"Zero Originality", The 9-part Expose of a Ex Gamestop Employee

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Makes for some interesting viewing, due to the halfway competent way he mimics Zero Punctuation, though he has a tendency to mumble.

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=WhistleBlowerZero

[Young Avenger]

Just finished watching it. All it did is reforce my hatred for Gamestop

[2-4-5_Trioxin]

From one I saw he was basically bitching about how gamestop pays little for games and sells for alot. But, thats good business. Buy low, sell high. Thats the motto of the stock market and sales in general. Gamestop is a giant business and the point of a business is to make money. Im not saying its right or wrong but thats the point of gamestop stores is to make as much money as possible.

He probablly got in trouble working there and now is mad about it and trying to drag their name through the mud. Guy I knew did the same thing when he got canned for breaking the street date on half life 2 when he worked for electronics boutique.

[Black Atom]

Without getting into a protracted conversation about business ethics, there used to be (before GameStop bought them all) many game shops that would make a profit on trade-ins without purposely misleading customers or preying on their ignorance.

[xnef1025]

Really, the ripoff subscription/reservation system and overpriced used games aren't what make me want to no longer shop at Gamestop. I have no problem paying a higher price for convenience. It's my choice as the consumer. I also have a subscription, because while GameInformer is indeed generally crap, it's entertaining crap with just enough kernals of substance that I can form my own opinions on the games they review/advertise.

The things that piss me off are the s***** way they treat thier employees. Most of what WBZ shows in the videos you can also read first hand accounts about here (http://www.jobvent.com/companyBrowse.php?CompanyID=392) as well. I have no respect for a place that is so dismissive and uncaring towards its employees.

[Astonishing X-Fan]

I hate how a used game is like, 5 bucks cheaper than a new one half the time. Why would I pay $45 for a used copy when I can get a brand new one for $50? Five bucks is far too little savings to justify a used product, IMO.

[Alex]

Just, as an aside since i worked at blockbuster for 3 years and noticed some similarities with this gamespot dude.
When you get a used game or movie, or rent a movie and it doesn't work, 9/10 that thing is going back on the shelf. Most stores don't even teach the policy of what to do with said movies and games, so you get two types of employees
1. Everything they get that was brought back goes in the defective drawer. I was one of those guys.
2. Everything gets put back out.

They push used games and movies because its a rental place...you charge 9 bucks a rental for a game 7 times, then you sell it for 40 bucks. Cheaper then gamespot, but they made more money.
Company never made a dime on new games incidently, i question why they are currently pushing new game sales so hard.

[Kage Kisaragi]

Without getting into a protracted conversation about business ethics, there used to be (before GameStop bought them all) many game shops that would make a profit on trade-ins without purposely misleading customers or preying on their ignorance.

Agreed. Whatever happen to Funcoland?

[Kage Kisaragi]

I hate how a used game is like, 5 bucks cheaper than a new one half the time. Why would I pay $45 for a used copy when I can get a brand new one for $50? Five bucks is far too little savings to justify a used product, IMO.

Again agreed. Especially when you realize that they are still charging taxes on the used product, and the 5 bucks saving is basically the amount of the taxes you'd get charged anyway so you might as well buy it new.

I'd love to just buy games online but I want my game when I want my game and thats the only reason why I'd go to gamestop. hell just recently I had to pay 54.60 for a used copy of Dark Alliance 2. What the &&&& the game is as old as god knows what but its used price is the same as a brand new game... more than some new games in fact.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

hell just recently I had to pay 54.60 for a used copy of Dark Alliance 2. What the &&&& the game is as old as god knows what but its used price is the same as a brand new game... more than some new games in fact.

Well, you have to remember one of the things mentioned in this series, and that I myself know from experience: they pay attention to what older games are going for.


I sold my old copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for Xbox for ludicrous amounts of money on Ebay (around 70.00). Curious, I called up Gamestop to see what it was going for there.

75.00.


And while Dark Alliance is barely able to achieve 10.00 on a lucky day, its sequel is apparently worth a heck of a lot more.


Thus, Gamestop, a place who makes most of their cash off used games, is savvy.


The thing is...I betcha they give ignorant kids who come in wanting to pawn it off the 'wow, this thing is old, you'd practically have to pay us' spiel. They tried doing it to me a number of times back before I actually started listening to other folks.

[Tyr]

I'm ashamed to say it, but I do find myself going back to gamestop from time to time. I tried to stay away, but unfortunately the have the best game selection where I live.

I also like convenience, and I actually like some of the folks that work there.

[Kage Kisaragi]

Well, you have to remember one of the things mentioned in this series, and that I myself know from experience: they pay attention to what older games are going for.


I sold my old copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 for Xbox for ludicrous amounts of money on Ebay (around 70.00). Curious, I called up Gamestop to see what it was going for there.

75.00.


And while Dark Alliance is barely able to achieve 10.00 on a lucky day, its sequel is apparently worth a heck of a lot more.


Thus, Gamestop, a place who makes most of their cash off used games, is savvy.


The thing is...I betcha they give ignorant kids who come in wanting to pawn it off the 'wow, this thing is old, you'd practically have to pay us' spiel. They tried doing it to me a number of times back before I actually started listening to other folks.

yeah I undestand, but when it comes to comparing prices Gamestop is the only place that sells the title and they were asking for nearly 100.00$ (I'm assuming thats the price if its new.) At least thats whats listed when you run a price check on the game.

[Tyr]

yeah I undestand, but when it comes to comparing prices Gamestop is the only place that sells the title and they were asking for nearly 100.00$ (I'm assuming thats the price if its new.) At least thats whats listed when you run a price check on the game.

And there in lies part of the problem. Finding games like that anywhere else is next to impossible, unless you get real lucky and find a copy at Game Crazy. Granted you can try Ebay, but then you have to actually wait for your merchandise, and hope they guy didn't run with your money or sell you a bootleg.