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Comments by game store staff on your purchases

A Gamestop I used to frequent would have a guy who (jokingly) give me grief about buying Atelier games and stuff like Killer Is Dead and Lollipop Chainsaw. He later admitted he was a fan of that himself. He was also a metal head and we would talk about Iron Maiden albums.

A local mom and pop game store I go into recently keeps bringing up how 'we got a new shipment of amiibos in!' despite my telling them I'm not a fan of amiibos and it's not my thing. I'm at a point where I won't go back to that store.

Almost every Gamestop asks me to buy a 'warranty for a $1' which doesn't effect me. If the game is damaged, maybe Gamestop should closer at the game before selling it, not expect me to buy 'insurance' on the game.
 
Game UK

"Would you like to pre-order doom?"
"No"
"Why not?"
"It might be crap"
"It won't be"
"You don't know"
"I'll throw in a free poster"
"I'm in my 30s, mate"

And my personal favourite

"Would you like to buy disk insurance?"
"Do you think I use them as frisbees?"
Do people in their 30s not like posters?

Should I throw out my posters when I turn 30?
 
Bought Nier at a Game stop a few weeks ago, and it wasn't even bad. Lady asked if she could help me, we found the game and I bought it. No pushy preorders or weird opinions about games. Just asked me if I had a PUR card and didn't even ask if I wanted to sign up for one when I said no.
 
I give people shit about any & all games they buy. Even the ones I like. Equal opportunity gamestop employee hater; its all shit (except Vanquish & Metal Gear Rising)
 
Do people in their 30s not like posters?

Should I throw out my posters when I turn 30?

No, there's a topic of framed kideo game posters in gaming-side that shows all you gotta do is put a frame on em
 
As a "game shop worker," I hear far dumber things from the customers than my staff :)

That is true. As someone who used to work in Blockbusters I've heard a lot more dumb shit from customers.

Is it common for game store employees to comment on purchases? It's just such a weird thing to me, especially negative comments about the thing you're buying. I've never had that happen in any other type of store. The couple of times I actually go to a specialized game store to pick something up, if they say anything, it'll at least be a positive comment. Note that I don't live in the US.

Happens sometimes in the UK for me. Mostly if they notice I'm a frequent customer.
 
As a teenager a clerk tried to talk me out of buying Zone of the Enders 2 when it had just come out because he said it was super short. I had to reassure him that it was definitely what I wanted. Only time I can think of anyone at any store trying to talk me OUT of buying something, and I still find it bizarre. Maybe he thought he was looking out for me and my limited income, but it's not like I was bringing licensed bullshit game of the week up there either.
 
I had a "good choice, been playing it lately myself" when buying S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SoC. Otherwise I don't really remember.
 
Do people in their 30s not like posters?

Should I throw out my posters when I turn 30?

It depends on the person, I got tired of gaming swag and the clutter that it pretty much was and purged it all. So someone offering me a poster to pre-order wouldn't be appealing.

--//--

The only real comment that sticks out in my mind was when I was 14 and Rainbow Six for the Dreamcast got delayed a couple times, I was at an Electronics Boutique and asked the people who worked there if it was every coming out and they all laughed. I changed my pre-order to something else.

It came out 2 months later.

Generally speaking, I don't buy from brick and mortar anymore so I don't even have the opportunity to have anyone say anything.
 
I'll set the scene.

Gamestop.

I was buying a game for my 8 year old nephew.

I picked up a used game for him. At his age he didn't care if games were used/new/good/terrible, he was just thrilled about receiving gifts that were games. I wish I could remember what the game was now but anyways:

I take the game up the counter and receive the "do you want the super power up plus yabba dabba do card, you get X% off your used purchases". I explained to them that I don't really ever buy used games. He pointed at the game I was purchasing with a "i gotcha" smirk and goes "You're buying a used game now". I explained that it was for a little kid and in some snooty attitude he goes "OOOOH so used games are good enough for him but aren't good enough for you". I just set the game down and left.

I don't really need your horse shit, thank you though.

My nephew got cash instead at a greater value than the game. I guess it worked out for him.
 
I'll set the scene.

Gamestop.

I was buying a game for my 8 year old nephew.

I picked up a used game for him. At his age he didn't care if games were used/new/good/terrible, he was just thrilled about receiving gifts that were games. I wish I could remember what the game was now but anyways:

I take the game up the counter and receive the "do you want the super power up plus yabba dabba do card, you get X% off your used purchases". I explained to them that I don't really ever buy used games. He pointed at the game I was purchasing with a "i gotcha" smirk and goes "Your buying a used game now". I explained that it was for a little kid and in some snooty attitude he goes "OOOOH so used games are good enough for him but aren't good enough for you". I just set the game down and left.

I don't really need your horse shit, thank you though.

My nephew got cash instead at a greater value than the game. I guess it worked out for him.

You could have just said "no".
 
You could have just said "no".

He could have just dropped it.
You could have not responded to my post.

The flow of the conversation was about saving money on the used games. I don't think it was out of line to say that i don't really buy used games.
 
We usually talk 5–30min about the game, when the staffer has played the game before and the store isn't too busy. Not a chain-store, though.
 
One guy at my local GameStop will ask me questions about games I'm picking up, usually niche Japanese games. I also ran into him at an Anime convention once, he's a nice dude. Otherwise they just ask me if I want to preorder something.
 
Guy in this old independent store in my town was ecstatic at my purchase of Battalion Wars 2 for Wii; "Excellent choice, really good, it's amazing, enjoy!". Miss that old store, it's now been turned into flats :/
 
"Why would you get that when the sequel is out? That's pointless."

I wanted to get into the Onimusha series since I read good things, & at the point it was just the first two games, but I only had money to get one of them. So I thought I start with the beginning & that's what the cashier said to me. Ended up getting Onimusha 2. Still kinda regret it, but it's okay because I bought the first game a month later.
 
He could have just dropped it.
You could have not responded to my post.

The flow of the conversation was about saving money on the used games. I don't think it was out of line to say that i don't really buy used games.
They pointed out the irony of your statement, since you didn't have to really respond like that to something the company makes them ask you. They don't do it because they want to. They do it because protocol.

Heck, you could have said yes and saved some money and thrown the card in the bin.
 
Had a Gamestop employee try to talk me out of buying Dynasty Warriors Gundam once. It was weird. I am giving you money for a product here and I like Musou games.

I think I eventually said "I am tired, I have had a bad day, and I want to kill a bunch of enemies" and he shut up about it.
 
best buy today:
me: ''Hey can you help me find an external hard drive for WiiU?''
him: looks confused. ''nintendo doesnt allow that''
me:''sure they do''
him: ''oh i guess they recently patched in that feature. ''
me: ''nah, its been an option i'm just now wanting one''

another worker hears and approaches
''I can help you find an SD card. that's all WiiU accepts''

me: ''nevermind, just point me to the external hard drived?''

they both kinda laugh, like ok... whatever your loss.

needless to say i didnt buy anything there. i mean if you don't know just say you don't know. don't misinform a customer with such confidence.
 
I once got asked if I wanted to buy insurance at gamestop on a game that cost less than what the insurance was.
 
Both at GameStop:

While paying for a backlit GBA SP back in '05:
My wife: "Why do you want that one? Is it better than the one you have?"
Me: "Yep, this one's backlit vs. the last one, which had frontlighting."
Employee #2: (loudly and not looking at me) "THE GBA DOESN'T *HAVE* BACKLIGHTING."
Me: (annoyed af now) "The words 'backlit screen' on the box must mean something else in your world."
Employee #2: Glances over but says nothing.
Employee #1: "Sorry about that."

Picking up my MGS4 LE preorder after work in '08:
Employee: "Oh, you showed up. I was going to sell this to someone else."
Me: "Doesn't the preorder hold it here?"
Employee: "No guarantees."

The second one actually pushed me to pretty much boycott GS. The one time I bought from them again was for XBC on the Wii two years later since I had no other choice. Besides that, nada.
 
I had a rather amusing time picking up a copy of THPS5 for a friend.

Him: Looks at me, looks down at the game, looks back at me and sighs. Are you sure?
Me: Yeah, I know. It's for a friend that just has to know for himself.
Him: Well, uh, just...have your friend ask for me when he wants to return it. I'll help him out.

Sure enough, when he went back the guy not only helped him out, but gave him some assorted pre-order junk for his pain.
 
Picking up my MGS4 LE preorder after work in '08:
Employee: "Oh, you showed up. I was going to sell this to someone else."
Me: "Doesn't the preorder hold it here?"
Employee: "No guarantees."

I think that's a (very bad) marketing strategy to get you to come in more often to check on your preorder and hope you'll buy something else
 
When the guy behind the counter asks if the game I am buying is any good. There are multiple things wrong with asking me that question, at that time, while buying the product they sell. Perhaps he assumes I just rebuy games new that I have already somehow played. Perhaps he thinks I could give a solid opinion of it based on me knowing that it exists at all. I can only answer either uninformed, or based on someone else's opinion. Well fuck him, because my answer is maybe. Maybe it is.
 
I think that's a (very bad) marketing strategy to get you to come in more often to check on your preorder and hope you'll buy something else
Yeah, it was pretty insane to me... it was launch day too. I just wasn't able to get to the store until about 6PM, not that that should make any difference.
 
"Xenoblade Chronicles?

I see from your trade ins that you also have a ps3. Wouldn't you rather get a game for that instead of the Wii?"

When I bought one of the few copies of Xenoblade my local Gamestop had gotten at launch.
 
Both at GameStop:

The second one actually pushed me to pretty much boycott GS. The one time I bought from them again was for XBC on the Wii two years later since I had no other choice. Besides that, nada.

You should just report shit like that to the district managers. AFAIK, they DO have to hold pre-orders for a certain amount of time. I think it's two days.

I hated the GameStops where I grew up, but thankfully, the town I live in now has a very awesome one with great employees. Not only do they know their shit and give me personalized recommendations frequently, but they really seem to care. The manager bought three Destiny lithographs out of his own pocket (one for each class) to raffle off at the midnight launch for TTK. If I ask them about any game, even obscure ones, they typically know exactly what I'm talking about, or genuinely ask me for information on it if they've never heard of it. Also, they're just generally cool guys to chat with while I'm being rung up. It's unfortunate that this experience seems to be one-in-a-million.
 
I had a rather amusing time picking up a copy of THPS5 for a friend.

Him: Looks at me, looks down at the game, looks back at me and sighs. Are you sure?
Me: Yeah, I know. It's for a friend that just has to know for himself.
Him: Well, uh, just...have your friend ask for me when he wants to return it. I'll help him out.

Sure enough, when he went back the guy not only helped him out, but gave him some assorted pre-order junk for his pain.
I would feel bad for your friend too. Good on that guy though, that's good customer service.
 
This one motherfucker at Gamestop tried to tell me that the PS3 version of Skyrim wasn't broken at launch. I was trading it out for the 360 version and I was like "dude, fucking let's load up my game save and you try playing it." It had happened twice and I didn't want to start over again without knowing it would work and this dude was denying there was a problem with my game. That is actually the last time I've ever bought something from a Gamestop.
 
My local EB Games manager makes fun of me for buying all my XB1 games digitally. I tell him he's just mad he's not making a royalty off those purchases.

He's a really cool guy. The only reason I use EB Games.
 
God that upsell tree Gamestop walked you through (are you a rewards member? want to preorder? want the guide? want disc insurance? want free issues of Game Informer? Do you know about our trade-in specials? and on and on and on) was brutal. I dunno if they still do it or not, haven't been in one forever. As someone who has worked retail I feel for them having to do it, but I have to admit it was basically the last straw - too many visits where either the line was crawling because of it or I was just trying to get in and out and they were thwarting my efforts.
 
I was also told that the 2nd disc for MGS3: Subsistence wasn't important (even though it contains 2 full games and I was paying extra for that version as well). I insisted and he miraculously found the other disc.

I wonder what the odds are that he was hoping to 'miraculously' find the other disc inside of his own PS2 later that night
 
When I bought mass effect 3 million the cashier asked me who I romanced I told her liara she did it playfully though.

A cashier at GameStop told me I that blue dragon was really good and that I should get it over Micheal Jackson experience :smh: what a clown
 
Haven't run into much nonsense at all things considered.

Gamestop:

The chick who rang up my preorder for Lollipop Chainsaw was super excited about it so we talked about it a little.

One dude ragged on me to his buddy for buying Endless Ocean. This was while he was ringing me up and I had half a mind to just leave the copy and walk out.

I was picking up something once and the guy started talking about how awful it was that Bayonetta 2 was a Wii U exclusive and how pissed he was about it. I told him I was a Wii U owner and excited about it and he did a complete 180 and started talking about how cool it was.

Had a much better experience at Best Buy. This guy was trying to take my Disney Infinity trade in and he asked me what games I played and we started talking about fighters, particularly KOF XIV, for a bit.

My friend probably got the worst of it when he went to this place called GameFellas and the guys started talking about him being gay since he was wearing a Jojo's Bizarre Adventure shirt.
 
I haven't really had any bad experiences around this topic. They generally get to know me quite well, and end up using me as help when recommending things to customers because they know I know my stuff.
 
Both at GameStop:

While paying for a backlit GBA SP back in '05:
My wife: "Why do you want that one? Is it better than the one you have?"
Me: "Yep, this one's backlit vs. the last one, which had frontlighting."
Employee #2: (loudly and not looking at me) "THE GBA DOESN'T *HAVE* BACKLIGHTING."
Me: (annoyed af now) "The words 'backlit screen' on the box must mean something else in your world."
Employee #2: Glances over but says nothing.
Employee #1: "Sorry about that."

Picking up my MGS4 LE preorder after work in '08:
Employee: "Oh, you showed up. I was going to sell this to someone else."
Me: "Doesn't the preorder hold it here?"
Employee: "No guarantees."

The second one actually pushed me to pretty much boycott GS. The one time I bought from them again was for XBC on the Wii two years later since I had no other choice. Besides that, nada.

Oh yeah, I almost didn't get my launch Wii because I was at work the day it came out. I came in that evening and at first they told me they didn't have one, but then when I pressed further they pulled mine out from the back room. The tape seal had clearly been lifted on it. I guess one of them had decided to claim it...
 
I got ribbed once for wanting the white ds lite .

He wanted to know why I wanted the girl colour.


It was playfully done so there was no ill intention.
I got the lite with new super Mario brothers and was chuffed to bits.
 
Two-three months before it was confirmed I overheard a customer asking for Crash Bandicoot on PS3 and the clerk rightly said there wasn't one for PS3 but they were making one for PS4 and she needed a PS4. Then when preordering Ratchet he told me all about how they were making a new Crash and making all kinds of things up stating them as if they were fact.
 
Just about a week or so ago I had a worker at GameStop very uncomfortably hit on me when I was buying the new LEGO Star Wars to play with my girlfriend, lol

The conversation was so uncomfortable.
"Will that be all today?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Would you like to purchase the Season Pass? You get access to some sp-"
"No thank you!"
"Oh... well... You seem very 'take charge'"
"Uh.. heh, yeah, I guess so, ha..."
"You know, if you need help getting through a puzzle or something, the game is co-op so I could always help if you want me to jot down my-"
*me, realizing what was happening and becoming uncomfortable*
"Oh, well thank you but I have a girlfriend."
"Ah. Lucky girl, HAHAHA!"
"Thank you, ha."

Then she rang me up as standard and I left, slightly uncomfortable but flattered lol.

That was probably the biggest stand-out conversation I've ever had at a store, but it was definitely noteable. I've never had someone confront my specifically about the purchase though beyond trying to use a game's puzzle as a pick-up line, haha.
 
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