I think Tenchu’s effectively out of print, which would explain that. It varies by store of course, but in general my EB has stuff for far longer (or, in fact, at all - I still don’t recall ever seeing R-Type Final at Best Buy)
than the big stores. I can see where more high volume stores would tend to be more in line, but I think the general point that they still carry broader stuff and keep it around longer holds.
Around here, EB and Gamestop only stock the big stuff, and you have to count on the used selection if you want something that isn’t promoted heavily. When I was in EB yesterday they didn’t have a new or used copy of Dog’s Life, but they had three entire shelves filled with empty Halo 2 preorder boxes.
Bah, that sucks then, and someone who’s managing something for that store/region isn’t doing a great job of figuring out their market (or you’re a large minority). Competing for the Halo2 dollar is stupid for these stores, because, well, they can’t pull the volume that Best Buy does. My local EBGames is far, far better. The nearby mall store is more like what you describe, but I always attributed that to the fact that the place is a closet. Still they have a better selection of older games than the Best Buy here does. Maybe you live somewhere with one of the monolithic Best Buys that stocks every game ever made, and a tiny EB with little shelf space?
The other beef I have with preorders is my general fear of buying a pig in a poke. Lots of games suck, and I want to talk to my friends and see the reviews on most games before I buy them. If I do act like a careful consumer, I’m going to be out of luck at EB/GS.
Erm… this is day 3 after GT:SA… if 3 days is enough for your careful research, you should be pretty decent pre-ordering GT:SA and just waiting to pick it up anyway. It’s not like you can’t get your money back if you change your mind. (Aside from a few promo’d pre-orders where your purchase is locked in after they give you the promo.) But really, while I understand your point in theory, we’re not talking stuff that folks are unsure about. GT:SA and Halo 2 aren’t exactly shots in the dark. And the entire argument seems predicated on “What the fuck? Everyone and their dog wants this game, why don’t you have more?”
The more I think about this, the happier I get with Fry’s Electronics. That place is a customer service “Don’t,” but they are great for games. The one near my office is a small, crappy Fry’s, but they have more shelf space for games than any EB/GS around here, a much wider selection, and cheaper prices.
No clue there. Fry’s is an odd beast. Wish I had one, but I’m still betting I wouldn’t find R-Type Final there. Though I’ve never been in one.
I’m pretty stunned that you can find any megastore, especially a heavy discounter like Fry’s, that’s both selection and price competitive (many timesthe big stores will have older games in stock… mainly because they’re still selling them at $50 when other places have marked them down to $20). I’d say your issue is more that your local game-service stores suck. I feel for you there, but it’s not a universal thing. Maybe the EBs do better in smaller towns/suburbs or something (I’m in a city of ~130k or so).