Since when do you have to preorder games?

[Mark of the Wolves]

Okay so today I decide I might as well go and get Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

I hit up Wal-Mart who don't have it. Okay find EB Games is on the other side of the shopping center.

Go in and it doesn't come in 'til tomorrow. Fine. However, I was told "I have to preorder it." So I just walk out and decide to check out Gamestop.

They tell me the same thing! I ask if I preorder it will I get it tomorrow and they say yes. So I'm like well screw it and pay for the game.

Anybody else experience this? It made no sense to me unless they were just fucking with me.

 

[Nesagwa]

If you had walked in tommorow when the game is actually out it would be on the shelf for you to buy it.

 

[beatifik]

if i remember correctly, the salepeople at eb/gamestop make money from every preorder they get. it's the reason i stopped shopping at those places. it's annoying for some pimplefaced little shit to tell me that i won't be able to buy the game when it comes out unless i give him the money right now for it.

FUCK YOU!

 

[aria]

EB Games/Gamestop are for people who need something immediately (which is no problem) or don't know how to order something using the internet (sad).

 

[Snuh]

In my younger days I use to work at a Gamestop. They really push the preorder thing as well as their discount card deal. Most games you just walk in on the day it is released and youll get a copy. But some of these SNK ports like Samurai Shodown V on XBOX they probably only get like 3 copies so people might want to reserve just to make sure they get one on the first day.

 

[Mark of the Wolves]

But some of these SNK ports like Samurai Shodown V on XBOX they probably only get like 3 copies so people might want to reserve just to make sure they get one on the first day.

This is why I decided to just go ahead and do it.

Next time I probably will just order it off the 'net. It would be troublesome for me to do so, but I'm sick of dealing with them and Wal-Mart stocks more UMD's than anything these days.

 

[Halox]

I've never HAD to preorder anything. I only preorder when I know that there's going to be a run on a specific game... I preordered Zelda, MGS3, and Halo2... That's about it.

 

[Asmoday]

Yeah, I had a girl working at an EB tell me I should have preordered some game I wanted on a whim one day about a year ago. She actually spoke in a mocking tone to me regarding the matter after I simply said ok and was set to go about my business. So, I took a 2 minute car ride down the street and bought the game at a Wal-Mart.

I have only had to preorder a handful of commonly released games in my life to have them on day one, and the last time I felt a preorder was appropriate was Diablo 2. In this area, at least, that title was so eagerly anticipated that it sold out completely in every store a friend called to find his copy by the end of the day.

The only thing that will be a common release one should consider putting a preorder on is a brand new system since those are always in high demand and short supply as has been again witnessed with the 360.

 

[slerch666]

if i remember correctly, the salepeople at eb/gamestop make money from every preorder they get. it's the reason i stopped shopping at those places. it's annoying for some pimplefaced little shit to tell me that i won't be able to buy the game when it comes out unless i give him the money right now for it.

FUCK YOU!

If this is the case, then the EB my brother works at isn't working under corporate's guidelines as he doesn't get shit for preselling.

 

[toy_brain]

I barely ever preorder stuff.
The only games I've preordered are Outrun2 and Black - and only because GAME were giving away free demo CD's of both games with every preorder, and I really wanted to check them both out.

Plus the Black preorder didnt require a deposit. I'll probably get it from one of the cheaper indie shops in the end...........

 

[GregN]

The only game I've ever missed out on because I didn't pre-order was WarioWare Touched from Gamestop. I drove two minutes down the street and went to EB to get it.

 

[Eric]

Only pre-order if they're giving away free stuff with it.

Speaking of which, I need to pre-order Suikoden V.

 

[bokmeow]

if i remember correctly, the salepeople at eb/gamestop make money from every preorder they get. it's the reason i stopped shopping at those places. it's annoying for some pimplefaced little shit to tell me that i won't be able to buy the game when it comes out unless i give him the money right now for it.

FUCK YOU!

I'm not sure if you get money for pushing preorders, but I was threatened with write-ups if I didn't push the GAP card onto customers. Being a staunch advocate against debt and considering my job description as selling clothes and not selling credit cards, I was like, 'are you kidding me?!' and my manager was not amused.

Thank god I got out of doing that. I'm assuming these kinds of policies are disseminated to managers, and managers use their own discretion in deciding which sales tool to adopt.

 

[Shawn Carr2o]

Only pre-order if they're giving away free stuff with it.

Speaking of which, I need to pre-order Suikoden V.

I've only own Suikoden III for the PS2 but I never played Suikoden, Suikoden II, Suikoden IV and Suikoden Tactics yet plus the upcoming Suikoden V.

 

[Darren870]

if i remember correctly, the salepeople at eb/gamestop make money from every preorder they get

Nope..that was never the case. Now employees get nothing, no extra cash no extra anything.

 

[jro]

if i remember correctly, the salepeople at eb/gamestop make money from every preorder they get. it's the reason i stopped shopping at those places. it's annoying for some pimplefaced little shit to tell me that i won't be able to buy the game when it comes out unless i give him the money right now for it.

FUCK YOU!

I must join several others in pointing out that this is incorrect. The current policy is write-ups for failing to meet certain reserve or subscription (Game Informer) goals. Get too many write-ups, and they can literally fire employees for failing to get enough reserves.

It wasn't like that back when I worked at Babbage's, but there was still a lot of pressure to have decent numbers for those things, even without the threat of write-ups or being fired.

As far as "having" to preorder in order to get the game, that's generally not true. Most of the time, the shipment will fill preorders and include a few extra units for the shelf. However, there is a small percentage of the time when the shipment will only fill preorders, and the store honestly won't get more. That small proportion (say, 5%) of occurences is the only time that that employee is actually telling the truth.

I have a hard time not laughing at the idiots when they say that. I know they're forced to do it or risk losing their job, but I figure it's my choice, then, to wait a couple days to pick the game up at Circuit City instead.

 

[beatifik]

ok, i stand corrected. but if they don't do it enough they can get into trouble. it's still annoying and i still won't shop at the places.

 

[subcons]

I love hearing about the Gamestop card whenever I go in there. And I refuse to pre-order anything.

Why do these corporate dicks force their employees to badger customers? I simply don't get it. Are people really that weak minded?

 

[jro]

ok, i stand corrected. but if they don't do it enough they can get into trouble. it's still annoying and i still won't shop at the places.

Hell yeah they can. I was friends with all of the employees at the Gamestop I used to live near, and they admitted that their DM told them they could be fired for too few reserves and subs, so that was the only place I would ever do preorders. It was only a block from my apartment and I was going to buy the games anyway, so I figured I would help out ever so slightly.

But shit, now I can't stand the occasional random GS for that exact reason.

"Want to reserve Arena Football?"
"No, I don't like EA football."
"Want to reserve MLB 06 instead, then? That's not EA."
"No, I don't want to reserve that, either."
"How 'bout something else? There has to be something you want to reserve."
"Um, no, there isn't, I'll take my little $30 game here and be on my way."

It is pretty damned irritating, come to think of it.

And I also love how if you call a GS to see if a game has arrived yet (i.e. I call tomorrow at 2 p.m. to see if SFA is in yet), they automatically ask if you reserved it. Then, after you say no, they admit that they have extra copies after all.

 

[norton9478]

At gamecrazy, I come in every Friday, Ask if they have anything new (mostly jokingly since they know i hate 99% of all releases) and bullshit with the guys for a few minutes.

The new guy always gives me the spin...

Till he gets to know me and uderstands that I don't pre-order unless I really want something...

But they are funny...

Ohh you like Samsho V? Try preodering the new Naruto or some shit.

 

[EliteDoomMaster]

The GameSpot near me isn't completely anal about pre-orders, they just ask when you buy a game 'Anything you'd like to pre-order?', you say No they go Okay and off you go. But I love it at say Best Buy, when they push the 2 year replacement plan on silly people, "This PS2 will break by x amount of time, it always happens never will last beyond this point. And the warrenty will do you no good, just bring it here and we will replace it for you!"

 

[Mark of the Wolves]

It really is annoying. I had to turn down the little Discount Card or whatever too. The guys were cool though so they didn't bother me. They tried to say get if for the magazine, I only like EGM though.

 

[galfordo]

Don't buy from those fucks unless you absolutely have to.

They always give me shit about pre-ordering when I'm crazy enough to ask for a sealed copy when paying full price.

They tell me, "You should've pre-ordered .... "

Yeah, they can pretty much eat my ass from the back.

 

[TerryMathews]

Okay so today I decide I might as well go and get Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

I hit up Wal-Mart who don't have it. Okay find EB Games is on the other side of the shopping center.

Go in and it doesn't come in 'til tomorrow. Fine. However, I was told "I have to preorder it." So I just walk out and decide to check out Gamestop.

They tell me the same thing! I ask if I preorder it will I get it tomorrow and they say yes. So I'm like well screw it and pay for the game.

Anybody else experience this? It made no sense to me unless they were just fucking with me.

SFA3 Max is the PSP one right? I think that is one that you'd have to preorder and this is why:

At my store, we had no preorders for MegaMan Maverick Hunter X, and got in one copy. Still haven't been replenished. Guess how long that copy lasted.

The way I look at it is this: How many places do I have to drive to, to find a game, before it's not worth the interest on that $5 that I'm losing out on. Heck, if I just drive from Springfield to Beavercreek, I've burned that $5 in gas alone.

I could be wrong, and that store could be different. That said, I'd be suprised if they got more than 3 copies of SFA3 Max.

And, for the record, I don't pester people about reserves, I make it a habit to point out the positives:

"Like baseball? Preorder MLB 06 and get a free New Era hat, team of your choice."
"Preorder RF Online and get early access to the beta."
"Order your copy of Black today and get a demo + a gun for the game that only preorders get."

Stuff like that. It doesn't bother me as much, and customers seem more receptive to it. Of course, when I get someone who wants to know why we're sold out of MVP 06 NCAA Baseball, well...

 

[galfordo]

SFA3 Max is the PSP one right? I think that is one that you'd have to preorder and this is why:

At my store, we had no preorders for MegaMan Maverick Hunter X, and got in one copy. Still haven't been replenished. Guess how long that copy lasted.

The way I look at it is this: How many places do I have to drive to, to find a game, before it's not worth the interest on that $5 that I'm losing out on. Heck, if I just drive from Springfield to Beavercreek, I've burned that $5 in gas alone.

I could be wrong, and that store could be different. That said, I'd be suprised if they got more than 3 copies of SFA3 Max.

And, for the record, I don't pester people about reserves, I make it a habit to point out the positives:

"Like baseball? Preorder MLB 06 and get a free New Era hat, team of your choice."
"Preorder RF Online and get early access to the beta."
"Order your copy of Black today and get a demo + a gun for the game that only preorders get."

Stuff like that. It doesn't bother me as much, and customers seem more receptive to it. Of course, when I get someone who wants to know why we're sold out of MVP 06 NCAA Baseball, well...

That stuff sounds ok, and when there's a decent bonus item I'm not totally opposed to pre-ordering.

But usually I get the stupid-assed "pre-order or else" bullshit, and that just doesn't cut it.