Game store Rant

I am done with game stores and game departments. Every time I walk into one, I get one of five reactions. I was at Walmart, and basically, the staff ignored me because I don't look like the average parent or someone with spending money. I usually have to grab a member of the staff and ask them to grab the item I want. Or something else negative.

1) OMG, a GIRL: This extends into employees offering me Sims/Fashion Designers games. Worse in smaller privately owned places - the flea market stall that I used to buy from always asked if I wanted games like Neopets, the Sims, and other "girly" games. Usually just manifests itself as slack jawed staring at the fact that I have breasts. Or I'm ignored in favour of some dude buying the newest Halo.

2) Are you sure you want that?: Once we get over the fact that I actually want to spend money at the store, this begins. It's a extension of "girls only want to play girly games" and it seriously pisses me off. The employees usually mention that the game I'm holding is very difficult/annoying/violent and try to get me to purchase a shovelware game.

3) Upselling/Extended Warranty: Let me repeat that, I NEVER buy extended warrenties. Unless I'm not confident about the stuff I buy. (I bought the launch PSP with the extended warranty because I figured the UMD drive was the most vulernable thing in the box.) Employees tend to tell me that the item I buy is not so good, and tends to fail. I do research before buying my stuff, and I tend to think that extended warranties are just a way to make more cash money.

4) Extra Explanations: Again, the employees think that extra explanations are needed for me to get the item running. I've been in the computer field for about 7 years, and I use logic to get things running. I got this explaination when I bought my replacement DS Lite --> it doesn't use traditional batteries, it charges with a mains cable, don't get it wet, or drop it. Seriously, I've fixed several DS Lites for friends, and you are telling me about the properties of a DS Lite? Ugh.

5) Snooty parents: Parents are always found in these shops. You can't start a conversation with them without them feeling like you might be a pedophile. Usually identifiable by the perplexed look on their faces, and a desperate look of wanting to be out of there. These parents refuse to listen - I witnessed a clerk saying that he couldn't sell the kid GTA:CW because he was underage. The mother didn't filch, and actually started screaming at the clerk because "it's just a game"! I had to leave before I started in on the screaming match with the parent.

I'm done with mortar and brick stores. Terrible service, terrible fellow customers, and terrible selection. I'm shopping online now for all my needs.

Comments

G
online for games, is a sound and affordable plan
also to add "OMG YOUR A GIRL!??"
 
[quote name='nitrostemp' post='2497549' date='Dec 30 2009, 12:49 PM']online for games, is a sound and affordable plan
also to add "OMG YOUR A GIRL!??"[/quote]

Yep. I'm a lesbian girl gamer. Pleasure to meet you!
 
That sucks for you, especially since girl gamers are more common than they were 15 years ago. But with big corporate stores is that most times they will view girl gamers differently. Hope you can still enjoy gaming to its fullest.
 
G
yay for diversity!
also i like your christmas pikachu~
 
Most girls want some third party shit so they think most games girls are looking for is them.
 
[quote name='deanxxczx' post='2497577' date='Dec 30 2009, 09:00 PM']Most girls want some third party shit so they think most games girls are looking for is them.[/quote]

Or people think that's what most girls want, when it isn't true...


I order most of my games online now. I don't have to put up with game store employees and it usually works out cheaper anyway.
 
[quote name='nitrostemp' post='2497573' date='Dec 30 2009, 12:59 PM']yay for diversity!
also i like your christmas pikachu~[/quote]

Thanks. It took a couple of hours to make.

I've been gaming for a long while - since the NES first came out. Most of the games I play aren't that "third party" shit.
 
[quote name='Magmorph' post='2497590' date='Dec 30 2009, 01:10 PM']I used to play The Sims and Neopets when I was a kid. Does that make me girly?[/quote]

No, it doesn't. But it's frustrating when you walk into a game store to pick up something more or less serious (Age of Empires/Twisted Metal) and you get offered something like that just because you have titties.

I actually liked the first The Sims and Neopets - I spent so much time on those forums too.
 
The first Sims was fun. The novelty wore off after the countless addons and expansions. Talk about milking the franchise. :angry:
 
[quote name='Edhel' post='2497582' date='Dec 30 2009, 10:06 PM']I order most of my games online now. I don't have to put up with game store employees and it usually works out cheaper anyway.[/quote]

Well I do this as well since gamestores here do want the full retail price while online stores like amazon want a lot less...
Only thing, that sucks about amazon: They only send out 18+ games for 5 Euro shipping cost because the DHL-guy needs to check your ID-card...also the one who ordered the item must be the one who takes the package...

and you are a girl? always thought the opposite...:D
 
G
my little brother and sister love playing mario bros and smash, ive only seen them play third party games like lego star wars, everything else is nintendo
 
[quote name='Edhel' post='2497627' date='Dec 30 2009, 10:26 PM']The first Sims was fun. The novelty wore off after the countless addons and expansions. Talk about milking the franchise. :angry:[/quote]
+1

I still play it. It's my "offline Farmville" without the notification crap.

On-topic: I pretty much have no choice but to buy my games in stores. I don't know about you, but my stores offer better prices than online, well most of the time i.e. Mirror's Edge for a fiver compared to a tenner on Amazon :)

But what I hate about my local game store (Gamestation) is that they offer ridiculously low prices when I trade in stuff e.g. I bought a DS Lite for £120, sold it for £50. Bought Assassin's Creed 2 for £42, sold it after a week and it's already gone down to £25. I've learned my lesson - to always keep receipts safe and sound :P
 
[quote name='Raki' post='2497634' date='Dec 30 2009, 09:29 PM'][quote name='Edhel' post='2497582' date='Dec 30 2009, 10:06 PM']I order most of my games online now. I don't have to put up with game store employees and it usually works out cheaper anyway.[/quote]

Well I do this as well since gamestores here do want the full retail price while online stores like amazon want a lot less...
Only thing, that sucks about amazon: They only send out 18+ games for 5 Euro shipping cost because the DHL-guy needs to check your ID-card...also the one who ordered the item must be the one who takes the package...

and you are a girl? always thought the opposite...:D
[/quote]

That's a very strange policy by Amazon. I figured you'd have to be over 18 to have a credit card to order anyway. Then again maybe they accept alternative payment options. :unsure:

Maybe I am. ;)
 
[quote name='astrangeone' post='2497564' date='Dec 30 2009, 08:55 PM']Yep. I'm a lesbian girl gamer. Pleasure to meet you![/quote]We heard you the first time. And the second. And the third... is it really such a big deal? (no offence)

Anyway extended warranties are really annoying, but most storemonkeys get commision from it so I doubt they'll quit anytime soon. I remember Argos offered me a 3-year plan on a £10 set of christmas lights the other week though, that was just plain silly. I remember buying my DS and getting a 5 minuite grilling on the standard free warranty, most of which I knew already. I guess the store clerks aren't psychic.

I've never heard of online stores getting couriers to check ID before though. I'm surprised they found a courier that was willing to do it.
 
True, I'd tone it down.

Some couriers do, but mostly they don't. My dad just got some stuff from ebay through UPS International, and they didn't check id. (It was a package for me.)
 
This one reason pirating games is convenient. Well buying online too. :P
No annoying retailers bugging me about buying warranty, applying to be a member of the stores, them telling me that you should get xxx instead of that, etc.
Only time I will step into a store is to buy hardware. Which I can buy online but my parents would question me on what is it and pester me.
 
You seem to be ignoring a simple fact, though: people in retail will treat you like an idiot by definition, irregardless of your sex.

Just yesterday I went to a nearby store to buy myself a new USB card reader since mine fried. The salesman persistently tried to push me one that costed the ransom of a king. The explanation for the cost? The card reader would make my computer run much faster! I of course went "uh... wtf bitch? a card reader speeding up my pc? u on drugs?"

His answer? IT WOULD SPEED UP MY COMPUTER BECAUSE IT HAD BUILT-IN BLUETHOOT.

So yeah.
 
[quote name='MarkDarkness' post='2498265' date='Dec 30 2009, 06:44 PM']You seem to be ignoring a simple fact, though: people in retail will treat you like an idiot by definition, irregardless of your sex.

Just yesterday I went to a nearby store to buy myself a new USB card reader since mine fried. The salesman persistently tried to push me one that costed the ransom of a king. The explanation for the cost? The card reader would make my computer run much faster! I of course went "uh... wtf bitch? a card reader speeding up my pc? u on drugs?"

His answer? IT WOULD SPEED UP MY COMPUTER BECAUSE IT HAD BUILT-IN BLUETHOOT.

So yeah.
[/quote]

That person needs to get fired, if you tell me bullshit like that I will seriously report it to the manager and complain about that crap! What I hate the most is the people that are working inside the game stores that don't know shit about games! Where I know anything from a DS to Wii, I mean seriously why cause a gamer to have headaches about something they already know what they want! The gaming industry is starting to look like security offices.
 
[quote name='Canonbeat234' post='2498291' date='Dec 30 2009, 05:55 PM'][quote name='MarkDarkness' post='2498265' date='Dec 30 2009, 06:44 PM']You seem to be ignoring a simple fact, though: people in retail will treat you like an idiot by definition, irregardless of your sex.

Just yesterday I went to a nearby store to buy myself a new USB card reader since mine fried. The salesman persistently tried to push me one that costed the ransom of a king. The explanation for the cost? The card reader would make my computer run much faster! I of course went "uh... wtf bitch? a card reader speeding up my pc? u on drugs?"

His answer? IT WOULD SPEED UP MY COMPUTER BECAUSE IT HAD BUILT-IN BLUETHOOT.

So yeah.
[/quote]

That person needs to get fired, if you tell me bullshit like that I will seriously report it to the manager and complain about that crap! What I hate the most is the people that are working inside the game stores that don't know shit about games! Where I know anything from a DS to Wii, I mean seriously why cause a gamer to have headaches about something they already know what they want! The gaming industry is starting to look like security offices.
[/quote]

Yes this. Either someone had shitty training or just wanted to show off the size of his geek wang by throwing jargon at you. Unfortunately, I know a lot of people this tactic would work on.

The EBgames I liked had hired this amazing girl clerk. She was educated and up to date on the newest games and the dates that they were going to be "on the street". She was a gaming girl, obviously. Unfortunately, she was seasonal help, because she was everything that was good about a gamer clerk. The main problem is that they hire people that don't know anything because they look good on paper or are friends of the company execs. I personally wouldn't be able to work at an EBgames - I know only the portable consoles, and that's it.
 

Blog entry information

Author
astrangeone
Views
468
Comments
64
Last update

More entries in Personal Blogs

More entries from astrangeone

Share this entry

General chit-chat
Help Users
    Xdqwerty @ Xdqwerty: @Kirbydogs, dunno how to transfer all my stuff (as in data or something) from Chrome to Firefox