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Ready at Dawn boss: Gamestop exploiting devs and consumers

A lot more here: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...elopers-and-consumers-says-ready-at-dawn-boss
"I think the problem is right now there are retail outlets that are really taking everybody for a ride. You can't make a living at the expense of everybody else. Unfortunately, they're not just making a living at the expense of developers but also the consumers because the consumers will see less and less games come out if developers can't get revenue to make more new titles and keep going as a business," he lamented to GamesIndustry International.
“I think this is something we need to curb on the retail side. We’re putting the consumers in an awkward spot and we shouldn’t have to. Why should they be the ones to deal with a flawed system? They are the guys we do this for. They are the ones who should be able to benefit the most from being able to buy it.”

Weerasuriya went on to describe the anger he felt during a recent experience he had at a GameStop store. "I walked into a GameStop, asked for a new copy of a game and without telling me he tried to slip me a used copy and wanted to sell it to me for $5 less. I flipped out in front of the guy. I was like, 'Dude, wrong guy... You're doing this to the wrong guy.' I don't think people realize, and the guy was trying to justify it to me. I was like, 'You have no idea.' There are developers out there who are making games for [years] and some of them will go down purely because the revenue stream is basically flawed and creating this place where developers don't see even a little part of it," he said.

"I don't think we should stop used games, but we should do something about getting part of the revenue back from GameStop and places like that. That's not penalizing the consumers; they'll still get what they want. But I don't know who's going to address it."
"Think about it this way. What the consumer wants is choice. It doesn't mean we have to kill the $60 game, but you should have the choice for other price points. I would love to go home and play a two-hour game at night right before I go to bed. You play the game, get a full experience and a full story and go to sleep afterwards. I love that idea, but I also love the idea of playing the 15-hour game that I have to pay more for. I think there's room for different tiers. And I think the market is already breaking those out," Weerasuriya commented.

Just like summer blockbusters in Hollywood, there will always be a desire for thrill rides like Call of Duty, he added: "We can make the indie game just like there are indie movies, or we can make the summer blockbuster. The beauty of our ecosystem is that it continues to grow and is getting stronger to be able to allow for all these tiers to exist, and for them to balance out. For every big, Titanic-type thing you can have a bunch of projects that are smaller and that's the beauty of the ecosystem. We need them for each other. We can't dismiss one and hope to have just the other."
 

Avallon

Member
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Seriously... if people would start using this service, they would have more money and GameStop would have less. GameStop is for the lazy. I was almost lazy over the weekend, and GameStop was offering me $91 for about 10 or so (with the 60% extra!) So far I've sold just one of those games on eBay for $23. Don't be lazy!
 

Dyno

Member
"I walked into a GameStop, asked for a new copy of a game and without telling me he tried to slip me a used copy and wanted to sell it to me for $5 less.

Has this exact thing ever happen to anyone else? Five dollars off a newish title?
 

fenners

Member
Has this exact thing ever happen to anyone else? Five dollars off a newish title?

Yes.

"The Last Of Us" is $55 used vs $60 new. $5 off for the used version is pretty standard for very new games at Gamestop in my experience.
 

kris.

Banned
So I tried buying Ocarina of Time 3D from them, was told that they don't sell new copies of it, and their used copies were $39.99.

So I went right across the street to Best Buy and got it new for the exact same fucking price.

Seriously though, fuck Gamestop.
 

FlyinJ

Douchebag. Yes, me.
Has this exact thing ever happen to anyone else? Five dollars off a newish title?

That's the entire basis of Gamestop's business model. It happens to me every single time.

They buy a used game off someone for $15, then sell it for $55.
 

Krilekk

Banned
Has this exact thing ever happen to anyone else? Five dollars off a newish title?

It happens all the time. They pay $35 in store credit for a newly released game and sell that game used for $55, the new one for $60. But I think it's kinda strange to complain about it now. Sony and Microsoft had the chance to change it, Sony blew it by making Microsoft look stupid.
 

Guevara

Member
Gamestop provides a valuable service but they aren't alone. Amazon and Best Buy do the same thing. When people bitch about Gamestop, what they really hate is consumer rights.
 

Bedlam

Member
He's right.

It's Gamestop's heavy used game push that made it a problem for the industry, not the occasional average Joe who likes to sell/trade his games on message boards or to/with friends.

What aggravates me slightly is when the industry still plays ball with Gamestop as in "we're gonna restrict used game sales - except for Gamestop. But no more private sales!" That's punishing the wrong guy! And does anyone else remember the BatmanAA/Gamestop thing where they were able to print out codes for customers for the "buy new" DLC when buying used copies? Policies like DLC-codes for new copies were made to battle used game sales and then the fucking publishers help Gamestop undermine those very policies. Madness.
 

kris.

Banned
But we were feeling sorry for GameStop when xbox one wasn't going to play used games.....

I never felt sorry for them. I was actually hoping Microsoft would stick to their guns and ruin Gamestop with their used game restrictions because that place exists solely to rip people off in the worst possible way.
 
You know what I'd love? A developer acknowledging that they can't make safe AAA games.

Don't blame the bloody retailer or the consumer, just acknowledge that the market you're developing for is probably a little bit too small to justify the money you're pumping in.

THAT is the fricking issue. No I don't want AAA games to go away either, but that is the crossroads we're at. And why are you moaning, you're getting paid to do it, Sony is footing the bill. You're concerned you won't get royalties, which then jeopardise the future of your company.

Ergo, get bought up, or don't staff up for high-risk low-return AAA development.
 

BigDug13

Member
But we were feeling sorry for GameStop when xbox one wasn't going to play used games.....

No we weren't. We were feeling sorry for the more direct used sales like Amazon and EBay and our loss of ability to sell. Nobody gives a shit about GameStop trying to buy back your 2 week old game for $20 so they can resell it for $55.
 

casmith07

Member
Doesn't ebay destroy people with their "cut" now?

No, it's so minimal. And it isn't solely restricted to video game sales -- eBay fees are for listing and using the service to sell your stuff, not a "cut" off of your item price (unless it sells for a notable amount).
 

eznark

Banned
t doesn't mean we have to kill the $60 game, but you should have the choice for other price points. I would love to go home and play a two-hour game at night right before I go to bed. You play the game, get a full experience and a full story and go to sleep afterwards. I love that idea, but I also love the idea of playing the 15-hour game that I have to pay more for. I think there's room for different tiers.

Amen, bring on dynamic pricing.
 

____

Member
Has this exact thing ever happen to anyone else? Five dollars off a newish title?

I went to buy Injustice: God's Among Us from Gamestop a few weeks ago for my ex. The guy behind the counter rings me up, puts the game in the bag and as I'm walking out of the store, I look in the bag and notice the game isn't sealed.

Sure enough, they sold me an opened copy, I check the receipt and he sold it to me as "NEW".

I turn right back around (still in-store), and ask the guy "why is this opened?" and he responds: "oh, I can give you a sealed copy if you want."

I respond: "Umm...I paid you for a new copy, no?" and he just tells me "it's the same thing" as he switches the copies for me.

Never had a good experience at that store and that just solidified me never shopping there again.
 
"I walked into a GameStop, asked for a new copy of a game and without telling me he tried to slip me a used copy and wanted to sell it to me for $5 less. I flipped out in front of the guy. I was like, 'Dude, wrong guy... You're doing this to the wrong guy.' I don't think people realize, and the guy was trying to justify it to me.

That is scummy as hell. Don't blame the guy for raging about it.
 
I agree to a point that the pricing scheme needs to be figured out. It's pretty ridiculous that used sale stores like Gamespot will buy you a month old game for 25$/30$ and then sell it for 50$/55$.

That shit is crazy.
 

Curufinwe

Member
They don't sell all of them, though. They have to account for the fact that not all the games they accept as trade-ins will ever be sold.

Gamestop provides a valuable service but they aren't alone. Amazon and Best Buy do the same thing. When people bitch about Gamestop, what they really hate is consumer rights.

Perfect response.
 
I think if retail prices could fall over time in a consistent manner, if digital could be priced reasonably and also fall over time, if there were more exciting reasons to hold onto a game then this wouldn't be such an issue.

All of those are in the dev/pub's court.
 
The only solution is to go digital only and have physical releases have a one-time key. If there's some sort of resell or discount system, it has to be digital only. Otherwise, there's no way you're going to force mom and dad to stop using gamestop for their kids, even if you convince all of the intelligent adults to not do so.
 

Boke1879

Member
I do like his reply in the last paragraph about different tiers and pricing structures. Sony seems to be experimenting with this with games like the Puppeteer, the new ratchet, Dragons Crown.
 

Oersted

Member
That's the entire basis of Gamestop's business model. It happens to me every single time.

They buy a used game off someone for $15, then sell it for $55.

Yep. I´m totally pro used games, but the way Gamestop is handling them (amongst other things) is totally nightmarish.
 

alr1ght

bish gets all the credit :)
obligatory

Gamestop provides a quick and easy way to swap games. You're ultimately paying for that ease of use with lower trade value.

Want to get away from retail? Give incentives to digital purchasers, set up your own trade-in programs, etc.

(I haven't stepped into a GS in 5 years).

Love how the pre-owned one has "Add to Cart" in striking red and the new one has "More Info" in boring grey. ;)
Sold out online
 
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