Dear EB Games

[Ebonytears]

It has come to my attention that your staff (massive generalisation here but am not naming the store) have little to no knowledge of Games. This is causing me a few problems. I find it hard to gain any information from them when I know more than they do about the game being advertised in the window of the store because I have taken the time to Google it.

*screams with frustration*

I am really fed up with a few things and I'm going to rant about it for a little while in point form

1. I am female.....DEAL
2. I am older....yes I have children.........no I am not making the purchase for them......no it is not a present for my niece or nephew...........no it is not a gift for a party one of my kids are going to...........I AM PURCHASING THE PRODUCT FOR ME.
3. I own a ds......no....I own it....not my kids...ME
4. Just because it's not in YOUR system does not mean it doesn't exist.
5. Learn from your store manager...he always listens to me.
6. *sigh*.......THE GAME IS FOR ME!!!

Bah!!

/rantoff

Apparently Puzzle Quest 2 is not in EB games system so, therefore does not exist. Maybe my daughter would like a game about horses instead. Luckily the guy I normally deal with stepped in just as I was reaching across the counter to grab the pimple-faced nerd by the throat.
My normal sales guy knows me. He will sometimes ask me about games...especially mmos. This young fellow was 7 shades of insulting.

Anyway....Puzzle Quest 2 is due out on July 12 for $49.95. It is doubtful that EB games will be getting it in. They will probably not buy it from the source but will possibly buy it cheaper from a second source and then sell it as a preowned game.
I think I'll just buy it from the internet.

On the upside....I did get my hands on Puzzle Quest Galactrix. HenriDeacon I love you This game is epically awesome on so many levels! It satisfy my need for puzzles and rpg all in one mind stimulating session.

[exploit]

I once had a fantastic EB manager who knew about games and always looked after me. After he left all my visits seemed to annoy me with how little anyone working there knew about games, I could never work out how can you not know games working in a game shop.

[Ancient_One]

I don;t ask them any questions. Do the research online and just buy at the cheapest price from any store.

Lately Game and EBGames have been doing good deals online. Free delivery and lower pricing then even JBHIFI.

[Cadder]

Extortion Boutique are a dead loss IMHO. I don't even bother with them unless they have something in stock that I want and noone else has it.
Game (at least in my local store(s) at the very least seem to know a bit about the games I'm interested in.
JB are generally cheaper, but as A1 pointed out - not always. And they generally don't know much about the games either.
Nowadays I either buy from JB, Game or ebay.

[exploit]

I don`t deal with game shops anymore, my wife buys all my games while she is in Cairns for work. She prefers Game or JB as even she knows more about games than EB and Game don`t treat her like she is a girl, what would she know.

[exploit]

and for those wondering, the good Eb manager, and only manager i have ever found that knows games was Pure Mongrel. Those were the good old days. For me anyway, prolly not so much for PM

[Arep]

I have a good one near me that I actually drive past closer EB Games stores to get to. The cast is constantly changing but so far there have been some decent folks working there. I've actually made a few purchases based on their recommendations which have worked out well.

Definitely not the norm in my experience, though.

[Pure Mongrel]

Originally Posted by exploit

and for those wondering, the good Eb manager, and only manager i have ever found that knows games was Pure Mongrel. Those were the good old days. For me anyway, prolly not so much for PM

Awww shucks ... thanks

When I came across to EB, the company was on the verge of changing. It was founded in Australia by many, many good people who had a love for games and for what they did.

But like all companies that expand at a rapid rate. They forget what made them a success in the first place (the staff) and focused on expansion, getting as much "profit" per transaction and stocking shelves.

The good staff "suffered" during this change and more and more of them left in protest over working conditions and other issues. I for one left after some "disagreements" on how are staff should be treated. I found I could not issue the orders they were telling me to give.

Now the stores are mostly staffed by the kind people you find in most retail outlets. They are just going through the motions ... but in a couple of stores you will still find the odd "gamer".

[Ebonytears]

Originally Posted by Pure Mongrel

but in a couple of stores you will still find the odd "gamer".

Yep...that's the guy I usually deal with. The other staff stare at us like we're some form biological hazard when we start talking games. He gets all excited about stuff and they stare at him...I can hear their brains saying "omg what a geek'. But he is exactly the type of person I expect to find in a 'gaming' store. He knows the products, knows what games are due for release without even touching a key, he's up-to-date on all the new gadgets. I hate going in there when he's not working. And I think I insult the other staff with my bluntness. I don't mean to but it's disappointing for me to go in there and be faced with people I KNOW haven't got a clue. Then they ask if they can help me and I just blurt out "Well YOU can't but is 'Dave' here?"

My grandfather once said I have the diplomacy and tact of a brick to the face. I know when I've done it....immediately after I've done it. I don't mean to be rude but they are soooooo frustrating!

[Spunkmeyer]

You still have EB's in Maryland Arep? Over here all the EB's got bought out by Gamestop, at which point it seems they totally lost all respect for the gamers/consumers.

I also had a great EB store with a good staff and helpful manager that was absolutely destroyed by corporate BS. Before he quit, the manager told me that he felt like he was loosing his humanity to those "godless SOB's". Not exactly a shinning endorsement IMO.

I actually get better gaming advise and customer service from the electronics counter at our local Target store than at Gamestop and Best Buy combined.

Needless to say, I buy a lot of games from Amazon these days.