and they found out they make more money this way despite the customer disatisfaction. blah. anyway fellow gamers. have a great night and thanks for letting me bitch a bit.

    Kevin
  • Aaron · 2 years ago
    So why exactly does it matter to you?

    I like having the boxes out on the floor so you can look at them and read the backs without asking some sales guy to get it from the cage where they are kept.

    What's the difference? Is it still a new game? Yes. Are you being shortchanged in any way? No.

    So why bitch?
  • Firefly · 2 years ago
    Not to be rude or anything but its not that big a deal to get pissed over it. Typically, when you get the last copy of a game at EB games or Gamestop, you get the disc put in separately because the case is put out on display...all those cases you see on the shelves unless they say "for display only" are for the actual game. If they didn't do that, you'd be complaining right now about why none of the cases were there for you to see the game. Yes, EB allows employees to check out a game for a limited time but only if its one of these "gutted" copies and you can get in big trouble if you show back up with a scratched game. Besides, if the store follows proper procedure, they'll put a clear sticker on the case, sealing it shut...if you break that seal then oh well, no full refund for you. Really people, its not the end of the world...
  • Jose · 2 years ago
    At the GameStop by my house they keep an empty box on the shelf and keep unopened boxes in drawers behind the counter. I've never seen them stick a game in the case unless it was used.
  • Lars · 2 years ago
    Opened box = NOT NEW.

    Get it through your fucking skulls you pathetic whiners. Yes, you are being shortchanged. Yes, it is worth less than new.

    USED GOODS ARE WORTH LESS THAN NON USED GOODS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THIS THEN GO BACK TO WHATEVER PLANET YOU ARE FROM AND STFU. WE DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY HERE ON EARTH.
  • Some1 · 2 years ago
    CompuCentre in Canada does the same crap, i.e. they reseal stuff that has been returned or used by employees "to test it out."
  • Jennifer · 2 years ago
    I'm assuming most of this has to do with console/handheld games. Does anyone know if Gamestop/EB ever does this with PC games, which often have a installation/online play keycode?
  • ExK · 2 years ago
    I'm always buying factory sealed game on the release date of the game. No hassle and since the employees of my local ebgames are all good old friends, they don't try to sneak used copy in my bag. They know I'm a serious collector and that I keep everything sealed ^^.
  • Juan · 2 years ago
    Actually, I used this very practice to kinds beat the system. I bought Guilty Gear DS on a whim only to play it an absolutely hate it. Luckily, since they had sold the game to me already opened (they claimed it was their last display copy), I went back the next day and told the guy that I had bought the game for a friend, but my friend already had it. Since the game had already been opened when I bought it, they couldn't really hold that against me. I got full credit for the game and traded it in to buy a new unopened copy of Phoenix Wright. Guy just said that the second I open this one, there's no returning it. Needless to say, that wasn't an issue. It's all about thinking outside the box. If you're underhanded and persistent, you can screw them for their greed.
  • unimportant · 2 years ago
    all of you people that are bitching about this are completely stupid one copy of the game is "gutted" and put on the shelf to represent that that the store has the game they give you a sealed copy unless you buy the last copy that they have and they give you the "gutted" copy that was never played. And yes if you have a receipt you can return it. Get the fuck over it
  • WCS · 2 years ago
    i work for eb, and sometimes we will only have one copy of the game and we have to gut it and put it to put it out on the floor. it's not that big of a deal. we put seals over the cases so that if you do decide to bring it back, we can tell whether or not it was opened. that's all there is to it. jesus christ, some people are so fucking retarded.
  • GamestopManager · 2 years ago
    I never realized that Gamestops everywhere else are full of asshats. There is literally a discount option for "open/shopworn." I can take off as much as I like but I typically offer 10% off. That way the game is labeled as opened which means you get the same return policy as a used one... I think, at least that's how I do it.

    It may suck to not get a sealed copy, but let's face it, the point is not to keep the game in it's plastic for the rest of your life. The disc should still be brand new and the box should be in good condition.

    Plus, it makes it a lot easier for customers to look at the game without us having to unlock glass doors and monitor them. People can just browse without having to bug us just so they can look at the back.

    The only thing that bugs me is when we gut multiple copies just so we can have stuff in the "New Release" section.

    All I can say is, don't be a bitch to employees when this type of shit comes up. We CAN'T control it and you're never going to change it.
  • kc0eks · 2 years ago
    I too had this happen with a Wii game I recently bought. Case was a display case, game was in the back somewhere...but it is "new" hah
  • Anonymous 2 · 2 years ago
    I work at a Gamestop/EB (and have for many, many years), and the writer of this little hissy fit is the kind of person that makes me wonder why I thought working in retail was a good idea. The policy of opening a game to put out on display is not to separate you from your money in some sort of elaborate Ponsi Scheme. We do it because we do not have a better, or more cost-effective, way of displaying a game. If you want to know the availability of a title in one of our stores, simply ask an employee. They can tell you if they have more than one on hand. If they do not, then thank them and leave, if you desire a copy of a game that is unmarred by our 'filthy, corrupt, money-hungry' hands. Stop being such an asshole about it.

    The reason lots of retailers do sell opened box products is because of thieves, as pointed out earlier. Not everything can be secured, dummied, or simply displayed. People, in the real world, are not always looking out for the interests of others.

    As for Kat's response:
    "Anonymous, your point #2 does not hold up. Having smaller floor space should not make it easier to steal, when employees can basically see you no matter where you are. If you're saying that since EBGamestop has smaller stores, they have to put more of their inventory on the floor - that should not make a difference either. Do wrapped games get stolen from Best Buy more often than at EBGamestop? (That question would only be answerable if EBGamestop put their shrinkwrapped games on the floor, instead of behind the counter.)

    I appreciate that you are defending the company you work for, but there must be some better system for security than opening the products. None of us would buy, say, an opened computer at Best Buy, unless we got the Floor Model discount. EBGamestop could put a security person in the stores whose sole purpose is to do front-door bag checks (which opens another kettle of fish) or pay attention to customers' locations, but boo-hoo, that would hurt their bottom line and perhaps mean they would have fewer stores."

    Your attempt to discredit Anonymous makes you look like a fool. Have you ever worked a retail job? Do you realize that many times it can become so busy, that no matter the size of the store, the person(s) working cannot see everything that is going on? Do understand that many crooks will bait employees with ridiculous questions, bad manners, or just plain assinine behavior, while another individual takes what he/she wants, and then leave? By your statement, I would guess your answer to be, "No".

    In short, stop being such dicks. You want it unopened, go to another retailer. If you can not wait and have to have it then and there, but are given the last available OPENED copy, politely ask for a shopworn discount (the clerk might surprise you). Might that opened copy have been played by an employee via our checkout policy? Possibly. But if it comes back looking nothing like a new game, I assure you , most managers will make the employee but it.

    Oh, and on a side note, if you don't want to pre-order a game/accessory/console, then don't. But do NOT get pissed off, and raise shit about unavailability of a product to a clerk when it is released and you cannot find it anywhere short of online. We do not make the goddamned things, nor do we control their allotments. I personally think that the ability to pre-order can be VERY convienient for those of us who want product that will be high demand, or so under-marketed that only a few thousand get loose. I much prefer that than to trying to hunt down what I want online for double or more what it is retailed at.

    And yes, our trade credit is abysmal...
  • Shane · 2 years ago
    As an ex-EB assistant manager, I think this borders on having a temper tantrum over nothing.

    It's already been covered to death, that the store guts one copy of each item in stock. Those items are NEW, and even if they have been checked out by an employee, a very rare thing if you think about how many games are in the store and gutted, the employees are required to return them in new condition.

    Unless you have some shady plan to take the game from EB/Gamestop, and return it to one of their competitors to make a profit, you have ZERO to complain about.

    The whole reason you can get information about the games from EB/Gamestop employees, versus say Walmart, is because they are allowed to try some of the products to be informed.

    If you don't want the one copy that is in the store, then do yourself a favor and go buy it somewhere else. That's all you have to do.

    There isn't a system where the company tries to hide the fact from you, that you will be getting a gutted, 90 percent of the time unplayed by anybody ever, copy of the game.

    So again, if you walk in, and all they have is that one gutted copy, don't buy it if it hurts your fragile little ego that you weren't the first to break the plastic seal.

    Also, they put a sticker on that box, so there is no arguement that you can't return it just the same as any other game that is sealed. That's why they sticker it up, so you can't lie.

    Get over yourselves.
  • former sga · 2 years ago
    As a former employee of GS, I can tell you that the resealed copies are often not safe. Sometimes, people would trade in Games that came out not a week prior. If this was a game that my former manager wanted, he would shrink wrap it as new and switch it with a factory sealed copy that he brought home (much less came of used game shrink than new game shrink). So check the shrink wrap before you purchase ( if they won't let you, leave). The wrap on factory sealed games is usually folded like gift wrap on the top and bottom edge. If there is a seam running along three edges of the case, it was wrapped in store. If you leave the store and find that you got one of these store wrapped games with a scratch/scuff, your basically s.o.l. Keep in mind though, that scumbag is the exception. Most employees are honest schmucks just trying to make a paycheck. Abusing these people will not put more Wiis on the shelf or stop release dates for games from being postponed. I never once saw a game adviser or manager go out of their way for a dick customer so if you try it, it will do you no good. In the end its just buyer beware and if you find yourself without your launch console or AAA title it's entirely your fault for not reserving. The only people in the store who get any comps for getting people to reserve are the Store manager and their Asm. Most of the time, that clerk really was just trying to help you.
  • PilotwingsFan · 2 years ago
    the last time this happened to me, I told the guy I wanted it at the used price if he was selling me an open game. He game me his 10% employee discount instead. That's why I now try to go to Best Buy
  • FireResurrected · 2 years ago
    As an EBGames Canada employee I will describe in brief, here are the policies of EBGames Canada written in the Employee Manual as it pertains to this situation (Paraphrased, of course):

    1. All games to be displayed on the sales floor are to be gutted. (That is, to have the case taken out of the box, placed in a game sleeve, (Mandatory) and sealed with a blank price sticker (Optional).) Then, these "Guts" are to be filed away in proper alphabetical order, kept in a safe location out of the reach of customers.

    2. Employees ARE NOT to, in any case, be taking these "guts" home for personal use. (This is mainly to prevent loss of these "guts", as well as to maintain the quality of these guts.)

    3. Before a game is sold, an employee is to check the quantity of the game, and if there are any factory sealed copies, then these are to be given to the customer. (This is so that "gutted" cases can be kept on the floor for as long as possible and to minimize customer dissatisfaction due to the improper handling of "gutted" product.)

    4. If a gutted product must be given to a customer, an employee is to seal the game case with an sticker. If the customer specifically requests the game to be not sealed with such a sticker, then the employee is to make clear to this customer that in this case, it will be noted on their receipt as not sealed and they WILL NOT be able to return the product as new, they will only be able to receive trade-in credit for this game UNLESS the product is defective, in which case the product will be exchanged for another copy of the same product. A receipt is required for all returns and exchanges.

    5. If the only copy of the product you wish to purchase is in an interactive unit (The consoles customers can play in-store), IT IS MANDATORY for the employee to make this clear before the purchase is made.

    6. Should the customer request this, employees are to show the gutted product to the customer making the purchase, and if there is anything wrong with the product, a manager will handle the situation and work something out with the customer. (Usually, it's a 10% discount on the product. This applies to NEW product only.)



    And their you have it. If you have found that a EBGames Canada employee has used your new product, it is a reflection of that employee and his store, not a reflection of the entire company. At which point, you can, and are encouraged to, file a complaint towards the store and the employee if you know his or her identity. As well, it is your right to see the condition of the product you are purchasing, and you should exercise this right as you see fit. (Of course, we can't actually test the product in store, but as previously stated, defective product and be exchanged. And we also can't open factory sealed product to show you what's inside.)

    As for why we gut product, the main reason is simply that we don't have manpower or technology to monitor everything that goes on in store, and having such small stores, it is highly uneconomical for us to put games under lock and key in the store like Wal-Mart when there is such a simple solution we can use.

    And if you don't like having a sticker on your game case, and you think their's a possibility you may want to return the product (Unopened), then wait for a sealed copy to arrive or buy it somewhere else. We employees, like anybody else, prefer our new games to be sealed too, but sometimes that's not possible and we accept that, so why can't everyone else? As to why we have to put the ugly-ass sticker on gutted games, thank the Berne Convention, and the Copyright Act of Canada and the RIAA ad DMCA in the USA. No retailer can take back new product for resell when there is the possibility the game may have been copied to protect both the publisher and the retailer's profits. And, as mentioned in the article, if the store has the equipment, you can request the game to be shrink -wrapped instead, and there is no reason why a store won't returned a game sealed this way for the full price. (Yes, you can shrink wrap the game at home, but at least this way the retailer has an explanation for the publisher as to why it was returnable.)

    So quite honestly, you are welcome to shop elsewhere if you NEED a sealed copy of a game to fulfill your ink and plastic seal fetish, there really is no need to be a prick and make a fuss on the Internet about it. It's not the employees' fault, we simply follow the company policies and we really can't do anything to change these policies.
  • RetailIsHell · 2 years ago
    former sga has just mentioned something extremely important.

    No one, and I repeat no one, will try to go extra lengths to help you if you are being a total jerk about it. More often than not, a nice employee or manager will take back any game that's in perfect condition as if it was sealed. Just be nice to the clerk, and treat him as how you would want to be treated as customers. Customers aren't any better than the employee that's genuinely trying to help them, and we won't treat you as such if you are a total dick. CUSTOMERS ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT.
  • Abel · 2 years ago
    Okay, numbnuts. How are they supposed to put out those games on the floor, sealed. If they did that, do you know how many douches would walk out with a free game? It makes perfect sense for gamestop to be doing this. They are keeping their losses to a minimum. In which other mass retailer can you walk in, open up the case and check out what you are getting? It's not like the game they are selling is damaged. All they do is put it in a sleeve where it can rest joyfully among its comrades, waiting to be purchased.schmuck.
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    Not that it's an issue right now, but you can't represent the GameStop company on forms... you could be terminated. Not that I am into that or anything, just watching out for you guys.

    To answer Kat's criticism of my point... Best BUy's answer is to put large plastic boxes over their games... which requires A LOT of space, which GameStop (who has a much wider selection) cannot accomodate.

    The fact is... it's the company's policy.
  • Tom · 2 years ago
    That's why you just hope your friend is the one working at gamestop and gives you a 20% discount.

    (Or you just buy used since EB/Gamestop have a pretty good policy on returning damaged used games)
  • Jamon · 2 years ago
    @Shane [As an ex-EB assistant manager, I think this borders on having a temper tantrum over nothing.

    It's already been covered to death, that the store guts one copy of each item in stock. Those items are NEW, and even if they have been checked out by an employee, a very rare thing if you think about how many games are in the store and gutted, the employees are required to return them in new condition.]

    So by that very logic, let's say I "check out" a game from your store, give it a spin on my console, and decide I don't care for it... I can surely bring it back in for a full refund, right? You know, if I return it in "new condition" as you put it. How exactly do you define "new condition" anyway... does that mean you stick the little sticky seal on the case of the games your employees check out? of course not, they PLAY them then return them to be sold as new.

    Regarding your [I think this borders on having a temper tantrum over nothing.] I think that applies nicely here. I buy the game, toss it in my console, decide it's crap within a couple of days, drop it back by at your store and you refuse to refund me the money for it because I broke the seal? I did exactly what your employee did, and you still considered the game new. And if you want to see a "temper tantrum" try doing this at your local EB/GS ;-)

    The problem here is that you're misrepresenting your merchandise as "New." Further you're defining "New" to include games that could have been played, so long as they appear to be in "new condition" in cases when it benefits you (selling employee opened games). However, you hold a completely separate definition of "New" when it is to your advantage to do so (returns). In those cases you define "New" to be "Case has been opened."

    My real problem isn't your practice of gutting and placing them on shelves, and the fact that you are loaning the discs to employees so that they can better serve me as a customer is only slightly more bothersome. My only complaint is that you're going about this the wrong way. You are intentionally deceiving your customers by re-shrink-wrapping them or referring to them simply as "New." You're absolutely right that in 99.999% of the cases they are just as good as new, and there's absolutely no reason for you to discount the item on the basis that you gutted it for display (and maybe even not for store "training"). What you should do is be open an honest about your practice. On disks that have been opened for display place a seal on them that says, "In order to provide you with a better customer experience at Gamestop/EB Games, this item has been opened. It is guaranteed to be free from defect and to contain all originally packaged contents. Please see an associate for full details." Do not try to hide that you have opened the game, or even played it for training purposes. Play this up as a plus of visiting a gamestop, but tell your customers the truth. Offer them the opportunity to inspect the contents prior to purchase, and seal the package with a "Open-Box New Game" sticker after they've inspected it.

    The practice itself is not at all shady or underhanded, it's innovative and it allows gamestop/ebgames to offer a higher level of service than competitors. There's no reason to try to defraud your customers by concealing your business practice. Doing it isn't wrong, trying to hide it, is wrong.

    As of this point forward I plan to refuse any purchase of a re-sealed game at gamestop/EB unless it is directly disclosed to me by the employee selling it to me that it has been opened and possibly played, prior to ringing up the purchase. If they fail to do this, I'll simply explain the reasons I'll be making my purchase elsewhere. I suggest others follow this same boycott of the behavior without boycotting the store.

    Jamon
  • FireResurrected · 2 years ago
    Well then perhaps I should clarify and say that:

    I am in no way a representative of GameStop, EBGames, or any of their affiliates. What I say may not be necessarily true in all stores and is in no way a reflection of Company Policy. My personal opinions do not reflect that of GameStop, EBGames, or any of their affiliates.
  • Jake · 2 years ago
    I worked for Gamestop for a year, and sure their practices aren't always the best (the push for preorders and subscriptions come to mind), but as far as the open games being sold as new, there is a reason. Best Buy has security cases on every game as well as electronic alarms. Because of that, the chance of games getting stolen lowers dramatically. Target keeps their games locked behind a glass case, again, also cutting down theft. Now, in stores where these aren't available, there are only so many options. Instead of wasting money on things like that, Gamestop opens 1 copy of a new game as a display copy. It's kept in perfect condition, is generally re-shrink wrapped so we can tell whether or not you play it in case of a return, and is, for all intents and purposes, new. If you don't like it, don't shop there, but try to understand their system and reasoning. Also, taking it out on a clerk simply following store policy is very uncool, regardless of conditions. Vent all you want, but your reasoning, and your anger, is unjustified. Try to understand the reasoning behind it next time rather than just getting reflexively angry.
  • Jace · 2 years ago
    You know, I understand that you are upset at the policy and that is cool, its a pretty shitty one. That doesn't excuse the fact that you were a complete dick in your story.

    That is if I believed it transpired that way.

    Dollars to donuts says there was no timid, shakey-voiced clerk. What is more likely is that you have fabricated these parts of the store to make your e-penis that much larger so you can stroke it to impress all the other internet males.
  • Anonymous 2 · 2 years ago
    Jamon... You have no clue, do you? Why are you such a dick about the whole thing? You say we should put a sticker on there that warns potential customers that the particular game has been opened to help us help you.

    Do you have any IDEA how much shit employees took prior to the GS buyout? EB had us put no fewer than three stickers on every gutted box (good luck reselling that on Ebay). Now you have one. If having a game case opened up pisses you off I have no idea how your frail little ego handled those days. The fact of the matter is, we have never FORCED anyone to purchase an opened new game. You have the capability to say no thank you, and go about your day. Truth is, as I stated before, should someone check out a sealed game and check it back in in any condition other than new, they will buy it. Period. As a matter of fact, we are not even allowed to resell opened games that a customer claims is damaged, or appears to be damaged.

    You have no basis for an argument, man. We DO allow customers to see the disc for the game they are buying. If you are not shown the disc right away, JUST-ASK. You want to buy factory sealed, then fucking buy factory sealed! Stop being such a whiny little prima-donna. You are the kind of customer that makes retailers want to fucking hunt people down like in 'Surviving the Game'... Jesus, man.
  • TheGamer · 2 years ago
    I completelly believe you. I used to work for Gamestop, we opened the games use them for us to play and seal them again, sell them as new to the customers. I thought it was naughty. I would never recommend anyone to shop at that store, they rip people off big time.
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    Wow, no matter how strongly you feel about the topic at hand, there's no need for name calling. Sheesh, can't we act like adults?
  • EB Associate · 2 years ago
    Mr. Munn, you're retarded.
  • Eric · 2 years ago
    Anonymous 2, that was a weak reply to Jamon. He was hardly being a "dick" as you put it. He stated how he felt about the whole situation quite calmly and respectively...even giving EB/GS some credit and understanding. If anything you're the dick. He has a vvalid point you (and others)fail to see...or would rather not see.
  • ODB · 2 years ago
    The amount of retardation in this thread is astounding. I think that instead of playing video games that you guys should just quit life.


    It's all about LP, people. There's alot of sheisty ass people who would walk off with their products if they left the ungutted cases on the floor. Of course, some of you shady kids wouldn't mind walking off the sales floor with the cases.


    Also if their manager is a douchebag and abuses the employee rental program, then I think the blame goes on the shady ass manager, not the company who's trying to give their consumer the best possible service.
  • Kian · 2 years ago
    i also experienced this. And when i was buying my wii, i provokingly asked them whether they already opened it to "check whether the console was working"...
  • Cold · 2 years ago
    Im a EB employee. Id like you to know what we also do for the customer.
    We give up our own personal pre-ordered copy of a game if we are under shipped quantities (had 22 warioware preorders, got 20 in. Took me and a coworker 4 days to get it because we gave up our copies that were the first two preorderd copies).

    If a customer HAS to have a sealed copy, ive given my preorder one. Because honestly a game is a GAME.

    If a customer HAS to have a factory sealed copy, and we dont have it i will personally call the gamestops across town.

    And when i say we are almost out of preorders for a certain game, im being serious. The wario ware story above, and with many popular big name titles. We would like your business, so we want to offer you a chance to KNOW we will have the game with their name on it. I get squat for offering them except that i was trying to help them.

    And checking out games, I only checkout USED games, as does my coworkers. I still have not played Rainbow Six Vegas because of this.
    i dont speak for any other employees or the company or its affiliates, but myself.But say every-single-one-of-us are geeky teens who rip you off. Were not
  • Mr_Gulible · 2 years ago
    Okay, you are REALLY over-reacting to this. I work at a GameStop. We open the new games so we can put the cases out on the floor. That way, people know what we're selling. We can't make a case just magically appear on the floor. Trust me, we've tried.

    And, yes... We can check out the new, still-rapped games and play them. We bring them back, put them in a sleeve and throw them back in the drawer. BUT we really hate to do that. In fact, we're encouraged to take the ones we've already unrapped.

    All I'm saying is that you are trying to see this necessary thing as a horrible injustice. It's something we HAVE to do. If you don't like it, don't shop there. Sorry to be so rude about it, but it's the truth.
  • Raz · 2 years ago
    I don't like this kind of practice mainly because NOTHING can guarantee me that the game has NEVER used before. In my case, I always take extreme care of my games and most of them, when I trade them, look just like a new one and even the clerks have told me so. I just can imagine one of my games being used to fool someone into thinking they are brand-new.

    Get better security instead of opening cases for display. Just like Best Buy or Target, etc. If they plan to rob you, believe me, they are going to no matter what.
  • Frew · 2 years ago
    You do know where most of gamestop's Profit comes from correct?
    why would they take a used game and sell it as new?
    im sure it messes up their inventory. And i know from observation that their used games make them more money than new games. If they sold only new games they would have paper thin profit margins.

    dont try and say they sell you a used product as new where the used one makes them more cash...
  • alex · 2 years ago
    *** Former Gamestop Assisant Manager.


    You can argue the morality of open display copies, and copies that have been sampled by employees being sold as new, but the truth is that in my entire career there I'm not sure if I've ever had a customer refuse to by an open display copy more than once or twice- which I always announced that I was going to shrink wrap it and that I would be right back - not hiding anything.

    The point is - no body cares, except collecters, who have very different standards.
  • Jonathan · 2 years ago
    I had the same problem a few months ago. I went to the local GameStop and purchased WWE SVR 07 Collectors Edition for the 360. Well the worker at the counter basically did the same thing to me. He gave me a unsealed copy of the game. I didn't complain because the game worked when I came home and contained everything that was supposed to come with it (it did however have some scratches on the tine case), but I thought NEW meant sealed? Well I guess GameStop's policy means otherwise. So now I refuse to purchase anything from their store.
  • Jim · 2 years ago
    New means "factory sealed and in mint condition". I would never accept an opened game box (or any other product).

    I live in Austria/Europe and it's fairly common practice at stores that they remove the discs and you get them at the counter. Virtually all DVDs and CDs have at least removed the plastic seal in all shops.

    Most of the people don't care but I simply refuse to buy at these store - thanks to online retailers I have a decent and often cheaper alternative.

    This is lame and I try to avoid all shops/retailers that have opened goods.
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    EBGames?

    Seriously, why would anyone buy a game there?

    They've been shrink-wrapping used games and selling them as new for years now.
  • Jamon · 2 years ago
    @Anonymous 2,

    Learn to read, buddy. I said you should be more open about your practice and your reasons for doing it. We've seen many reports that the stores are re-shrinkwrapping which is undeniably deceitful. It was also nice of you to completely ignore my point about the double-defining of the word "New." Very convenient of you to simply call me a dick. You're right though, I'm the kind of person that unfair retailers hate... I demand they be fair or I don't buy from them.... and I encourage others to do the same. I'm not asking too much here. There's nothing wrong with the practice, it offers a greater value to the customer, arguably. So just tell the customer the truth... that their game that is being passed off as "New" may have been opened and possibly played by an employee. Honestly, very few will care, and a even fewer will ask for pre-wrapped copies. Just don't be deceitful about your practice, is it really that hard to just tell the customer. I might even be willing to accept a notice on your window, or on the counters stating your practice. My big complaint is that you as a company are not doing ANYTHING to notify the customer that the copies they are buying presumably as "New" may have been opened or played. Moreover, you're actively doing things to hide this fact in many cases. You're trying to deceive your customer, that's the evil here...

    @Eric, thanks :-)

    Again, I suggest everyone do the following if this kind of deceit upsets them:

    1.) Buy your games wherever you like to now... whether that be EB/Gamestop/Target/wherever.
    2.) If whatever retailer it is, tries to hide, or doesn't disclose that a game has been previously opened and possibly previously played, when it clearly has by the time they have ringed you up and are asking for payment, just say, "I'm sorry, I won't be purchasing this game after all, I asked for a new copy of the game, and while I would have been ok with receiving a pre-opened box in 'new condition,' you failed to disclose to me that this is what you were selling me. Have a nice day."

    The benefit of this is that it makes their deceitful policy punish them by having to ring it up and then return it back to the shelf. If a single store has this happen 5-10 times, with the same answer each time, I guarantee the manager will take notice and try to remedy the situation. The problem is that they don't understand that being deceitful about their product/policy is hurting their sales, they think it's helping their sales... let's just help them to understand the truth.

    Jamon
  • GunForHire · 2 years ago
    What's the big deal exactly?

    I work for a games retailer in the UK, and maybe 40% of the games we sell are like that. Some have to be 'gutted' as we say, because the boxes are needed for display. The disc and manual are kept in a sealed plastic wrap in the cabinets and are put in the box, which is sealed with a special sticker thing, when needed (ie, when we're out of factory sealed copies).

    The game may be opened, but it's still new, and still comes with the same guarantee and exchange policy as factory sealed games.

    What are shops expected to do? Fill every single display case with a dummy sleeve? That'd take a ridiculous amount of time and paper.
  • Cyber Akuma · 2 years ago
    Even worse was when I was attempting to buy Phoenix Wright once. (This was before the re-release and just as it was starting to get hard to find).

    Me: "Do you have Phoenix Wright? New?"

    Clerk: "Yep! *holds up a PW ds cart* its $30"

    Me: "*sigh*, you don't have one that hasent been opened?"

    Clerk: "No, sorry"

    Me: "Fine, ill take it (After all, PH IS getting hard to find, especially for $30)"

    Clerk: "Ok, here you go"

    Me: "...... wheres the manual and cover?"

    Clerk: "Oh, they were stolen off the shelf"

    Me: "This is just the cartridge, why is it being sold for new?"

    Clerk: "Its never been played, it IS new"

    Needless to say, I didn't buy it.

    When I am buying a new game nowadays from GameStop, unless its something thats rare and lucky to be in stock, I ask for a slealed copy, they DO still have sealed unopened copies in the shelves behind the counter, they don't open them all.
  • stan · 2 years ago
    WOW not only do they think they can sell you opened/unsealed goods as new the same employees that do this for the corporation then come online and call us a bunch of whining pricks for having the front to complain publicly.

    shame on the employee's of said companys that come here and call you pricks for exposing their tactics and for having the cheek to complain about their ripoff activities.
  • phil · 2 years ago
    I want to open a candy shop. I'll open the candy wrappers. When customers ask with confusion guaranteed, I'll tell them it is new. They will still buy it... right?
  • dark420bishop · 2 years ago
    That's completely rediculous what they did. I don't care why they did it or what their reasoning is. If I buy something new, I expect to be the first person to open if. If they want to use a copy as a display copy, that is fine, but if they expect to sell it to me, they better be giving me a discount on it as an "opened" product like any other respectable store would do. The offer to reshrink wrap it is a slap in the face. I would expain to the manager that he is giving me an unopened new copy, in original packaging, right now, or he is losing my business from now on.
  • Terry · 2 years ago
    "I said NEW." I replied angrily, having seen this before + I know it's not their individual policy but more of a corporate decision. = You're a dick.
  • cyx · 2 years ago
    The issue being ignored is the return policy. 7 days? Come on. EB/GS are ok with open games, because it allows them to legally establish the return window. It's 30 days if still sealed by the manufacturer.
    Also, yes, people do buy sealed games and then turn them over on ebay. It's a little thing called scalping. For Baud's sake, open a window and look outside once in a while.
  • Qorzm · 2 years ago
    At the GameStop I work at we only have one new game case out on the floor, opened and labeled. We sell the sealed copies until we run out, and then once we are down to last copy, we close the opened side with a plastic dot, so we know if it was opened or not.

    So, yeah, we aren't that bad.
  • Nel · 2 years ago
    Thats why i shop fye, 2 reasons. they get new game. and 2 you get 10% off if you have there card, just like today bought 2 games at 105 dollors, then dropped to 95 plus xmen 3 had a 20 mir, never heard of that before on a game but whos complaining lol
  • reg0later · 2 years ago
    If it's opened it should be sold as open or as used period.The argument that it's to expensive to make a display case is bullshit.So gs/eb can buy repacking supplies and make case for games that have yet to come out [url=http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=200240] for display purposes only[/url]but not sell 1 game at used price to keep an army of customers of customers.Yep, that makes sense
  • Fye Employee · 2 years ago
    I work at an FYE and we will open a cd or dvd play it in the store then sell it as new. I think its a little fucked up but that is exactly what we are told to do.
  • Thorfrog · 2 years ago
    I use to work at a Babbages and EB Games as a manager. This has been standard practice for over 15 years. This has been going on since the NES days. I see nothing wrong with this.
  • pete · 2 years ago
    I played WoW when it first came out and then subsequently lost the case with my cd code. After playing for 3 months or so, money got tight and I completely canceled my account.

    Now that Burning Crusade is released (and I am in a better financial place), I decided to get another copy of WoW just for the cd code (I know it's wasteful, but I didn't think I had another option).

    The EB that I visited had about 10 copies of WoW on the shelves, all obviously opened. I requested an unopened copy and the clerk grabbed one from behind the counter, stating that EB opens the games regularly.

    Seeing as I was paying $20 for the sequence of numbers inside the case that cannot be duplicated elsewhere, this makes me incredibly nervous about the security practices of this horrible gaming empire.

    Both EB and Gamestop do a good deal more to frustrate and scare away customers than attract new ones. If you want to witness this first hand, check out the Union Square EB... It's filled with clueless employees who swear loudly about xbox live and know nothing about ANY pc/nintendo product at all.
  • londonfog · 2 years ago
    I happen to work in a game store that practices that policy. While I don't agree with it because of those reasons, it IS the best way so far to deter shoplifters. I think they need to look for a better way.
  • hamster · 2 years ago
    ive had this happen to me reciently. i bought a eye toy with game around christmas. they said all they have is the floor one so in the haste of the season i just bought it. well my little sister in law got the same thing from someone else so i had to take it back and they gave me the storie its opened and treated as used etc. i said i bought the floor model and should be treated as new. luckly there was a sticker sealing the box so she said ok. then she looked at the reciept and said with a big smile and attitude "im sorry but your 30 days to return this product expired 4 days ago there is nothing i can do" after asking her to go ahead and overide it as she was the mamager on duty she advised me to call coorperate if i was not happy with the policies of eb games.
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    Hi, I just wanna know what differences the shrinked wrapped and factory wrapped have.

    -so next time I buy a DS game, I'll know and confront the employee....

    THANX
  • zim · 2 years ago
    I can't say I read every comment, so what I say might have been said in one way or another already. But I fancy myself a good debate, so too bad.

    Okay, I would be willing to bet a PS3 that every single person here who has been playing the Devil's (read: GameStop) advocate has: a) is currently, or at one point has been employed at an EB/GS etc; b) are actually treated WELL when they visit their local EB/GS (not too common of a practice); or c) has some kind of mental disability. Now that may seem like a harsh assumption, but I would bet a Wii that these people are mostly (a)'s. I know this because Tyler knows this. Kidding, I know this because I was employed for 2 years at the establishment that is currently under scrutiny. I too was, as most (a)'s are, brainwashed by the corporation that is now just GameStop. When I first read this post, I thought to myself "Well that's not fair, I know how things are, it's just that... [insert response from any one of the pro-gamestop replies]". Luckily I caught myself before a full on relapse of the brainwashing, by biting my finger until it bled.

    It is very true there are some practices employed by GameStop that are less than scrupulous, some of which are straight from the employee handbook, others that have relation to "policy" only in that it is common "policy" to overlook them. But it should also be (and, I'm sure, has been) said that the definition of "New" will undoubtedly vary from person to person. I, for one, even before I started at GameStop, could care less if my "new" game had been opened or not (I would generally buy used first anyways, which may disqualify my comment on what is "new", but humor me if you will). But I do know, and most of my close friends are, the type of people who consider "new" to mean the game hasn't touched human skin EVER, and a tear in the shrink wrap could mean that it is contaminated, which. Just. Doesn't. Fly. And I am understanding, and compassionate to this way of thinking. But please, if you are one of these people, remember that you have a choice in the matter! You can always not buy it! Take your business elsewhere: it hurts not only them, but makes you look like a decent person because you didn't throw a hissyfit in public over a game of questionable condition. Or, if you are one of those pro-active people, you could simply write to the GameStop corporate office and tell them to never sell a copy of a "new" game that has been opened for display purposes, and instead do one of the following (I'll use numbers this time, because I hate repetition, but I hate being listless even moreso): 1. Please destroy the disc/cartridge of any new game you open to put on display; 2. Donate these opened games (but not the box, because that is for display) to hobos, because they are not good enough for me; or 3. Make it an enforced policy to sell these games at a fair 10% discount, then seal them with a sticker or shrinkwrap, to ensure I will not encounter any problems in trying to return the once-opened item. While all are good options, I would personally suggest number 3, as it would more than likely be given the most attention (if one of them is actually given any).

    I don't mind if I come off as a supporter of one argument or the other, as I am fairly neutral on the matter (at heart), I just wanted to provide a little of both sides.
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    Zim, good post for the most part. Just remember, not all of us ex-EBGamestop employees particularly like the company... it certainly isn't one of my favorites, and not just because I got fired by a lying manager.

    I reiterate that NONE of us would purchase anything from Best Buy, or similar stores, that was open, without paying the Open Box discount. (And I am speaking as an ex-Best Buy employee also.) And yet we purchase open games for brand-new prices from EBGamestop - so why is that? You are right - we do have a choice.

    Anonymous, if you were being serious, factory-wrapped means straight from the factory. Shrink wrapped means the EBGamestop employees ran it through their own shrink-wrapper.
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    Yes I know what shrink wrapped and factory wrapped are! I just wanna know what the differences are.......like how they look, so if i buy a ds game, I'll know I'm buyin a shrink wrapped one or a factory wrapped one!!!
  • zim · 2 years ago
    Anonymous, for DS games, about 80% of the time, the factory sealed ones will be a slick, non-stretchy plastic cover, folded at the top, bottom and edges. The shrink wrapped ones (and note that a few factory sealed ones actually come like this, for whatever reason) will have visible seams around the edges, possibly stretch marks on the front and back, due to poor shrink wrapping. You could technically ask, and hope they give you a straight answer on good faith. Additionally, if it shriked by the store, you will either see them do it, or see them go into the back room with an open case and come back out with a sealed game and no open case.

    Kat, I can tell you with a clean conscience I disliked working at EB/GS just as much as many other people who have, but I enjoy playing the devils advocate for the sake of argument and seeing a situation from multiple viewpoints. I left the EB I worked at for 2 years on "okay" terms, and I rarely shop at any EB/GS, unless it will be that much better than buying online or at Fry's (who just about always has better prices on new game, and did so even with the employee discount). In my experiences, and how I was informally trained, we were allowed to give a 10% discount IF the customer "asked" about why it was open and why is he being charged full price, which I feel was terrible policy (although I'm not sure if that was actually corporate policy or just my manager practicing conflict avoidance). And who knows, maybe if enough people write to GS corporate, saying it is unfair selling open games at the brand new price, and suggest (without seeming demanding or hateful) that they should institute the 10% off of open new items, they might actually change...
  • Anonymous · 2 years ago
    ok! thanx......and so if its factory wrapped, I KNOW it was never opened by an employee.....right?
  • zim · 2 years ago
    I can't say there are any guarantees when shopping at GS/EB, but yes, it would be a pretty safe bet.
  • Danny · 2 years ago
    Being a former employee of EB we hated doing this. The only time my store would sell an opened box was if it was the VERY LAST copy we had in the store. We werent supplied with cases to display the games, so we would have to take the guts out of some of the cases in order to display them. If you are buying a game and get the opened copy it probably means they have no other option than to sell you that. Do you really think that they are going to want to expend the work to find the disk and then shrink wrap it, then dissassemble another game in order to make the sale when they could just pull a fresh copy from behind the counter? Do you really think they are going to make more work for themselves just to make your day a little more frustrating?
  • Ryan · 2 years ago
    I've seen them actually shrink-wrap the games right in front of people using a piece of loose plastic and a blow-dryer.

    Real smooth.
  • Jeremy Young · 2 years ago
    I went in and bought a PSP game in Arizone while traveling at a Gamestop in a mall. On the way home on the plane I opened the case and guess what? The idiot kid behind the counter DID NOT PUT THE GAME IN! I called them when I landed and they said I had no proof. Well, there was $40 down the drain and I will NEVER, NEVER buy another thing at a store with this type of practice. Online or big box all the way from now on.
  • Jack · 2 years ago
    I worked at a company they bought (Software Etc.) waaay back in high school. Nice to see the employees can still check stuff out. Back then I "checked out" a 3DO system which I'm sure we then resold as new, but I can't remember. Thought it was shady then too, but I was on the other side of things. I guess it's to help deter employee theft?? Let them borrow it, rather than outright steal it since most of those people don't make enough to feed their game addictions. I didn't back then anyway.
  • CG · 2 years ago
    Anyone ever purchased a CD from an independent record store? NONE of them are in the original packaging. You take the photocopied dealy, or the original case up to the front and they give you the disc. It's still "new." I never thought I'd find people who enjoy fighting with shrink-wrap and security stickers.
  • Open Ain't New · 2 years ago
    I agree that this is a crappy practice. I thought it was crappy when I used to work for GS, and I sure as hell don't accept it as anything but crappy now.

    However, you don't have to buy a game if they try and sell you an open "new" copy. Every time they try, I say "No, ass clown. The "New" one, that's not opened." If they don't give me what I want, I leave and go somewhere else. Simple as that.

    Employees used to be able to give the customer a discount for accepting an opened "new" game, but they nixed that a couple of years back. Go Gamestop. Your business practices are questionably awesome. No, wait, that's "awesomely questionable."
  • Drew · 2 years ago
    Wow. This whole thing just gets people up in arms about how evil someone else is. "wahhh! mean ol' EB! I'll *never* shop there again because the employees are all evil because the company was evil! Just because one employee tried to pull a fast one, every employee at every store everywhere is out to get me, and instead of doing something about it, I'm going to whine to the internet so other whiners will tell me how right I am to whine. Boy I sure am right!"

    It's a waste of time to point fingers at such a low level. EB/GS, just like every game retailer (I work at Game Crazy), is out to do two things: keep customers, and make money.

    So, why open games if it pisses people off? I personally would rather have a sealed game myself. I like the vibe. I don't like selling opened games either. But the industry is so broken in terms of margins that companies can't afford shrink, they can't afford to have a spare copy that customers can play, and they can't afford to not sell their returns. For every game that gets stolen, the company has to sell 10 other identical new games to BREAK EVEN. New games make zero money and the stores are stuck with them - the distributors dont buy back returns. So every returned opened game is a liability, and game stores have to find ways of staying profitable.

    That's why they want to know how many copies of a game to order (pre-orders!), why they want you to buy used (because they actually profit a little), why they let customers try games and why they push membership cards (customer retention!).

    If you have an issue with how gaming retail works, and it sounds like you do, start at the top with the distributors. It's less fun, but your complaints might actually make a difference.
  • Russ · 2 years ago
    I work in an independent game store in Philly. We also "gut" the games to put out the empty display boxes. At least one reason is the cost to tag all these games would hurt our profit margin, which is only around 16% (when it's good!) as it is.
    We keep all the games in a safe behind the counter, and then shrinkwrap our "empties" and sticker the wrapping.
    The problem I have with how Gamestop and EB practice this is that they sticker those 'new' boxes to death. I have a few games, some hard to find titles too, stickied up - marring my collection. A copy of Stretch Panic, Xenogears (black bar), and Klonoa 2 come to mind. I also know for a fact that those companies let their employees bring those games home. There is a log of sign outs, but good luck getting the manager to show it to you.
    I believe is an unethical practice, but hopefully this will help explain the reasoning behind it a bit.
  • pawchikapawpaw · 2 years ago
    here's an idea for the idiots arguing for the idiotic and most ill-conceived policy of opening a game selling it brand new:

    keep the rest of the inventory under lock and seal in their original box with their original shrink wrap and put 1 empty copy on the floor.

    if a customer wants it, he brings it to the front counter and the employee takes one out from the warehouse (or a locked room or behind the counter) and gives you a fresh game.

    and for god's sake, don't tell me RF tags is beyond these stores' budget. if they're so concerned about shoplifting, this would be the first thing they would do, tag every item in that store with an rf tag.
  • Murdoc · 2 years ago
    I agree with some people have said earlier. I used to be a EB store manager 5 years ago and, to the best of my knowledge, nothing has changed. They will still shrinkwrap stuff and/or put a clear sticker on it to say that it is new. I say, go to office depot or whatever office supply store you have near you and just shrinkwrap your games and just return them to the store you bought them from for something else. There wont be a damn thing that they can do. If it is a problem for you that is. Oh yeah and I DO encourage this kind of behavior.
  • D. Lim · 2 years ago
    I think this is a great topic. I always had a problem with their shady tactics for years and I just go to my local mom and pop game store and give them my hard earned cash.

    Not only does this take revenue away from a large corporation but also helps your local store stay in business.

    I remember one time I bought a GBA game that was "NEW". There was only one copy and I really wanted it bad. It was opened and they said they could only sell at the "new" price. They assured me that it has never been played before and that they use the case as a display.

    I relented and bought it cause I didn't want to wait but as I got home, I noticed cartridge insertion scratches on the back and I realized tha t it has been played before because of their employee take home and play policy.

    I really despise GS/EB now and if you are really pissed off at their tactics, let them know by not shopping there...simple enough.
  • Clifton · 2 years ago
    I think you guys blowing this out bigger than it needs to be. When the games come in they are "gutted" and placed in a bag. They are supposed to sell the wrapped ones first, using the "gut" as a last resort. if you are being sold gutted games when there are shrinkwrapped copies behind the counter, then the employee is being lazy.

    Also, the "gutted" copies are re-wrapped before they are sold, and I can't see why that's such a big deal. All it's done is move from a case to bag to a case. Really what you're paying for when you buy a game new is the fact that no one else had the oppertunity to ruin the disc, not the wrapping.

    Most EB/Gamestop managers will let you return an open game "as new" if it was the last copy. I've seen that a dozen times.

    I also don't understand why someone would have a problem with Gamestop's employee checkout policy. The rule is that only one employee can have a certain game out at a time (hint: it's the gutted copy). They have the policy in place so that the employees can play every title that comes into the store if they want, and can give an accurate description of it to a customer, which sells more games. Why else would a big coporation be cool with that? Certainly not to be nice. Also this elimates the blank stares and dumbfoundedness you get if you ask someone at Wal-Mart or Target something about a title. They usually have no idea.

    As far as preoders go, they try to get preorders so the stores know how many copies to get. They try to give every customer ample oppertunity to do so. Think about it. Those are small stores. They can't order 150 copies of Halo 3 like Best Buy can. They have to know what the demand is so they can get the supply for it. It's space-saving thing.

    I don't want to sound like some kind of gamestop corporate cheerleader. I'm a manager for them and they do plenty of stuff that pisses me off, like not letting me hire enough employee, as to not kill myself on a weekly basis. I never thought preorders were a bad idea, i never cared about buying the gutted copy, and I thought the checkout program was sweet when i found out about it. The thing is those are the things that made me apply there, not stuff they programmed me to say.

    The things listed in this thread seem more like people are frustrated with some employees that don't know their jobs. It's frustrating to read that you got all pissy and angry with an employee who was just doing what he was (rather poorly) trained to do. That's unfair. The *blank stare* you were given was probably because the poor guy had no idea what to do in that situation, because he's never been told.

    Hate Gamestop all you want. But don't shoot their messengers. It's not our fault their policies can be lame.
  • TechRat · 2 years ago
    This happened to me recently, too. I was lucky enough to get a Wii for XMas. Two days later, I visit my local Gamestop to pick up the new Zelda. The clerk tried the same crap - silently going into a drawer to retrieve a gutted "new" copy hoping I wouldn't say anything. Like hell I didn't.

    "I don't think so. I'd like a sealed copy, please."

    "This copy is brand new. We can't leave the games in the display cases."

    "I don't care. I'm paying full price. I want a sealed one."

    "I don't think we have any."

    "Check."

    Turns out the bastard had three sealed copies right behind the counter. He told me he didn't know they were there. Bull. He didn't even bother to look. The schmuck just went straight for the "gutted" drawer. "Next time", I said, "don't try to sell me an open game when you obviously have sealed copies right there."

    That's the first time that's happened to me. I couldn't believe it.
  • TechRat · 2 years ago
    Also, here's an idea for their employee "take home" policy: why not limit it to games that are already pre-owned? Then it wouldn't matter if they used it or not because they are just going to sell it used anyway. Letting them take home brand new games, then still trying to sell those games as new, is ridiculous.
  • James · 2 years ago
    Honestly you need to relax people at GameStop are underpaid and tired of fucking people like you who come in and complain because the game isnt fucking sealed its still new it has never been played, we need a case to put out on the floor jesus, give us a break. Go shop at fucking Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Ebay, Amazon, Blockbuster, cause God knows we dont need another person taking out there bad day on us.
  • Chris · 2 years ago
    I bought an open "New" copy of the GameCube Skies of Arcadia from a GameStop. When I looked at the disc, it had a bit of dust on it. When I mentioned this to the clerk, he actually wiped in on his shirt!

    It was their last copy, so I bought it anyway, and now I have problems with the game locking up (I didn't have problems until I was well into the game). Thanks a lot GameStop. There's a reason why I want my game to be sealed!
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    James: Get a different job. I'm sure you never ever take out your bad day on a customer. And there are other words in the English language besides the one that begins with F that you seem to be so fond of.
  • Rich · 2 years ago
    If the game isn't FACTORY SEALED, it is not new. Once the disc is outside of the case, a lot of things can happen to it. I don't exactly trust the mental midgets that work at EB games to take good care of disks.
  • Herve Villachez · 2 years ago
    OK, so I've read a bunch of these post. Just a few things I need to get off my chest:

    1. At the EB where a family member of mine works, employees have not been allowed to take games home to "test" for well over 2 years. I'm surprised that other stores continue this practice.

    2. Hiring a security person to check bags and watch the store is unreasonable. The store barely gets enough hours for the employees to cover shifts much less a full time security guard.

    3. There is a wall of never opened gamed behind the counter. Why bring the empty case up front in the first place. It just pisses them off becasue once they give you the pristinely sealed copy they have to put the display copy back on the shelf.

    4. Customers can be idiots too. There have been a ton of times where people buy a system, games and controllers before a long weekend, play the heck out of it and return it(still in perfect working order) on a tuesday and say they want their money back. WTF? They say "I bought a warranty, give me my money back". They have to explain that they can only exchange for the same product. Customer swears and insults the workers, somehow gets the district managers number then they walz back in the next day with a smug shit eating grin and get their money back and of course add, well I'm never shopping here again.

    4. Pre orders exist because of supply and demand. If GS can show Company X that they have a million pre-orders and Best Buy has 100,000 preorders, GS will get the lion's share of available copies from the manufacturer. If you don't like to preorder either camp out or wait a week (and buy a used copy for $10 less) (Granted you they also exist so that companies can have some of your money without giving you product and they expect there to be some people that forget they pre-order)

    5. You probably got the off the shelf copy of Bard's tale becasue EB keeps pre-orders for 24 hours after launch day. It says that on the pre-order receipt(at least on the receipts where my famuly member works)

    6. PC games used to sit on the shelves with the games in them. Once the store was told to gut PC games, theft took a nose dive in the PC section.

    7. Can 1 or 2 employees really police everyone in the store when there's an unexpected rush? One has to stay at the cash and the other would have to run around with keys to the displays? There are some times when there is only one employee in the store for a few hours.
  • Neo Jman · 2 years ago
    Look, Mr. Munn, there was no reason for you to be a dick at that poor (and decidedly shifty) employee. You had every right and reason to demand a factory sealed game, but no right to be such an asshole about it. However, the fact that you were wrong in tone does not lessen the important aspect of your argument: that man had no business telling you it was new. He probably got flustered under the white-hot gaze of anger you were exhuding, but it sounds like he was being shifty to begin with, trying to sell you the gut like that.

    Moving on, gutted games are not actually new, in my opinion. They're mint condition, which is dfferent but equivalent in the eyes of Gamestop. Many people don't really care that much about sealing as long as it's in mint condition, so gutting is an acceptable practice to those people (as can be seen above). Gamestop official policy is that games are to be sold as new as long as they originally arrived at the store new and are still in mint condition. Employee checkout policy states that games must be returned in sellable (i.e. mint) condition, which means that many things are prohibited from checkout (new game accessories, for example). This is because, as stated before, loss of new product is devastating since it's only selling for about 10%-15% markup. Thus, all gutted games should be in mint condition, according to store policy.

    Of course, store reality is a different animal altogether. My local Gamestop is wonderful: the store manager makes it a point to befriend all of his customers, and he will go out of his way to make customers happy. He makes sure that his employees are both happy and policy-abiding, and he abides by the checkout policies and the whole thing about new=mint condition. They hold on to their gutted copies unless it's the last one, and although they don't offer a discount, it's covered by the used game defective guarantee (30-day exchange policy) and you can still return the copies with seven days, just like real new games, because the store is nice (no stickers, honor system only). However, this fanciful, trustworthy establishment is hardly the norm. In fact, the people who work there are nice to me only because I treat them like human beings (such is the case with all of their dealings with customers). Treat these guys like assholes and all of a sudden the whole mood shifts.

    But the important part is that not all stores are like this. If you can't trust a Gamestop store, don't shop there, it's that simple. Some stores let their employees check out MMO games, which is straight-up robbery. There are good gamestops out there, but if your local one is garbage, the workers are to blame. Seriously. Most of you guys are describing deviations from store policy or straight up asshole behavior from either you or the employees. For instance, ever since the xbox 360 debacle, there is a limit to the number of preorders allowed on certain items so that everyone who reserves gets factory sealed copies. Yeah, the whole reservation system is dildoes, but it's five completely refundable dollars that (now) guarantee you a copy the day the game comes out. Don't like giving money? Don't do it. Don't like how the employees shill that crap onto you? Tell them or never shop their again. You have the power not to be controlled by assholes trying to sell you stuff. If your local gamestop is the most convenient game shop to you, it's not hard to make it an enjoyable experience.

    ....Ugh, this sounds freaking shill-like. But regardless, most of these conflicts arise because either the customer is a douche or the retailer is a douche, or both. If the products aren't mint condition when marked new, raise a stink. If you only want factory sealed games because you're a collector, or a scalper, or, on the negative side of things, a little fucking bitch, then ask for a factory sealed copy nicely or raise hell UNDERSTANDING that you deserve to be treated like shit if and only if you treat others like shit. It is not gamestop policy to treat people like shit, because that makes customers leave. Asshole employees deserve to get fired on the goddamn spot.

    Seriously, about half of this thread (and, lets face it, the main article) could be avoided if people stopped being goddam self-centered dicks.
  • Mitch · 2 years ago
    I see it at this- If i buy a muffin in a gas station that muffin needs to stay in the plastic. If the attendant doesn't touch the muffin, I'm not going to feel fine because i didn't get to open my muffin. It LOOKS fine, but who knows? that counter it was sitting on could have poisonous substances on it...

    The game you buy could have scratches on it. Then you have to return it and get another one......which could have scratches on it. Just because it's not played doesn't mean it wasn't dropped on the ground.
  • Boots · 2 years ago
    Once I bought a game and drove home to play it. Opened the PS2 box to find... a Xbox disc. I don't have an Xbox. Another time, I bought a Christmas gift for my brother. He opened the pre-opened box to find... ta da! no game disk whatsoever! What do you think of that?

    Nintendo DS games, I've noticed, though, Gamestop/Eb games does not open before selling.
  • oldgeezer · 2 years ago
    I hate having to give a gift at Christmas and having to explain why it's been opened, that it really is new and not used. I mean, if you were giving someone a music CD or a movie DVD, would it be acceptable to open it before giving it to them? If I were them I'd think you'd watched/listened/ or ripped the contents, or that you were re-gifting something you didn't like.

    A similar aggravation happened with me at GS. My daughter HAD to have a coral pink NDS-lite for Christmas. I took her to the store with me, and we were happy to see something like 6 boxes of that item (in window, on shelves). The line to the register was easily 30 feet long, but we waited about an hour anyways. When we got to the counter we got, "Nope, none in stock. Corporate requires us to have the boxes on display. Sorry!"
    I think the employees were sincere in their regrets. Many people in the store gasped and guffawed, as they could see we'd waited a long time to be turned away. What're you gonna do, though? So we left, and I swore I would NEVER buy anything at a GS because of their stupid corporate policies. LISTEN UP, CORPORATE SCUM! If you don't provide a bit of SERVICE, your days are numbered!
  • sweetman · 2 years ago
    I totally understand this situation. Gamestop does not cater to collectors at all. I really believe that they should change the setup they have going. They should learn from game crazy. They have all their new games behind the counter on shelves. They have all the used games on the show floor. This way they don't need to open the new game case to keep them safe from any one stealing them. And they can put all the used games in sleeves behind the counter. If not this way, they could at least just put a display card of some sorts that represents the game instead of using the actaul game case. I hate when I go to gamestop and want to buy a new game and it's the last copy there. I'm a collector myself and I always like being the only one that opens or touches my games. Plus whenever they have the case that was on display it always has those stupid ass stickers that leave that nasty residue on the case which in my eyes ruins the value for me. I never buy from gamestop any more unless it is the day that a game comes out. I know that gamestop has their way of doing things but I believe that they could do it a little better.
  • Herve Villachez · 2 years ago
    Yhere seems to be a big gap between what people want. Some people want a demo game case for EBGames to display so as to not have unsealed games sold as new, yet oldgeezer saw a display box for a portable game system that was sold out. It's a tough balance.

    I'm surprised that oldgeezer was never approached by a store employee to see if he needed help finding anything while waiting in line. I guess the one where my family member works seems to be the exception and not the rule.

    If giving a game as a gift, tell that to the employee and they should be happy to re-shrink for you. Again, if is isn't the absolute last copy there should be a factory sealed copy somewhere either behind the counter or in the back room.

    If you don't like the re-shrink wrapping and if it's the absolute last copy check out another store. It's better to be satified with a purchase than to be just take it for the sake of convenience and have a story to post on a website.
  • zim · 2 years ago
    I am going to sum up my feelings, having read most of the comments, with a simple sentence, which I hope some people can agree with:

    GameStop practices bad business, which is not uncommon in retail, although gamers seem to get more up in arms over it than other people, which leads me to add that people are very capable and all too willing to be total dicks when it comes to interacting with low level retail drones, which can (and often does) in turn, make everyone just as grumpy and angry.

    Jesus says "Don't be a dick." Sage advice.
  • burt · 2 years ago
    What does it matter..... When you buy a new game it is new... They have 1 copy of every game on display . If you don't like having to deal with that you do have the right to go somewhere else and buy it... stop crying over spilled milk for no reason...if it is their last copy just ask for 10 % off or something like that. If it looks new and plays new who cares. Before you buy it ....you don't own it yet
  • t · 2 years ago
    For a very long time now, employees of gaming stores have done that (opened new games and resold them) They open them to test play them, usually. Have to know your products right? If the game you wanted was the last one, then bad luck you know. If not, ask for a different one. No one likes working retail, NO ONE.
  • Josh · 2 years ago
    Cut n' dry, I don't shop at Gamestop or EB for this very reason. Once I was buying Narnia for GCN for my gf, the clerk steps off the register, runs to the wall and grabs the empty GCN case. Then has a drawer filled with GCN discs, I immediately cut him off and said "new please." He asserted it was new, I said cancel the transaction and ended up leaving. This was Christmas 2005 and haven't stepped into one since. Not paying full retail for opened games. You gotta be careful especially with Nintendo titles, since they have codes to register online for and sometimes they are missing.

    Anyway EB/GS is pure BS, and major jerks with presales. Those guys that work there are usually know-it-alls anyway.
  • hypes057 · 2 years ago
    I hate EB Games/Gamestop. They always do some shady things. For example, I bought a used copy of Metal Gear Solid 3 for PS2. On the rack theres the box with the art and all that. Paying no mind, I make my purchase and get home to find the guy gives me a black ugly box to house the game in. I call, pissed off about this and the clerk tells me "well sir, you dont play the box". I reminded him that there was a perfectly good box on display and why couldnt I get that one? "Thats for display purposes only" he tells me. Me being the package whore that I am was even more agitated by this guys "witty" comeback. Next day I returned the game and left a complaint. Needless to say, I never returned to that store. Im sick and tired of this monopoly they have, there are very little options when it comes to stores like these. Sure I can go to Best Buy, Target, or Wal-mart but I shouldnt have to.
  • MidnightScott · 2 years ago
    Now that I recall correctly...

    I remember going into GameStop in December 2005 to go "Christmas shopping" I asked for Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and I didnt even realize the guy took the card from somewhere else, and the case from somewhere else...well actually I did but I thought they just did it that way for some reason. The next time they try and pull that on me I'm gonna tell them you better sell me it at used Price and not Full Price.

    Just today I got Cooking Mama in the mail from Amazon. I found the booklet backwards and the game card upside down...and I paid $15.48 new...>_>
  • Disco · 2 years ago
    This is actually common practice, for two reasons: Yes, the gamestop employees are allowed to take up to 1 game a week to playtest them to be familar with the product, then they re-seal them and usually none would be the wiser. 2 all or most of those copys on the shelf come from a game. They remove everything from the case and put it on the shelf. So if you happen to buy the last copy, sucks to be you. If you ever worked at a gamestop it's in the customer service rep. manual. I buy my games from Wal-mart because they don't do this, and they usually have better prices anyway....
  • John · 2 years ago
    I also think that its pretty lame but you don't pay less for a car that's been on the lot for 4 months do you? It was outside, people may have sat it in, but its working condition is still perfectly new.
  • Chris · 2 years ago
    This is to D-FENS:
    You said;
    "YOU STILL GET THE FULL AMOUNT in store credit. How do i know this? It's called a receipt. You paid X dollars, I paid Y Dollars. I paid less, I get less money.

    At NO point will you return a game that was new, but happened to be from the 'opened' new, and have the person returning it going 'your receipt says 20$, but i'm only giving you 15$.'

    Whatever condition the game is in - you get refunded WHATEVER the receipt says. It could be sold to you in a Gamecube case that's beat to hell, but as long as you paid full price, that's the money you get back."

    First, this statement is such crap. If you bought a used copy of Pirates and your friend bought a new copy, you both returned them 4 days later for IN-STORE credit... you will BOTH get the same amount. He wont get more, you wont get less. The TRADE-IN credit amount for both games will be the same. Doesn't matter if he bought it new 4 days ago and yours used. Second, if the new one has the EB or Gamestop seal on it and it has been broken... your buddy's not getting his money back AT ALL. Its called an Federal Copyright Violation. He can trade it in for the same game or get the crappy in-store credit that Gamestop offers him. Point is: a game is new IF it hasn't been used... right? And if it's 100% complete and in brand new, mint condition. And if the case isn't beat to hell. As far as video games, the term "New" doesn't ONLY apply to the disc; It applies to everything, as if it were never opened. Problem is, Gamestop and EB employees DO take these games home... we all know that. And if you get ahold of one of these "used" new games, they're not actually new, are they? I think that if a game is sold as new then it SHOULD be new, regardless of whether or not its sealed. And before I step on any toes of Gamestop haters, let me say that I agree with all of you... I hate Gamestop as well. I think they're truly an evil company down to the core, including the arrogant, phoney CEO Richard Fontaine. They practice what Microsoft got in trouble for doing years ago: creating a monopoly on the video game industry, making it priority number one to drive out all small, privately owned, video game businesses. The same businesses that provide a level of customer service that Gamestop CANT touch.
    Anyway, if a Gamestop employee checks out a game, opens it, plays it for 3 days... then how is that new? It's not. And they shouldn't sell it as such. And they DEFINITELY shouldn't sell a traded-in USED game as new, which trust me, they damn sure do. Listen, I own 3 small video game stores and we do the same thing: open each new game, gut it, and place the case on the shelf. BUT... BUT... our employees ARE NOT allowed to take these new games home; only used ones, from the used shelves. AND when the shelf display copy is sold, it's sold at 10% off the listed price. Why?? Because it's technically NOT NEW! Guys listen, once you break that seal, IT IS NOT NEW anymore. That's what the copyright laws say. Being technically honest about it, it doesnt really matter if it has been played. If the original seal is broken, its not new. Same with ANY copyrighted media format. Sure, some people dont mind. But I do. And I cant sell something as new when it really isnt, and laugh all the way to the bank at the stupid consumer as he walks out the door. That's what Gamestop does to everyone who falls in their trap. And honestly, for me, thats the real bitch of it all. Why would you want to do business with a company that misrepresents themselves to such a terrible degree? Gamestop is a horrible company with no morals and horrible policies and practices. But then again, thats the corporate world and like em or hate em, they're not going anywhere, especially with so many people turning their heads and just accepting the fact that they are being taken advantage of in more ways than one. And oh, in case you didn't know: those "Free" Gamestop-owned Game Informer subscriptions are nice, aren't they? Ever wonder how they can afford to give away these magazines? Ever wonder who really pays for these? Sure, they have advertisers. But its not that their retail stores do so well that they all add support to Game Informer. You guys are paying for 'em... only you just dont realize it. How? They sell your personal information. Your name, address, DOB, buying habits, and yes, they do have your social #. They sell this to companies for enormous profits. See, they profit off you guys and you dont even know it. And why do they LOVE pre-orders so much??? The employees push and push and push, especially with unsuspecting consumers, such as parents and grandparents (those are their favorite targets)until they give in and just say "Yes". They pre-order a game that comes out in 6 months(which makes no sense in the first place) and then by the release date they've forgotten all about the annoying kid that pushed them into pre-ordering something that would be in huge supply in the first place. In 2005, Gamestop Corporation had over 1 million in unclaimed pre-orders (yeah, those 5 bucks add up!). Think they give those back? Think they call and say; "Hey dude, were sending you your $5.00 back because you didn't pick up Bully yet... because we care SO much about our customers. Yeah... and Wal-Mart will go bankrupt tomorrow too! Don't play into their hands. They're just making you look like fools. Yes, the business world is rough, and yes other companies do worse things. But if everyone just holds true to what they believe and feel, then we can stop these poor business practices... eventually... maybe.
  • Dan · 2 years ago
    Can someone tell me why you would buy a "new" game from EBGames or GameStop rather than a retailer like Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. In my experience, the games are usually sold at a premium compared to these other stores.
  • myself · 2 years ago
    I understand the need to gut a copy or two to put on display. But, I'm not so sure that it is right for them to charge the full price for that game as if it was new. This is what I think. A new game has never been played. EB/Gamestop lets employees borrow the "new" games and play them, then re-sells them as the "new" display models. Therefore the display model is no longer a new item. Technically it is used. What is the difference between me playing a game for 3 days, and some teenage employee playing a game for 3 days. I bring it back to the store and it is used, and he brings it back and it is new. Thats the difference, and that is why people are mad. With shoes, you buy the display model with 100% confidence that those shoes have never been used before by anyone. But, with the company policy, you can't be guaranteed that that gutted game has never been played before.
  • Matt · 2 years ago
    The major problem i see with this practice is the fraud aspect that serious game collector's undergo. Many video game collecters purchase "new" "factory sealed" games and never open them, as their value increases over the years, sometimes 10 fold. Let's say someone bought a certain final fantasy game 10 years ago or so, and they haven't opened it since.....in all actuallity their game is worth let's say 400 dollars. Well let's also say they bought it from a retailer that practiced this selling of opened games, and he never knew that his game was "opened", he may even have been unlucky enough to not even have the right game inside, or no game at all!! So his so called high value game is in reality worth zip. Just because these assholes have to open up all the games and throw them around like a bunch of frisbies and pretend to know something about games. So they have to be schooled on the game in order to tell you something about it huh?? Well most employees don't know shit anyway, and why don't they just put away 1 copy and everyone uses that to learn about the game, or at least sell it at discount. Noone wants to spend money on a game some fat kid could have wiped his ass all over. Someone argue w/ this please so i can tear you a new one.
  • Your friendly neighborhood ind · 2 years ago
    What is wrong with you people? Who cares? If it's straight from box to sleeve to box, what does it matter?
  • mike · 2 years ago
    I worked at GameStop from thanksgiving to somewhere around early January. Honestly, great job and place to work. Although I think that it's shady that we were allowed to "hold things" for ourselves. How else would I have gotten a Nintendo Wii, PS3 etc. etc? Well I didn't wait for my Nintendo Wii, day after Christmas I walked into a different GameStop and bought my wii, no one in line was buying one. What are the chances of that. But on to the topic. All but one copy of the game is never opened. We had to display a copy on the wall so that people would know we had it. There was a situation where a game was missing, but it was found in the end. But if you don't want an opened copy, just tell them to call another GameStop or EBgames. I had to run to other stores to get "NEW" games more than once, and games we didn't have. Point is, you don't want an opened game, ask for one that hasn't been opened, usually there nice about it. At least in Michigan were nice about it. Act like an asshole and they will treat you like one!
  • LOL · 2 years ago
    Get a freaking grip people. We're talking about video games, not groceries.

    WHO CARES IF ITS SHRINKWRAPPED OR NOT?

    Serious game collectors? Thats an awful lot of syllables to spell "L O S E R".

    Good god.
  • Jeremy · 2 years ago
    I worked at Software Etc...(Gamestop, back in the day) as a manager for 3 years in the early 90's. There was nothing more embarassing than having computer software come back because when the customer opened it the warranty card was already filled out or the manual had been written in. Yes, computer software got re-wrapped when it was returned, also. Employees weren't always good about checking it over before re-wrapping it and putting it back on the shelf. This was company policy and went on nationwide. Video games were the same.


    I now refuse to support Gamestop or Eb Games because I don't appreciate how they force their employees to answer the phone with that ridiculous mile-long greeting in an attempt to secure reservations. That's just abusive, in my opinion (of both employee and customer). Our district manager used to call anonymously to make sure we answered the phone like that, and if we didn't he'd be a real dick about it. I worked there around the time they started doing that, and I can't believe they've continued the practice. These stores pay crap, too. Borrowing games is the best incentive to work at these stores.
  • Tan · 2 years ago
    Oh Yeah. Been there, done that for sure. New should mean new, i.e. you get the pleasure of being the first to open it.
  • JAWZ610 · 2 years ago
    Game stop sucks!
  • gs player · 2 years ago
    Geez!!!, people have to much time on there hands, its a dumb game!!!!, its a disc based system, weather its been opened and played and used or not used, its the same thing!!! sometimes people bitch about stupid things and thats why am a asshole to customers, cause they complain about the stupidist things
    P.S. did i forget to mention i work for GS. LOL
  • Seth H. · 2 years ago
    Guess what non-functional, Gamestop removes new items from their package to avoid shoplifting! Their stuff is too valuable to take that risk.
  • captain fishboob aka Seth H. · 2 years ago
    In case you didn't notice, you can open every package and there won't be a game, but it's booklet. Just incase someone decides they want to steel it. I would've. and retail stores have their best games behing glass. Think straight next time retards. cpt.fishboob@yahoo.com(incase you want to debate).
  • that guy · 2 years ago
    believe me when i tell you guys...

    i work for eb at the moment... now we are being told that our hours are dependent on the amount of reserves and sub(worthless magazines) we get in a week..

    hell the company even sent out an email about how they are keeping an eye on fake reserves that get picked p and returned the same day..

    thing is.. they dont realize that people are doing this only to get hours... its a tragic cycle that they seem to give 2 !@#$@ about so long as reserves are met.. honestly of course..

    last time i checked.. this company doesnt offer a commision on reserves or subs... so why the hell should ANY employee even care about getting them unless he gets more hours...

    goddamn retail companies.. they suck.... and i like so many others out there have also worked for BB.. the big blue... they are just as bad... prp this and gamepro sub that.... you not selling them,?.... why not... maybe we need to tranfer you to another department...

    idiots... i hope they all burn in hell... for what they pay.. they get what they pay for.. in spades... this is why people steal from their jobs 90% of the time..and their benefits usually suck..


    sigh.. this post is too long already.. but one last thing.. if the game is in an envelope and behind the counter.. regardless if the celephane is on the box.. you were gunna open it anyway.. so whats the problem?...
  • that guy · 2 years ago
    and yea... it is kinda retarded to answer the phone that way... most people interupt you anyway... all you need to say is.. "eb, can i help you?"... people will get it... really.. they will...

    stupid corporate people.. only thinking about the money and not the people that get them the money..

    and the employees do get treated like slaves for the most part.. unless your a store manager that is.... then you get salary and can make your own schedule... so no woorries...

    but when your the guy that works there because you can't find a job in your field.. some of the people working there are educated at a college level..

    we really dont need to be told how to handle customers when we work in retail for many years.,... and your boss is like 6 years younger than you...dooshbag... get the !@#$ outta my face...
  • Steve · 2 years ago
    I work for GameStop. The only reason there's ever an open copy of a game is because it's the last copy we have. There have been many years of theft by putting games unopened on the rack, so they created a new policy to ensure that it wouldn't happen anymore.

    Customers - if you mind and/or unfortunate enough to find a copy of the game you want UNOPENED, ask them politely to see if there is another store that has a sealed copy of what you're looking for. It's not our fault - it's part of corporate policy to always have an empty box on display.
  • Phbbt107 · 2 years ago
    I'll do you one better. I went to a Gamestop and bought an old Jedi Knights PC game for $10. When I opened the box outside the store, I saw that the box was empty, save for a bunch of scrunched up plastic bags. Fortunately, when I walked back in, they gave me my game, and the clerk was apologetic.
  • Jujunap · 2 years ago
    The odds of a non-defective disc are simply greater if it is in the original factory sealed case. Someone wanting this is not a 'whiner' or a 'duchebag'. It's smart.
  • Chantel · 2 years ago
    I've been with EB for almost a year now and am about to ascend to ASM (god help me) and the policy for "checking out" new games and then re-selling them as new was discontinued in 2001 in Canada. Much to most senior GA, who was just hired a month previously. Sucks to be you Matt.
  • Jenn · 2 years ago
    I think the bigger problem with the original post here.... is not the practice of opening a new game so they have a display case to put on the shelf. Most of us understand that needs to be done because otherwise people will steal it! I do think there should be a discount off (10%) for an opened game unless they offer to shrinkwrap it for you.

    The problem raised in the original post, and my personal issue, is that if you buy a "New" opened game, you cannot return it a few days later as a new game. Sometimes people DO buy a game and not unwrap it for a few days because they either change their minds, were going to give it as a gift and get something else, get it for someone else who doesn't want it, or find it cheaper on eBay.

    If the store is going to charge me full-price for this new, opened game, then I don't see why I can't return it for a full refund. When they sell it, they tell you IT IS NEW, it's never been played! But if I walk back in with it and say I never played it - that's not good enough. Like I'm a liar and they aren't. BS
  • SJ · 2 years ago
    95% of the time I just get my games from BestBuy or Walmart. I only get New games from GS if I've got them preordered. Other than that, it's used only (I ALWAYS check the disks, too) Sometimes I'll ask them if they've got a new copy of the game, if they do, I'll buy it, if they don't, F' that unless I'm desperate. When I buy a NEW game, that means I'm expecting one that has NEVER been opened. I like the smell of new games, too. It's BS that they open them, regardless of their excuse.
  • Unbelievable.. · 2 years ago
    Unbelievable ... I think there's a lot of ignorance on the consumer's part here ... let me explain a few things here ... (and yes i work for the evil eb games *gasp*)

    New games have to be opened and put out onto the floor for display purposes .. how else will customers know what new releases have hit our stores (aside from the internet or magazines?) We don't get 'dummy cases' for each and every new release on the market (costly and time-consuming much?). What we do is real easy ... we remove the disk from the box, and file it away (it doesn't get touched or played with either) We obviously can't display the games with the disk inside because of a small problem called theft. Anyhow ... if a customer wants a game our general rule is to obviously sell the shrink-wrapped/factory sealed ones first, so we always have a display copy on our shelves...ONLY when we run out of the sealed copies of games do we sell the last box on the shelf. Customers are still getting a new copy of the game ... no one has touched or played with the game -- which DOES classify it as new...it stays filed until a purchase. and..WHEN we do sell the last game, we place a store seal on the box incase of a return or exchange has to be made within the 7 days... and yes, if asked one of our employees CAN shrinkwrap the game for you...again..all you have to do is ASK...

    I dunno .. all this bitching and moaning about who tore the plastic off the game first - the employee or customer is so unecessary .. sounds like a really angry 40 year old who lives in his parent's basement had nothing better to do with his time except cry about not peeling plastic off a game case first and experiencing the "new game smell", and then start a blog about it.. give me a bloody break!

    If you claim to be such big gamers, you wouldn't be crying about shrinkwrap...you'd just be happy you got that copy of that popular game at all...last copy or not.
  • james Blish · 2 years ago
    Hey,

    I got burned by Wal-mart and Best Buy when I tried to return a defective disc. I swore it wouldn't happen again so I purchased a Friggin shrink wrap machine on Ebay for $38.99 and now I re-shrink any defective game and return as NEW. I don't purchase then return when I'm done thats' evil. BTTP, I can re-shrink any game and peel any super sticky label in a couple of mins by heating it with the 800 Degree Heat Gun and spraying glue back on the label. I shouldn't have to do this SH#t just to return a game that hangs due to a cab3 file on the DVD! Also, anyone notice every year the CDs & DVD's are getting thinner and easier to break? Anyone notice that it's almost aloays cheaper to re-purchase a game than return a broken or cracked disc for a replacement? I now use CD Patches so my ultra thin game discs don't get cracks near the center hole.
  • Jimmy Dean · 2 years ago
    Wow, as an employee of GameStop I am amazed by some of the GameStop customers. Listen, GameStop HAS to gut these games because idiots tend to steal merchandise. We may get 5 copies, and we only have to unwrap one, but if you get the last one then oh well. What I don't understand is that you are just going to open the damn game 5 minutes later. We don't lick the games, we don't key them, hell when I have to gut I have to make sure I don't even touch the other side or risk having to pay for it. Don't be a dick to the employees, we are just doing our job. If you don't like it, shop somewhere else.

    We don't care.
  • Bourbon Legend · 2 years ago
    ""I said NEW." I replied angrily, having seen this before and knew what he would say, *voice shaking* "This is new," I was furious at this point. It was cold and late and I didn't have time for his crap."

    Wow, I can't believe how big of a prick you are. Why not "Do you have any sealed copies?". Obviously, that would be too much for you to handle.

    qq
  • Chris · 2 years ago
    What the hell, people?

    I worked at a Game store (GAME in the UK) for a little over a year, left to go to uni.

    Games are removed from the boxes to be kept in drawers behind the counter. Disk in manual, filed alphabetically. This is so the games are on hand and the customer gets the game nice and quickly, without use trekking up to the storeroom and hunting for ten minutes per game. Also allows us to have empty boxes on display so you assholes can look at the games and see what they're like! (Blurb on the box, anybody?)

    Do you know how many games you can store in one of those drawers in their boxes? About 50, maybe. I never counted.

    How many can you store if they're just the manual with a disk inside?

    Going on five hundred, EASILY. I've had drawers break with the sheer ammount of game inside them.


    If you'd rather sit and wait for half an hour every time you want a game, then fine. petition the head office and get thousand upon thousands of like-minded assholes who want to hold everything up because they're too anal retentive and uptight to allow an employee to do unwrap a game to save space - something you'd do about five minutes later, I may add.


    NEWSFLASH - SHRINK WRAPPING MEANS JACK SHIT TO EVERYBODY EXCEPT DIE-HARD COLLECTORS!

    All the stores I've shopped at will only care if I have the game and a way of proving I bought it within the return period. GAME now wants them unopened, which is a bit harsh IMHO, but hey. That's life.

    New is not sold before, not played by anybody else, not used or scratched. New is new. Shrinkwrapped is anal-retentive. Fucking get over it, jackasses.
  • Kat · 2 years ago
    I find it interesting that almost no one can express themselves in this topic without resorting to expletives.
  • james_blish · 2 years ago
    Solution to ALL your software problems!
    Shrink Wrap Kit for $36, sheets of thin plastic to print labels and spray adhesive. The Game will be NEW again.
  • Steve · 2 years ago
    It's great to see other people who have worked at a place like Gamestop responding to this, especially after seeing how many people responded in agreement to the original post. I could never believe it when customers would actually storm out of the store because they got the gut copy. Of course, I also couldn't believe the number of people who couldn't understand simple things like how a buy 2 get 1 free deal works. After working at a Gamestop for 3 years I'm pretty sure illiteracy is a rampant problem in America, good thing I'm out of there now.

    Anyways, along with being partially illiterate, it seems like some customers just don't understand that people do this thing called stealing. If you think video games are expensive now I bet you'd love to see the prices at games stores if they put live games out on the shelves. I suppose that Gamestop could go the Target/Wal Mart route and put glass cases all over the store, but then since it's a small store I can guarantee the store would constantly smell like class cleaner. Not to mention that part time employees aren't allowed to have keys so you'd be stuck waiting for a manager to get your game, and then you'd complain anyways. ($10 says a lot of people would suggest we just gut the games. Especially during the holidays.) Not to mention that if a game was behind a case you wouldn't get to look at the back of the case or anything. I'll agree it would be nice if the companies sent out empty boxes for display but, seriously, if one of them was lost corporate would have a fit and I could easily see people constantly getting fired over that. If you think up a better and more cost effective idea then I suggest you apply at corporate. They might actually listen to you. I once had a DM suggest putting live copies of hit new games out on a sidewalk sale. She then wanted me to walk each customer in to the counter and leave the games unattended. Needless to say she got fired and was replaced by some 23 year old chick who got the job because she was boning the guy who hired her. They caught that pretty fast at the manager's conference.

    Actually, if you don't believe they'd be stolen, good story about how leaving a live game out on the shelves complicates everything. At my store I couldn't even put a live copy of Turok Evolution out on the counter and turn my back without having it stolen. That's right, I seriously had some guy try to steal Turok Evolution on me. Imagine if he had access to a good game!

    To solve the returns problem my store always used to write "gut" on the receipt. Seemed to work pretty well. But if you really have such a problem with it then please, all of you, I implore you to not go to the store. I can guarantee you won't be missed :)

    No, seriously, I really do mean it. Please go shop somewhere else.
  • Mike O · 2 years ago
    Hello. Im from PA. Once I started noticing them doing that I just asked them to give me a Sealed copy. For the most part they never gave me any problems if i asked as long as they had them in stock. But sometimes they dont have the "sealed" copys in stock so your stuck with buying one of those stupid opened one. The Main thing ticks me off is that Im paying Full price for an item that was opened. And how do i know they arnt sneaking a Used copy in there. Keep them sealed GAMEstop/EB if you want my hard earned cash!!!!
  • Arnold · 2 years ago
    Alright, if you're a customer at Gamestop - then this is what you need to do. Just go to their store and when they sell you the preopened copy, make sure that the seal that used to reseal the package is sitting completley on top of the original seal that has been cut by Gamestop or EB Games. That way you can take the game home, then carefully remove the top seal without disturbing the rest of the package. Then you write down the CD Key without forgetting to Burn an ISO image of the CD to your harddrive. Then put everything back to the way it was and return the game for a full refund.

    Presto - Instant "Free Game" for you.

    There are other ways for Gamestop to secure their stock without having to open Boxes. "Target" and "Best Buy" do it all the time, but for some reason Gamestop is too cheap to take these measures... until of course, we give them reason to.
  • FlapJackMcHoogles · 2 years ago
    ok heres the thing F%$# YOU GAMESTOP, yall are going to love this, it all started out when i went to go get my NEW copy of FarCry: instinct, when i got home i opened it up,but it opened up pretty easy, so i was like hmm...wtf? so htis prompted me to look at the cd,, it had some scatches on it,, nice gamestop. i fergot about it. THEN i went to go get a NEW hard drive for the 360 i got home and it already had information on it, like movie trailers,songs,and some saved data on it???????now the last straw, i went to go get a gamecube( :) thought i would try it out),eveything is used, but the memory card(even thougth the system crahes everytime i try and play a game :) NEW memory huh? it already had info on it. So what does this mean about gamestop, it means im not going to shop there anymore unless i need a used collectible, besides that F%$#@ gamestop.
  • theThinker · 2 years ago
    Couple of things to consider here:

    Why is live product removed from the floor? By live product, we of course mean entirely intact items, games with discs and booklets, etc..
    Why would a Fortune 500 company waste valuable time and payroll across 5200+ stores to remove this product? Theft. Bottom line, as much as this chaps your butt, they are losing large amounts of money due to rampant thievery, from their CONSUMER BASE, and it is this behavior on the CUSTOMERS part that has caused this policy. Gamestop is protecting its assets. Beyond this, we as customers always have the option of not buying a copy that's opened. This may mean that in some cases we don't get the game we want.. That's life. We have the choice where to spend our cash. This does not necessarily give us liberty to take it out on "Joe Minimum Wage" as some bigot labeled our friendly neighborhood clerk. Its not his call anyway. Move on and buy it elsewhere, and think about how much you bitch. If you owned a business, would you trust "Joe Random-Ass Consumer" to not lift your product? How very charitable and saintly of you.

    THINK. THINK. THINK.
  • Rick · 2 years ago
    For those of you who don't think it's a big deal, think about this: would you buy a can of opened food? Or an opened toothbrush? And pay full price? If it's ok for EB to do so, I guess supermarkets could start selling opened food products for full price and major clothing retailers could sell used clothing as new as well. EB give the word "new" a whole different meaning. With that aside, they have awful service.
  • joe-random-ass-consumer · 2 years ago
    re:theThinker

    Sounds like you have a vested interest in this company so I won't slam the company or its current practices or even you "thethinker" its not about "joe-random-ass-consumer" stealing your "live" product.Its selling opened product as-new with no open box discount.If you think all of your customers are thieves you should be in another business.
  • Doesn't matter · 2 years ago
    I used to work for that company for a few years. Every bit of what you're saying is true, and it pissed me off every time I saw it. I know I was close to being fired a few times for telling my Store manager (me as an assistant store manager) in front of the customer not to sell them that crap that wasn't even wrapped. It's rediculous to open NEW copies of games when that multi-billion dollar company can afford some pieces of cardboard w/ the game name on them to put up on the walls, rather than opening up the game and having some random GA(entry level employee) take it out of it's original case, probably drop it..put his nasty a$$ fingers on it, and shove it into a crappy case that will most likely do more damage than protection. This type of thing especially pissed me off when I saw some of my employees trying to do that shit w/ RESERVED games. RESERVED GAMES for god's sake...Those aren't even supposed to be TOUCHED aside from the unpacker of the box..and the consumer...that's it!
    Well hopefully websites like these will open up some peoples eyes...not necessarily saying "Don't sshop at GameStop," but just pay attention to these things and be aware of exactly what those policies are of theirs and to take FULL advantage of every single one of them.
  • Akahige · 2 years ago
    I'm admittedly a little late to the party, but I just ran across this while looking for solace for the crap I recently had to deal with.

    Prior to today I had no issues with GS's policy of opening games for display. I'm not particularly anal, so it's not a big deal. Now, after trying to return one of these "NEW" games I can see a little bit of the rationale of those whom I previously deemed obsessive compulsive. You would think that if you buy, say, a $50 PC game for someone as a gift and would like to return it, you would get your money back the next day (or even $50 store credit as the worst scenario). You wouldn't expect to be told that you're shit out of luck and the only way to get a refund for a "NEW" product, that you didn't touch, would be to contact the game's publisher and beg for one.

    I argued up and down for what felt like half an hour, and by the end I felt like I had argued with Nigel Tufnel over whether or not his amp actually went to eleven.

    By the end I was placated, just for being such a hassle, but from now on I'll buy online or just go to Target.

    (It's also curious that if this makes so many people unhappy, which it clearly does, why the company does not bother with inserts strictly for display copies. Even my local video store does that).
  • Jeff · 2 years ago
    My issue is not so much with the shrink-wrap, but the stickers that gamestop/eb plasters all over the cases.

    Being a collector, i refuse to buy platinum/greatest hits, and i expect my cases and artwork to not have sticker residue all over the damn thing.

    find another way to mark the price without destroying the products im spending my money on
  • pinecone2654 · 1 year ago
    Soon enough they'll probably just use a CD burner and make copies in the back...
  • ckwasi92 · 1 year ago
    Hey, I realize this is an old topic, but I just wanted to make one last comment for anyone who might possibly in a million years read them.

    I feel your pain, man. The New game return policy at Gamestop and EB is ridiculous, I agree. They used to be cool about it, but then they got sued for selling used games as new. Now it almost seems they just don't trade back new but still use the used ones as new as they have. It's complete bullshit and false advertising. But....

    Thats why you just NEED to BUY USED!!
    I LOVE their used policy. I like to get a little scamming of my own back at them by basically using them as a FREE RENTAL service by buying used, and returning for cash on the seventh day ^_^ Try it!
  • laura · 1 year ago
    hay, its just to protect the game from being stolen, so YOU WILL HAVE A GAME!!!! many people have been taking the cases even though they are empty.its not like its messed up or any thing.and the $5 isn't seperated from the price its put tword the game. so your not losing any money! so you should talk smack untell you know every thing!!!! heres the ? DO YOU WANT A GAME OR NOT WANT A GAME???? if you have a problem STOP GOING TO THE STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
  • penny · 1 year ago
    FINALLY someone is bringing this issue to the foreground. Tiffany & Co 1837 LOCK necklace
  • Evan · 1 year ago
    Okay...as I'm sure there are plenty of these already on here....I'm going to give a current Gamestop Employee's view. It's really up to the Manager if you return a new game or not. If you are nice and plead your case...show some respect...we can return it as "Other" and everyone goes home happy. If you are a dick...we'll say nothing can be done. That's most of the time. It's true...we take the games out of the cases to prevent theft. Oh and ckwasi92...if the employee's are smart at all...you'll get blacklisted from returning stuff. Yes we can do that. I've done it several times to people who thought they were slick stuff...like you. You'll see.
  • Krystal · 1 year ago
    A lot of the games are only gutted to be put out on the sales floor for customers to see what's in stock. We won't leave the actual game in the case since a lot of people are scums and like to steal. Since they don't believe in working and rather steal to make money out of it. So the reason why they're open is for show. An all the games that were gutted, are in sleeves with their manual. It's not like we're aloud to rent new games its only used games. Why complain, you're still going to go home and open the damn game so get over it. It's what the company does, if you don't like it just go somewhere else. "Plain and Simple!!!!!!"
  • Wes · 10 months ago
    I had a similar situation the other day. I picked up a copy of Fallout 3 as a gift for a friend. I bought it "new." I got in the car, drove home, pulled it out of the bag, and then realized that they had slipped me a "new" unwrapped copy of the game. I opened the case (And here's something normally ignored by many people who support gamestop's practice), and found that the game was scratched! Gee, you mean that little paper envelope didn't protect it from the dozens of hands that dig around it every day?

    So, the next day, I go back to gamestop, complete game and receipt in hand with the intention of exchanging it for a sealed copy or getting a refund. The employee looked at the game, checked the disc, told me I had scratched it, and that there was nothing she could do for me. Now I'm stuck with this game and had to buy a sealed copy from Best Buy.
  • Jordan_Snyder · 10 months ago
    Is Resident Evil 5 racist!?!?!?! Let's stop digging up old posts!!! ARGH! :P
  • Marik736 · 3 months ago
    Sorry, but...suck it up, buttercup. :P Would you rather all of our games be in glass cases where you can't look at any of them or touch them and force employees to follow people around the store with a key? Yeah it sucks when an employee forgets to put a game in the case, but it happens even for veterans from time to time and in all honosty we aren't purposely trying to jip you. If we have a game new in its original shrink wrap we will give it to you instead of the gutted version.

    So why do our games out on the wall not have any games in them? So stupid people who try to steal them (which happens a lot) just end up with an empty case, so all the store it out is a case for a game instead of an entire $50-$100 product. Walmart uses the glass case method, try to go there on a busy day and get one of the attendants to get a game out of the case for you, guarenteed you're going to be waiting 5-10 minutes just to get your game. Where as at EB Games/Gamestop yes, sometimes we have to give you product thats been gutted already, but at the same time all you have to do is bring the case up to the front and boom, we get your game ready, no waiting around for us to open some glass case with a key to get your game and potentially taking long periods of time doing so on busier days.

    So next time you buy a new game, ask if we have a factory sealed copy of that game cause I don't know about other stores but the EB Games I work at we always check for factory sealed first, just saves time and besides, as you said, its a lot nicer to get something that's in its original factory sealed package. If we don't, ask to see the condition of the disc, even if its new. 99% of the time the game will still be in mint condition, however the odd time we get stupid employees who don't put away games properly and end up scuffing them a little or getting crap on them or what not (in which case common sense would dictate to not sell it to the customer).

    In the end though dude, your new game is still new, we just had to remove it from the package so stupid people don't walk off with a $50+ game, cause as I said, people walking off with empty cases (aka stealing them) happens more than you'd think, even in a smaller town like mine. :3 But in the end, ask for a factory sealed copy. If we don't have one, no point in getting angry at the guy behind the counter, we just work there. In our store if you really badly wanted a factory sealed one we would tell you politely to see if Walmart has one. We're all about customer service and helping people out at my EB Games. :3