gamestop
Latest
Own a yacht? Check out Gamestop's online Wii bundle
Those suits over at Gamestop aren't anyone's fools. They know that the demand for the Nintendo Wii is so high, they can package in an additional 430 bucks worth of stuff you may or may not want. For the blistering high (online-only!) price of $679.90, you can obtain: Nintendo Wii (Wiimote, nunchuck, Wii Sports included) Wii 1 GB SD card One additional Wiimote (nunchuck not included) One year product replacement plan Marvel Ultimate Alliance The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Trauma Center: Second Opinion Red Steel Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Madden NFL 2007 The sum of these products individually is no more or less than the stated price of $679.90, so if you were planning on picking up many of these games anyway, it may not be such a horrible display of corporate greed that you can't pick it up. How desperate are you? Orders ship (tentatively) on January 17th, and a S&H fee of $9.99 will also be tacked onto the order.
Rumor: GameStop Corp to absorb Rhino
Over on the Cheap Ass Gamer forums panic has begun to take hold. Poster 'FSUEagles' claims that in no less than ten days Rhino Video Games will be officially converted to a GameStop property. While it's hard to imagine the transition would occur that quickly (especially when store managers are allegedly being told today), the acquisition would not be unprecedented.Aside from the GameStop brand, the corporate umbrella encompasses EB Games, FuncoLand, and Software Etc., and governs 4,592 retail stores throughout the U.S. Adding Rhino, which has fewer than 100 locations, is small potatoes -- the move would be similar to GameStop's 2002 Gamesworld buyout in Ireland -- but still an important step in controlling the used game market. Rhino currently promotes a popular 2-for-1 deal, whereby patrons can trade two qualifying used titles for any one game priced under $50 (a difference must be paid on games that exceed the price restriction). If GameStop does acquire Rhino from Blockbuster then expect trade-in values to diminish overnight.
Gran Turismo's constantly shifting "release date"
The potentially canceled, or un-canceled, PSP version of Gran Turismo 4 has just shifted its release date once again on the GameStop website. The retailer is notorious for accidentally revealing crucial release info, but in this case, we're willing to bet that they're simply moving the date so that they can still hold on to pre-orders (some undoubtedly made nearly two years ago!).The game is now listed as to come out on July 2nd. While that may seem like an eternity away, it'll be the slight glimmer of hope for those of you that don't want to believe in its vaporware status.[Via PlayStation]
Preorder Justice for All, get swag
GameStop is offering a Phoenix Wright stylus as a bonus if you preorder Justice For All. We're so there. We were, in fact, already there, before it happened, because we are psychically attuned to all the world's lawyery* goodness. Or maybe it's just that we're obsessed. We'd probably pick up special edition Phoenix Wright diapers and spend the day trying to wrap them around the cat.*Lawyery can so be a word.
Thieves break through Gamestop wall with sledgehammer [update 1]
The Florida Times-Union is reporting a group of thieves broke through the cement wall of a Jacksonville, Fla., Gamestop with a sledgehammer and made off with 13 Xbox 360s within. The thieves cut the store's power, took the security tapes and scattered about a group of empty PS3 boxes, leading store manager Mark King to theorize the thieves "really wanted to get a PlayStation 3." Just goes to show you that Sony's shortages are hurting the criminal element as well.The article goes on to stress how common-place video game and electronics thefts are these days, both for businesses and personal property. Indeed, the Orlando Sentinel has a report of a new Playstation 3 owner getting mugged for her system on the way from the store to her car. So if you do manage to track down one of those rare PS3 units, may we humbly suggest that you watch your back.[Update: Fixed typo in manager's name. Thanks HotShotX.]Read - Gamestop sledgehammer thievesRead - Woman mugged for PS3
Is EB/Gamestop hoarding the PS3-love?
I did my weekly "can Nick find a PS3 in Athens?" search yesterday. The result is the same as always: no. Not just no, but no employees/managers seem to know when the next shipment is coming in. Perhaps whilst in Atlanta next few weeks, we'll find me some sexy console to waste my time on. Anywho, with that recent failure in my mind, we've got a tipster who spotted some "familiar" boxes -- the 2-quantity, PS3-sized shipping boxes to be exact. Assumption? Yeah. Angry? You bet, 'specially since the one in Athens "sold out this morning"... a common response mechanism this blogger used to use at his old job at OfficeMax. Especially if he didn't want to seek out a gigantic desk in the back... they're heavy! What were we saying? Oh. Boxes. So, this may mean nothing and the boxes may include nothing but two new robotic employee's per box, but it's worth giving your local store a call this weekend to see if another shipment popped in.[tanx brunches, WheelSee!]
Looking for Nintendo
So, we already heard that Best Buy may be holding their in-stock Wiis until Sunday ... and a number of sources are reporting that GameStop is doing the same. What's more? All of our sneaky anonymous sources within the two retail giants are saying that the hold is absolutely true. December 17 is the new Wii day. Expect a holiday frenzy if you're out shopping this weekend, and if you want to snag a Wii, get there early and cross your fingers. Anyone up for camping?
GameStop importing a pair of DS games
Looks like GameStop is getting into the importing business, slowly placing their toes into the water and testing the temperature with two different DS titles. These titles, which are great choices, are Jump Superstars and Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4. News of this comes from GameSpot UK, so we're assuming this is only going to be available to UK consumers for the time being, with a possible test run in the US coming later, as well.With importing being more of a diehard fan practice, could GameStop realistically expect this to take off with the average consumer? Will the language barrier be too much to overcome with shoppers? Besides, with several different online retailers, why would anyone even want to go to GameStop for imports?
Gamestop sells porn-packed used MemoryStick
Dallas' NBC 5 News has the story of a Fort Worth mother who bought a "refurbished" PlayStation Portable MemoryStick from Gamestop only to find it filled with pornographic videos and photos. Sandra Hemm bought the stick as a birthday present for her son, whom she described as "pretty devastated" over the discovery. Frankly when we were his age we would have just been thrilled at our luck.A Gamestop spokesman said the company was investigating the incident and that standard procedure is for used cards to be wiped clean before being sold. As a precaution, local reporter Scott Friedman recommends parents try out used MemorySticks for themselves before handing them over to the kids. Or, you know, you could just shell out the extra $5 for a new stick and not worry about it.
Deals of the Day: tons of sales, everywhere
These retailers are simply crushing my wallet. My AMEX card is almost maxed out! Here are some highlights from the web:amazon.com [Via CAG]Holiday Sale! Highlights include: Mortal Kombat Unchained $40 $18 Gitaroo-Man Lives! $40 $30 Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins $40 $30 Bounty Hounds $40 $30 Bomberman $30 $18 Power Stone Collection $30 $20 Invisible Shield [Via CAG]Get 40% off screen protectorsGamestop.com [Via CAG]Every Extend Extra only $20Decal Girl [Thanks, Joel!]$6 face platesPlay-Asia [Thanks, Joel!]Talkman for $13
Porn found on refurbished Memory Stick, claims horrified mom [Update 1]
Next time you buy a Memory Stick, consider getting it used. Who knows what kind of bonuses you might unlock. Like... well, porn. John, a boy from Fort Worth, Texas, discovered porn on his supposedly formatted Memory Stick, purchased from Gamestop. "Oh my goodness. I just, my stomach turned, you know. I just was sick. I just couldn't believe they had witnessed that," the mom told NBC news reporters.Apparently, the Gamestop corporate office will investigate. However, looking at the slight grin on the kid's face, I'm sure he's not complaining.[Via Joystiq][Update 1: Whoops, wrong news station attributed. Thanks for the catch DiRT--although, you should try avoiding using words you don't understand!]
Respect the Ratings: GameStop unveils new campaign
In an effort to promote ratings awareness (and garner a little PR while they're at it), GameStop has launched a new campaign, Respect the Ratings, aimed at helping parents understand more of what their children are playing. The campaign's website is a meager four pages but is designed with the time-strapped parent in mind. Featured on the website are ratings explanation, genre classifications, and even a glossary of popular phrases so that parents can "crack the code" of the gaming language. We're impressed by the selection of terms, including troll, patch, and lamer. However, some more spelling variants would've been amusing: while they do have both "owned" and "pwned," why not include pwnt, pwnz, and 0wnz0rd? And Leetspeak is all well and good, but the deduction-challenged adult might not connect the term with 1337. The Resources page offers a comprehensive list of links to peruse, including many gaming sites (CVG, GameSpot, GameRankings), safety-oriented sites, and main ESRB page. We'd like to see a news tab that gives a personal feeling to the site and coerces return visits. We're not expecting full-blown coverage (leave that to us), but maybe a weekly post that gives a brief highlight on the news to keep parents up to date on some of the news that the gaming kids love to use.
Castlevania: portrait of unboxing [update 1]
If you're a real Castlevania fan, then it's likely the sweet preorder bonus for Portrait of Ruin from GameStop and co. got your blood pumping. There's nothing like teasing the flap on a beautiful box and dipping your fingers inside to stroke the goods. We know you want it. Flickr user and DS fan Gil knows, too, and he photographed his very special unboxing odyssey just for you. The smooth, slim stylus and DS case, the poster with handy timeline and luscious artwork, and the collector's edition music CD -- it's all inside. And even if you couldn't get your hands on one, now you can at least watch as it is undressed, left naked and open for your roving eyeballs.And even if you don't love Castlevania in that special way that we do, it's always nice to see a collector's set with some real goodies ... and any fan knows the music from the series is worth having on disc. [Thanks, Gil!][Update 1: Looks like I've forgotten how to spell.]
GameStop employees allegedly fake PS3 theft
We're not ones to judge individuals who get carried away during the launch of a new console, be they politicians, hopeful campers, or even newbie eBayers. However, we draw the line at the law being broken in order to bag what is essentially a plastic box stuffed full of more plastic. In the latest of a rash of PS3-related crimes, two 19-year old GameStop employees have been accused of stealing four PlayStation 3s and then telling police that armed gunmen had robbed the store and taken the consoles instead. The charges include suspected embezzlement, burglary, and conspiracy, all of which carry hefty jail sentences if the suspects are proven guilty. Still, we all know what the ultimate sentence-based deterrent to this sort of crime is: a lifetime of living under the label of being the bad kind of PS3 fanboy.[Via Joystiq]
GameStop employees fake PS3 theft, face charges
Two GameStop employees were arrested earlier this week in connection with the theft of four PlayStation 3 units. Tauryn Robert Hodge and Gerald Anthony Keys, both 19, face charges of suspected embezzlement, burglary, and conspiracy. Hodge has also been slapped with a charge for filing a false police report.Last Thursday, on the eve of the PlayStation 3 launch, Hodge told police that two armed gunmen robbed his GameStop and made off with four of the coveted consoles. Despite not yet recovering the stolen PS3s, detectives have determined that Hodge and at least one other accomplice were actually the ones responsible for the theft. Both Hodge and Keys have posted bail and are no longer in police custody.[Thanks, Esteban]
GameStop has more Wiis, PS3s for Black Friday
During an investor conference call, GameStop has confirmed that both Nintendo and Sony have sent the retailer new shipments of Wii and PlayStation 3 consoles just in time Black Friday, which is only a few days away. Even better, GameStop has also expressed confidence in a weekly shipment of each console, although did not provide specifics on how large any of the shipments would be.Other information from the call, as reported by GameSpot: Unsurprisingly, Resistance: Fall of Man and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess were big sellers for their respective consoles. Other standout hits include Madden NFL 2007 for the PS3 and Red Steel for the Wii. According to their sales, the game-to-console ratio for the Wii was 3, while the PS3 was about 1.5. GameStop attributed the disparity to the prolific eBay PS3 auctions and said it should grow once the consoles get in the hands of "real gamers." A constant stream of consoles is a good sign of trying to keep up momentum, but we'd be happier if executives could pin down a minimum number of consoles per shipment.
GameStop already resupplied with PS3's?
Half of this will be news, half of this will be a personal request. You can skip the latter if you want, but I'd like you to at least hear me out. First, the news. GameStop executives have confirmed that they have already been resupplied with both the Wii and PS3, expecting more of each on a weekly basis. This is good -- the people who were shunned a system due to preorder over-order madness will get their system pretty quickly and then it's free game for those of us who had a string of unfortunate PS3 events (Ed and myself... so, PS3Fanboy). This is also good since you don't have to try to get a "deal" on eBay anymore -- let them sit and in a few months (especially after Christmahannukwanzakah) the prices will probably drop below retail if you keep your eyes peeled.Now for my plea. When I got this tip from Colin, he said something about wanting to have more people to shoot in Resistance. That gave me an idea. Who would be in support of a sort of... PS3Fanboy group? Online, I mean? So we can all get together for multi-player bouts and such? It could be a lot of fun! Let me know what you think of that. Also, I recently was able to get online with Phantasy Star Universe along with a friend of mine. Anyone want to play that with us? Drop me a comment (@ndoerr) and we'll have a good time. Of course, I'll probably be horribly under-leveled.[thanks, Colin!]
Rumor: EB and GameStop to stock up for Black Friday
Crushed because you came away from the Wii launch empty handed? Dealing with waffling salespeople at your favorite retail outlets? Concerned that it may be a while before you can get your hands on one? Relax, dearest fanboys, because a little birdie told us that GameStop and EB are getting in new shipments for this Friday and they're going to open up a few hours early -- we're hearing 7AM. There's no word on the number of units allocated for the forthcoming madness on the year's biggest shopping day, but we expect no less than preorder numbers and likely more.On a related note -- we spoke with some folks at Best Buy also, and while they couldn't give us a firm date on when they would receive their next shipment, the did tell us that several shipments arrive at stores each week, with games, accessories, and yes, more consoles. So if you're trying to find an extra nunchuk (like we are), a Wiimote, or even to find out when your Best Buy will receive more Wii units, give them a call in the mornings -- keep fishing and you'll catch one.1UP is also reporting that new shipments are expected, and it seems some of the commenters talked to our little birdie or one of his co-workers, as the 7AM story is repeated there.So who's camping this week to remedy the lack of Wii?
Reggie's on the phone for you
NoA president (and popular photoshop subject) Reggie Fils-Aime made a special guest appearance on phones and answering machines across America yesterday. If you pre-ordered a Wii at GameStop, you got the message included after the jump. If you didn't ... you can still hear it!Nothing like getting a recorded message from Reggie to make the waiting a little easier.
GameStop stock gets buy nod
GameStop, the world's largest video game retailer, is riding a wave of good fortunes. In the wake of the PS3 launch, analysts believe gaming is going to do well which means (ta-da) GameStop stands to profit. We imagine they'll look even better come tomorrow (Wii launch day for those living under a rock/glued to their PS3). Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities has some high praises for GameStop; Pachter handed the video game retailer a strong buy recommendation. He calls GameStop the "destination for new stuff." Regardless of what you may think of GameStop, when a specialty store does well, we know the suppliers are looking good, too. GameStop getting a rosy thumbs-up means good things for gamers; our hobby is going to be around for a while. Anyone planning on investing in GameStop (then boosting their shares via the mass-consumption of games)?
