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Xenoblade in stock at many Gamestops for $90. Was it reprinted? Who knows!

Cels

Member
$90 isn't that crazy right? wasn't metroid prime trilogy going for similar amounts too since nintendo ceased making them? granted it has a sexy steelbook but similar situation with a rare game being sold over msrp, reprint or no.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
They're definitely getting more than a couple, because they aren't selling out. There are more stores around me that have the game now then there were when this topic started.
Eh tough to say. The store from Saturday still has the same copy (I called). But yes more stores in the area are showing up today as well. And the store I bought my copy from showed out of stock immediately and is still oos today.

I just said I hadn't heard of any stores with more than one. I'm sure there are. But 30? Or even 8?
 

Fox Mulder

Member
$90 isn't that crazy right? wasn't metroid prime trilogy going for similar amounts too since nintendo ceased making them? granted it has a sexy steelbook but similar situation with a rare game being sold over msrp, reprint or no.

$90 isn't the worst thing in the world since you can get it down to $68 or so with the right promos and discounts. I got metroid prime trilogy a few weeks ago for $48 the same way.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
Yeah seeing if there's an instore coupon I can use for Metroid. What did you use? Two stores in my area have it right now.
 

Fox Mulder

Member
Use the birthday coupon. It takes 20% off as long as you have a Power Up account.

I never got a birthday coupon since I apparently never set my birthdate. I've added a birthday now, how would you get the coupon? I just had enough reward points to buy a $25 off coupon.
 

KiraXD

Member
Edit - and I would be REALLY careful with your edit. Piracy is wrong. Period. There is no jusifiable reason for piracy and trying to argue a reason as justifiable could get you banned here. Be careful. If you can't afford the scalper prices, that still doesn't make pirating it ok.

it was honestly a hypothetical... i already purchased the game. just trying to see what would honestly be wrong with obtaining a copy if no money went to nintendo... its an interesting discussion as to why people could justify (right or wrong) pirating it or not. i know it IS WRONG... but aside from it just being "wrong" why do people think its wrong (or okay)

im not saying "GO OUT AND STEAL THIS GAME" just wondering the general consensus on obtaining OOP games.

(I remember buying Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne for $60 used ($20 these days) at gamestop back in the PS2 era... at that time i WAS one of the most expensive used games other than MvC2
 
Looks like we've got some new info.

A user on GameFAQs posted this image comparing the cases of Pikmin 3, Xenoblade, and Metroid: Other M. I added the circles for clarity.

Here, you'll notice the difference between a current Wii U case (Pikmin just came out), the new Gamestop Xenoblade case, and an older Wii case. Interestingly, while the Pikmin case has the Nintendo logo just like the Xenoblade case, it's missing a plastic tab at the very top center of the case.

Tl2vetql.jpg


However, I looked around for pictures of other first party Nintendo Wii U releases and it looks like Lego City Undercover has the same case as Pikmin. Lego City was released back in March.

NWeg3Dwl.png


However, Nintendoland (shown here), NSMBU, and Ninja Gaiden all have the plastic tab in the center, meaning that they have the exact same case used for the Gamestop Xenoblades aside from color.

kRoCo1xl.png


What does this mean? It seems like Nintendo has changed the type of case used for their Wii U games at some point after NSMBU and Ninja Gaiden, which were released in November of 2012, and before the release of Lego City Undercover in March. On one hand, this could narrow down dates, suggesting that Xenoblade was potentially reprinted in a window sometime between September (the release of Kirby's Dream Collection in the normal Wii case) and March. On the other hand, Nintendo could have just had some extra case molds or something. Who knows.

Interestingly, a member at NintendoAge mentioned that they had bought a copy of Xenoblade earlier this Spring with the Nintendo branded case. It's looking like they might have been sitting on reprinted copies of the game for a few months now.

What better time to start selling them than when they raise the price to $90?
 
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?
 

Miyahon

Member
Got my copy in the mail. It seems like a new copy as the box isn't scratched or damaged. The disc is pristine and the Club Nintendo code, which I redeemed, and all of the adverts are still inside of the case. It has a Nintendo logo inside the case too.
 

Samyy

Member
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?

No random encounters!
All the enemies are on the map for you to see
 

Sean*O

Member
So this is what happens when you give Gamestop an exclusive license to sell anything? I'll grab one when they fall down in price again but I'm not one of Gamestop's marks willing to pay $90.

My opinion of GS went down a notch if there really is some funny business going on where GS is selling repressed new copies as used. Too bad Nintendo doesn't have the leverage to put Gamestop in check because the WiiU isn't selling for shit.
 

KiraXD

Member
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?

dude... when was the last time you played a JRPG? Random Encounters have been gone from most of them (on consoles at least) for quite some time. actually... i cant even think of a recent jrpg that has random encounters... (im sure there are... i just cant think of any ATM.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?
No random encounters. Easily the best jRPG since the PS2 gen, and I think pretty unanimously regarded as one of the top jRPGs of all time (top 10 or top 20). Which of course adds to the whole issue with it being in high demand compared to how many were printed in the US. The problem is only in the US. Other territories had normal availability.
 

sphagnum

Banned
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?

Guessing you never had a Wii?
 

KHarvey16

Member
Got my copy in the mail. It seems like a new copy as the box isn't scratched or damaged. The disc is pristine and the Club Nintendo code, which I redeemed, and all of the adverts are still inside of the case. It has a Nintendo logo inside the case too.

What were the advertisements for?
 
I went on a honeymoon vacation to my hometown 2 weeks ago. My best friend saw a used copy at the local GameStop for $89.99 (pro member price $80.99) and bought it for me as part of a wedding present. It was indeed a used copy that came with a rumpled instruction booklet and an edge-worn cover slip. The case however, was new. I think the old case was already too raggedy and they probably popped the cover onto a new one. I highly doubt that there was a reprint.

Btw, been playing it every chance I get and this game is just ridiculously AWESOME. The last times I felt like this were when I played my day 1 copy of FF7 for the first time and when I got "hooked" on WoW during the Burning Crusade era. This is a game I would gladly pay $100 for and be sleep deprived over.
 
Has anyone found any word of people picking up copies that were in less-than-new condition? Saw a couple posts about bent corners of the covers and whatnot, but have any people heard of ones that were caseless? More damage than that? One missing the ads/Club Nintendo paperwork?

The more this goes on the fishier it gets, and now I'm just curious. I also REALLY want a copy of this game, but I can't bring myself to pay that price.
 
If that happens scalpers are going to buy all the msrp reprint copies before you can blink and sell them on ebay for $200 like any other new copies of the game right now. The easiest solution will be for Nintendo to release this digitally and call it a day.

Of course a digital release is optimal. But I was just questioning NOA's motive for offering a reprint, but not releasing PR nor selling copies in their online store alongside the Gamestop shipment - because that's what they did the first time around.

And while a $50 MSRP release or a $90 "used" release affects all consumers (scalpers included), it doesn't affect NOA's decision making or actual business of publishing and shipping the original printing or this potential reprint.

I don't really understand their angle in reprinting this, shipping it to gamestop with no PR and not offering it in their own online store, same as with the initial print, (only for gamestop to sell them as "used" for $90).
 
Has anyone found any word of people picking up copies that were in less-than-new condition? Saw a couple posts about bent corners of the covers and whatnot, but have any people heard of ones that were caseless? More damage than that? One missing the ads/Club Nintendo paperwork?

The more this goes on the fishier it gets, and now I'm just curious. I also REALLY want a copy of this game, but I can't bring myself to pay that price.

Visited two Gamestops at lunch today and both had one copy that was brand new marked as pre-owned. Check your area, there is likely to be one available you can check the condition on before purchasing.
 

JosiahB

Member
Use the birthday coupon. It takes 20% off as long as you have a Power Up account.

I never got a birthday coupon since I apparently never set my birthdate. I've added a birthday now, how would you get the coupon? I just had enough reward points to buy a $25 off coupon.

Are birthday coupons specific the the account? I mean, could someone else use my birthday coupon? If so, you can have mine bkfount, I'm not going to use it.
 

dallow_bg

nods at old men
Visited two Gamestops at lunch today and both had one copy that was brand new marked as pre-owned. Check your area, there is likely to be one available you can check the condition on before purchasing.

They are universal and can be used as much as anyone wants.
 

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?

surprised that someone hasent heard of xenoblade, 1st time since forever have i seen a question like this asked
 

Persona7

Banned
Pics or it didn't happen. Everyone reporting seeing them in store are all at one copy. Haven't heard yet of a store with even two copies and now this place has 30 with eight cases out on display? Even more suspect when you take into account that GameStop stores no longer have a "Wii section". Every store in my area has all of the games shoved onto a rack. So this rack has like 8 or 30 copies on it?


If this is a reprint, then Nintendo (who also happens to be the dev) is getting money for each copy sold. Yes.

However, piracy is never justified, not even by being OOP.

I don't know what gamestops you are going to but the two near me still have wii sections.

I made a previous post after a friend who works at that gamestop said they received thirty copies he was also surprised. I have no reason not to believe him. He frequently calls me when something interesting comes in and we have known each other for 6 years. I frequently call him when I see something on the internet to maybe get some information. I've posted claims that I heard from this friend and other friends who work at different places before on GAF.
 

Malvingt2

Member
Looks like we've got some new info.

A user on GameFAQs posted this image comparing the cases of Pikmin 3, Xenoblade, and Metroid: Other M. I added the circles for clarity.

Here, you'll notice the difference between a current Wii U case (Pikmin just came out), the new Gamestop Xenoblade case, and an older Wii case. Interestingly, while the Pikmin case has the Nintendo logo just like the Xenoblade case, it's missing a plastic tab at the very top center of the case.

Tl2vetql.jpg


However, I looked around for pictures of other first party Nintendo Wii U releases and it looks like Lego City Undercover has the same case as Pikmin. Lego City was released back in March.

NWeg3Dwl.png


However, Nintendoland (shown here), NSMBU, and Ninja Gaiden all have the plastic tab in the center, meaning that they have the exact same case used for the Gamestop Xenoblades aside from color.

kRoCo1xl.png


What does this mean? It seems like Nintendo has changed the type of case used for their Wii U games at some point after NSMBU and Ninja Gaiden, which were released in November of 2012, and before the release of Lego City Undercover in March. On one hand, this could narrow down dates, suggesting that Xenoblade was potentially reprinted in a window sometime between September (the release of Kirby's Dream Collection in the normal Wii case) and March. On the other hand, Nintendo could have just had some extra case molds or something. Who knows.

Interestingly, a member at NintendoAge mentioned that they had bought a copy of Xenoblade earlier this Spring with the Nintendo branded case. It's looking like they might have been sitting on reprinted copies of the game for a few months now.

What better time to start selling them than when they raise the price to $90?

interesting indeed
 

cafemomo

Member
Ugghh I want a copy so bad but I dont feel like shelling out 84 bux for one. But I know this will be the cheapest option to do

I really do regret not keeping my original copy :(
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
So did Gamestop manufacture this "rarity"?

Did they purposely hold onto copies of the game at a warehouse, so they could give the appearance that it's a very scarce, hard to find title? Then charge a $90 price, because gamers/collectors are desperate to obtain it?

Xenoblade is apparently not a hard game to find now, so there's no justification for the high price tag.
 
I got a reprinted copy of Fatal Frame 3 from GameStop for $30 in 2008. It was sold as used but was obviously new.

They did the same for Nocturne's Game Quest Direct reprint but sold it at $60. I just waited for Amazon to stock it for $20 still in the original shrink wrap.
 
hmmmmmm i've been monitoring the stock in locations for the past week since the thread was made and it started out with 3 locations in Boston/MA having the game.

just checking and its gone up to 30 locations having the game lmao 0_o

and there are more outside MA that haven't been there all week.
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
I posted a devil's advocate "reason" for the pricing earlier in the thread. Just speculation, but had GameStop released this reprint as New and $50, no this thread wouldn't exist. Instead a different thread would exist titled "Xenoblade Chronicles BACK IN STOCK!!!" To which posts in that thread would either be "sweet. I just cleaned out all of my local Gamestops. Time to get these puppies on eBay" or "Fuuuckkk!!! I waited in line for my GameStop to open and the guy ahead I me bought all of the copies!! Fucking scalpers.."

GameStop doing it this way, as shady as it is, was seriously the only way an average person would be able to walk in and but a copy. As a business practice it's pretty underhanded (why not just call them new?) but yeah.. If these were put in the shelf for $50 new I have no question I wouldn't have gotten one of those and would STILL have had to spend $100 online for an auction.

Edit - of course without just doing a stupid sized print run. But with GameStop likely footing the manufacturing bill, I'm sure they would rather see the game be rare like this rather then be left with 15 copies of a game for a dead system at every store sitting on the shelves unsold.
 

Ban Puncher

Member
This is the same company that in Australia on release day they took new copies of Zelda: The Wind Waker on GameCube, split the WW and bonus OoT discs into separate boxes with specific sleeves printed up, and sold them as seperate pre-owned SKU's at inflated prices. They came in the same delivery as the new games which funnily enough, were only enough of to cover pre-orders.


Yeah, I wouldn't put it past Gamestop to pull this kind of shit.
 

kurbaan

Banned
I posted a devil's advocate "reason" for the pricing earlier in the thread. Just speculation, but had GameStop released this reprint as New and $50, no this thread wouldn't exist. Instead a different thread would exist titled "Xenoblade Chronicles BACK IN STOCK!!!" To which posts in that thread would either be "sweet. I just cleaned out all of my local Gamestops. Time to get these puppies on eBay" or "Fuuuckkk!!! I waited in line for my GameStop to open and the guy ahead I me bought all of the copies!! Fucking scalpers.."

GameStop doing it this way, as shady as it is, was seriously the only way an average person would be able to walk in and but a copy. As a business practice it's pretty underhanded (why not just call them new?) but yeah.. If these were put in the shelf for $50 new I have no question I wouldn't have gotten one of those and would STILL have had to spend $100 online for an auction.

Edit - of course without just doing a stupid sized print run. But with GameStop likely footing the manufacturing bill, I'm sure they would rather see the game be rare like this rather then be left with 15 copies of a game for a dead system at every store sitting on the shelves unsold.

So you would prefer we pay 90 to gamestop for "preowned" copies rather than pay the same price on eBay for a new one to some potential scalper.

if they had sold it like normal scalper prices would gave gone down anyway because there would be a ton of supply.
 
What is this Xenoblade game, never heard of it ?

EDIT: Watched an IGN review, it's an JRPG huh... That's why I haven't heard about it! I rarely play JRPG's because of the lame (imo) random encounters. Is this present in this one ?

No. I thought you watched a Review?
 

Ondore

Member
I saw a proposal on another board that the discs were for warranty replacements that didn't end up happening, and now that the warranty period is over they were released into the wild.

Does that seem logical to anyone?
 

Miletius

Member
It does seem like there is a lot more stock circulating than before, for whatever reason. I just looked up stock in my area and where before there was 1 or 2 there now seems to be one at almost every store in my area.

I should just pick one up with my credit, I want to play it one day.
 

linkboy

Member
I live in Great Falls, MT and we have two Gamestop's. I managed to get the only copy the store in our mall had and gamestop's website is saying that the nearest copy is in Helena, 75 miles away.
 
So did Gamestop manufacture this "rarity"?

Did they purposely hold onto copies of the game at a warehouse, so they could give the appearance that it's a very scarce, hard to find title? Then charge a $90 price, because gamers/collectors are desperate to obtain it?

Xenoblade is apparently not a hard game to find now, so there's no justification for the high price tag.

It's crazy. It wasn't too long ago that there wasn't a single store within 100 miles that had it. Now I look at the store locations thing and there are 139 yes 139 stores within 100 miles that have them. I don't know what to say.

I live in Maryland.
 
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