Welcome to Britt5091: Origins, where I dig up old blog posts I used to write for IGN’s community under the username Britt5091. Some posts may make you giggle, some may make your eyes bleed, and some may make you stroke your beard in a pensive manner. All you need to know is that these posts, no matter how terrible some of them may be, ultimately lead to everything I do now.
I got a good laugh today!
June 15, 2009
I’m not sure if it’s because lately video game retailers are desperate for workers and are hiring morons, or if it’s because when a chick walks in its assumed they can get away with feeding us bullshit, but DAMN today a certain retailer recently pulled a stupid. I got a good laugh out of it and thought I’d share!
I needed to kill some time after work and decided to go to a popular game retailer. I was browsing the PS3 section (YAY) and I was approached by a worker. Here is how the convo went:
Worker: Can I help you find something?
Me: Oh that’s okay. I’m just browsing.
Worker: You know the new Wii Sports Resort is coming out soon?
Me: Yeah I know
Worker: Oh you do?
Me: Yeah I follow up on this kind of stuff
Worker: Well it takes place on this island. Set right in the Mii universe. They have fencing, frisbee throwing, etc?
Me: *just nods and smiles*
Worker: What kind of games are you into?
Me: All genres
Worker: Are you interested in putting money down on anything?
Me: Not right now.
Worker: Do you have a Wii?
Me: Yeah
Worker: Do you like Halo? Do you know what Halo is?
Me: Yes I like Halo. And yes I know what it is.
Worker: What about Halo: ODST for Wii? We are taking reservations for that now.
Me: FOR THE WII?
Worker: Yes ma’am!
So I start laughing, because I’m assuming he’s making a joke or something. So I made a comment something along the lines of ‘Yeah are they going to make an on-rails for that one too?!? and when I noticed he wasn’t laughing I said:
Me: ODST isn’t releasing for the Wii. Unless you know something I don’t.
Worker: No it is. For the Wii and Xbox 360. Do you want to put money down and reserve a copy?
Me: So you’re saying Bungie is developing a Halo game for Nintendo.
Worker: That’s right. Nintendo.
Me: And you’re telling me you are accepting down payments for it.
Worker: Yep. 5 bucks gets you a copy.
At this point I’m thinking I can either A) Let him off the hook and pretend I’m not interested, or B) Bust him.
So…
Me: Can I see it in your computer?
Worker: Umm?I don’t think I can do that.
Me: Oh sure you can. C’mon. Let’s go look.
Worker: Uh okay.
I follow him over to his computer where, you know, it stores all the upcoming games and all that jazz. And as he stand there fumbling with his computer, stammering on and on about how it was there earlier, he looks at me and says:
“Did I say that was for the Wii?”
And with that, ladies and gentlemen, I walked out laughing my ass off.
If you guys have any stories about similar occurrences, share ’em!!
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Britt’s Note:
Yeah. That happened.
Incredible, and yet, I’m not surprised. I recently had to inform an employee there that they would be selling replicas of a gun from Gears 3. He knew nothing, aside from the scripted pitch to preorder Modern Borefare 3.
My brother had a worse experience. His 12-year-old stepson and his friend took 3 fairly recent games to Gamestop to trade them in. The employee offered them a very low amount, so the kids returned home dejected. When told of the amount, my bro decided to go back himself and see what they offered him. The trade-in offer was significantly higher, almost adding 50% of the original amount given to my nephew.
My bro asked the guy why the amount was different, but he had no real answers. Now, my bro has vowed never to buy used games from them because he doesn’t like the idea of making profit from swindling children.
This story never gets old :)
its kind of in the nature of gamestop to do things like take fake reserves and lie about trade in prices. Its a company based around the idea of ripping off developers. I think this guy was just hungry and wanted a 5 dollar sub courtesy of the blonde girl.
In the sake of silly conspiracy I say his boss saw the whole thing and had him demoted to working at a shipping center where he later demolished your copy of Orange Box.
Oh my haha, I would have paid to see is face when he realized how much of a moron he was :P