GameStop Opening Boxed Copies of Deus Ex, Removing Free Game Coupons
by Craig Getting on August 24, 2011 11:18 PM ESTPC gamers hoping to snag a free OnLive copy of Deus Ex: Human Revolution with their boxed copy should steer clear of GameStop. The retailing giant recently instructed its employees to remove coupons for a free OnLive version of Deus Ex from all of their stock, according to a leaked internal memo (seen above via OnLive Spot).
In an effort to explain, GameStop issued a statement on its Facebook page: “GameStop’s policy is that we do not promote competitive services without a formal partnership. 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.” Sometime after issuing this statement, Gamestop decided to sidestep the issue entirely and stop selling Deus Ex.
“Formal partnership” or no, GameStop simply may not be comfortable promoting an online competitor, especially after GameStop’s move into digital distribution with its purchase of Impulse and Spawn Labs this past March.
We'll have to see whether the Deus Ex incident is repeated in the future - Gamestop had no problem selling the PS3 version of Portal 2, even though that game also included a code to download the PC version at no cost from Steam. OnLive told Joystiq that this pack-in offer won’t be the last of its kind. “You can think of this as cloud game meets physical media 1.0," said CEO Steve Perlman.
Unfortunately for OnLive, there may not be another version if they can’t convince large chains like GameStop to climb aboard their cloud gaming bandwagon.
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Spivonious - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
When I worked there, we opened every single copy of every single game. The boxes on the shelves were empty. The discs were in locked drawers behind the counter.skyyspam - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
I doubt anyone will be heartbroken by the fact that they don't get a laggy, graphically-uglier online-only-copy with which to waste their bandwidth.piiman - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
You don't play it onlinespacemonkey211 - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
Ummm... That is what OnLive is. You basically get a remote desktop with the game playing, so yeah... You play everything about it online.Ronakbhai - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
As to who started this issue first, I haven't the slightest clue. Whether Square Enix was shifty in putting those coupons in, or if GameStop is just being lame, who knows. All I know is that I don't use OnLive because I like my desktop's power, and I stopped using GameStop once eBay launched.marvdmartian - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
Doesn't matter whether you feel as though the coupon for the free online version was worth using or not, the fact of the matter is that Deus Ex put it in the game case as part of the deal for buying the new game, Game Stop opened the case and removed the coupon, and then sold the game as new. That constitutes fraud upon the consumer, as they didn't get what they paid for.Anyone who wishes to argue this can simply look at the fact that GameStop would refuse to refund your money on any game they sold you, if you brought it back with the case opened, wouldn't they? Yet, they're perfectly content to sell it to you as new, with an opened case. That is, pure and simple, double standard. Then they removed the coupon, which (even though it was a free gift from the game manufacturer) has value, but still sold the game at full price.
If GameStop would have told people what they were doing, and offered the game at a reduced price, they might have gotten away with it. Since they failed to do that, I won't be surprised to find out that they'll face charges from whichever consumer protection agency would handle this sort of problem.......and I also won't be shocked when people decide to start a class action lawsuit against the company. They screwed up, make them pay.
fic2 - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
I agree.Let's look at it this way - suppose instead of a coupon for OnLive they included a patch/badge/sticker or a coupon for another game. And then GS opened the packaging and took the patch/badge/sticker or game coupon. I would think this would be fraud on the customer.
Watwatwat - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
Watch the zerooriginality whistleblower videos from a former disgruntled gamestop employee detailing the stupidity that goes on at that company, done in the style of zero punctuation...http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6wnow_zero-origi...
Youtube for some stupid reason removed his videos.
jakthebomb - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
GameStop needs to be punished. They on a daily basis violate the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act of 1966. According to the following term "Represents that goods are original or new if they are deteriorated, altered, reconditioned, reclaimed, used, or second-hand" GameStop has NO RIGHT to do this. They also are violating this term "Advertises goods or services with intent not to sell them as advertised"This shit needs to stop.
jakthebomb
CZroe - Thursday, August 25, 2011 - link
They don't seem to have a problem supporting PSN or XBL and those services "compete" similarly (alternative to buying through Gamestop).Oh, and FWIW, Gamestop does is not written in CamelCase (lower-case letter S). It has more to do with OnLive being small compared to Sony, MS, or Steam and not providing anything that Gamestop relies on for their business.