Now that I’m my post college days only working a part time job, I have way to much time on my hands. While I spend most of that time these days playing Borderlands and COD4. From time to time I feel the need that I should be out in the real world. The easiest answer is going to malls and other retail outlets. In college I majored in Business with a concentration marketing. So for me justifying these trips is that I’m conducting research on the effectiveness of sales staff and consumer behavior. 

 (I told you I have way to much time on my hands)

 Most of my larger purchases are video games, on average I get a new game ever other month in the off season and about 4 games during fourth quarter holiday rush. So needless to say I go to a Gamestop or Game crazy quite frequently. I don’t if it’s a combination of that I understand the sales and marketing techniques that sales staff is using or just a bitter mid twenties gamer, but I much rather go to a big department store than a specialty Store. I really don’t like being hassled, when I’m in the specialty store I am bombarded with a chorus of screaming kids in a tiny store, pushy sales staff, and whatever they play on the Tv. The harassment continues at the counter where I’m asked if I want to be a member of their ponzie scheme, and if I wanted to pre-order something else. I wish I could wear a badge that says I’m an educated consumer that and that your attempt to upsale me is not going to work, if that how the edge card system worked I would be a lifetime member. 

 Here is the truth about presale’s, it’s rarely the case that the game has such a limited release. Imports yes, halo not so much. It may seem that way at specialty shops whenever a new game is released that it’s hard to get for the first week if you didn’t preorder. These stores only buy enough to cover their preorders, since morst of these outlets make their money from used game sales. I remember trying to get Borderlands from a Gamestop I was turned away since I didn’t preorder, my response is that I took my money to someplace else. The big box stores had no problem taking my money. The big outlets live and die by product availability, that is their focus not by trying to get to buy a used copy. I like supporting delvelopers so I buy new games as much as possible. 

Now I’m not damning all the specialty stores, if somehow your town has a independent game store by all means support them. I’m mainly referring to large chain specialty stores. I know not every gamestop is like the one I discribe, every once in a while there is a clerk that understands it. I’m not suggesting going to wal-mart, don’t support them ether. For me I just feel more comfortable in a larger store and I hate being hassled.