So it begins....

[cmdrdredd]

I still prefer GameStop, haven't tried Best Buy. Part of that is because I haven't bought anything in a couple of years, except for Broderlands 2 GotY, which I got new. I don't intend to buy any games for my One until GameStop has a buy 2, get 1 free, an offer Best Buy won't be able to match. I haven't traded in games in several years either (the reason I had 34 games in my 360 lot on eBay), to the point that I don't think I've traded any in since Best Buy started taking used games.

Even if Best Buy offers better prices, they'd have to be significant for me to go there. They don't usually have anything CLOSE to the library of used titles GameStop has here, so getting Best Buy store credit would mean having to buy a new game for more money. Going with GameStop credit means I can save it for one of those used game deals, so I think it's a net financial gain to take the GameStop route still, but that's from the view of a person who stopped doing trade-ins and game purchases a few years ago, due to a lack of games I wanted.

Best buy credit can be used for anything. You can buy kindle cards that link to your amazon account as a credit and buy stuff from amazon this way. You don't have to buy games.

 

[sze5003]

I think I may want to pick up mlb the show. I have 2k14 and didn't pay full price for it since I traded in killzone for it. But I haven't been playing 2k14. Sports games usually do not stay full price for long but in the case of Xb1 or ps4 it's a bit different.

 

[Lil Frier]

Best buy credit can be used for anything. You can buy kindle cards that link to your amazon account as a credit and buy stuff from amazon this way. You don't have to buy games.

Oh, I know that. My thing is just that I generally don't buy THINGS too much. I could probably get a Steam Wallet card with credit or something, but in the past, my main motivation for trading in games has been for savings on other games. I still think that GameStop gives the better deals on purchasing games, so I'd lean towards that. Best Buy obviously gives you some great flexibility with store credit though.

 

[Lil Frier]

I think I may want to pick up mlb the show. I have 2k14 and didn't pay full price for it since I traded in killzone for it. But I haven't been playing 2k14. Sports games usually do not stay full price for long but in the case of Xb1 or ps4 it's a bit different.

Well, the sports games have had a few sales. I think that baseball's probably the sport whose games drop in price the fastest, given that it's also the sport whose games probably sell the least (sadly). I'm still hoping that a respectable baseball game EVENTUALLY reaches the One, because it's the only thing I feel like I am missing out on.

 

[sze5003]

Well, the sports games have had a few sales. I think that baseball's probably the sport whose games drop in price the fastest, given that it's also the sport whose games probably sell the least (sadly). I'm still hoping that a respectable baseball game EVENTUALLY reaches the One, because it's the only thing I feel like I am missing out on.

Yea I'm unsure of spending $60 on it since I've never played a baseball video game. Nba 2k14 took me a while to get used to. But it's in general very simple to learn. I don't even use all the trick shot features.

I'll go to baseball games because my gf likes to and I eat dollar hot dogs..I'll watch it on tv now and then but I've never played it in game form. It seems boring enough on tv and at the game, but playing it outside is a lot more fun.

 

[Sonikku]

The good news for Gamestop is that America's internet infrastructure is one of the sorriest in the world and the telecom monopolies are unwilling to use their government subsidies to get cabling out to rural country, leaving wide gaps in the nations networks. So millions of Americans won't be able to digitally download. Advantage = gamestop.

 

[exdeath]

Oh where will I ever get $40 used games that are $19.99 new everywhere else?

Lol @ Gamestop and their Mario/Zelda/Pokemon/JRPG tax.

Ive found numerous gems there for <$10 but as older stuff gets phased out and or I get caught up, there's just less and less reason to go in.

The final straw for me was really when they started tossing PSP and DS cases and manuals and then continuing to charge eBay mint complete in box price, esp for games like Radiant Historia, Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, etc. Sorry but nobody except somebody like me is going to seriously consider an old used Wii game for $70 to begin with, and those people know how much things are worth with and without being complete, etc.

And the whole Metroid Trilogy and Xenoblade reprint scandal.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Yea I'm unsure of spending $60 on it since I've never played a baseball video game. Nba 2k14 took me a while to get used to. But it's in general very simple to learn. I don't even use all the trick shot features.

I'll go to baseball games because my gf likes to and I eat dollar hot dogs..I'll watch it on tv now and then but I've never played it in game form. It seems boring enough on tv and at the game, but playing it outside is a lot more fun.

I've mentioned it before but the Show can be made into a pretty easy game. You can remove the batting zone where you have to predict the pitch and just use a method based on contact alone. You can make pitching easier, you can accelerate the hitter's count based on player stats so you don't have to sit through the full 3 strikes or 4 balls. Theoretically you can play a full 9 innings in 30-40 minutes this way.

 

[shortylickens]

Gamestop is garbage anyway. Worse than Funcoland.

I wont miss them.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Gamestop is garbage anyway. Worse than Funcoland.

I wont miss them.

You know Funcoland was bought by Gamestop in 2000 right, and that Gamestop isn't closing...just a hundred stores or so out of 6,600.

 

[mmntech]

The good news for Gamestop is that America's internet infrastructure is one of the sorriest in the world and the telecom monopolies are unwilling to use their government subsidies to get cabling out to rural country, leaving wide gaps in the nations networks. So millions of Americans won't be able to digitally download. Advantage = gamestop.

You forgot the miserly data caps ISPs are piling on their users. Grab our new super internets lightspeed bundle. 100mbps download, 10mbps upload, & 60GB data per month!

 

[sze5003]

In my area we actually had two EB games stores that were bought by gamestop. I know of only one store around me that doesn't get good business and is probably better off closing as it's in a crappy location anyway.

 

[shortylickens]

You know Funcoland was bought by Gamestop in 2000 right, and that Gamestop isn't closing...just a hundred stores or so out of 6,600.

They are ALL closing.


Just not today.

 

[Anteaus]

You know Funcoland was bought by Gamestop in 2000 right, and that Gamestop isn't closing...just a hundred stores or so out of 6,600.

This is the calm before the storm. A company that makes most of its money on the sale of used games can't survive in a world where digital distribution is gaining ground. The math simply doesn't work. Even if congress passed some miraculous bill saying that gamers have the right to resell digital games, only the digital services would survive. Console makers would never let a third party service sell games for their platform, so Gamestop can't even compete digitally in the console world. Its only hope is the dramatically change how it generates revenue over the next 5-6 years or be cast aside. At least for the life of this gen, used games will still be around and money can be made, but a corporation like Gamestop can't make stockholders happy by just getting by, thus the huge problem.

PC distribution is an answer, but their success with Impulse has been lackluster because PC gamers don't trust them. Gamestop didn't help itself by cultivating a climate where PC gamers were considered outsiders.

As an analogue, in 2004 Blockbuster Video had over 9,000 stores and 60,000 employees. By the end of 2010, they filed for bankruptcy. This is in a world where we still have physical media (bluray, dvd, etc). For Gamestop, it's even more precarious because there won't be any physical media at all eventually.

 

[sze5003]

I see digital distribution needing to change. No way will I ever pay for a digital game if it will cost me the same as a retail disc. If they want to make digital the new way of obtaining games they still have a lot of people to convince. It makes sense on pc because people can upgrade their pc, because there are usually more sales on pc.

 

[Anteaus]

You forgot the miserly data caps ISPs are piling on their users. Grab our new super internets lightspeed bundle. 100mbps download, 10mbps upload, & 60GB data per month!

Obviously people in rural areas have few options, but I think the average connection is improving. Myself, with Cox I get 150 Mb/s (averaging about 14-15 MB/s in real world) and a 400GB cap for less than $100 a month. I live in a small town 35 miles from the nearest city. In contrast, the local fiber company in that city charges almost $200 for a 100 mb/s pipe which I find ridiculous. I guess my point is that as the internet becomes even further entrenched in everyones lives, capital investment into future networks will improve. Thus, over time everyone wins.

I realize that my connection is the exception and not the rule, but I'm optimistic for everyone.

I remember reading an article about how most gamers actually tend to be situated in areas with decent internet connectivity because they thend to be techology oriented. Based on the linked article, that might be somewhat true. How else could PC gaming be outselling consoles in a world where virtually all PC games are sold digitally? Obviously there is a strong market in spite of crappy internet.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/...now-brings-in-more-money-than-console-gaming/

 

[cmdrdredd]

Obviously people in rural areas have few options, but I think the average connection is improving. Myself, with Cox I get 150 Mb/s (averaging about 14-15 MB/s in real world) and a 400GB cap for less than $100 a month. I live in a small town 35 miles from the nearest city. In contrast, the local fiber company in that city charges almost $200 for a 100 mb/s pipe which I find ridiculous. I guess my point is that as the internet becomes even further entrenched in everyones lives, capital investment into future networks will improve. Thus, over time everyone wins.

I realize that my connection is the exception and not the rule, but I'm optimistic for everyone.

I remember reading an article about how most gamers actually tend to be situated in areas with decent internet connectivity because they thend to be techology oriented. Based on the linked article, that might be somewhat true. How else could PC gaming be outselling consoles in a world where virtually all PC games are sold digitally? Obviously there is a strong market in spite of crappy internet.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/...now-brings-in-more-money-than-console-gaming/

Yet you have a cap...caps should not exist either.

I wouldn't be too happy with a fast connection that is capped, not at all.

 

[Anteaus]

Yet you have a cap...caps should not exist either.

I wouldn't be too happy with a fast connection that is capped, not at all.

I completely agree with you with one caveat. I think they should either remove the cap completely or provide a mechanism for reasonable use above the cap. Slowing or suspending internet access is not reasonable to me. On the flip side, it would be nice if the ISP would refund the user for any unused data within the cap. After all, if bandwidth is so valuable that it deserves a cap, then the user should be rewarded for not abusing it.

Better yet, just charge a service fee of say $10-15 per month to maintain the connection and just charge a flat fee per GB, say 10 cents. Put everyone at the fastest speed and then let the price you pay reflect consumption. Only download email and browse the web? $20 Use netflix and game heavily to the tune of 500 GB per month? $65. The important thing is to put control in the consumers hands and not some arbitrary agreement with caps that only serve to punish users.

I wish congress would vote to convert internet access into a dumb pipe/utility and make net neutrality a defacto law.

 

[purbeast0]

I completely agree with you with one caveat. I think they should either remove the cap completely or provide a mechanism for reasonable use above the cap. Slowing or suspending internet access is not reasonable to me. On the flip side, it would be nice if the ISP would refund the user for any unused data within the cap. After all, if bandwidth is so valuable that it deserves a cap, then the user should be rewarded for not abusing it.

Better yet, just charge a service fee of say $10-15 per month to maintain the connection and just charge a flat fee per GB, say 10 cents. Put everyone at the fastest speed and then let the price you pay reflect consumption. Only download email and browse the web? $20 Use netflix and game heavily to the tune of 500 GB per month? $65. The important thing is to put control in the consumers hands and not some arbitrary agreement with caps that only serve to punish users.

I wish congress would vote to convert internet access into a dumb pipe/utility and make net neutrality a defacto law.

of course they won't do that, they would make a fraction of the money they make now if they did.

 

[Lil Frier]

I see digital distribution needing to change. No way will I ever pay for a digital game if it will cost me the same as a retail disc. If they want to make digital the new way of obtaining games they still have a lot of people to convince. It makes sense on pc because people can upgrade their pc, because there are usually more sales on pc.

What we need is an online market of used digital games. Either people need to be allowed to recoup some (maybe 25%) of the cost of the game by releasing ownership of it, or there needs to be a market to transfer/sell your digital games to others, while giving up ownership and getting a cut of the sale price.

Imagine if you bought Ghosts on Steam for $60, hated it, then could release the key for $30 or sell it to another user for $40. That's what we need, but I don't know if we'd ever see such a system. They can't outright have a gifting system without crazy locks on the digital copy, because you don't want excessive gifting to 50 users for a single copy.

 

[purbeast0]

What we need is an online market of used digital games. Either people need to be allowed to recoup some (maybe 25%) of the cost of the game by releasing ownership of it, or there needs to be a market to transfer/sell your digital games to others, while giving up ownership and getting a cut of the sale price.

Imagine if you bought Ghosts on Steam for $60, hated it, then could release the key for $30 or sell it to another user for $40. That's what we need, but I don't know if we'd ever see such a system. They can't outright have a gifting system without crazy locks on the digital copy, because you don't want excessive gifting to 50 users for a single copy.

they may have something like this at some point. android and ios both have things implemented where you can return purchases and get refunded within a time frame.

 

[ImpulsE69]

None of these things will come because it hurts all of their bottom lines.

There is no consumer protection. Android apps are chump change compared to $60 games. The only protection you have? Don't buy it. This is why I don't go pay $60 for a brand new game (especially digital). If I hate it, I have no way to get reimbursed. I'm stuck. In today's world why would anyone willingly subject themselves to that unless they are obsessive and have money to burn on nothing better? The whole "supporting the devs" response is old and just plain ignorant. Those devs got their money and were let go typically before you ever got your hands on the game. So a cart cost $50-70 back in the day? You could sell it, with no worries about anything. Today? Pretty much you can't. Soon it will be impossible. Consumers are boxed in. Sadly though, so many people have a "i got to have it" attitude which runs rampant today that the companies get away with treating the real customers like 2nd hand thieves.

The internet portion of this just complicates things even more, there is no one size fits all answer when the decisions are purely based off what will net you maximum profits.

For as much as everyone complained about GS, I never did. I only ever got great deals at GS. I was smart enough to know there were options out there so if GS wanted to rape me on something, I chose to go elsewhere. That's what it is about, options and choices. No one forced anyone to buy/sell anything with GS. Again, the gotta have it now, can't wait mentality in full gear is why GS was successful at fleecing people. Once again, nothing but the consumers stupidity at work. With GS failing, and soon to be gone, that is one additional piece of the puzzle that will lock everyone into the ultimate goal.

 

[sourceninja]

I'm all for digital delivery, but the pricing schemes don't make sense.

Quick check on amazon.

GTA V:
Physical: 39.99
Digital: 59.99

Yea, I'll wait the two days...thanks.

 

[Lil Frier]

None of these things will come because it hurts all of their bottom lines.

There is no consumer protection. Android apps are chump change compared to $60 games. The only protection you have? Don't buy it. This is why I don't go pay $60 for a brand new game (especially digital). If I hate it, I have no way to get reimbursed. I'm stuck. In today's world why would anyone willingly subject themselves to that unless they are obsessive and have money to burn on nothing better? The whole "supporting the devs" response is old and just plain ignorant. Those devs got their money and were let go typically before you ever got your hands on the game. So a cart cost $50-70 back in the day? You could sell it, with no worries about anything. Today? Pretty much you can't. Soon it will be impossible. Consumers are boxed in. Sadly though, so many people have a "i got to have it" attitude which runs rampant today that the companies get away with treating the real customers like 2nd hand thieves.

The internet portion of this just complicates things even more, there is no one size fits all answer when the decisions are purely based off what will net you maximum profits.

For as much as everyone complained about GS, I never did. I only ever got great deals at GS. I was smart enough to know there were options out there so if GS wanted to rape me on something, I chose to go elsewhere. That's what it is about, options and choices. No one forced anyone to buy/sell anything with GS. Again, the gotta have it now, can't wait mentality in full gear is why GS was successful at fleecing people. Once again, nothing but the consumers stupidity at work. With GS failing, and soon to be gone, that is one additional piece of the puzzle that will lock everyone into the ultimate goal.

I completely agree. I mean, there were certainly times I took the rip-off trade offers and got a game with that money, but it was really preferable to trying to put something on Craigslist or eBay, then waiting a week to get another $3-5. I might have paid more for a used game than if I got it online, but I bought games when I wanted them, not with the thought of "it's a good deal, and I might want to play it soon," except when getting super-cheap games during GameStop's big sales. For the complaints about their rip-offs, you were usually only talking a couple of bucks, so it's not like you were losing out on a bunch of money, when it meant the immediate convenience of getting the game or credit right then.

Today, I haven't purchased a title from GameStop since the MLB 2K12/NBA 2K12 combo pack more than 2 years ago, mostly because there hasn't been anything I really wanted (I only got 3 other console games after that, and 2 were Christmas gifts). As for my future purchases, I've already looked at titles I might want, but I'm ONLY going to buy them when a buy 2, get 1 free occurs. I don't want anything out at $50 for a used copy, but you give me 3 of them for $100, and I'll start considering it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

For many people I would assume the convenience of a Gamestop store in every mall made it easy to offload your old, unused games. Especially when they still took NES, SNES, Genesis titles. We used to get people with duffle bags full of old games and systems to trade in for whatever they were worth. Most people didn't have boxes for all these games so real collectors didn't touch them and at most garage sales you wouldn't get people interested in video games from over a decade ago. So it was easy to just load it up and bring to gamestop for credit toward that new PS2 or Xbox game. That's really where it all started, unloading stuff that nobody touched anymore so you could get something new. Once they stopped taking those and would really only take newer stuff (realizing most old games just sit and nobody buys them), it went downhill in terms of usefulness and value. BestBuy offering trade-in services is hurting them I'm sure since BB almost always offers more value and you don't have to turn around and buy more games.

I think eventually every retailer will have a digital marketplace in the end anyway. You'll have TRU, GS, BB, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Frys, Newegg etc all with their own Xbox, Playstation or Nintendo stores with the latest games available to download. They will be competing on pricing and deals of course which helps us in the end as consumers. However, the number of people who collect their games is still too high to ignore so a physical copy of most titles will still be available in the future as well. Especially for Collectors Editions, which are always in demand. The real trick will be making digital games have some tangible value for those who like being able to rent, borrow, trade, or sell their games once they decide they are finished.