GameStop Halts Its Unlimited Used Game Rental Program

Megalith

Megalith

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GameStop has suspended its PowerPass program, which offers customers six months of unlimited access to used games. The retail chain told employees yesterday to pull down all signage involving the program and store it in their backrooms, according to two GameStop staff.

Employees have speculated to Kotaku that some of the company’s antiquated computers weren’t equipped to handle it. PowerPass, which soft-launched this week, would give participants unlimited access to any used game in a given store for six months. For $60, you’d be able to treat GameStop as a library, taking out one pre-owned game at a time, and after six months, you’d get to keep one.
 
So used games become even more used? And what do you want to bet they still keep them high.
 
Jim Kim said:
How is Gamestop still a thing.
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I went into a Gamestop last Summer and was surprised to find it had turned into a pawn shop. I hadn't been in a Gamestop since before they bought out EB Games in the early 2000s and was very disappointed, this brand is a zombie and will be gone like Blockbuster thanks to digital downloads.
 
You know, that's actually a pretty enticing idea. Too bad Gamestop realised it was a good idea and shut it down.
 
Joseph F said:
It's not a bad place to go for cheap used games, but useless otherwise.
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unless you like trying to be harassed in to preordering assasin's creed 16 "identity crisis" or call of doodoo 8 "front of battle"... it'll be out summer 2019!! sure you don't want to go ahead and pay for it now?

i know, it's their job...
 
PersonalJ said:
I went into a Gamestop last Summer and was surprised to find it had turned into a pawn shop. I hadn't been in a Gamestop since before they bought out EB Games in the early 2000s and was very disappointed, this brand is a zombie and will be gone like Blockbuster thanks to digital downloads.
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i don't know, if i was still a console gamer i would prob still go there to pick up used games, kind of the same way i wait on picking up a lot of games nowadays until a good steam sale. if it wasn't something i had to have, i'd just wait for a used one to pop up??

these days its not just the $60 out the gate, then they wanna hit you for another $40 for DLC subscription. just wait a bit and pick up the definitive edition w/ all the dlc plus the dlc that the dlc subsciption people don't get w/out coughing up even more dough for, for $20. Guess like they say, good things come to those that don't pre order DLC!!! :pompous:
 
d3athf1sh said:
unless you like trying to be harassed in to preordering assasin's creed 16 "identity crisis" or call of doodoo 8 "front of battle"... it'll be out summer 2019!! sure you don't want to go ahead and pay for it now?

i know, it's their job...
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Most of the sales derps I have had to deal with there aren't too pushy, but that's of course, down to the specific location.
 
Joseph F said:
Most of the sales derps I have had to deal with there aren't too pushy, but that's of course, down to the specific location.
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There was a post a while back telling about Gamestops tactics. They don't want gamers. They want salesman. Used over new, their membership (which I am still a member of), etc..
 
I don't see how Game Stop hasn't don't a revamp yet. I would have already changed it into like a gaming lounge. Chill out, pay to play some console games. Then have an area that sells used games, new console/PC accessories, and money cards (XBL cards, PSN Money cards, etc).

d3athf1sh said:
i don't know, if i was still a console gamer i would prob still go there to pick up used games, kind of the same way i wait on picking up a lot of games nowadays until a good steam sale. if it wasn't something i had to have, i'd just wait for a used one to pop up??

these days its not just the $60 out the gate, then they wanna hit you for another $40 for DLC subscription. just wait a bit and pick up the definitive edition w/ all the dlc plus the dlc that the dlc subsciption people don't get w/out coughing up even more dough for, for $20. Guess like they say, good things come to those that don't pre order DLC!!! :pompous:
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There really isn't much point in buying a physical copy, when you can get it cheaper through online digital sellers. I go through G2A and it's always cheaper than buying a physical copy. The only time I buy a physical copy is when it's not available digitally or it's from Japan.

If you're the type to resell old games, than physical copies make sense. I don't and also swapping discs is annoying to me.
 
PersonalJ said:
I went into a Gamestop last Summer and was surprised to find it had turned into a pawn shop. I hadn't been in a Gamestop since before they bought out EB Games in the early 2000s and was very disappointed, this brand is a zombie and will be gone like Blockbuster thanks to digital downloads.
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Same. The one I went to locally was a nice store up until recently. Something there changed in the past year. The last time I went there a month ago it smelled so nasty that I lurched. From what I saw before turning around an leaving, everything was in disarray. I will never go back to one of their physical locations again. At least their online store is still a decent place to find things that bots on Amazon usually buy out. I was able to get a Samus 3DS XL and copy of Samus Returns with the soundtrack months after the preorders were sold out on Amazon.
 
Biggest issue with GameStop:

New console game: $59.99

Used Console game: $54.99, no case, scratched, etc.

Bins full of games no one wants to play: $14.99

And all the video game knick knacks and prepaid game cards you could think of.
 
Game$top should just stop.

At the end of my console days(PS/2-Xbox)I was still going to them. I just couldn't believe how they could paint ripping you off as a customer service. Trade in a game you bought for $40 last week for $7 credit towards a new one. Sure. Sure.
 
krotch said:
I don't see how Game Stop hasn't don't a revamp yet. I would have already changed it into like a gaming lounge. Chill out, pay to play some console games. Then have an area that sells used games, new console/PC accessories, and money cards (XBL cards, PSN Money cards, etc).



There really isn't much point in buying a physical copy, when you can get it cheaper through online digital sellers. I go through G2A and it's always cheaper than buying a physical copy. The only time I buy a physical copy is when it's not available digitally or it's from Japan.

If you're the type to resell old games, than physical copies make sense. I don't and also swapping discs is annoying to me.
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Nah there is very much a point in buying physical copies. It's just that you don't get what it is.
 
Jim Kim said:
How is Gamestop still a thing.
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They haven't been relevant for several years due to game downloads and cheaper online retailers.

We had three GameStop locations a year ago and now we're down to one. The last time I went to one it was called Software Etc. and the employees were rude.
 
GameStop is alright if you want to pick up a few used games to throw on the shelf.

I got LA Noire super cheap a few years ago because I wanted to eventually give it a play. Same thing with Mirror’s Edge.

Also you actually own the games. I like owning discs for systems — especially because it can take me a few years to get to it.
 
The two times I was in a Gamestop they had one end cap w/ empty PC game boxes. I'm not exaggerating. The rest of the store was dedicated to handheld devices and consoles lol. Bought a camo xbox controller for my nephew. He got a job and a computer now.
 
ZodaEX said:
Nah there is very much a point in buying physical copies. It's just that you don't get what it is.
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No, I understand what they are. You resell games, you have crap internet, you loan out games to friends, you're just a collector, or the game is sitting in a clearance bin for ridiculously cheap. I'd just much rather spend my money fixing the issues that could keep me from downloading games (crap internet), than buying overpriced physical copies.
 
To get fiber optics to my house the local internet provider quoted me $61,200...
 
krotch said:
I don't see how Game Stop hasn't don't a revamp yet. I would have already changed it into like a gaming lounge. Chill out, pay to play some console games.
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Could work... Most GameStops I have seen are tiny, though. Also, I doubt they have the money for such an endeavor given that it sounds like the reason they stopped the rollout of this program is that their computer system was old and couldn't handle it.
 
MavericK said:
Could work... Most GameStops I have seen are tiny, though. Also, I doubt they have the money for such an endeavor given that it sounds like the reason they stopped the rollout of this program is that their computer system was old and couldn't handle it.
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Ya, I feel their long past the point of no return in being able to revamp without gathering more investor money. Although the locations that are sitting in malls could possibly expand, seeing as malls are shutting down left and right or shops closing down.
 
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