Thursday, February 07, 2008
The Inspection
Soon after Penny Arcade pointed me to the "28 Confessions of a Gamestop Employee," I bought "Conan" for my 360 (not recommended, really). When I reached the counter, I noticed that they had added a new ritual to the cash/wrap.
It's the rare game you buy at Gamestop that is unopened, as many other writers have complained. If you pick up the case for a brand new game, the disc itself is in a drawer secured behind the counter. I brought my empty case up, and the employee flipped over the DVD to show me its brilliantine surface.
"Mint?" he said.
I looked over the disc, confused for a minute. It was free of scratches, dust, or bubbles.
"Ummm, yeah," I said.
He smiled and put my game in its case. I realized afterward that the point of this exercise was to prove to me that the new game I had purchased was in fact, new, untainted by the touch of another's console. Mint, in other words. Compared to what I usually put up with at the cash/wrap (namely, telling the guy at the register three times that no, I don't want to pre-order "Halo 3"), I have to admit that this is a pleasant, positive move on their part.
Okay, Gamestop, one point to you. You win... this time.
28 Confessions of a Gamestop Shift Supervisor
It's the rare game you buy at Gamestop that is unopened, as many other writers have complained. If you pick up the case for a brand new game, the disc itself is in a drawer secured behind the counter. I brought my empty case up, and the employee flipped over the DVD to show me its brilliantine surface.
"Mint?" he said.
I looked over the disc, confused for a minute. It was free of scratches, dust, or bubbles.
"Ummm, yeah," I said.
He smiled and put my game in its case. I realized afterward that the point of this exercise was to prove to me that the new game I had purchased was in fact, new, untainted by the touch of another's console. Mint, in other words. Compared to what I usually put up with at the cash/wrap (namely, telling the guy at the register three times that no, I don't want to pre-order "Halo 3"), I have to admit that this is a pleasant, positive move on their part.
Okay, Gamestop, one point to you. You win... this time.
28 Confessions of a Gamestop Shift Supervisor
