Good (aka GameStop) Triumphs Over Evil (aka EB)!!

[feldinaut]

I generally loath news topics, but this is a day of personal celebration for me as I just learned that GameStop bought out EBGames.

Article here, for the time being.

And like I said, I hate news topics, so let's all reminisce about our experiences with the now DEAD (BWAHAHAHA) EBGames. See, I'm wondering if anyone out there actually LIKED EBGames and had good experiences with them because, frankly, I never did. In every branch of the chain I ever went to, the employees were stuck-up, uninformed, liars, or all three. Seriously, what kind of company hires people like that?

You'd think in a GAME STORE the employees would at least be aware of the games they carry. This one time I was looking for Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town, but it wasn't in the GBA section. So I asked the cashier and he said that there was no Harvest Moon game for the GBA. I checked the case RIGHT BEHIND HIM and saw the game. This other guy sold my mom a used GBA game in the worst condition I have ever seen a used game in, FOR FULL PRICE. Seriously, that is just CROOKED. I've had other employees, on many occasions, just flat out LIE to me about release dates, game features, and all sorts of other crap for like, no forseeable reason. I can only hope they were just making crap up because they didn't know because lying just for the heck of it is pretty sick, and I'm talking about multiple people here. All three of these experiences happened at different stores, by the way.

GameStop, on the other hand, is probably my favorite store ever. One branch in particular is my favorite because every time I go into the store there are always different employees inside and yet I have never run into one I haven't struck up a friendly conversation with, and I'm not even a people person. They're always honest, too. If I ask about a rare game, I get an honest answer about its value, whereas if I asked at EB, I'm sure they'd try to scam me out of my money.

Plus, GameStop's sales are amazing. They don't quite beat a good ebaying, but it's like they're constantly running buy two get one free sales on used games. AND for like $10 you get a 10% discount card that can be used on top of other sales. Heck, if EB had anything like that going on, I sure didn't know about it and don't care because I couldn't stand putting up with their snotty freaking employees long enough to stay in the store for more than 5 seconds. LONG LIVE GAMESTOP!!

Actually, I probably shouldn't rag on EB too hard. This one just opened up near me that actually wasn't so bad. The one time I went inside the person who helped me was very informed and friendly, but then again, he was the manager... And that one also had a female employee, the first one (no lie) I had ever seen inside an EBGames store in my area whereas the GameStop I go to has a pretty even number of male and female employees (which is actually kind of surprising to me, but cool). So maybe they were finally starting to turn over a new leaf. But as I mentioned, every single prior experience I had in an EBgames (and that's honestly not an exaggeration) had been terrible, so I hardly feel bad at all saying TOO FREAKING LATE, SUCKERS! BWAHAHAHA!

[kobun40]

im with Feldi.. on this one ( Can i call you Feldi?) eb games was terrible to me..the on at my local mall the workers were real jerks they would give me this get something and get look.. and they would just talk and not even ask someone for assistance...grr i need to stp before i go blow up eb HQ .(runns to his happy place)

[GustaffGlyde]

Heh, I tried to sell of some of my used games at an EB one time and they refused to give me anything above a dollar. These were in perfect condition, hardly used, and with all the stuff (booklet, etc). On top of that, they would only allow it to be a dollar in store credits so that I could only spend it there. Yes, I can say that I hate them… (I was saving up for my PSX at the time… it’s the only Sony product of mine that hasn’t broken or spontaineously combusted. That, and I had already bought MoTB without the system, so I kind of needed that PSX, but no… cursed EB set me back quite a bit).

Still, EB’s stock went up and Gamestop’s went down… and I’m not sure that just because Gamestop takes over that all the EB employees will magically change… be fired, maybe, but certainly not change. So, even with this, EB will still linger on, at least for a little while longer, and in a sense they profited from this and Gamestop lost a bit. Still, we can hope for a brighter future, no?

Even so, my EB experiences weren’t all that bad… it’s Circuit City I hold a grudge against, but that’s another story altogether. EB was also the only real game store we had… they weren’t all that great, but when you don’t have much of a choice they're alright… of course, maybe now that Gamestop has taken over things will get better at my local stores.

And you can generally call members by abbreviated names. For example, you really don’t want to type out GustaffGlyde every time, so it either gets abbreviated or left out… *cry*. Ahem, anyways… Mwe he he, I finally got my high speed internet.

[PharaohManXe54]

THE EARTH REJOICES!!!! I HATE EB GAMES! Let me tell you a little story: I LOVE DDR! I have 3 versions of it for the PS2 and play it constantly, so my dance mat was running ragged. I wanted to get a new one and the closest game store was an EB games. So, I had to take the bus about 40 some city blocks, and when I got there, THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY! How can you run out of those, seriously? Who buys them!?!??! Then I asked the guy if he had a new copy of FFVIII, cause they started remaking them, and he was like "Man, that's such an old game, they don't make them new anymore." I was so angry. I saw it at Best Buy like a day before, too. Anyways....

The two biggest qualms I have with EB is that the organization is utter crap and everything is mis mashed and then they don't have value cards! Value cards rule the earth (it's second in my wallet: 1st: driver's liscense 3rd: school ID). Yeah.... now only if Best buy would buy out Circuit City.....

[pitch]

I really have to say I've liked EB better, actually. Their prices seem to be lower, from the few games I've bought there, and their service over here was pretty damn good.

Also, they did have a 10% off discount card you could get. At one point it came with a subscription to GMR magazine. At least they had that here. I got the little card thing in my dresser somewhere if someone needs me to scan it as proof(I hope no one asks though, because my scanner really really sucks and it's a major pain in the ass to scan things with).

I must say I'm actually kinda surprised about this topic in general. From what I'd heard before on other forums, GameStop was the place to hate, and EB was the place to go... Guess it was just some EB Games obsessed morons.. I dunno. I've personally had a better time at EB Games than GameStop, so I kinda don't like this at all really...

[feldinaut]

I think it really must depend on the area you're in, and I'm sure there were good EBs and bad GameStops, but my experience was just so freakily similar at every EB I ever went to, I figured some part of it had to NOT be coincidence.

And the other reason for the preference of EB could be that there are so many more of those than there are GameStops. Like in my area, the ratio of GameStops to EBs is like 1:5. You'd think if one were to buy the other out, it would have gone the other way, though GameStop does have a fairly large set of sister companies under the same master company. I'm not sure EB had that kind of network behind it.

[JMC47]

I don't exactly love gamestop, but I don't like EB games, there service sucks, in my area at the least, they are horrible, can't tell what genre a game is, very obvious ones. I could never recommend going there, never.

Maybe you have had a good store with gamers as employees, lucky...

[Bureaucratic Model 1-3]

You guys hate EB Games? Wow, that's crazy... You're crazy. (You too pitch, leave the swearing to the professionals)

Maybe I'm just lucky, but the EB Games at the SLC Gateway is the best for miles around! The people they had working there knew Video Games like the back of their hand, and the prices couldn't be beat without doing something evil, like stealing or dredging through eBay, almost as bad... well... immoral.

Then again when I bought Evil Genius there was a discount on it that I didn't get for some crazy reason. It would take some explaining and eh... But as for Gamestop, I don't have anything against it except for availability. That is to say the closest one to my house is like twenty minutes, glah.

Does this mean my friendly neighborhood EB games is going to become my friendly neighborhood Gamestop? I'm gonna have to get a new tatoo...

[Buster Cannon]

I've never had a problem with any of the two stores, service-wise, that is. Funco-land was the place to go, but it turned into a gamestop. Like Feldinaut said, the prices don't beat a good 'e-baying', and really, I almost prefer buying games online. I hate nagging my mom to go to the store just to find out the game I want is out of stock. Doing it online saves all that trouble.

[aarond]

Sorry, F-naut, but this purchase is only a triumph for one person.....

.................

.....SATAN.

There are few enough game stores for us to patronize as it is, but now there's one less, and a big corporation gets even bigger. I remember three other stores that I used to frequent, Funcoland, Babbage's, and Software Etc., that were also bought out by the fiscal juggernaut that is GameStop. My last purchase there was horrible, and I won't be going back. I'd rather punch myself in the groin seven times than ever go back there again.

[Volnutt]

I'd have to say I've been to EB Games and GameStop plenty of times. Nobody in EB Games has ever lied to me. I guess I'm lucky too, because the employees there are pretty helpful people. The other day I asked the guy there if they had a certain PC game called Mob Enforcer. He said he'd take a look, and he searched everywhere in the backroom and the area behind the counter. "Nope, sorry," was the response he came back with. Then again, Mob Enforcer isn't known to be a very good game, kind of like Revolution X, the arcade game with Aerosmith in it. I looked for that online, but it was only for Sega Genesis. So, I don't really care what store is better as long as the employees are willing to help and the prices aren't ridicolusly high.

[megadaffy]

I disagree with Feldy. I thought both EBGames and Gamestop were good. plus the manager of my local EB is a nice guy.

[Buster Cannon]

MegaDaffy said:

I disagree with Feldy. I thought both EBGames and Gamestop were good. plus the manager of my local EB is a nice guy.

Well, all of us live in different areas. Maybe the people at the EbGames in her area are jerks. That's how it is with fast-food restaurants (McDonalds) around my area are. If I were to go up to Pennsylvania, the people are very nice, but in my area (Maryland, Metropolitan D.C. area), the people are very rude. So basically the point is that it depends on what area you live in and who works there.

From what I'd heard before on other forums, GameStop was the place to hate, and EB was the place to go...

That's what I hear my friends say. Well, either way, this will probably be a change for the better.

[Fire Griffin]

Wow.

So what I am getting from this lovely little topic is that we have the Wal-Mart of video gaming bubbling up, eh? Whatever happened to Toys 'R' Us when it came to video games? Or those obscure KB Toys in the back of malls? They would sometimes have the best stock of rare goods that everyone skimmed over as they pegged the more popular places for gaming.

Or was Toys 'R' Us like that before? Too bad they went overpriced. I hardly go there anymore. Someone else can tell me how they're doing these days with games because I'm curious. They had a bustling gaming section last time I had a gander; it was stocked to the brim with games! Shelves and shelves of games! TOO BAD THEY'RE ALL ONE OF THREE AVALIABLE TITLES. Look around! You might find "Shrek II: Promotions for Me and You" behind "Final Freakin' Fantasy 24: Squaresoft's Ego ATTACK!" or maybe "Super Mario Party 63: Shuffleboard Paradise." Pick one. That's all we have. Shelves and shelves of them. Forget shelf gem searching. It's not going to happen, unless you happen to enjoy the same product with dust layers.

Excuse me while I vent my hatred of box stores such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot and its ilk. I love those obscure stripmall holes with their unique doodads you couldn't find anywhere else. Nowadays, wherever you go, it seems you can find the all same stores (sometimes nothing else since they usually put the smaller guys out of business) and therefore it makes the towns all look the same. Both a blessing and a curse, really.

But EB sucks for charging me for an almost useless gaming card. I seldom buy new games. Jebus.

[aarond]

Uuah. Wouldn't Wal-Mart be the Wal-Mart of video gaming?

Anyway, it is tough to find "gems" in gaming stores, but I hardly ever buy honest-to-God new games anymore, anyway. Your best place to look for gems are those them there thrift stores and such, and they're still hard to find there. Or online stores, I suppose, although paying the shipping makes saving the tax kind of pointless.