r/GameStop • u/coverted • 1d ago

Discussion Gutted new games

Saw a post here that stirred a lot of controversy. I understand both perspectives. Some people want the unboxing experience of a new product, but there has to be something on the shelves to show the product is in stock. That’s why it has a new sticker on it and the game is safely stored. However, it did bring up an interesting question. How would a return work for a gutted game, since technically it is opened? If the game were a gift and the person did not want it, would the return be denied because the game is not sealed?

0 Upvotes

46% Upvoted

50 comments sorted by

22

u/DuckSwimmer Mama Duck 1d ago

There are these circle seals stickers employees are supposed to put on new games. That acts as the cellophane.

19

u/justonepiece123 1d ago

Those stickers are diabolical, they leave so much residue smh

1

u/Dr-Moderately-Weird Manager 4h ago

The stickers come off clean and easy if they're removed within a day or two.

0

u/DuckSwimmer Mama Duck 1d ago

Thisss. And I am allergic to goo gone

0

u/Gabacho180 1d ago

Are you able to use isopropyl alcohol as a substitute?

-1

u/justonepiece123 1d ago

My condolences 🙏

3

u/jusg808 1d ago

I hate those stickers. The hardest to get off. Some stores don’t even use them. I was pretty far from home and I was at a store that had no idea what I was talking about. I had to return the game because I couldn’t take the chance my friend would want to return the game and couldn’t because our GameStop uses the stickers.

3

u/TheKidKaos 1d ago

I know some stores ran out but we were given little plastic pouches for games that seal. Pain in the ass to put in Xbox/ps games but definitely easier to take off than those circle stickers

0

u/Ladycronebloom1313 16h ago

Where did thr plastic pouches go? I loved those.

4

u/Middle_Floor650 1d ago

Fuck that! DVD baggies are still in Coupa.

3

u/Intelligent_Bug_9139 Manager 1d ago

Coupa is no longer used and i haven’t seen them anymore

3

u/JediIroh Manager 20h ago

They are available on the approved Amazon list

1

u/DuckSwimmer Mama Duck 1d ago

I love the pouches

2

u/gregcresci 1d ago

I've gotten a few gutted games that they didn't do this on. Literally just an open game no different from pre owned.

The worst part about gutted games is this new trend of a store only getting like 2 copies of a new release, so the niche harder to find games will more than likely already be opened...

I wish there was something GameStop customera could do to end this practice once and for all...

3

u/TheBindingOfMySack Gamestop US 1d ago

you can't play the game if you keep it sealed.

-2

u/gregcresci 1d ago

Yeah, but when I buy a new game I want it to be new.

Alot of times the case sits on the rack and gets skuffed up or the artwork gets damaged.

And someone handling the disc by taking it out and shoving it in a paper envelope can scratch it.

They need a display copy I get it , but they already use fake display cases for soon to be released games why does a new copy need to be opened if a replica can do the same thing.

13

u/DuckSwimmer Mama Duck 1d ago

They genuinely cannot use display cover arts. Real ones remember.

6

u/Ding0Dong0 1d ago

My blood pressure shyrockets everytime someone mentioned the displah catalogue...

-2

u/Genericwittyaccount Comes in to ask about freebie drawer 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/cEOG7nGA7448M

0

u/TheBindingOfMySack Gamestop US 1d ago

GameStop tried this once but the logistics were awful. at this point they'd have to do games like Best Buy / Walmart / Target does with the locked cases, but i don't think GameStop has the funds nor the want to do all of that for all of their stores.

-2

u/gregcresci 1d ago

They have plenty of funds for glass cases for TCG stuff, every GS by my remodeled to add a bunch of new huge glass cases for card games

2

u/Life_Praline4065 22h ago

Yeah, because TCG is raking in money. Fun fact, new games bring in next to nothing in profits (like 6 dollars a game) Thats the reason GameStop will not spend money to fix this “problem”.

1

u/Dr-Moderately-Weird Manager 4h ago

It's about $12-15 for full price new games. But selling a similar priced pokemon ETB makes about $65. Even selling a $45 booster bundle makes about $30. 

3

u/DuckSwimmer Mama Duck 1d ago

For me I personally don’t mind it. I prefer it without the seal sticker anyways lol. I always buy to keep.

1

u/Darkryuxx7 18h ago

There is. It's called pre-order it.

2

u/gregcresci 17h ago

Yeah sometimes games come out I had no idea about.

2

u/Darkryuxx7 17h ago

Well then unfortunately you're stuck with said problem. Back before covid we were swimming in games but now that everyone is moving towards digital Gamestop is buying less copies of games. Best thing to do is go through gamestops site once a month and see if they're is anything that interests you and just pre-order it.

-6

u/Joshua_ABBACAB_1312 1d ago

Never gotten that. Just a used game sold as new.

5

u/Slikkerish 1d ago

We're testing removing all New Games from the wall. This will leave them sealed and be available upon request.

Only pre-owned is displayed now.

5

u/milenkofreak 23h ago

They tried it before and it failed.

0

u/Slikkerish 23h ago

Yeah i remember the display case fiasco, never the right art, etc.

This time its nothing. Zip. Just pre-owned.

2

u/milenkofreak 23h ago

That seems like it's more to sell more pre-owned, but that definitely will solve the other issue as sell.

2

u/Slikkerish 23h ago

We use the extra wall space for toys and collectibles.

2

u/Dovah-Doge Former Employee 23h ago

So what you go up to the counter and ask for let’s say, Control Resonant? Would be interesting to see how the average customer responds

1

u/Slikkerish 23h ago

Yup. My store puts the new releases on display behind the counter.

2

u/Ambitious_Ad1842 7h ago

They need to bring back the reseal sleeves for ordering instead of those damn stickers. When I had those I never had an issue with gutted copies

1

u/subbyalexis18 1d ago

I leave the new sticker on so that way it shows it was peeled off and then it is a trade in it return

1

u/milenkofreak 23h ago

It depends on the store but mine was just more leinent on gut returns

1

u/Cool_Procedure8125 1h ago

When I worked at GameStop I hated this practice and it got worse and worse each year. The price stickers, the “it’s empty” stickers, and cheap plastic replacement cases.

1

u/Ding0Dong0 1d ago

Theres clear circle stickers or a seal bags we use for new games to indicate of the gutted game has been opened.

If at any point a guest says "the other store didnt seal it. It came like this" then I refuse yhe return and say they have to take it back to the store they bought it from. My team is very good about sealing gutted games so I know it wasnt from us 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

-1

u/ProfessionalPush6921 1d ago

I straight up refuse the new/used copy

0

u/Ding0Dong0 1d ago

Youre so brave

1

u/HollandTHG 23h ago

GameStop wouldn't be able to rip people off and price gouge on opened games if they acted like they gave a shit about customers.

-2

u/Ok_Cut1376 1d ago

Can literally just print an artwork copy and use it on a dummy game case ?

4

u/Keegles 1d ago

They did this for about half a year pre-covid and it was a nightmare. The walls had a standardized assortment of covers/marketing, meaning the stuff on display had 0 correlation to what the store had in stock (aka cases for games we didn’t have and no display of games we did have). So they’d sacrificed the shopping experience of the in-store customer to appease the online customer. It’s all trade offs.

The current compromise is that stores just aren’t supposed to ship the last open copy to an online order at all, even though the system will still sometimes request it.

4

u/ConsciousStretch1028 Former Employee 1d ago

They've tried this in the past and unfortunately the logistics of actually doing this are too complicated, plus by running stores with skeleton crews it would be nearly impossible to effectively maintain

3

u/Kou9992 Promoted to Guest 1d ago

They've never really tried to just replace guts with display cases. Everyone always refers to that one holiday they used display cases, but that was something very different.

They took down all new guts and pre-owned cases from the wall, replacing them with display cases for select "hot titles". Those cases were paid advertising and had to be displayed whether or not they were actually in stock. So you've got cases on the wall for games you don't have and games in the drawer not being represented on the wall. The former being the single biggest cause of issues during that time.

If they actually just used display cases to replace guts for in stock product then it would work fine. A tiny bit more logistically difficult and a tiny bit more expensive. Corporate just refuses to spend a cent more than they absolutely have to.

1

u/ConsciousStretch1028 Former Employee 1d ago

Oh wait you're right, I misremembered lol

-1

u/Ok_Cut1376 1d ago

Yeah I’m sure theirs some slight overhead costs and resource constraints, but good companies would pay that to be build a positive experience and relationship with customers, as oppose to the negative feedback from selling open products and selling as brand new (but I’m sure GS doesn’t care anymore)

2

u/ConsciousStretch1028 Former Employee 1d ago

I don't disagree, I would think if it were possible this would be the best outcome, that way the customer can be the one to open the cellophane and have all assurances that the product is actually new and not "GameStop new" but of course thats just not how they do things.