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Boycott EB Games and GameStop??? (POLL)
Tyrgris
Member Posts: 321
I don't know if you all have these gaming stores in your state or not, but here in Phx, AZ they are the 2 main game stores.
Now, the thing is they use to both provide a good selection of PC, Xbox and PS2.
However, lately they have shrunk their PC section down a LOT and mainly only carry Xbox and PS2. I spoke with both managers at a few locations here in Phoenix and they both gave me the same answer.
PC games don't sell that well and there are more titles coming out for the Xbox and PS2 combined than their is for the PC. (So, they compare 2 different consoles to sales of the PC. Well why don't they compare sales of the PC and Xbox to the PS2 and do the same, or visa versa.).. Anyway, to continue they also said they still plan to sell some games for the PC, but just the ones that are on the top ten list. Shees, after I looked at what they had for sale. I practically laughed. Hmm Temples of elemental Evil, Star Wars Galaxies, Leisure suit larry, Lineage 2, FiFA Soccer and a handful of others that seemed lame..about 20 other titles and that was it. However they only carried up to 2 copies of each game. Oh, BTW they had Doom3 there, WOW!!!
I went to Fry's Electronics and Best Buy plus a few other department stores that carry both PC and Console. I spoke with the shift manager for the game department and told him about my experience at EB Games and Gamestop (Aka Babbage's) and he told me they carry a lot more PC titles than Xbox or PS2 because there are more titles that have been released on the PC than Xbox or PS2. But they have a large selection of all of them. I looked and saw that the PC had 2 ilses (and I mean long isles) On one isle it was PC games both sides. I walked on the other side and it had PC games on one side and had Xbox and PS2 equipment, side gear and etc and on the other side of that isle was all the PS2 games and Xbox. Of course with Console you can cram more games on an isle than the PC ones. Anyway, my point is that both Fry's Electronics and Bestbuy had much larger selection of PC games, plus games I never heard about. Well the adventure ones like Atlantis and such. Anyway, They had all new games that were released plus games that were released up to 6+ months ago. However, games like Temple of Element Evil and Pools of Radiance and such were right where I expected it to me. In the $9.99 and under bin. I was at EB games and they still sell ToEE for $29.99 and a used one for $19.99 while you can go to Fry's Electronics and get it BRAND SPANKIN NEW in the discount bin for $7.99 Sheesss, what the heck does that tell ya.
Anyway, I am very upset. The point behind this is one....I was at EB games originally getting my son Counter-Strike for his Xbox and it cost me $19.99, however when I want on my little evaluation tour I saw that not only counter-strike was cheaper at BestBuy and Fry's but so were a bunch of other games for the Xbox including Ghost Recon, Full Spectrum Warrior and a few others I was paying attention to since it cost me over $125 in the last 2 months for my son but all that would have added up to $85 over at Fry's.
Now my main point I am getting to is that I am giving EB Games and GameStop more money than I should for Console games and at the same time I am not only supporting a company that is trying to no longer support PC games but also making it no longer convenient for me to get games for the both of us at the same location. If they are going to be a gameing shop they should not exclude one because they just happen to get more Console customers than PC customers. I think they should do more to attract PC customers instead of pushing us away to have to go to department stores. However after seeing how they price anyway, I will no longer buy my sons console games from them. BTW, it was my son that pointeed out that his games were cheaper at Fry's while I was there to get a copy of Joint Operations which EB didn't even have.
Now, what I would like to know from all you cool gamers is do you think I should pump out the bucks to start a EB/GS boycott or should I just let it be and spread the word to all gamers to find a better place to buy their PC titles?
Comments
Ya, in chandler's EB games this is how big the pc selection is
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this is the PS2 and xbox
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Lol thats a weird example but w/e. I always go to Frys now, its the closest you get to wholesale. Good prices and deals. EB games and game stop can go out of business for all I care. Whats funny is that they told me that WoW is going to be free and that they got specail email from Blizzard.
Signaturen-Creator
EQ2 Qeynos Guild- http://www.imperium-arcanum.com
Glad you had the second option there. :P It was interesting to read about your experiences...however, my stores in the area are different. While the PC isn't as big as the console section at my store they do carry more. And I can ask them to order a game for me if they don't have it. Not to mention they have a ton of PC games they get in and leave in the back that they never put up front for whatever reason. I usually shop online at any rate but if not then I goto Fry's if I have the time (they are fairly far away) and if not Fry's then Best Buy who is also carrying less PC games. The problem with PCs are there is so much JUNK put out for them because you don't have to go through companies like Sony and MS and Nintendo which review all products for their consoles.
"Feel free to hate me, but hate me for the right reasons."
"Your still ignorant if you believe the first thing you see when the blindfold is removed."
"Be smart enough to know I'm smarter than you."
Yeah, so true Dienekes... I think that is one thing that is hurting the PC community is the devs that rush out a game leaving the user to wait for a patch or worse. But for some reason much of what I encounter with games I don't have as much trouble with them running as others do.
As for the Prescott kid
...Over where you are there is another Fry's Electronics on Baseline and I-10. You should go check it out sometime if you haven't already. If you are a lover of the PC I think you will want to setup camp there 
LOL 9216544, yeah I just read the rest of your post. I thought it was your sign the first time I read it.
Man, I thnk you should have got that in writing from them when they told you that, hehe
Hmm, as for up in Prescott they don't have a Fry's though right? I think there is a Hastings or something like that?
Ya I have went there 3 days in a row lol. Im going to buy a new computer so I am finding the best deals for my custom comp. They have a pretty good selection.
We have a best buy coming, WOOT!! lol. actually I think it just had its opening a little while ago.
Signaturen-Creator
EQ2 Qeynos Guild- http://www.imperium-arcanum.com
In my state, EBGames does have a much bigger selection of PS2 and Xbox games than PC games, but that is what sells better so I can't blame them for it.
It's the same thing people complain about with the big companies like SOE. People say they are just in it for the money, this and that . . . well so is EB.
However, they will get what you want if you ask, even if it is not in the store at the time. I wanted Saga of Ryzom and the EB near me is a small one, they didn't have it nor were they getting it. They asked me if I wanted to order it and they would have it for me with the next delivery (which is like every day).
Anyway, don't lose faith in EB because of the emphasis they put on console games, it's just them doing business. I'll bet if you talk to the people who work there they will tell you they love the PC as muchas you and will get you the game you want.
gamestop by me has the walls covered with console games. the one side of the front wall is covered with dvd movies. toward the back, next to the bin of n64 games for 4.99 is 2 small 'bookcase' type things with comp games, not even enough room, they all hare sidewasy, book style, even the new releases...it is sad.
actually i think console gamers go to buy 'a game' not really knwing which they gonna get just know they want a new one. computer gamers usualy go with a purpose and know what they are searching, so no real need to advertise them ? just a thought but eb always gets the new release comp game a day or 2 before bestbuy so i still shop there.
"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell."
- Aldous Huxley
-can't delete???
Buy games online. Boycott threads are so
No offense, but your being totaly unrealistic thinking a boycott will change anything. If PC games were in high demeand from the Gamstop clientel, they would surely carry more of them.
That's the way the capitolistic cookie crumbles, suck it up and buy online. It is cheaper anyway.
Had a similar experience in Denmark ( Europe ), i find EBgames to be nothing more than a distribution outlet based on demand. Now what i mean is that they give the majority what the want but at a way too high price. They dont concern themselves with the niche of gamers ( thats us ) who know what we want and at what price it should be sold.
EBgames is simply a shop with no idea on what they are selling, it could be carrots and the clerk would prolly use the same arguement for which brand of carrots they put on the shelves. You cant really blame them for making $ on people who dont have a clue, just dont fall into that category yourself
Hell i work overpriced unless the customer starts bitching and starts negotiating a cheaper price. Is that not the American way ?
Cheers
I live in quebec and the EB games here is a practical godsend. Thanks to stupid language laws there are normally some games that we can't buy in our province. But EB ALWAYS stocks them anyway, even if they put them behind the counter, you just have to go up ask for it and voila. Their computer selection is also very extensive. Sure it doesn't beat the console section (But with 3 consoles out really is it that big a deal?)
they always have multiple copies of anything new as well as tons of stuff. I won't boycott EB thank you very much, I'll keep going there and giving them my money.
Over here in Champaign, Illinois (home of the University of Illinois) EB games now has the largest selection of PC games in the area even though its shelf space is half that of the consol games. Best Buy used to be the leader but within the past two weeks they gutted their PC game inventory and replaced it with consol games.
These companies are being very short sited since I end up buying my electronics from stores that have a large selection of PC games. I used to buy electronics from Circuit City until they gutted their PC game selection.
I find this strange since you can rent unlimited amounts of consol games at Blockbuster for between $15.00 to $20.00 per month. Since my son tires of these games quickly (a weekend) this would seem to be more cost effective for a few months until he runs through all the games in which he has an interest (he just got an Xbox). So why buy dust collectors when you can rent?
So Amazon.com will become my main game supplier. I suspect the PC game market will become more like books anyway since they have more depth in general so they will be played over a longer period of time (perhaps not all at once). Most PC games titles will have slow but steady sales instead of one big rush as soon as they come out since the 3D graphics technology seems to be stabilizing. This also suggests that the PC game makers will have to expand their games replayability in order to more clearly define their market niche.
www.ebgames.com
order everything online dude..the stores never have exactly what I'm looking for.
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I used to work for Gamestop back when they were still known as Funcoland, and I can say that PC games almost NEVER sold there. Now keep in mind this was several years ago, but I think its just because stores like EB and GS are better known for console hardware/software so thats what they sell the most of. Sorta like how McDonalds sells fish sandwiches, but are better known for burgers.....or maybe I'm just hungry
. Anyway places like Media Play and Best Buy are always good choices for PC games. I dont think a boycott is called for, its just a matter of shopping at the places that cater to your gaming needs. Everyplace has their primary target customers, and Console gamers are in the crosshairs at EB and GS.
There is only one opinion that matters.
Theres is nothing at all wrong with EBGames PC Selection, if they dont have a game you want in store go online setup with instore pickup, and there ya go. EBGames is the best
Games Played:DoAC, EQ, CoH, Lineage 2, Planetside, and Shadowbane.
Games Playing:None:(
Waiting For:WoW, EQII
At my local EB Games the PC games are now at the very back of the store, and the selection is abysmal. Just a few years ago they were front and center. Just sad.
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Played: Asheron's Call 1, Dark Age of Camelot, Earth & Beyond, Star Wars Galaxies
Tested: Asheron's Call 1, Asheron's Call 2, Dark Age of Camelot, Eve Online, Lineage 2, Risk Your Life, Saga of Ryzom, World of Warcraft
Uninstalled ASAP: MU Online, Knight Online, Rubies of Eventide, Priston Tales, Star Sonata, DarkSpace
wtf are you guys crying about?? why does it matter, the games are still right at your fingertips
Gotta say, Media Play RULES. So many times I've called around town and they were the only ones to have a title I was looking for. Their selection is huge, their prices are sweet, and they have those great frequent shopper programs.
Along the same lines, I've been kind of impressed with......WalMart lately. Yeah.....WalMart. They recently re-did their electronics section entirely and now have an entire Isle devoted to just PC games, and at totally insane prices. Like $9 to $19 for fairly recent titles.
So yeah, screw lamestop and EB, unless you're some poor soul with nothing better in your area.
We don't have Gamestop or EB shops where I live (cold ole Europe), but it seems to be the same at all of our game retailers here. What used to be walls of computer games now shrunk into a mere bookshelf of PC games per store, and much of it was replaced with console games and equipment. I guess PC gaming piracy has much to do with that, especially now with broadband connection becoming more and more popular.
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Always run with scissors. The quicker you go, the quicker you'll get to your destination and the quicker you'll finish using the scissors, therefore significantly reducing your chances of injuring yourself
There's really no need to ask people to boycott the stores. If they continue to carry a poor selection of PC games, then PC gamers will eventually go elsewhere anyway.
Apparently they have decided to make their target market the console gamers. For their sake they better hope the console market doesnt become obselete eventually replaced by PC as they may have a hard time regaining a former customer base with this decision.
I would think as a "gaming" store, they would want to include all genre of games, but its their decision. As it my decision to shop a store with my gaming interests in mind.
Actually "PC Piracy" is not the ravaging PC-game killer that everyone makes it out to be. Consider that most PC games worth playing come with a unique CD-key. Consider also that when played online, the game contacts the auth server to make sure said key is valid.
Pirated games don't come with CD-keys, usually have movies ripped out, etc. It's more of a way to "try before you buy" than anything. I'm willing to bet that the majority of software pirates buy the games that they like, not only to be able to play online, but to support the people who busted their butts to make a good game, and earned their money. Almost every NFO file released in the last 7-8 years contains the line "remember, if you like this game, buy it."
I have to add that since most games these days are 3-4 CDs long, even on a phat cable connection it would take a day or more of downloading to get ONE game, tying up your internet connection and preventing you from playing a game with a decent ping in the mean time.
I could go on and on with the impracticalities of software piracy, and why it's not as big of an issue as people make it out to be, but I think I've made my point already.