Ok, I worked video game retail from 1996 to 1999 back when Gamestop was Babbage's and EBGames was still called Electronics Boutique. I was an EB employee and I enjoyed what I did up until the last year of doing it. I'm not going to sit here and say that I knew everything about gaming back then, because I didn't, but I was willing to admit that. I did know my fair share about the industry both current and past. I don't however remember game story employees having as bad of a reputation for idiocy as they happen to get today.
I'm not saying that all game story employees are idiots, they are NOT. I know tons of them that really know their stuff, but it just takes one to earn them all a bad rep. I met that guy today. I've read stories on the internet about the big name game stores and how they lie and cheat customers. Everyone has a bad experience once and awhile, but this was just the best example I've ever seen. And however true those isolated cases might be, it can't compare to actually witnessing it first hand.
Today I was in a local gaming store called Game Haven. They deal in new and used games, but they focus mostly on used games. They have four stores in the Knoxville area and are opening another one in Las Vegas soon. The manager there is a nice enough guy. He's doesn't know a ton outside or his area of interest, but he's not a total idiot. The idiot they let run the store on Saturdays apparently.
I walked in to kill time while my wife was shopping and I see a line of people waiting at the counter. This is a small place, so it was shocking for me to see a line. Mr. Idiot (as I will now refer to him) was at the counter talking to a group of three, a man in his late 30s/early 40s who was actually buying stuff and two women. I wasn't in the story five seconds when I hear the older man ask what Mr. Idiot thought of the Wii. The following will blow your mind and is word for word what he said, as I will never forget it.
Mr. Idiot: "You don't want a Wii, they're old news,"
Old Guy: "What?"
Mr. Idiot: "Yeah, old news." *raises his voice* "Ok, quick question to everyone in the store. When did the Wii come out?"
Random Guy: "Last year."
Mr. Idiot: "Wrong. It came out four years ago, Nintendo just didn't tell anyone."
At this point I died a little inside and start laughing out loud at the same time while other people just looked at him puzzled.
Mr. Idiot: "Yeah, Nintendo just didn't feel like marketing it."
Another Random Guy: "Really?"
Mr. Idiot: "It's true. Toys R Us over there has one on display with a sticker from four years ago. People just wanted the GameCube, so it didn't sell."
First Random Guy: "How much was it."
*without missing a beat*
Mr. Idiot: "$350"
At this point he continues to chat with the group in line while the rest of the crowd just waits for him to finish. The old guy starts rambling on about who Overlord is his favorite game or all time. I know this for a fact, because he said it five or six times within the few minutes I was waiting.
By this time, I've moved closer to the counter, because a) I wanted to look at their rare SNES games and b) I wanted some more nuggets of knowledge from Mr. Idiot.
Next Victim in Line: "So how's Jericho."
Mr. Idiot: "It's ok, but some people don't like it. Especially those people that still have a 360."
Random Guy: "I have a 360."
Mr. Idiot: "Well, that's surprising. Nine out of ten 360 owners are trading in their systems."
Random Guy: "What?"
Mr. Idiot: "Yeah, all the 360 gets as exclusives are shooters, so people are trading in their systems for PS3s. That and the fact that every game that's come out for it in the past six months has been a shooter."
At this point the old guy that I thought had left came back to drone on about Overlord for the 360 some more.
I'm sit right next to the counter laughing. He looks at me really seriously and asks if I need help, like he was truly concerned. I politely declined assistance, but told him that I was really learning a lot today and that he should continue.
He babbled on a little more about Microsoft going bankrupt, but that Halo 3 brought them back from the dead for now, but if Halo 4 didn't come out soon, they were going under.
The next guy in line was in more of a hurry, so he didn't ask for any pearls of wisdom from our local gaming oracle. As he was running the guy's credit card, he stated that he was sorry that the machine was taking so long, but it was probably older than anyone in the store. As I walked out, I chimed in with the fact that at least it wasn't older than the Wii.
Wow... just wow.
tired
lethargic
happy
giddy
full
cold
aggravated
hungry
irritated