GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2019

Gutting brand new games like that is more or less standard practice at a lot of physical retailers that sell games.
Smyths Toys seems to be an exception, but GAME have done it for a long time and Grainger Games were the same.

Jamo3103 wrote:I decided to give Game another chance a few weeks ago and had a fairly gooseberry fool experience, not really sure why I'm surprised.

I went in and they had both The Last Guardian and Gravity Rush Remastered on PS4, new at £15 each which seemed a pretty good price to me. When I got home I opened up Gravity Rush and noticed the case was damaged and the disc itself had a massive scratch across it. Went back to complain that they'd clearly given me a used copy instead of a new one, but no, they'd unsealed a brand new game, put the box on the shelf (presumably after kicking it around first) and put the disc in a CD wallet (scratching it in the process). Then the manager tried to quibble with me over the returns policy because I'd remove Game's own seal from the box Got my money back in the end but what a ridiculously stupid idea.

The interesting thing about this tale is the manager quibbling over a return/refund. In today's market retailers simply cannot afford to refuse a replacement or refund in a reasonable time (even if said retailer is in the right) unless the circumstance absolutely calls for it. The majority of high street retailers have caught onto this, (Argos being a good example) but places like Game, who still seem to be under the delusion they're the only place to buy video games, have not and it's very damaging in how customers view them.

It's just another example of why Game, as a games retailer, are heading down the shitter

Lagamorph wrote:Gutting brand new games like that is more or less standard practice at a lot of physical retailers that sell games.
Smyths Toys seems to be an exception, but GAME have done it for a long time and Grainger Games were the same.

By rights, any product that has had the seal broken and removed from the packaging is no longer new, or at the most considered a store "demo" and has to be treated accordingly: ie used. Video game retailers should have been pulled up on this years ago but instead it just became the accepted norm.

I generally refuse to buy a new physical game unless it's factory sealed and have done for donkeys years.

I think this is why brand new retro videogames from the 90s also go for so much money on eBay because it was extremely rare back then to purchase anything in its original celephane wrap. HMV, Woolworths, EB, Gamestation, Virgin Megastores, WHSmith...they all had the discs and manuals in a drawer.

It was only when I ordered from Gameplay or Amazon that they were genuinely sealed.

KK wrote:I think this is why brand new retro videogames from the 90s also go for so much money on eBay because it was extremely rare back then to purchase anything in its original celephane wrap. HMV, Woolworths, EB, Gamestation, Virgin Megastores, WHSmith...they all had the discs and manuals in a drawer.

It was only when I ordered from Gameplay or Amazon that they were genuinely sealed.

When you think about it, gamers have actually been buying used games as "new" for years. Mugs

Sometimes they'd reseal the manual and disc together and they'd do it so tightly the sides wide curve inwards.

Other times they'd WRITE ON THE strawberry floating DISC. Here's my copy of Spyro the Dragon 2:





ARSEHOLES.

Ah yes I remember them writing on the discs, manuals and outlays. strawberry floating arseholes.

Putting stuff on the discs seems to have been a business fad of the 00s. I'm sure a few of my GC and Xbox games have immovable sticker bits on them from long-gone indie retailers. Lord knows why they thought this was a good idea.

I once bought a Xbox game from Grainger Games (second hand). Before putting it in my Xbox I took off the sticker on the disc.

When I ejcted the game, the tray came out.... With no disc.... Had to take it apart to get it out.

I sold some stuff in game recently for in-store credit which i used for PSN credit. Actually got a better price than CEX. Strange times.

No, It's a Labo Logo wrote:Putting stuff on the discs seems to have been a business fad of the 00s. I'm sure a few of my GC and Xbox games have immovable sticker bits on them from long-gone indie retailers. Lord knows why they thought this was a good idea.

Buy some regular lighter fluid and put a bit on the areas covered in sticker goop. After about 30 seconds and using a slightly damp cloth said goop comes straight off with ease.

Isopropyl alcohol works too. Or cheap vodka in a pinch.

Godzilla wrote:I once bought a Xbox game from Grainger Games (second hand). Before putting it in my Xbox I took off the sticker on the disc.

When I ejcted the game, the tray came out.... With no disc.... Had to take it apart to get it out.

I sold some stuff in game recently for in-store credit which i used for PSN credit. Actually got a better price than CEX. Strange times.

Not quite the same story but once my mate bought an Xbox in eBay that arrived with some of the worst British porn I've ever seen in disk tray. I consider that good value. It remains today my only ever experience of porn on physical media and it will probably stay that way.

Microsoft might shift a few Xboxes if they chucked some free grot in.

Green Gecko wrote:

Godzilla wrote:I once bought a Xbox game from Grainger Games (second hand). Before putting it in my Xbox I took off the sticker on the disc.

When I ejcted the game, the tray came out.... With no disc.... Had to take it apart to get it out.

I sold some stuff in game recently for in-store credit which i used for PSN credit. Actually got a better price than CEX. Strange times.

Not quite the same story but once my mate bought an Xbox in eBay that arrived with some of the worst British porn I've ever seen in disk tray. I consider that good value. It remains today my only ever experience of porn on physical media and it will probably stay that way.

Ben Dover I’m guessing.

More like sexbox amirite

Xbox One XXX

Hitler was never a fan of GAME's practice of writing on game boxes

Jenuall wrote:Hitler was never a fan of GAME's practice of writing on game boxes

Oh, the halcyon days of yore when GAME actually had new stock on their shelves.

Gemini73 wrote:

Jamo3103 wrote:I decided to give Game another chance a few weeks ago and had a fairly gooseberry fool experience, not really sure why I'm surprised.

I went in and they had both The Last Guardian and Gravity Rush Remastered on PS4, new at £15 each which seemed a pretty good price to me. When I got home I opened up Gravity Rush and noticed the case was damaged and the disc itself had a massive scratch across it. Went back to complain that they'd clearly given me a used copy instead of a new one, but no, they'd unsealed a brand new game, put the box on the shelf (presumably after kicking it around first) and put the disc in a CD wallet (scratching it in the process). Then the manager tried to quibble with me over the returns policy because I'd remove Game's own seal from the box Got my money back in the end but what a ridiculously stupid idea.

The interesting thing about this tale is the manager quibbling over a return/refund. In today's market retailers simply cannot afford to refuse a replacement or refund in a reasonable time (even if said retailer is in the right) unless the circumstance absolutely calls for it. The majority of high street retailers have caught onto this, (Argos being a good example) but places like Game, who still seem to be under the delusion they're the only place to buy video games, have not and it's very damaging in how customers view them.

It's just another example of why Game, as a games retailer, are heading down the shitter

Yeah, compare it to Amazon who (from my experience) will do absolute anything to make it right for the customer and Games approach is just bizarre. The guy actually working on the till convinced his manager to accept it as he pointed out that I couldn't have seen the scratch until I opened the box, she just came out all guns blazing with "If you've broken the game seal we don't do returns". They seem to let policy overrule common sense, had a similar experience with a click and collect order where they refused to let me collect it because I wasn't my partner, despite having the order number, the payment card and us both having the same address.

Gemini73 wrote:

Lagamorph wrote:Gutting brand new games like that is more or less standard practice at a lot of physical retailers that sell games.
Smyths Toys seems to be an exception, but GAME have done it for a long time and Grainger Games were the same.

By rights, any product that has had the seal broken and removed from the packaging is no longer new, or at the most considered a store "demo" and has to be treated accordingly: ie used. Video game retailers should have been pulled up on this years ago but instead it just became the accepted norm.

I generally refuse to buy a new physical game unless it's factory sealed and have done for donkeys years.

Completely agree on this, once the seal has been broken it isn't really new anymore. I'd have thought a dummy box on the shelf would have made more sense, with sealed copies of games kept in the back. It's certainly put me off buying new games from there anymore and I try to avoid pre-owned games from most games shops given the disgusting state they seem to be in half the time. I don't know what the hell the general public do with their games.

Jamo3103 wrote:...I try to avoid pre-owned games from most games shops given the disgusting state they seem to be in half the time. I don't know what the hell the general public do with their games.

I have to agree, Jamo. I sometimes wander into GAME or a CEX to look at the second-hand games and I'm put off by the condition of the boxes. It almost seems that people use the cases as steps or coasters sometimes.

I am *very* fussy, though; I don't like marks or scratches on game cases. With my own disc games, I will keep the disc in a separate sleeve whilst it is on my playlist, in order to avoid the case being repeatedly opened and closed .