I found this really interesting article over at Gamer Limit about a customer's experience with GameStop.
 

It looks like Gamestop employees are trying new tactics in their everlasting “get people to buy an in-store warranty” campaign. According to a customer, a Gamestop employee claimed Microsoft was sending out kill bugs for Xbox 360 consoles to fry their motherboards, and the only way to protect against this was to buy an in-store warranty. 

lol. If that line has ever actually worked I would be surprised.

I haven't read the article yet, but surely some portion of this must be fabricated.

OH GOLLY!!! i had no idea Microsoft would tr to kill their own system for gamestop's benefit! i better buy everything they ask me to.

Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it.

" lol. If that line has ever actually worked I would be surprised. "

If this were the case, then 2/3 of all 360 hardware failures could be blamed on not buying the extended warranty?  Really.   Oh, who am I kidding.  MS doesn't need a "kill switch" software program for their consoles, they did it to themselves already.

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

... 
 
Shit i think i feel a double ellipses coming on 
 
... 
 
Yup, there it was.

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

When was the last time anyone actually paid any attention to what a Gamestop employee said? I go in, get what I came for, say "no" to whatever the kid has to say, and leave. If you even waste your time in conversation with the drone at the counter you deserve whatever you get.

I read the article.  The "customer" who claims these tactics against Gamestop also claims he was a former assistant store manager at Gamestop and he also begins this accusation with the opening sentence "I typically avoid shopping at GameStop and have been doing a good job abstaining from buying anything from them for the past two years."  I'm the last one to say Gamestop is all sunshine and roses, but this stinks of disgruntled ex-employee to me.  
 
And, if anyone did believe that crap, then they deserve to be taken to the cleaners.  Who in their right mind believes that any company purposely sabotages their own products so that you'll buy a replacement or extended warranty from a third party retailer? 

It's true I saw one of those bugs trying to attack my Xbox!!! Here's a picture...

" It's true I saw one of those bugs trying to attack my Xbox!!! Here's a picture...

It's an assassin bug! 

Thats insane. 
 
Gamestop will never take my XBOX alive!... oh wait... I already got the warranty D:

" @Axxol said:

" It's true I saw one of those bugs trying to attack my Xbox!!! Here's a picture...

It's an assassin bug! 

I CAN SEE THE HATE IN ITS EYES!! "

" @OllyOxenFree said:

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

Yeah, every single parent who buys it for their kid, every single older person, or casual sports gamer who doesn't know any better has a god damn obligation to become like us and spend their times on forums and learning every single detail.  "

" I haven't read the article yet, but surely some portion of this must be fabricated. "

" @JJWeatherman said:

" lol. If that line has ever actually worked I would be surprised. "

Yeah this is just ridiculous. Who the hell would believe that?   "

GS and EB employees do some shady stuff to make a quick buck, but this is downright bizarre. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be false.

" I found this really interesting article over at Gamer Limit about a customer's experience with GameStop.
 

It looks like Gamestop employees are trying new tactics in their everlasting “get people to buy an in-store warranty” campaign. According to a customer, a Gamestop employee claimed Microsoft was sending out kill bugs for Xbox 360 consoles to fry their motherboards, and the only way to protect against this was to buy an in-store warranty. 

This can be another reason to hate them.  For the customer's full rant, hit the link.

Gamer Limit Link "

Christ... everyone involved in that story is a friggin' idiot.  I'm glad that I'm lucky to have one of the only good Gamestops around, where the clerks are actually informed about the stuff they're selling and don't come across as elitist assholes.

" Christ... everyone involved in that story is a friggin' idiot.  I'm glad that I'm lucky to have one of the only good Gamestops around, where the clerks are actually informed about the stuff they're selling and don't come across as elitist assholes. "

" @OllyOxenFree said:

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

Yeah, every single parent who buys it for their kid, every single older person, or casual sports gamer who doesn't know any better has a god damn obligation to become like us and spend their times on forums and learning every single detail.  "

i actually heard something like this.  i don't think that it is true but i heard that they have a way to do it vie internet. it makes the 360 explode. it would only be done if piracy was really bad. i doubt there is actually a bug like that. 
 
i try and not go to gamestop because of things like that. i do research before buying new systems. when i bought my 360 in 07 it died like 5 months after purchasing it. i knew that the rrod was going to be bad so i did buy a warranty for it. i think that is the only time that i bought a warranty for something.

That's cool, I guess. Haven't shopped there since February of 07 when I picked up my X360. Wonder if they programmed it to fry in late 2008?
 
Probably, bastards.

" ...  Shit i think i feel a double ellipses coming on  ...  Yup, there it was. "

" It's true I saw one of those bugs trying to attack my Xbox!!! Here's a picture...

It's an assassin bug! "

I'll be the first to admit that there are plenty of people who work at Gamestop who either know next to nothing about video games or who will tow the company line at any costs. I am not one of them. My entire store never sells any of those stupid GPGs simply because we know how stupid they are. The only people I even think about offering them to is a 360 owner because it will cover them if they get a burn ring. Please don't think that these morons represent all Gamestop employees.

Other than the typical "Did you pre-order at all?" that I sometimes get when I buy a game near launch, I've never gotten any crap from Gamestop employees.  I'm in Canada though, so maybe some of the quotas and rules are different.

If anything like that happened to me, I just wouldn't buy the console there. I know about the pressures they face to sell warranties, and the humiliation Gamestop can put them through for not meeting a number, but this is just crazy. If an employee tells me that I have to do something like that, or that I am wrong about something like that, I'll just flat out leave, even if it's sold out everywhere else. Somebody like that isn't getting my money. Not for service like that.

" If anything like that happened to me, I just wouldn't buy the console there. I know about the pressures they face to sell warranties, and the humiliation Gamestop can put them through for not meeting a number, but this is just crazy. If an employee tells me that I have to do something like that, or that I am wrong about something like that, I'll just flat out leave, even if it's sold out everywhere else. Somebody like that isn't getting my money. Not for service like that. "

" GS and EB employees do some shady stuff to make a quick buck, but this is downright bizarre. I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be false. "

You mean people have to make up reasons for Microsoft's consoles to fail? 

I dont really understand how these 'articles' bring such hate towards GameStop. It's one crazy dude being crazy. I was told at a Wal-Mart a couple years back the only way to get HD on my brand new tv was to get an HD antenna. Should I hate Wal-Mart because of this one crazy/misinformed guy? I know most responses to this will be I should hate Wal-Mart for yadda yadda, but I digress. I've never been harassed or talked to in this manner. I love going into the GameStop near me and I enjoyed my time working there.

Not really that big of deal,people are wrong about stuff quite often.
 
I once heard a  manager at a Gamestop tell someone that Rock Band waspublished by EA Sports (LOL)

When a rube buys snake oil its the rube's fault not the salesman.

" When a rube buys snake oil its the rube's fault not the salesman. "

Damn thats insane!!!  If I was the guy helping the friend buy the Xbox 360 and he pressured us that much I would have probably kick the shit out of this kid!  If that is really the way it went down I hope GS workers don't start to use this tactic cause I will end up freaking out and beating a GS employee with the product I was buying from them.  I tend to go to Best Buy just because I have always found the GS workers to be a bit annoying, and besides they open up products to display them and then when down to the last few they'll re-package them and act like they were never opened!!!!  Man I hate that store.

" @OllyOxenFree said:

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

Yeah, every single parent who buys it for their kid, every single older person, or casual sports gamer who doesn't know any better has a god damn obligation to become like us and spend their times on forums and learning every single detail.  "

"@Pinworm45 said:

" @OllyOxenFree said:

" Well to be quite frank, if anybody falls for this then they deserved it. "

Yeah, every single parent who buys it for their kid, every single older person, or casual sports gamer who doesn't know any better has a god damn obligation to become like us and spend their times on forums and learning every single detail.  "

Has nothing to do with being "like us." It has to do with being an intelligent human being. As someone pointed out, Microsoft isn't going to destroy their own console so Gamestop can profit. Furthermore, the legality of doing something like that would see Microsoft driven under by Class Action Lawsuits. None of this is a "Hardcore's know and casuals don't" issue, it's a matter of "This is how the world does and doesn't work," if they're adults, they should already know better.  Now, a kid that saved up his money from a summer job and walked to the Gamestop... "

" lol. If that line has ever actually worked I would be surprised. "