[PC] WTF Gamestop

[PP]

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/gamestop-under-fire-removing-free-coupons-deus-ex-234821510.html

The battle over digital game distribution just took a turn for the ugly.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
Video game retail giant GameStop has been opening up brand new PC game boxes of the critically-acclaimed shooter Deus Ex: Human Revolution and removing packed-in coupons granting free copies of the game to users of the OnLive cloud gaming service.
OnLive and Deus Ex publisher Square Enix announced the coupon deal yesterday, which would let buyers of a boxed PC copy download and play another copy of the game, for free, via OnLive's cloud based network, a $50 value.
But apparently GameStop, which has its own digital distribution platform, wasn't on board with what it believes is helping to promote the competition. A letter sent out to GameStop employees instructing them to "immediately remove and discard the OnLive coupon from all the regular PC versions of Deus Ex: Human Revolution" has been widely circulated, and GameStop has since officially confirmed the practice.
"Regarding the Deus Ex OnLive Codes: GameStop's policy is that we do not promote competitive services without a formal partnership," GameStop says on its Facebook page. "Square Enix packed a competitor's coupon within the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution without our prior knowledge and we did pull these coupons."
It's pretty upsetting news for those who like to believe that when they buy a new product, they are actually, you know, buying a new product. Knowing a retailer tampered with a game box simply to thwart a promotion geared at saving gamers money is, to say the least, a little worrying.
GameStop, however, assures you that while they're breaking the seal on your new game box, your game itself should be fine.
"While the new products may be opened, we fully guarantee the condition of the discs to be new. If you find this to not be the case, please contact the store where the game was purchased and they will further assist," the company states.
So is it illegal? That's a bit fuzzy. Wired reports that Square Enix and OnLive might be able to make a case for "tortious interference," which occurs when one party intentionally damages another party's contractual or business relationships.
GameStop has raised the ire of gamers before. Just last year, the company was hit with a class-action lawsuit over what consumers considered deceptive used game sales.
Square Enix and OnLive have yet to formally respond.

This is a huge over-step for gamestop.

[killgod]

that's fuckin ridiculous

[JayDizzle]

We mentioned this in the Podcast.

Basically, if you're a PC guy or a gamer in general, you knew about the free code coming with this version of the game.

There's no company in the right here so we'll have to see the War on Online Gaming continue.

[Bmore]

I hope gamestop gets sued. You can't tamper with a product when you are just a retailer. If a company packs a coupon or add-on in there game, you can't remove it. It causes distrust between you and your customers, not to mention you and the publishers.

This is the exact reason why I love mom&pops, cuz gamehounds (our local mom&pop) has already said that the coupons will be in there cases.

[Chrispy]

UPDATE: Square Enix has issued an official statement regarding today's events, basically apologizing to GameStop for not informing the retailer about the coupon in advance of the game's release.

“As part of Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s boxed offering on PC, Square Enix included a third party coupon," said the company in a statement. "GameStop was not made aware of this inclusion and Square Enix respects the right of GameStop to have final say over the contents of products it sells and to adjust them where they see fit in accordance with their policies."

"Square Enix invites gamers who want to purchase the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution without additional coupons to buy the game at any one of over 4000 GameStop stores in North America," continued the statement, "or purchase a digital download copy online from www.gamestop.com. “

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/gamestop-pulling-deus-ex-human-revolution-pc-off-shelves-updated/3618/

So it is a little bit of both companies.

[PP]

This is ass. Lol @ square catering to Gamestop.

[padman59]

I believe the retail PC versions activate on Steam. If true, anyone who bought and returns their copy to GameStop can get the game for free. That's a pretty damn good deal.

[leaffan]

I believe the retail PC versions activate on Steam. If true, anyone who bought and returns their copy to GameStop can get the game for free. That's a pretty damn good deal.

You can't return opened software. I tried this years ago

This also makes this situation with them opening the boxes up first even better.

[padman59]

You can't return opened software. I tried this years ago

This also makes this situation with them opening the boxes up first even better.

At the end of the supposed letter to pull Deus Ex off the shelves, there is a nice little part telling employees to accept returns with a receipt.



And yes, their policy is essentially no refunds on PC games.

[Chrispy]

They could return the game since gamestop opened it for them

[tigstah]

once its opened, i thought it was considered used.
really bad on gamestop.

[Chrispy]

Since they opened this game before the customer got the game, they said in one of their emails to their employees to honor any returns with a receipt.

[JBregz]

You can't return opened software. I tried this years ago

This also makes this situation with them opening the boxes up first even better.

Yep, I tried this before once too. After buying and having it for an hour I still couldn't return it.

[BrntO4Life]

As I said on the podcast, Gamestop is in the wrong. They pulled those codes out because they want to get into the game streaming business, which is why they purchased Spawn Labs.

However, they don't even have a game streaming service yet! If you don't have a product to offer, you can't say that OnLive is a "competing service". YOU HAVE NO SERVICE.

It's a bitch move by a bitch corporation. All I can suggest to everyone is to not give them your business. I haven't shopped at a Gamestop in 6 years.

[Ravin]

This thread just made me think of back in the day, walking into a Microplay and renting a PC game, asking how many disks it was, and then asking for that many blank disks. Only to them return the game a few hours later, pay $1 for exchange and get another game and disks.