Support NeoGAF

[Kai Dracon]

Gah. The pre-order pressure at specialty game stores is as stupid or worse than pushing strategy guides anymore, or so it seems. In fact, so far this year I've had employees pressure me for pre-orders more frequently than to "buy the guide". I know The Man cracks down on the sales reps and middlemen to push wares. But it's getting obnoxious, especially when they lay on the drama, acting as if they have Halo 2 level preorders for say, a Kirby game :lol

"You didn't... RESERVE Kirby's Air Ride? Hey guys! Listen! This guy didn't RESERVE Kirby's Air Ride!! And he thinks he can just walk in and pick up a copy from this stack of 150 that nobody wants to buy!"

*cue laughter*

Okay, seriously - how often have you REALLY been unable to find a friggin' game 'cause you didn't preorder? Personally, the last time I can remember actually not walking in to find a stack of game X upon release, in at least one of the local software shops, was Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the Dreamcast! Yeah, I had a hard time getting a copy of that soon after release.

 

[StoOgE]

yeah, but you cant get mad at them, its their job. I normally put money down on games just because it doesnt hurt me and it makes sure I'll get the game, even if I am 99% sure i'll get it anyway.

 

[pdk27]

I'm pretty much done with EB and Gamestop. First its the "We have a used copy for $5 less". Then its the "Do you want to get the strategy guide with that" and finally now it's "Do you want to get the warranty on the game for $3 extra.
Now this is if your getting a game the guy behind the counter actually likes. If he doesn't you have to hear "What are you buying that for" or "Come on buy this other version of some sports game. It's much better" I just want to get in a out. That's why I'll do my shopping at Best Buy and Circuit City from now on. Just pick up the game and walk to the register.

 

[Ranger X]

The only thing i don't like about pre-order is when i can't take my money back. Many store don't have the game the day they are supposed to and it pisses me off sometimes.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

They really do get pressured, at least at GameStop. Managers bonuses along with their very job are on the line based on percentage of reserves (and subs, and theft). Basically, any good part of the employees job is tied to how their store is doing percentage wise with those 3 items. Their insane about it.

 

[akascream]

I always just ask about it. I ask them what questions they are supposed to ask us, and what thier incentive is for doing it. Sometimes they get some kind of worthless reward or somthing. Anyway, they usually get embarassed and just drop it.

 

[scissorfight]

Yeah, I think the last game I actually had to call more than a few stores to find was Ocarina of Time. I have never had a problem finding a game I didn't reserve.

Consoles, on the other hand, are sometimes hard to find near launch and I think it's worthwhile to reserve one if you really want to have it at launch.

I find Blockbuster is getting worse with pushing their movie/game pass bullshit than gamestores are with pre-orders. Every damn time I go into the store (which isn't much) the clerk insist I am missing out on some golden opprtunity by not being a member. When I explain that I don't rent games or movies very often, they tell me they have a special membership just for me! I have to literally do the math for them and explain that I would never rent the number of rentals it would take to just come out even, let alone save money. Then they sit there with a stupid look on their face because they're not used to someone actually figuring out if the deal is worthwhile for them or not. Anyways, sorry for the tangent...that just really irks me.

 

[Scoobert]

I've seen cases where it ended up customers should have pre-ordered. The most recent was with Advent Rising. On release day we received 3 copies of the game, and 2 were pre-orders. By the end of the night we had maybe 5 or so people asking for the game. There's just some games you have to pre-order, especially if you want them on release day.

And then you have the customers that pre-order and never pick up the game. We probably have about 30 Halo 2 pre-orders in the system. Not to mention the 20+ pre-orders for San Andreas....the PS2 version!

 

[Kai Dracon]

yeah, but you cant get mad at them, its their job. I normally put money down on games just because it doesnt hurt me and it makes sure I'll get the game, even if I am 99% sure i'll get it anyway.

I ain't mad. It is their job, true. I'm just amazed/amused at how thick some of the guys lay it on when reasonably, they should know how lame (and useless) it comes off to a given person; especially when it's clear that person is a regular gamer (not a soccer mom) who knows better.

Besides, I could never give up game stores. Where else am I going to get to hear guys in real life, off the inter-nets, insist that Revolution has been sold to Apple and Intel Macs will play SNES games? While the Killzone demo CG was in fact real time but running off an Xbox 360? And that Sony is going already going to launch PSP 2 this November to take the spotlight off Microsoft?

 

[sprsk]

We really made fun of people who wanted tales of symphonia for gamecube. SHOULDA PREORDERED YOU JACKASSES NOW YOURE DRIVING ALL OVER TOWN TO FIND A GAME THAT DOESNT EXIST!

Just preorder people, it wont kill you and youre not losing any money. Even if you dont buy the game you can come in and get your money back, put it on another game, you can do whatever you want with it. Stop being such douches and just preorder. (this applies to gamestop only)

 

[Shig]

I'm pretty much done with EB and Gamestop. First its the "We have a used copy for $5 less". Then its the "Do you want to get the strategy guide with that" and finally now it's "Do you want to get the warranty on the game for $3 extra.
Now this is if your getting a game the guy behind the counter actually likes. If he doesn't you have to hear "What are you buying that for" or "Come on buy this other version of some sports game. It's much better" I just want to get in a out. That's why I'll do my shopping at Best Buy and Circuit City from now on. Just pick up the game and walk to the register.

How is Best Buy better? There you get:

"With this purchase today you qualify for 8 free issues of Entertainment Weekly or Sports Illustrated." (sometimes with the need to refuse the offer 2 or 3 times)

and

"Go to this website and complete a survey and you'll be entered to win a Best Buy gift card"

plus, if you buy a pheripheral:

"For only $x.xx you can get a Product Replacement Plan for that." (+ horrible snarky look if you refuse)

 

[123rl]

I've walked out of shops because I was being harassed over preorders for games I either didn't want, or already owned. Apparently, saying "No thanks, I've had the Japanese version for three months" means I'm still interested in buying it again...

 

[Kai Dracon]

We really made fun of people who wanted tales of symphonia for gamecube. SHOULDA PREORDERED YOU JACKASSES NOW YOURE DRIVING ALL OVER TOWN TO FIND A GAME THAT DOESNT EXIST!

Just preorder people, it wont kill you and youre not losing any money. Even if you dont buy the game you can come in and get your money back, put it on another game, you can do whatever you want with it. Stop being such douches and just preorder. (this applies to gamestop only)

That's odd. I picked up ToS at K-Mart where they had something like 30 copies. And saw it all over when it came out.

 

[scissorfight]

The only thing i don't like about pre-order is when i can't take my money back. Many store don't have the game the day they are supposed to and it pisses me off sometimes.

Wait a second...this actually happened to you? They were late getting the game when all other stores did, and they wouldn't refund your cash? If so, that is unbelievable. That would be the last time I shop at that store.

 

[sprsk]

That's odd. I picked up ToS at K-Mart where they had something like 30 copies. And saw it all over when it came out.

you must live in video game land cause that wasnt the case in most of the country

 

[Do The Mario]

Never, the only games i have pre ordered are

-GTA 3
-KOTOR 2
AND
Smackdown JBI

 

[Ranger X]

Wait a second...this actually happened to you? They were late getting the game when all other stores did, and they wouldn't refund your cash? If so, that is unbelievable. That would be the last time I shop at that store.

It happened 2 times at a store i don't pre-order anymore. Well, i don't pre-order and that's all. I have 6 or 7 spots i can stop to buy a game while coming back from work or going downtown from where i live. There has been no instance where the games were nowhere to be seen so far. But i suppose some people mind having to go at multiple stores to get their games...

 

[siege]

The only time I'll pre order is if it's a PC Collector's Edition of a game that's going to be in high demand. Other than that, I've never had a problem.

 

[DrEvil]

and finally now it's "Do you want to get the warranty on the game for $3 extra.

Dude, the game guarantee is a godsend - believe me. I work at EB as I've stated before, $3 on new, $2 on used, and for it to last a year, it's simply worth it.

if you're like me and don't trade your games, and just horde them, if you accidentally scratch it or damage it, the Game Guarantee is awesome for replacement; if there's anything I'm glad to sell, its the game guarantee.

Fuck the guides and preorders.

 

[human5892]

Okay, seriously - how often have you REALLY been unable to find a friggin' game 'cause you didn't preorder?

Never. This has never happened to me, and so I never preorder.

I think I had to check a few different stores a few times, but I've not once thrown my hands up to the sky in anguish and screamed, "WHY DIDN'T I LISTEN TO THE GAMESTOP CLERK? HE WAS ONLY TRYING TO WARN ME!"

 

[Musashi Wins!]

One thing about the gamestop plan that confuses me....i'm really only interested in pre-ordering rare titles that need support and yet...they rarely offer anything more than a generic pre order sku for those titles (which doesn't mean the title will show up). Stupid.


And that EBgames guarantee is retarded.

 

[The Faceless Master]

i see it all the time at the gamestop in the atlantic mall in downtown brooklyn...

people coming to pick up a game on the release date without a preorder that is...

very bad idea :lol :lol :lol

it's especially funny when they see the glass case with 1-3 huge stacks of the game all preordered out and they try to bribe the clerk to get one...

the funniest was that guy who wanted a PSP... well, i guess he got one a week later!

 

[michael000]

I stopped preordering games when i graduated high school many many moons ago. I only preordered when i was in school because you're stuck there till ~3pm at least, by that time you can still find copies pretty easily but you may have to drive around. Nowadays i can just pick up a copy of a game on my way to work or during lunch so it's no big deal. Man looking back, it's unreal that the tardy bell for 1st period rang at 7:25 am heh.

Preorders for games will always be minimal unless we start getting the cool stuff they get in JP when you pre-order, i'd personally pre-order everytime if that was the case. I believe Atlus is doing this with one of their upcoming games if you order through them. Shame it's not if you go retail as well, cause you'll have to wait longer than everyone else to play since you'll have to wait on the shipping time.

 

[Ranger X]

And that EBgames guarantee is retarded.

Well, almost everyday i see someone coming at the store (i work part time in a EB) complaining and trying to get another copy of their game AFTER their 14 or 30 days of default garantee. And those are mostly the ones who say "no" when we ask them if they want the 3 bucks replacement plan.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

We really made fun of people who wanted tales of symphonia for gamecube. SHOULDA PREORDERED YOU JACKASSES NOW YOURE DRIVING ALL OVER TOWN TO FIND A GAME THAT DOESNT EXIST!

Just preorder people, it wont kill you and youre not losing any money. Even if you dont buy the game you can come in and get your money back, put it on another game, you can do whatever you want with it. Stop being such douches and just preorder. (this applies to gamestop only)

That was a rare example of an unexpected shortage. "A Namco game out of copies? No way!" *cue Katamari Damacy*

However, DDS1 was shipped to my local Gamestops to only cover preorders, so for those small-run games, that is THE way to go for me.

 

[.hacked]

1st off, michael000 is a pervert.

:lol


2nd Is it so hard just to say no?

All retail stores are like this now. Hell I bought a dustbuster at k-mart and was hit up for a warrantee.

Just say no and move on with your day, believe it or not the store clerks are not trying to ruin your day. They are just doing their job.

 

[michael000]

1st off, michael000 is a pervert.

In my defense when i originally found the pic i thought it was funny, i had no clue where it came from though :lol. Not to worry though NOW i do know where it comes from but it still makes me laugh so i'm not ashamed!

 

[john2kx]

I usually just pre-order the obscure games that no one else buys just to throw the GS clerks off a bit.

The last one I did was Gradius V, and the dude that was working there hadn't even heard of the Gradius series before that day. Although I suppose that's reasonable if your first system was the PS1.

To the GS people in here: Laugh and roll your eyes all you want, many of us simply choose not to conform to GS's silly pre-order based business model.

For some, it may be a matter of principle over practicality. They don't like being harassed into something, regardless of whether or not it will benefit them.

For me, the turning point was when I went to GS to buy Mario Kart (GC) without preordering it.
The manager asks if i preordered it, I say no, and then he tells one of the other guys working there to find one without the bonus disc.
Even though I couldn't care less about the bonus disc, they went OUT OF THEIR WAY to find me one without it, even though I'd been a customer for years.

Apparently to them, customer loyalty doesn't matter because they percieve themselves as the only game in town, all customers are just preorder sheep waiting to be herded, and the ones that don't succumb to preordering are unwanted outcasts.

I still shop there occasionally, but i'm waiting for them to try something like that again so I can cut GS (and EBGames) off for good.

 

[shuri]

Okay, seriously - how often have you REALLY been unable to find a friggin' game 'cause you didn't preorder? Personally, the last time I can remember actually not walking in to find a stack of game X upon release, in at least one of the local software shops, was Marvel vs Capcom 2 on the Dreamcast! Yeah, I had a hard time getting a copy of that soon after release.

Battlefield Vietnam. World of Warcraft.

 

[sammy]

I can understand the whole pre-order issue from a corporate perspective ---- Hell, they get at least $5 a pop for a game pre-order game - $50 for a pre-order console, and they get to chunk all that cash in the bank to collect interest.

Just think of how much can be accumulated from a game like Halo2 ... shit....

That amount of $$$ doesn't compare to a few of us getting annoyed and walking out before chunking $12 on some used GBA game.

 

[sammy]

Apparently to them, customer loyalty doesn't matter because they percieve themselves as the only game in town, all customers are just preorder sheep waiting to be herded, and the ones that don't succumb to preordering are unwanted outcasts.

It's so funny here in Chicago, there's so many gamestores they compete on almost a 'turff' level ---- I can get in my car and make it to 15 diferent game-stores within 15 min of distance.
They have a hard time breaking streed-dates here, 'cause employees from a competing store will come to try and catch 'em in the act --- then do their narking.

 

[dark10x]

There was only one time I can remember where finding a game became difficult due to my failure to pre-order. RECV on the Dreamcast, was the game, and it was a bitch to find.

Since then, I've learned to pre-order when a large game release is on the way or when I fear that the supplies of a particular game may be limited.

 

[123rl]

Why don't more people order online? It's just so much easier than having to tell the guy/gal behind the counter that you don't want any guide books, 3rd party pads, 2nd hand "bargains" or to preorder more games. The sites I use almost always send me my games a day before release date, if not then it's here for release day. Oh and it's usually about £9 cheaper...another nice reason not to buy from the high street

 

[kaching]

Game retailers need to stop sitting on the fence and make up their mind. If they'd rather get all their sales through preorders, fine, but they maintain significant presence in the form of B&M sites appearing prominently in most urban centers that offer WALK-IN service for new products. It's a rather conflicted approach to imply I can walk in to grab whatever games have been released, but I really should have preordered...

 

[Jeff-DSA]

I was told by Gamestop on Friday that almost 50 Xbox 360s had been reserved at that store and that if I didn't get on the list soon I was guaranteed to miss out.

I didn't preorder.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

I live in a smaller city so pre-orders aren't necessary unless there's a nice pack-in.

 

[dark10x]

Why don't more people order online? It's just so much easier than having to tell the guy/gal behind the counter that you don't want any guide books, 3rd party pads, 2nd hand "bargains" or to preorder more games. The sites I use almost always send me my games a day before release date, if not then it's here for release day. Oh and it's usually about £9 cheaper...another nice reason not to buy from the high street

My youngest sibling happens to work at an EB, though, and she happily lends me her discount whenever I please.

It is also somewhat exciting to grab a new game on the day of release. Ordering online would kill that buzz.

 

[sammy]

The first time I ever learned my lesson about pre-orders and how much they don't matter was with PanzerDragoonSaga ----- I was very young and vulnerable : [

Had it on pre-order for as many months as it was announced, made it to my EB on my lunch-break from school and they only had 2 copies - one with a yellow sticker of my name, and the other in one of the employees hands.

The Employee was very honest with me, he said:
"We only got 2 in, and the game is rare - we won't be getting any more - the one on the wall, I'm holding for my friend.... and I'm going to buy your copy for myself .... I know you're the only person that pre-ordered it .. but ... sorry..."

No customer loyalty - I had been a regular for years .... had to get my copy for $80 on the internet a few days later (parental pitty)...

 

[Blackace]

1st off, michael000 is a pervert.

:lol

strikes me odd that you know this information...

 

[LakeEarth]

The first time I ever learned my lesson about pre-orders and how much they don't matter was with PanzerDragoonSaga ----- I was very young and vulnerable : [

Had it on pre-order for as many months as it was announced, made it to my EB on my lunch-break from school and they only had 2 copies - one with a yellow sticker of my name, and the other in one of the employees hands.

The Employee was very honest with me, he said:
"We only got 2 in, and the game is rare - we won't be getting any more - the one on the wall, I'm holding for my friend.... and I'm going to buy your copy for myself .... I know you're the only person that pre-ordered it .. but ... sorry..."

No customer loyalty - I had been a regular for years .... had to get my copy for $80 on the internet a few days later (parental pitty)...

Eeerrrr.. should've simply the manager and get the prick fired? I mean it has your name on it!

 

[sammy]

Eeerrrr.. should've simply the manager and get the prick fired? I mean it has your name on it!

Heh, it was the manager that bought it from me ----- I was like 12 or 13 at the time, dumbfounded, just didn't know what to do and never went back.

 

[LakeEarth]

Heh, it was the manager that bought it from me ----- I was like 11 or 12 at the time, dumbfounded, just didn't know what to do and never went back.

Then you go to the owner. If he's the owner, then you go to the heads of the retail chain. If it was a mom & pop shop, then you go to the Better Business Bureau.

Or, since you were 12 at the time, come back and damage something later on in the day.

 

[xsarien]

Dude, the game guarantee is a godsend - believe me. I work at EB as I've stated before, $3 on new, $2 on used, and for it to last a year, it's simply worth it.

if you're like me and don't trade your games, and just horde them, if you accidentally scratch it or damage it, the Game Guarantee is awesome for replacement; if there's anything I'm glad to sell, its the game guarantee.

The game guarantee is bullshit. If you take the 5 seconds to put the disc back in its case (or in a sleeve), then scratching should be about as rare as a system actually breaking down.

Regarding pre-ordering:
It's bullshit with an asterisk. There may be certain instances where pre-ordering may be a good idea. If there's some kind of bonus to go along with the order (e.g., a good soundtrack, a limited-edition pack, or an XP-ready version of Sam and Max), it's fine. Another time it may be a good idea is when you know that the game is such a low-key release that some stores may not order that many copies, if any at all. But by and large, it's mostly used as a scare tactic, and I think that's pretty damned miserable of the store managers. What's worse is that like others have said, store employees actively punish people for not pre-ordering by refusing to sell what's obviously extra stock to walk-ins.

At the other end, there's pre-ordering for big games: That's about as pointless as ordering your food in advance at McDonald's. There's no need to pre-order the next GTA; there's no need to pre-order the next Halo? Do you know why? They're very popular games, and most likely stores will be scrambling to replenish their stock as fast as they can. Every day they don't have the game on the shelf is a lost day of sales. (Of course, this is coming from the perspective of someone who rarely buys a game on the release date.)

So for those wondering what the "difference" is between Toys R Us, Best Buy, Circuit City, and dedicated stores like EB and Gamestop (now one and the same): It's that in the former, there's no clerk with a metaphorical gun to his/her head between me and the game bothering me about stuff I don't want before it's handed over to me. At the big box stores, I grab what I want, ignore the cashier as I'm opening my wallet, and leave.

 

[BobbyRobby]

When I worked at Gamestop, all I would say was. "Did you want to reserve any games today?" If they said no, I'd just finish the sale, and say nothing more. There's enough kids who will come in and ask to pre-order a game that you don't have to resort to cheap ploys.

The first time I ever learned my lesson about pre-orders and how much they don't matter was with PanzerDragoonSaga ----- I was very young and vulnerable : [

Had it on pre-order for as many months as it was announced, made it to my EB on my lunch-break from school and they only had 2 copies - one with a yellow sticker of my name, and the other in one of the employees hands.

The Employee was very honest with me, he said:
"We only got 2 in, and the game is rare - we won't be getting any more - the one on the wall, I'm holding for my friend.... and I'm going to buy your copy for myself .... I know you're the only person that pre-ordered it .. but ... sorry..."

No customer loyalty - I had been a regular for years .... had to get my copy for $80 on the internet a few days later (parental pitty)...

Damn, that's disgusting.

If that kind of thing happens, you can usually make a huge fuss to either the manager or the district manager.

 

[.hacked]

Heh, it was the manager that bought it from me ----- I was like 12 or 13 at the time, dumbfounded, just didn't know what to do and never went back.

Years late now but if the manger did it go to the DM and so on. Believe me you would have hit someone who could have helped you out.

strikes me odd that you know this information...

I have seen many things in my days

 

[scorcho]

used to be an ASM at Gamestop, and i agree that pre-orders are bullshit. they're mandated by the company and district managers keep tight pressure on store management to maintain their numbers to an adquate level. this also works with the used discount card, with the percentage of subs and reserves bordering between 5-10% of total customers.

besides for the added 5 or so bucks, the logic behind the preorder is twofold. first, it 'locks in' the customer to a purchase in the store, just like the discount card. second, you don't understand the number of people who'll drop money on preorders and just never pick up their reserves. there are policies to notify customers who fail to pick up their game, but after a certain point most district managers will 'collect' the reserve slips and 'hold' them. essentially they're added profit for the company.

 

[Scoobert]

I've never seen anyone turned away because they didn't pre-order. Usually theres a stack for pre-orders, and a stack for walk-ins.

And what happened to sammy was just wrong. He saw you and because you were young he thought he would take advantage of you. Either way, most likely he was fired at some point for some other reason. Atleast you got your game, and +1 for never going back.

I ask people if they want to pre-order if they ask about the game. I just don't start naming off 50 games and ask if they want to pre-order. Most of the time they just say "no thanks", and I drop it. No one has never given me attitude for suggesting to pre-order. Most of you act like its the end of the world if they even try, but I bet all you ever say is "no". That's all it ever takes.

Had a woman come in the other day looking for Destroy all Humans. Told her it wasn't out yet, gave her exact day it releases and she mentions no wonder the 3 other stores shes been to didn't have it. So I asked her if she wanted to pre-order, and we give her a call the minute its in. Perfect person to pre-order right? She just says no, thats ok. To me thats just comical.

You know how every store has boxes of games that are coming soon? There was this one time where a guy made this huge fit, I mean he actually whined about it. Basically saying how can we have the game on the shelf if the game isn't out yet. Talk about your morons, huh? :lol

 

[Ranger X]

I usually just pre-order the obscure games that no one else buys just to throw the GS clerks off a bit.

The last one I did was Gradius V, and the dude that was working there hadn't even heard of the Gradius series before that day. Although I suppose that's reasonable if your first system was the PS1.

To the GS people in here: Laugh and roll your eyes all you want, many of us simply choose not to conform to GS's silly pre-order based business model.

For some, it may be a matter of principle over practicality. They don't like being harassed into something, regardless of whether or not it will benefit them.

For me, the turning point was when I went to GS to buy Mario Kart (GC) without preordering it.
The manager asks if i preordered it, I say no, and then he tells one of the other guys working there to find one without the bonus disc.
Even though I couldn't care less about the bonus disc, they went OUT OF THEIR WAY to find me one without it, even though I'd been a customer for years.

Apparently to them, customer loyalty doesn't matter because they percieve themselves as the only game in town, all customers are just preorder sheep waiting to be herded, and the ones that don't succumb to preordering are unwanted outcasts.

I still shop there occasionally, but i'm waiting for them to try something like that again so I can cut GS (and EBGames) off for good.

Wasn't this bonus disk a PRE-ORDER bonus? Why should you get the pre-order bonus if you don't pre-order in the first place?

 

[Ranger X]

The game guarantee is bullshit. If you take the 5 seconds to put the disc back in its case (or in a sleeve), then scratching should be about as rare as a system actually breaking down.

Well it seems that general people are too dumb to do that. Have you ever bought an used game from a store like this? Have you ever worked in a store that buys your games like those? Believe me i'm disgusted at 95% of the game people sell to me, everyday i swear. I don't know what people do to their CD and DVD, it's unbelievable how they can get it scratched in no time.
And it's them that are pissed when i say "no." to them when they try to exchange their game after the 30 default garanty.

 

[echoshifting]

I really do feel bad for the Gamestop guys. I'm used to getting harassed about preorders, but last Friday the guy took it to a whole new level when I took advantage of their buy 2 get 1 free used game deal.

Him: Would you like to join our used game club? You get x% off all your used games (I don't remember what the actual percentage was).

Me: Oh, no thanks. I don't really buy that many used games.

Him: Are you sure? You'd save like 10 bucks on these games just today...it's a really good deal.

Me: No, that's okay. I really don't want it.

Him: It's really a good deal...you get this magazine too...

Me: You know what, I barely ever buy games in the mall. I'm really only here today for the sale.

Him: We have several outlet locations too...there's a Gamestop down Highway 8...

Me: I should have been more specific. I almost never buy games in specialty stores like Gamestop. Sorry, it's just not for me.

Him: Well, you know some people like to have it just for the magazine...the magazine is really cool.

At this point I just stopped responding, as it had become apparent that the only way to get him to stop was to stop feeding him "No thank you." I mean...my. god. It's just insane there now. I know that all retail jobs involve some level of suggesting additional items/services, and that most stores expect a certain quota...but Gamestop employees have it the worst. If the customer is in there for any old game, they have to harass them about preorders. If they're in there for a hot title, they have to bully them into getting a strategy guide. If they're in there to buy used games, it's this used game club thing. MY. GOD.

Clearly this stuff comes down from the managers, and it makes zero sense to me. It would have been pretty clear to any normal human being from early on (as I'm sure it was with that guy) that I wasn't at all interested in this club/membership thing, but the guy was programmed to not quit under any circumstances...and all this accomplished was to further cement my distaste for specialty stores.