WTF is Best Buy doing?1?!

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C0V3RT

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#1  Edited By C0V3RT

I went out to Best Buy to pick up Prototype today and was expecting to see the conventional game in hard plastic cover which the clerk takes off when you pay.  So I'm walking through and noticed their games looking mighty thing.  I discredited it thinking maybe they were moving stuff around, but as I looked closer, every PS3 and 360 game was just a piece of paper with the cover and back of the game on it. 

I just stood there for a few minutes trying to wrap my head around this concept.  Isn't this 2009 we're living in?  I had flashbacks to when I was a little kid at Toys R Us walking up to a wall of video games that just had box art, taking a ticket and going up to a window that was surrounded in like...bullet proof glass to get the game.  I never did figure out what I was supposed to do as I got the game w/ t-shirt that I'll never wear (it was the same price).  But still...it blew my mind.

Anyone else's Best Buy do this - is mine just late to the party?

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DarkFlow83

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#2  Edited By DarkFlow83

I've seen this at some best buy's in phoenix before.  This was a few years ago and it was only for some games.  I think it was mainly the new ones, but i could be wrong.

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End_Boss

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#3  Edited By End_Boss

Not mine, and therefore you live in Bizarro world.

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NickL

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#4  Edited By NickL

some best buy's do it for new games, in my experience it is usually the ones that have problems with people stealing the ones in plastic covers

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shakenbake

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#5  Edited By shakenbake

I've never seen that before

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C0V3RT

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#6  Edited By C0V3RT

I guess I understand why they do it, but it seems so old school and inefficient.  And this was EVERY 360 and PS3 game (no Wii games, but maybe thats next?)

Part of the reason I like Best Buy is because I can just grab my game and go.  I don't like retailers like Target or Wal Mart as I dont like having to track down someone with a key.  I dont like GameStop because no, I don't want to preorder Game X, no I don't want a guide.

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toowalrus

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#7  Edited By toowalrus
@End_Boss said:
" Not mine, and therefore you live in Bizarro world. "
Yes, Bizarro world. Superman's black and lives underwater. Best Buy uses paper tickets.

Seriously though, my local Best Buy hasn't started doing this yet. Is there a lot of theft in your town?
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MC_Izawa

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#8  Edited By MC_Izawa

you should move to a better neighborhood

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EpicSteve

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#9  Edited By EpicSteve

The Best Buy you go to is probably in a test region, so it may or may not continue. Perhaps it's an anti-store theft idea. Just casually ask an employee next time you're there. 

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VWGTI

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#10  Edited By VWGTI

Dude, I wondered the same exact thing when I bought InFAMOUS a couple weeks back. I had to grab a fake copy to bring to the register. They had a cage in the front FULL of new games. I wonder what caused this sudden change. As you said, it is very reminiscent to Toys R Us.

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NickL

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#11  Edited By NickL
@C0V3RT said:
" I guess I understand why they do it, but it seems so old school and inefficient.  And this was EVERY 360 and PS3 game (no Wii games, but maybe thats next?)Part of the reason I like Best Buy is because I can just grab my game and go.  I don't like retailers like Target or Wal Mart as I dont like having to track down someone with a key.  I dont like GameStop because no, I don't want to preorder Game X, no I don't want a guide. "
i vowed never to go into a gamestop again when the clerk tried to make me seem like an idiot in front of my friends and everyone in the store...

clerk: "do you want our card thing? you will save 10% on all used games!"
me: "no i dont feel like having another card that i'll never use."
clerk: " oh, so you like paying the extra 10% then?"
me " just shut the fuck up and give me my game jackass"

and, yes, i did actually say that to the clerk =P
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guerrilla_mason

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#12  Edited By guerrilla_mason
@NickL said:
"
@C0V3RT said:
" I guess I understand why they do it, but it seems so old school and inefficient.  And this was EVERY 360 and PS3 game (no Wii games, but maybe thats next?)Part of the reason I like Best Buy is because I can just grab my game and go.  I don't like retailers like Target or Wal Mart as I dont like having to track down someone with a key.  I dont like GameStop because no, I don't want to preorder Game X, no I don't want a guide. "
i vowed never to go into a gamestop again when the clerk tried to make me seem like an idiot in front of my friends and everyone in the store...clerk: "do you want our card thing? you will save 10% on all used games!"me: "no i dont feel like having another card that i'll never use."clerk: " oh, so you like paying the extra 10% then?"me " just shut the fuck up and give me my game jackass"and, yes, i did actually say that to the clerk =P "
Man, being abrasive to a guy trying to do his job is so extreme.   I know it's annoying, but jeez, calm down a little bit.  Maybe he was trying to make a joke.  Do all the GameStops I've never visited have someone outside that punches people in the face before they go in? Is that why everyone sounds like they have a stick up their ass when they speak of one?

OK, onto the topic.  I've noticed that all the Sam's Clubs that I've been in do this.  LIke many people have said, they might have a lot of theft at the store.
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C0V3RT

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#13  Edited By C0V3RT
@TooWalrus said:
"
@End_Boss said:
" Not mine, and therefore you live in Bizarro world. "
Yes, Bizarro world. Superman's black and lives underwater. Best Buy uses paper tickets. Seriously though, my local Best Buy hasn't started doing this yet. Is there a lot of theft in your town?"

It's Omaha, Nebraska and the Best Buy in the good part of town.  I guess theft is a possiblity anywhere.
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maxszy

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#14  Edited By maxszy

One near me does this, but not with EVERY game. Only more newer games. They have the games up in a locked metal basket at the front of the store. Its strange, as the others around me don't do that but I guess it is in an area that has more crime than the others. *shrug*

I don't find it THAT bad. Sure it may not be as efficient, but it seems to work decently.

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NickL

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#15  Edited By NickL
@Guerrilla_Mason said:
" Man, being abrasive to a guy trying to do his job is so extreme.   I know it's annoying, but jeez, calm down a little bit.  Maybe he was trying to make a joke.  Do all the GameStops I've never visited have someone outside that punches people in the face before they go in? Is that why everyone sounds like they have a stick up their ass when they speak of one?

OK, onto the topic.  I've noticed that all the Sam's Clubs that I've been in do this.  LIke many people have said, they might have a lot of theft at the store.
"
if he was just trying to do his job he would have stopped after i said no, like most gamestop employees do, maybe even a "are you sure?" after i say no is acceptable

oh and if you would have been there, you would have known he was definitely not trying to make a joke
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C0V3RT

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#16  Edited By C0V3RT
@Guerrilla_Mason said:
"
@NickL said:
"
@C0V3RT said:
" I guess I understand why they do it, but it seems so old school and inefficient.  And this was EVERY 360 and PS3 game (no Wii games, but maybe thats next?)Part of the reason I like Best Buy is because I can just grab my game and go.  I don't like retailers like Target or Wal Mart as I dont like having to track down someone with a key.  I dont like GameStop because no, I don't want to preorder Game X, no I don't want a guide. "
i vowed never to go into a gamestop again when the clerk tried to make me seem like an idiot in front of my friends and everyone in the store...clerk: "do you want our card thing? you will save 10% on all used games!"me: "no i dont feel like having another card that i'll never use."clerk: " oh, so you like paying the extra 10% then?"me " just shut the fuck up and give me my game jackass"and, yes, i did actually say that to the clerk =P "
Man, being abrasive to a guy trying to do his job is so extreme.   I know it's annoying, but jeez, calm down a little bit.  Maybe he was trying to make a joke.  Do all the GameStops I've never visited have someone outside that punches people in the face before they go in? Is that why everyone sounds like they have a stick up their ass when they speak of one?

OK, onto the topic.  I've noticed that all the Sam's Clubs that I've been in do this.  LIke many people have said, they might have a lot of theft at the store.
"

I just don't go there because when I went in to pre-order Fable II - the guy asked me if I wanted it for the 360 or the PS3.  FAIL!
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DarkFlow83

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#17  Edited By DarkFlow83

Yeah the best buy I saw that did this was in the rich part of town so it seemed out of place.  I also had to ask some dude that was back there to get it for me, who then handed it to me.  It kinda made no sense seeing as I now had it in my hand and could easly rip it off.  Crazy

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VWGTI

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#18  Edited By VWGTI

I live in the upscale Washington D.C. area. I wouldn't think theft would be too crazy here.

If Best Buy is doing this it must be a company wide policy they're implementing. It's amazing how people figure out how to steal games from those plastic cases.

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C0V3RT

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#19  Edited By C0V3RT
@DarkFlow83 said:
"Yeah the best buy I saw that did this was in the rich part of town so it seemed out of place.  I also had to ask some dude that was back there to get it for me, who then handed it to me.  It kinda made no sense seeing as I now had it in my hand and could easly rip it off.  Crazy "

Did he hand you a game in or outside of a plastic case?
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DarkFlow83

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#20  Edited By DarkFlow83

It still had the hard case like normal.  So it was just a total waste of my time really.

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Fallen189

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#21  Edited By Fallen189

Did you actually ask the clerk?

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DarkFlow83

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#22  Edited By DarkFlow83

It was some dude who was back there, He went into a lil back room and came out with the game.

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C0V3RT

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#23  Edited By C0V3RT

I could see this whole thing making sense too if it was only M rated games.  I could get behind that.

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angelfan91

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#24  Edited By angelfan91

I've only seen the whole ticket thing at Toys R Us (which they still do here).  At Christmas I went to get some stuff that was on sale and it was ridiculous.  They didn't know what they had, where they had it, it was just a damn nightmare.

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natetodamax

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#25  Edited By natetodamax

That sounds awful. I love game cases.

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The_A_Drain

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#26  Edited By The_A_Drain

Honestly, this is a good system and stores should go back to doing it permanently. Ok, maybe not the glass wall of ass. But putting out photocopied cases in favor of gutting games means they are all sealy fresh and people don't have to get fucked off about getting what is essentially a second hand product. It also alleviates arguments about whether or not those products are indeed second hand (as sometimes, you never can tell, and i've worked in the UK variants of these stores, so I know what i'm talking about)

Personally, it's sealed, or no sale (unless i'm desperate and it's definately the last copy) so going back to keeping them behind the counter is imo, the future.

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Phished0ne

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#27  Edited By Phished0ne

last time i went to a best buy was probibly a month ago, to get Sonic's Ultimate Sega Collection, and i saw none of this...probibly something they are testing out.

I really have no problem with this practice  mostly for the reasons that  A_Drain mentioned...I'm cool with it as long as it dosent involve employees that need to scour the electronics section to find the key to the glass wall, or employees that dont know where they keep the games that havent been gutted yet. (i went to a gamestop go get infamous the day it came out..and they hadn't  gutted  the ones that werent reserved, SO I ACTUALLY GOT A GAME IN A SEALED CASE FROM GAMESTOP WOOOO!!)

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Xeiphyer

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#28  Edited By Xeiphyer

Thats pretty lame but, when you think about it, its basically the same system blockbusters or any other game rental store uses, and I bet they get almost no games stolen because they are all behind the counter, its more inconvenient but it makes sense.

Also as for proof of why they would need to do this, I was working at Future Shop over Christmas (futureshop is basically bestbuy in Canada, although we have bestbuy too, same company though.) Anyways! So this guy pulls his truck up in front of the double sliding doors that is the main enterence, Casually walks in starts looking at the PS3s, Picks 2 up, walks out the doors and puts them in his truck, AND THEN, comes back in gets 2 more puts those in his truck and drives away. By the time anyone noticed he was already gone. thats like $2000 in stuff stolen in 5 minutes. And we would always find empty boxes of stuff that people had exactoknifed open and taken. So I can understand them wanting to cut down on stolen product.

But honestly, Videogames have magnetic cases that are tricky as shit to open, Except for the older ones which can be smacked open haha. Videogames aren't really the ones that get stolen, they should concentrate on getting better security on their high cost products.

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TheMustacheHero

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#29  Edited By TheMustacheHero

Mine only does that for MMO monthly fee time card things.

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#30  Edited By wafflestomp

I hate that too, Toys R Us does that as well. Best Buy at Village Pointe?

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HawkSE

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#31  Edited By HawkSE

Yeah my nearest Best Buy does this for all games $59.99 to $20.00. Everything $19.99 is on the shelf.

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#32  Edited By TheKidNixon

As others have said, this is probably to eliminate theft of games. Yes, its annoying and is an extra step for you, but I suspect it is also annoying for the employees at the Best Buy; games are probably among their most popular individual items, so they have to go through the stack that is somewhere secure to get you your copy of whatever game. Still, for the person who has to explain the wonky inventory every week, this probably seems like the best solution to games that just "walk away."

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MrPerfect

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#33  Edited By MrPerfect

The Best Buy where I live does not do that, that must suck. 

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SimpsonFan

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#34  Edited By SimpsonFan

My Best Buy does this too. They did before but recently stopped.

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C0V3RT

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#35  Edited By C0V3RT
@wafflestomp:

Yep at Village Pointe (I'll throw out whoever came up with the street system in/around Village Pointe is a fool).  I checked out the one off 72nd and Dodge (closer to home) too and same story there.  I would go to NFM but they always get stuff late.
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Out_On_Bail

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#36  Edited By Out_On_Bail

The only solution to this is a boycott.

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C0V3RT

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#37  Edited By C0V3RT
@Out_On_Bail said:
"The only solution to this is a boycott. "

Funny you mention that. I actually stopped going to Best Buy for a short period of time when they tried to sell magazine subscriptions.  I don't know how many people are weird about this kind of stuff like me - but will be interested to see if this causes a decline in game sales.  We'll have no way of knowing, but would anticipate if it does, they'll change format again.
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Wolverine

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#38  Edited By Wolverine
@C0V3RT: Just order them off amazon. In the future we live in we don't leave our house. lol
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#39  Edited By Maru

Best Buy in my area (Ontario, Canada) have been doing this for new release games for a while now. 

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dsplayer1010

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#40  Edited By dsplayer1010

My Best Buy used to do it.

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PercyChuggs

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#41  Edited By PercyChuggs

So, what's the problem here? How is giving a ticket to a person who then rings up the game any different than just bringing the game up in a theft resistant plastic case and having them ring it up?

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angelfan91

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#42  Edited By angelfan91

 

@Wolverine said:
"@C0V3RT: Just order them off amazon. In the future we live in we don't leave our house. lol"


If Microsoft puts newer games and not just old 19.99 titles on the Games on Demand thing they showed, I won't leave my house.

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#43  Edited By Wolverine
@angelfan91: Yeah that would be amazing but they are going to piss off stores so much by doing that,