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FFS why wouldn't it put the title? I for sure had a title there.

Oh, is about the recent GameStop BS with the circle of blight/strife program? GS always had its flaws, but it kinda grew on me over time. However, this year was a new low for them. I feel most bad for the employees, who basically have to lie just to keep their jobs. I was once considered to work there by a manager or representative (forgot which), but glad it didn't happen now. They're becoming the next Blockbuster at the rate they're going. Doesn't help that physical media's slowly been dying for awhile with the ability to buy anything digitally, but GameStop went the corporate BS route to fight a losing battle to desperately try and get their used games and stuff off the shelves. lmao

The problem is that if physical media dies, it will be impossible to trade in games.

I understand the frustration with their model but it's always nice to purchase a game and be able to get some cash back from it.

Also, I think in the Internet, big data and huge bandwidth area, people are forgetting how awesome it was to rent a game for a week for 6-10 bucks. I still have a store near by and I have rented numerous games for 90% less than sale price and be able to complete it in that week. It's awesome.

Originally posted by Smasandian
The problem is that if physical media dies, it will be impossible to trade in games.

I understand the frustration with their model but it's always nice to purchase a game and be able to get some cash back from it.

Also, I think in the Internet, big data and huge bandwidth area, people are forgetting how awesome it was to rent a game for a week for 6-10 bucks. I still have a store near by and I have rented numerous games for 90% less than sale price and be able to complete it in that week. It's awesome. Wait, you can rent games at GameStop?

Originally posted by Smasandian
The problem is that if physical media dies, it will be impossible to trade in games.

I understand the frustration with their model but it's always nice to purchase a game and be able to get some cash back from it.

Also, I think in the Internet, big data and huge bandwidth area, people are forgetting how awesome it was to rent a game for a week for 6-10 bucks. I still have a store near by and I have rented numerous games for 90% less than sale price and be able to complete it in that week. It's awesome.
Yeah, there will always be a place for getting games physically for me, as nice as the digital option is, which is why I'm hoping there'll be some other mainstream local modern game store/business if GameStop ultimately goes down under. Hell, I always wished GS had some competitor in that sense.

Keep hearing about how bad GameStop is

good thing it doesn't exist in Australia.

Originally posted by Arachnid1
Wait, you can rent games at GameStop?

No. I should of said movie rental business.

If GameStop/EB Games fail, it won't be replaced by something else. It will work similarly to when Blockbuster failed. It's more a sign of the times than failed business practices.

There is a reason why the company pushes used game sales. Less money in new titles.

Yeah, probably. Will be a shame if it happens, despite the phuckery of GameStop's current business model.

Yeah. I rarely buy download titles on console but I have done so recently.

I just having the ability to trade them in. Physical media will still be around for awhile though. Too many people have crappy bandwidth and caps.

I'm a dinosaur, I buy everything in physical form. Movies, games, comics. Basically everything.

What was the title of this thread supposed to be? I can try to fix it.

I make it a personal preference to buy strictly physical copies of all my video games and movies; That's just me.

For console, I try too but there has sometimes good enough deals for me to buy online through the Xbox store. If the game is something I will play multiple times (RE7) then I don't have a problem.

Originally posted by Impediment
What was the title of this thread supposed to be? I can try to fix it.

I make it a personal preference to buy strictly physical copies of all my video games and movies; That's just me. It had an overdramatic title but something relevant like "GameStop shares are down" is fine with me. I appreciate it!

And I agree on physical copies. That said, you can usually find good deals on them elsewhere. For example, if you or a friend has prime, you can get the next Mass Effect for $48 as opposed to $65 from GameStop.

I believe a majority of GameStop's problems come from it's business model. People have no problem with physical games. For example, if you have the disc you don't need to lug your system around to play the game. You can just take the disc to your friends house and play it there.

The problem is that GameStop for example sells an A+ title for the standard price of $59.99 = $64.19(I used to work there). That same game used is 49.99 which comes out to about 55 bucks.

If you buy a brand new game, and trade it back in the next day, you're lucky to get 30$ for it. It's actually closer to 20-25. But then GS will sell it back out for 55 bucks. So to trade it in you get less than half it's value, but GS has made 110$.

The company ripping people off for years is the problem, not physical games.

Is it really ripping people off though?

It's a service they provide and if you want to partake in it then you know what you are getting into. You can sell the game by other means so you are not forced to trade it in at GameStop.

I think shares/sales going down is because online sales are increasing.

Originally posted by KingD19
I believe a majority of GameStop's problems come from it's business model. People have no problem with physical games. For example, if you have the disc you don't need to lug your system around to play the game. You can just take the disc to your friends house and play it there.

The problem is that GameStop for example sells an A+ title for the standard price of $59.99 = $64.19(I used to work there). That same game used is 49.99 which comes out to about 55 bucks.

If you buy a brand new game, and trade it back in the next day, you're lucky to get 30$ for it. It's actually closer to 20-25. But then GS will sell it back out for 55 bucks. So to trade it in you get less than half it's value, but GS has made 110$.

The company ripping people off for years is the problem, not physical games.

That's how the resale market works for everything. The re-seller is a business and that's how they make a profit, it sounds kind of shitty to do to people on paper, but the entire resale industry wouldn't exist if they didn't do that.

I actually worked at a Gamestop for a while. Mostly because I wanted to take advantage of their employee discount. This was back when the Xbox 360 first came out.

Their prices on brand new games are not any different than any other larger retailer like Best Buy, etc. What I loved about them was their used game selection. I found many hidden gems in their used games section.

The larger stores like Best Buy have a very pitiful used game section. So I'm sad to see Gamestop go because of that. I am lucky though, I have a store called "Disc Replay" within 40 minutes of me. There are only 3-4 in the country, mostly in illinois and indiana, but yeah..tons of used games, even for NES, SNES, Sega, etc. But not every gamer has a store like that near them.

Originally posted by KingD19
I believe a majority of GameStop's problems come from it's business model. People have no problem with physical games. For example, if you have the disc you don't need to lug your system around to play the game. You can just take the disc to your friends house and play it there.

The problem is that GameStop for example sells an A+ title for the standard price of $59.99 = $64.19(I used to work there). That same game used is 49.99 which comes out to about 55 bucks.

If you buy a brand new game, and trade it back in the next day, you're lucky to get 30$ for it. It's actually closer to 20-25. But then GS will sell it back out for 55 bucks. So to trade it in you get less than half it's value, but GS has made 110$.

The company ripping people off for years is the problem, not physical games.

Why would you buy a game and trade it in the next day? You could just return it or exchange it, assuming you kept the receipt. I worked there as well, and of course the price they charge for the games you sell to them will be higher than what they paid you for them, otherwise where is the profit?

As for your comment about lugging your console around to a friends because you don't have a physical copy, I feel the future of gaming will be like Steam. You have an account and you can sign into it on any console. Now you might have to download the game onto your friends console if they do not own it, but it's hardly going to be lugging the system around, at least IMO.

You can play online purchased games on any console as long as you are logged into Xbox Live from your account.

As well, Microsoft tried to do the same thing you mentioned prior to Xbox One beingreleased and were heavily criticized for it.

Everything you bought on the original Xbox became inaccessible once the servers shut down. Odds are, the 360 and PS3 servers won't run forever, either.

Steam works because it's persistent, and probably won't be shutting down any time soon.

Considering how quick Nintendo was to pull the plug on the Wii's online servers (and presumably the Wii U's as well once the Switch is out for a little while), I do still have to give them credit at least for keeping the 360/PS3 servers around this long, especially when everyone has well transitioned to current gen by now...

But yeah.

That's bullshit. Servers for online play...yes, that's true.

But for online purchases, MS Xbox store will be valid for a very long time. Xbox 360 servers are most likely the same servers/cloud infrastructure that Xbox One and Azure uses.

Steam and Xbox Live are probably in the same boat.

Originally posted by Smasandian
That's bullshit. Servers for online play...yes, that's true.

But for online purchases, MS Xbox store will be valid for a very long time. Xbox 360 servers are most likely the same servers/cloud infrastructure that Xbox One and Azure uses.

Steam and Xbox Live are probably in the same boat. This.

Microsoft has also already said you're not going to lose your game library ever again. Every console upgrade will still play XB1 games starting with the Scorpio. This isn't something Xbox One owners are going to have to worry about anymore.

Originally posted by Ridley_Prime
I do still have to give them credit at least for keeping the 360/PS3 servers around this long, especially when everyone has well transitioned to current gen by now...

But yeah.

Doesn't mean you still can't occasionally still use those previous consoles.

Originally posted by Arachnid1
This.

Microsoft has also already said you're not going to lose your game library ever again. Every console upgrade will still play XB1 games starting with the Scorpio. This isn't something Xbox One owners are going to have to worry about anymore.

Yes. The licenses reside on Xbox Live and I'm guessing there is a huge amount of licenses servers that host that information.

As long as Microsoft uses the same protocols they have been using for previous consoles, it will be fine unless Microsoft completely goes under and nobody buys those licenses and infrastructure. However, if Steam gets a pass regarding online purchases, I have no idea why people are worried about Microsoft. Look at Valve, currently, they are a private corporation that makes the majority of their money from Steam. The network could always take a hit from other storefronts and they are already losing diehard Valve friends based on their recent development track record.

In the end, it doesn't really make a difference if you lose your license keys. I would say 10 years from now, only 5%-10% of peoples collection will get replayed and most likely that consumer would have bought that title again.

Gamestop couldn't exist forever. Personally I haven't shopped there in about 4 years or so. I either buy digitally or I purchase games on Amazon since I am a Prime member and you get games for something like 20% off for the first couple weeks if you have Prime.

On the one hand, it's nice having Gamestops around because they offer convenience. If there's something I want right now, I can drive a block and pick it up. On the other hand, they utilize shady and obnoxious business practices much like Blockbuster used to, rather than enhance the customer service model to try and create a sense of community and comradery with their customers.

Overall I'll be glad when they're gone I guess, their used game market hurts the business and the people who make the games, and the way they pressure their employees to push crap on customers is not something that should continue.

My honest opinion is that ALL physical media of movies and video games will be obsolete in the next twenty years and will be downloadable only.

I probably won't be gaming by then, assuming I'm even alive.

If I was twenty years younger, I'd keep my physical stuff in this digital future though. Part of the reason I still play a PS2 (Aside from the great game library that stands the test of time) is the reliability. No software updates, no internet connection required, no password checks, no waiting for a gamertag to load. No lizard squad scriptkiddies ruining a holiday weekend.

And once Steams long dead and buried (Nothing online lasts forever), there should still be some working PS2 hardware and media to use.

That's assuming your 37 year old PS2 hardware will last that long.......because those are not infinite.

In 20 years, there will be a way to play those games and most likely free and streamed through the Internet.

You can play 37 year old hardware now. A recent game epo had Intellivision II's and 2600's.

Hell, you can get unrefurbished stuff from the 1940's that still works. Maybe Xbox's or Gamecubes will be hard to find, but one of the the most popular and mass produced consoles ever made will be available as long as gaming exists.

Those didn't have optical drives and other more advanced components that the PS2 does.

You might be right but I will put my money on everything be available on the Internet than a 40 year old machine that wasn't the most durable piece of hardware to begin with. In 20 years, they're might not be TV's......

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/03/24/gamestop-video-game-stores/99573598/

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