Is GameStop Helping Software Pirates?
Posted 12/08/08 at 03:23:50 PM by Andy Salisbury
Comments
Print
Email
It looks like GameStop is actively building their laundry list of problems, having just added piracy to the mix. According to Joe Haygood, they’ve been leaving plenty of game instruction books inside the open boxes on shelves, leaving CD Keys up for grabs.
According to Mr. Haygood, “I went back to the shelf and found three other games where the CD codes were smack dab in the package. Games like Left 4 Dead, Mercenaries 2 and Spider Man Web of Shadows. When I talked to the manager about this, it was said that it was a mistake and it would not happen again.”
This problem didn’t plague just one GameStop, either. He made his way to a second location to find “at least six games that had CD codes on the inside of the packaging, on the shelves.”
What do you think? Is this a problem that you’ve seen at your own local GameStops, or is this an isolated incident? Let us know in the comments.
Image Credit: Aeropause
not me so far......
Submitted by K0BALT on Fri, 01/09/2009 - 9:30pm
Everytime I buy a PC game there, they take the empty box and go get a new SEALED game from the back room or under the counter.
Srsly
Submitted by The Nexus 6 on Fri, 12/12/2008 - 11:41pm
GameStop is stupid and I hate them. This is the reason why I will NOT buy any PC games from them. Why do they OPEN them in the first place? I mean... every PC game has at least ONE antitheft device in the packaging and usually 2. I don't want someone elses grubby hands on my disc/manual/reg key. I bought a game there once and the key was already used (probably by an employee) and another time they wouldn't give me the manual I know came with it... and of course there is no return policy on PC games.
GameStop sucks and should revise thier policies, or just quit selling PC games altogether and sell only console games.
Who cares lol, not like 50
Submitted by s3th on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 12:52pm
Who cares lol, not like 50 people are going to use one cd-key anyway
Submitted by worm8199 on Tue, 12/16/2008 - 9:16pm
You'd care if you just shelled out $50 for a hot new game only to get home, install and find out the cd-key is useless. Then the store will give you the run around when you try to return it.
But my beef is, if the box is opened, don't buy the d@mn thing! They'll learn eventually.
CD Keys are so [insert
Submitted by Cybershaman on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 1:26am
CD Keys are so [insert random number here] years ago. Not only are keys readily available online but it seems that the real game for some people is to spend time just trying to find a way to make the game (and the servers) think that it's a legit copy. Funny thing is that I would be willing to bet that most people using this approach will just toss the game after a very limited time of play.
Having said that, I have to say that keys shouldn't just be sitting on the shelves. Although any problems down the road might be easily rectified for legit consumers, it would still leave a bad taste in their mouth.
Therefore, I say "Gamestop, Stop". Heck, just photocopy the fricken boxes and put them out there for the monkeys to play with. Then have them ask for the real thing like that little alien in the cantina in Star Wars: A New Hope (or as I like to call it: The First Film) and hand them the real box.
Having said THAT, we all can't expect Gamestop to examine each new game for dangling CD-key "chads" like the fricken 2000 presidential election recount SNAFU in Florida. Yeah, it's easy for any of us to say "Hey, jackass! Here's a code!" but when you are dealing with thousands of games it's probably just a weeeee bit harder.
In short, Gamestop has the heads-up and it's probably not going to happen again. They have bigger fish to fry anyhoo.
Rock on...
Speaking to you from the third eye of the society machine...
alternate
Submitted by Caboose on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 11:04pm
Well, the alternate that GameStop's done is to cut the key out of the manual and place it on the CD sleve that the disc is sitting in behind the desk. I bought a Limited Edition copy of Quake Wars, only to find that the key had been cut out of the manual. There goes any value that the game could have had as being mint condition.
When I bought Bioshock from them, I requested a new copy. The sales guy told me that the copy in my hand was new. I looked him in the eye and told him I wanted an un-opened copy and he sighed and got one from the backroom!
Even their console games are opened. Why the f**k would they do this? Open one copy as a display copy, and keep the rest, factory sealed. That way I don't get that annoying glue on the case after I've had to fight with the retarded sticker that they have to put on the box
-= I don't want to be dead, I want to be alive! Or... a cowboy! =-
Submitted by Spider-Mom on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 8:19pm
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3872/as_recession_deepens_used_games_.php?page=1
Their not. Publishers need to stfu about game stop.
Submitted by TOaks-PS3 on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 7:53pm
So whats the big deal? Just because the cd key is made available, they would still need the data from the disc, and most likely there is other DRM that would have to be cracked. If they know how to download a copy of the disc, or even burn a friends copy, I'm sure they could find a CD Key online, or crack some DRM.
Submitted by s3th on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 12:53pm
Yea well programs like steam which are flawed in my opinion, if theirs a game that Steam sells on its platform, ally ou need is a cd-key to activate it and you can download the content from anywhere.
Submitted by soccer1105 on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 10:45pm
just what i was thinking
They are new games...
Submitted by windbane on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:01pm
When I used to work for ebgames (now gamestop) we would gut all of our games including the PC games - pre-played and new . And leave the empty cases/boxes on the shelf, so people wouldn't steal the games. We always took the entire contents of the box and shrunk wrapped them together and put them under lock and key so that things like this wouldn't happen. The only downside is where to keep all the "guts" from the boxes. Some stores, i suppose, don't have the room and just take the disc/'s out of the boxes. Also it could happen due to wanting to get the boxes gutted and on display before the store gets busy. So to get all uppity cause someone forgot to take all the matterials out of the boxes is plain stupid. Stuff happens people!!
At my local store...
Submitted by winmaster on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:26pm
At my local Game Stop store, they only take out the disc, which they take into a back store room in a CD sleeve. The games original cases are left with the instructions inside for the public to view. However, this is only for console games, I wouldn't buy a PC game from Gamestop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Submitted by Scatter on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 5:29pm
Are these PC games or console games?
As far as I knew Gamestop didn't sell used PC games and there's really no reason for new PC games to be open.
If they're console games whats the point of the CD key? If a key is required to install a console game then wouldn't the code already have been used by the original owner and therefore invalid?
Submitted by winmaster on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:24pm
They're talking about new games. When Game Stop gets a shipment of new games, they take one of them, take the disc out so no one can steal it, and leave the box on display so people can look at it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
OUr gamestop here where I
Submitted by gatorXXX on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:11pm
OUr gamestop here where I live sells and trades used games.
Submitted by gatorXXX on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 4:10pm
Most of their games were already purchased once by someone legitematley. And if that someone sold it to Gamestop that is THEIR business and no one elses. If gamestop wants to leave the instructions in the case then so be it. THEY OWN IT!!! whether it's for sale or not. If anyone is doing the crime, it's the idiot writing the codes down for illegal use. Go after them JOEY, you know, the little terd stealing the codes, not gamestop.
Submitted by my1dollarlife on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 3:53pm
The few times I've gone cd key hunting at gamestops they haven't had them.
Is it stealing if you open an already opened box and write down the key or take a cell phone picture of it?
Submitted by winmaster on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:21pm
If that is what you do, you might as well be pirating it off of the pirate bay. Its just as bad and you have a lesser chance of getting caught.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHH
Submitted by Netram on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 2:17pm
This is pretty much theft.
Submitted by Pyrophorics on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 2:10pm
CD Key on the CD itself...
Would prevent this problem and aid customers with the fact they dont have to search for a manual everytime they want to reinstall the game.
In either case, I have always hated Gamstop for the fact they open a game and put it's box on the shelf...only to resell it when their stock runs low.
A couple local Gamestops actually open most of their supply so no matter what you usually get an opened copy.
I argued once that they were trying to sell me a used copy. After we went back and forth I left, got a used game of mine with no scratches and brought it in to sell as new. Of course, he wouldn't accept it as new because it had been opened. I simply reminded him that he wanted me to accept a game as new when it had been opened ... then I just walked out. Last time I ever bought at a Gamestop.
Half the time (this coming from friends who work at Gamestop) they are allowed to take home the opened copies to try them out ... so they are knowledgable about the product they are selling. So half of the time the games truly ARE used.
Off subject but true :p
Submitted by worm8199 on Tue, 12/16/2008 - 9:24pm
The problem with this is when you realize that the key is on the disc that's in the drive installing the game! Oops!
Submitted by s3th on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 12:55pm
Used or new why does it matter, their letting you trade games saving you loads of money, when they could just send your ass to Wal-Mart to buy the game brand new, its not that big of a deal.
Submitted by winmaster on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 6:20pm
I really hate it when they put the key on the disc itself because then you have to write it down before you put the disc in the drive. I spent an hour looking for my Nero license key in the middle of an install when it was inside my optical drive.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
In the words of "Family Guy"
Submitted by Siefer on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 1:59pm
We must keep this news from the serfs less they learn how to read!
Submitted by POMF2K on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 2:24pm
NOTHING! Back to your turnips!
Must Read Articles
Feature
Review
Feature
Feature
Feature
Most Popular Articles
This Month's Issue
FEATURE How to Get FREE Programs, Services, Software & MoreFEATURE Digital Photo Printer RoundupHOW TOBuild a 3D CameraFEATUREDIY Arcade PCWHITE PAPERHow TRIM Works
Technology News
Computer Cooling Fans
Computer Cases
PC Game Controllers
PC Games
Computer Hardware
Headphones
MP3 Players
Stream Video
Computer Mouse
Monitors
Motherboards
NAS Storage
Networking
Laptop Computers
DVD Burner
Digital Cameras
Portable Storage
Computer Accessories
Smartphone
Antivirus Software
Sound Cards
Speakers
Computer Systems
Thumb Drives
Video Cameras
Video Card Reviews
Water Cooling
Gadgets
- Keyboards
© 2009 Future US, Inc. All Rights Reserved.