I guess Game Crazy really is insane.

[Mr Hero]

2 weeks ago I went down to Game Crazy hoping to score a copy of Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Scribblenauts for the DS. When I got to Game Crazy they told me that they only ordered enough copies for preorders. [I]Really even a MARIO game?[I] So ya I was inwardly pissed, but since I'm not a SC I didnt let it out on the clerk. It wouldn't do any good. Life goes on and I scored my portable goodness at Best Buy.

Today I called to see if they had copies of the new Kingdom Hearts game for the DS. They asked if I preordered. I said nope. They only had enough copies for their preorders.

I don't like preordering. I'll get my game at the first store tht I can find that has it. It's usually Game Crazy most of the time Now that they've started doing this, it'll be not at all.

If any of you work in a game store, I'd really like to know if this really increases profit. From the point of view from a hotel worker, this makes no sense. What if the only checkins we allowed were reservations? What happens to the people who may not be able to buy the game right after its release, but are able to buy it a few weeks later because of when they get paid?

[Hyndis]

I just buy stuff from Steam or Impulse these days. Also, Newegg or Amazon if I want the actual box.

[MergedLoki]

and this is why i pre order games. because while this hasn't happened to me I've SEEN it happen to other people. 'do you have game A?' 'preorder?' 'no' 'then no we dont have it'

it is dumb. I mean if TONS of people are preordering obviously the game's going to sell well (at least for the first lil bit of it's release) order more copies in.

[bainsidhe]

Back at Media Play, we would sometimes only receive limited copies of a certain item. It didn't have anything to do with reserving really, except that reserving guaranteed you a copy. Though this does seem pretty weird coming from a gaming store.

[Arm]

well, it's in their interest not to buy from the supplier, if they can avoid it.

They'll make more money buying the game back, used, and then re-selling it again.

[Jackofalltrades]

The reason why they are only ordering enough for preorders is because they are beginning to close down nationwide. As of next week, they are closing 200 stores. There is no point for them to carry excess stock if they are gonna have to sell it wholesale in a month

[Andara Bledin]

If any of you work in a game store, I'd really like to know if this really increases profit. From the point of view from a hotel worker, this makes no sense.

What title's the stores get sent are based on what types of games those stores normally sell. If it's not a type of game that sells well, the store's only going to get enough copies to cover the pre-order (several of which will never be picked up), and a moderate selection of the games most likely to sell.

It's a fact of life when dealing with finite space and the need to monetize that space. My company would buy 5 times the amount of product we already do if we had anywhere to store it.

A hotel operates on a rather different principle. You supply a very specific item with set options. Your "stock" doesn't change unless the hotel gets remodeled. There is no budget based on how many units you will be receiving and whether or not those units can be sold, or if they will have to be stored.

If you really have to have a game, then pre-order. I don't know about Colorado, but in California, if you pre-pay for an item, then choose not to buy that item, you are entitled to a refund of that money. There are ways companies can get around that, but it's not common, since most people don't know enough (or don't remember) to get their money back.

The reason why they are only ordering enough for preorders is because they are beginning to close down nationwide. As of next week, they are closing 200 stores. There is no point for them to carry excess stock if they are gonna have to sell it wholesale in a month

Oooh... that, too. Thankfully, the cool one near me doesn't appear to be one of those 200 stores.

^-.-^

[Mr Hero]

Thanks Andara, that was very insightful. I still prefer to get a game at the earliest possible day. I usually only preorder if it comes with a bonus (nothing has yet to top Wind Waker's bonus) or if the game will be obscenely obscure, or obscenely popular that I'm not sure if I'll find a copy.

[MrSmiley]

Most of the malls I frequent in the city have a certain outlet game store in them. Usually I browse the shelves and usually find new games I don't remember hearing about. However I've noticed every time I go looking for something specific, they don't seem to have it. The last couple of games I've had to order online (ironically cheaper than what outlet game store usually charges for used titles, let alone new ones) simply because nobody was carrying them. A year old? Off the shelf it goes. Just imagine if movies were like that... and yet every store I've gone to that carries VHS and DVDs usually has titles going back at least 3 years...

So yeah, that and the fact that the PC Games section keeps shrinking to the point where it's now a single two-sided rack in the middle of the store, means that I'm buying a lot less at Outlet Game Stores than I used to. Mac section? Don't even think about it. On that note it's always bugged me that the store sells games AND systems unless it's a computer.

[gremcint]

This is their business model and has been for a long time now, they don't stock new product often because then they have room for used, that's where they make the money. Several stores do this.

And just for fun, Penny Arcade's take on this business model being applied elswhere:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/18/

[Andara Bledin]

Most of the malls I frequent in the city have a certain outlet game store in them. Usually I browse the shelves and usually find new games I don't remember hearing about. However I've noticed every time I go looking for something specific, they don't seem to have it. The last couple of games I've had to order online (ironically cheaper than what outlet game store usually charges for used titles, let alone new ones) simply because nobody was carrying them. A year old? Off the shelf it goes. Just imagine if movies were like that... and yet every store I've gone to that carries VHS and DVDs usually has titles going back at least 3 years...

Again, games and moves are similar but somehow also radically different niches. A classic movie has a chance of selling for nearly full retail price. A classic video game usually has to be marked down quite a bit to be salable. Part of that is that unless the gameplay is amazing, the game itself will be stale. Plus, graphics move quickly, and most people would rather have this year's graphics and new games over last year's graphics and games that often don't play much differently than this year's games.

Plus, movies have 2 formats right now. Nearly everybody can buy and play a DVD. A smaller sub-set (growing larger, but slowly) can also play BluRay. Games have at least 6 different formats, all competing for the same shelf space. That makes for a lot of overlap, and niche or outdated games just can't compete. Thankfully, my local GameCrazy keeps a fairly impressive selection of new games on its shelves. They also have a moderately decent used selection, and their prices aren't usurious. I won't even discuss the situation at the local GameStop, EB Games, or Electronics Boutique. (and yes, we have all three of those, 2 in the same mall within 200 feet of one another)

This is their business model and has been for a long time now, they don't stock new product often because then they have room for used, that's where they make the money. Several stores do this.

And just for fun, Penny Arcade's take on this business model being applied elswhere:

LOL.

Although, you won't find last year's stock on a grocery store's shelves, either.

^-.-^

[Nohbody]

Although, you won't find last year's stock on a grocery store's shelves, either.

As someone who works at a grocery store, I have to ask: Wanna bet?