How much prejudice exists in the gaming industry today?

by Ben Striegel on Aug 25th 2005 8:30PM

Our industry is embroiled in an eternal conflict. Which console is right for you? Xbox? PlayStation 2? GameCube? Wait, strike that last one. If you relied solely on mainstream media for your news, you might never realize that there's a third company out there vying for your attention. Then again, these are just faceless corporations pandering to the lowest common denominator. Informed, responsible gamers don't harbor such bias, right? ...Right? Gather 'round, children, and let me tell you a story.

The day is Wednesday, August 24. I enter my local GameStop, clutching a reservation slip, and am greeted by two cashiers and a manager. I tell them that I'm here to pick up my copy of Advance Wars DS.

"Still holding out for the DS, huh?" remarks the manager. "Why haven't you gone for the PSP by now?"

It's true that I don't own a PSP, but this man doesn't know that. His mind is apparently incapable of grasping the concept that someone could own two video game systems simultaneously. I ignore him and continue my transaction. Oh, but it doesn't end there.

"While you're here, why don't you pre-order that new Kim Possible game? After all, you don't have anything else to look forward to on the DS."

What?

This wasn't just a passing remark. He said it snidely, derisively. I used to work at a Wendy's, and if I were to suggest a sandwich to a customer in that tone, I'd probably get my ass fired. At the moment, I was too taken aback to formulate a proper response. Fortunately for me, one of the cashiers intervened on my behalf.

"Well, no, there's that Castlevania game coming out pretty soon."
"Yeah, plus Animal Crossing's coming later this year," interjected the second cashier.
"Animal Crossing?" sneered the manager. "Yeah, like that won't fizzle out."

The second cashier fell silent. However, having regained the use of my voice, I proceeded to remind him of Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk, while the cashier recited Resident Evil DS and Dig Dug. When I got to Mario & Luigi DS, the manager audibly scoffed. However, perhaps realizing he was outnumbered, he retreated to the back room, presumably to shoot some heroin. It vaguely registered in my mind that, for the first time in my life, I had met a real, live console fanboy over the age of thirteen.

How common are these kinds of events? Am I in the vast minority, or has anyone else out there ever been discriminated against based upon their gaming preferences? If a Nintendo fanboy were to kill Jay Allen, would it be considered a hate crime? Moreover, if a Nintendo fanboy did kill Jay Allen, would he opt for the poison mushrooms or the length of sewer pipe? Alas, some questions are destined to go unanswered.

[NOTE: Jason totally caught onto the fact that Jay Allen is not, perhaps, a real person at all, and that I am, most likely, on heroin myself.]

Reader Comments (86)

Re: #26, LU: "why is it a surprise to walk into a video game store and have to deal with jerks? They exist in every video game store, every online server, and every gaming forum and message board."

It's a surprise, and an unacceptable one, because they are not participating in a forum, playing on a server, or another customer in a shop. They are supposedly there as employees who are there to help customers. Even if the guy had meant to strike up a conversation, and it isn't clear that was the case, he shouldn't take a confrontational, condescending attitude toward a customer.

Think about going into any other store, or service-oriented establishment; would you be willing to deal with a confrontational, lippy clerk, or would you be put off by it? Now why should it be any different when we go to buy games?

A conversation at my local EB Games:

Dude: Do you have any DS's in stock?

Manager: Yea, but you�re going to want to wait until the PSP comes out. (This is right after the DS came out)

Dude: Why is that?

Manager: Because it plays movies, music, & games. Plus Nintendo is on its way out. It's old school. They don't make anything that anyone wants anymore. Everyone wants a PSP. Nobody wants a DS.

Dude: Does it allow you to chat and draw pictures to each other?

Manager: Of course not...lol. It's not a kid�s toy; you must be buying this for your kid.

Dude: Uh, no, I wanted to buy one for everyone on my team. We all have to go to conventions and seminars all the time and were always separated so I wanted an easy communicator to where we can send messages and drawings at meetings. There are 10 of us!

Me: I have seen at least that many at the store right next door.

Dude: Thanks!

He proceeds next door and buys 10 DS's and walks out with them while the manager watches him!

The look on his face when he realized he just lost a 1500 dollar sell.....priceless!!!!

Re: #43 "Practice what you preach."

There is a fundamental difference between reading someone's blog, and trying to deal with unprofessional behavior in the process of making a retail purchase. In the case of the blog, a reader is choosing to read the content here; there is no other reason to visit a blog except to receive that content. In the example of the store, the unprofessional behavior of the clerks is secondary, a side effect to the primary intent of making a purchase.

While I would sometimes wish for less snark from Joystiq, it is their call on whether or not to make their bias more obvious or sublimate it. This is their product, and I can choose to partake, or not. OTOH when I want to buy a game, it seems pretty counterproductive to have the game, a storefront from which to sell it, and salespeople who go out of their way to dissuade me from purchasing something in which I am ready to pay money.

The Gamestop in my area is full of jerks as well. I also think it is ridiculous how they sell "new" games that are already opened. I dont want the crappy opened display box off the shelf, im paying for a new product for christ sakes!! anyway i go to Gamerush at blockbuster now. the guys that work there are super cool and got cheaper prices.

Thanks for the defense, bwana, but Jon has a point. If there's one thing I hate above all else it's a hypocrite, and I go to great lengths to keep my personal levels of hypocrisy as low as possible. We do often take potshots at the N-Gage and the Gizmondo, but I'd like to think that those instances aren't entirely unfounded. For example, all our stories on the Gizmondo...

(http://www.joystiq.com/search/?q=gizmondo)

...are backed by information rather than sheer contemptuousness. Look closely, and you'll even see remarks that equate to general praise for the platform. And when Microsoft, Nintendo, or Sony screw something up, we definitely still call them on it, though perhaps not as harshly (we try to keep death threats to a minimum).

Interestingly enough, I am a store manager for Game Crazy, and while we try to present an unbiased view of the various console offerings when helping customers, I am often asked for my personal opinion of systems such as the DS and PSP. I am a long-time Nintendo fan, but the truth is that while I think the PSP is a nifty gadget and definitely has superior graphics and power over the DS, I just enjoy the DS games so darn much, I can't see much sense in purchasing a PSP! This hasn't caused DS sales in my store to skyrocket and PSP sales to plummet, but I just thought it was worthwhile to mention... In some places, the tables are turned! Many of our customers who have purchased PSP's come into my store weekly or more often and ask me in desparation if there is ANYTHING new and worth playing on the PSP! DS owners are starting to show up regularly with reactions of delight to the latest offerings, and it only looks to get better by Christmas!

I remember going into GAME to buy Ninja Gaiden on release day. For some odd reason there was only one copy left to which the guy at the counter glances at it with an un-impressed look on his face and said "Huh I took this home last night I was bored of it in 5 mins, you want to get The Suffering, far better"

Sooo he took that copy home so technically it was second hand, and he was trying to persuade me to NOT buy possibly the best xbox game ever created? Okay I'll bite. I said "Oh I leave it then" went 4 shops down the street and bought it there instead :)

In the same shop on Forza's release day I had to ask at the counter if the game was in stock, it was nowhere to be seen on the floor. Upon asking they produced a copy from behind the counter. Must have been a PS2 promotional day eh?

Haha, the guys over here in England don't talk much, just ring up the game. I was trying to find a female retailer when I was buying a cheap copy of Mario Party 4, but I had to goto a guy. He then told me it was loads of fun to play with friends, and there are some great minigames in there :P

Woah, I've had this happen to me!

I pre-ordered my Nintendo DS for launch day from GAME here in London, UK.

Well, they have my contact details due to the reward scheme. A MONTH after I bought my beautiful DS, I got a phonecall to my cell from the Manager of the store asking if I'd like to trade my DS in to pre-order a PSP to save �50.

I adore Nintendo-related games and get a lot of fun from it. I told him where he could stick my trade-in! (Naturally, I ommited to tell him I was already getting a buddy from the States to bring me back one hehe)

I had a similar experience when I picked up Advance Wars. The guy behind the counter looked at me like I was 12 (I'm 25) and asked me if I'd rather buy Nintendogs. I frickin' hate Gamestop.

Did anyone else think Joystiq needed to publish story, or is this just another one of their anti-Sony news stories that barely have any substance.

Do you honestly think employee is the whole of GameSpot, you not what you do, you call the head office and complain. There was absolutely no need for any of these bullshit artist stories to make Joystiq, however Joystiq is in the business of Shitendo buying.

And there is bias everywhere you go. I encountered it for years when i use to buy my Buffy DVDs. But i didn't feel the need to write to my daily newspaper.

Joystiq you have really out done yourself.

Yeah, often when I go into my local games store in the UK and ask for DS release info or buy DS games I will get embroiled in an argument about the PSP, usually sparked off by some snide comment by the cashier. The Sony PSP appeals to the common masses who know nothing about games and gameplay, because of it's huge clear screen and the console's aesthetics.
It makes me really angry the way that a genius console like the DS is being sidelined by some people. A console's worth is set by its games, and the DS IMO has MUCH more in the way of fun games. People put down the DS and champion the PSP- when Sony's handheld is overpriced and plays the kind of games better suited to a sit-down-and-play experience like the PS2.
The PSP has seen NO innovative games. Crappy FPSshooters/Action RPGs, Driving games, a handful of sports games and a card-battling game. A couple of crappy space shooters and a handful of anime spin-offs, if you import. This is what people are comparing to the DSes ever-growing library of new and fun titles? I own both, and I can tell you exactly which console I am bitterly disappointed with.

sometimes I wonder how game stores ever sell anything. They have the least educated employees who will so often tell a customer "don't buy that" for no good reason, it's horrifying. I've had friends who were talked into buying cheaper/less profitable stuff, that they didn't like as much as what they wanted to buy, its crazy.

You think that's bad? Try being a Mac user and walking into your local computer store! :P

I had a PSP at one time, but with such a lack luster line of games, I rebundled it and returned it. My cousin has a DS though and there are more games that I would rather have for that, then Sony's little handheld.

http://www.nathansmart.com/archives/cat_vg_store_lies.html

Sounds like normal to me.

To getluv:

"Shitendo" huh? I thought the world had moved on from juvenile name-changing back in 1997 when the slew of altered Microsoft monikers became boring and overdone.

I haven't read ALL the comments here (there sure are a lot) but the jist seemed to be responses devoid of the usual platform bashing, instead focusing mainly on sharing similar tales. Very nice to see, after all, we're GAMERS and not corporate whores :)

Fanboys? I call those people geeks,...whether for comic books, PCs or game consoles. It is funny how they dismiss and look down on others, when they are really pathetic.

Some who have replied are obviously Nintendo geeks.

I remember listening to an EB employee steering a customer away form the gamecube, warning that it was only for "kids" and didn't have any of the more violent games.

When the customer responded that was perfect because she was buying it for her 8 year old son, the employee suddenly started talking about how many kids titles were available for PS2 and X-Box.

The games industry is a funny one - how so much ego can get caught up in your choice of gaming console is beyond me.

This is weird cause I went to Gamestop yesterday to also get Advance Wars DS (kick ass game by the way). The cashier actually started saying how he was just in the back, not shooting heroin but in fact playing Nintendogs. He was also saying how he really wanted Advance Wars DS as well.

Of course, I live in WV, and people here can sometimes be a little weird. :)

OTAM, by chance, do you happen to know a place named "Hillcrest Mall"?

ATTN Joystiq: Please stick to reporting gaming news and facilitating discussion about games. Your ill-wrought attempt at humour with the Jay Allen bit makes the baby jesus cry.

THIS HAPPENS TO ME ALL THE TIME. The employees at video gaming stores are always fucking assholes, it pisses me off so bad. I wish they would just let me buy the game or system I want. I like my DS very much, thank you.

It is pretty rediculous. I went into EB yesterday to see if they had dropped their pre-owned DS price. He told me no, and then went into a diatribe about how the DS is not selling well at all. He said "They released it at $250, then it went to $150, and now its at $130." $250? I couldn't believe the guy. MOst of those EB guys are idiots. I miss the independent game stores...

I liked the story and the diskusion was a great read. And jesus is dead, he can't cry.

You know, most comments I've got from game store clerks are actually pretty good, here in Orlando. I own every current gen console (sans N-Gage and Tapwave, if those are considered) and I've had nothing but intelligent conversation when it comes to upcoming titles on the PSP and DS. Though they usually don't have any input on new GC games, other than "Geist was delayed too much", I haven't really seen that bias.

funny, i just wrote about my experience at EB games that was quite similar to this situation:

http://www.v-hold.net/2005/08/ugh.html

i am totally going crazy trying to get nintendogs, but i don't really have the cash for it. then i found out that a certain retailer will let you trade 4 games in and you get nintendogs for free. very cool. so i called the store in the mission and they said they had a copy. i ran home, ran to the mission with my 4 games and BOOM: denied. the guy behind the counter was a total twat. i said, "do you have nintendogs?"

he glances over his shoulder and replies, "no" with a slight chuckle.

i said, "i just called and you said you had it."

"well, now it's not." he replies.

then another guy in the store says, "isn't nintendogs stupid and for babies?"

the counter guy says, "yeah."

i said, "oh yeah? well, get a load of this." and then i walked over to the cd player sitting on the counter and hit PLAY. the funky beat started playing and i started to dance. i body rocked and did the robot. i did the smurf and the wop. i flipped my leg up like Michael Jackson and snapped my fingers. then i spun like, 10 times in a row, and fell to the ground onto all fours and began humping the floor. then i flipped onto my side into one of those lounge poses. FROZEN! then i got up and turned off the music.

"you have just been served, sucker." and i turned around and walked out of the store. that's the last time i'll shop there.

People! What you are talking about is just what they want. Who cares what the VGG (think simpsons) thinks?! Dont make a pruchase because you want to be considered cool by the guy behind the counter, make a purchase because you want to have fun!
Stop being a mindless consumer and make your own decisions! If the counter person mocks you, so be it. Your life isn't going to end! At the end of the day, your playing a good game and he's playing "Kimpossible"!

Victor(78)- OMGWTFBBQ!!!!!!!!! That was quite possibly the best comment ever. No, wait, I mean 3V4R.

Did they dance back?

Is it on?

that dancing story was the most retarded thing i've ever read.

Being a girl gamer I get used to this kind of bias prejudice. People assume that because I'm a girl I must not know anything about video games, I don't know what I'm buying, and if I am it must either be crap or a gift for someone else.
I'd say one of my most memorable expierences was when I went to an EB and another female treated me like an incompetent when I went up to purchase a pack of Neo Geo games when she coyly asked if I realized these weren't Gameboy games (even though the package had bold print saying for NeoGeo all over it). Though it isn't something that dramatic, or even that insulting it still left an ill-favored impression on me.

whoa, that is really weird. all the people at the lakeforest EB games are kinda just there, and they recomend other games for your system when buying a game.. but still. there seems to be alot of nintendo hatin' goin around latley. it sickens me, because they just dont like nintendo, for whatever reasons, despite the fact that they make great games.

my neighbor sold his DS and told me that i shold so the same. i tried to explain all the great games to him and he just totally ignoed me to dream about halo 2 (a good game nonetheless..). he tried to explain to me that the DS was a desperation move against the PSP.. but we all know that isnt true, because it was announced before the PSP was. anyways im sick of all the nintendo hatin' goin on everywhere. maybe the revolution will change their stubborn and closed-minded opinions...

I've always wondered why some people think putting down one console makes theirs better. I don't even get console trash talking, what's the point of saying Console A sucks? Does that make better, more fun games suddenly appear on Console B? A 100 insults and you get a free case of your beverage of choice? Do some people feel insecure with their console and feel the need to justify owning it by trashing the others?

Someone tells me my choice in console, OS, car, tattoos or music sucks and I just yawn. How can the opinion of a stranger matter? You don't like the game I want to play... greeeeaaaat, I'll be sure to note the wise wisdom of Complete and Slightly Unkempt Stranger #587... in fact if you could just chisel those words of wisdom onto some stone tablets that would great.

My biggest gripe with game store employees is I swear half of them have ADD and they can't stop moving around like a chihuahua on speed, their mouths on some kind of craptastic shuffle mode making inane comments about anything that lands in their field of vision. Nothing quite like having someone with almost zero social skills working in a retail job.

This is why I usually go to GameCrazy for my gaming needs..

All corporate stores suck. They are all overpriced and half of them are assholes. Go to independent shops, they seem to care about your money and won't try to sell you b.s. just because they have an incentive contest that day. (Which by the way are constantly being run at corporate stores). Remember when EVERY EB,GameStop, and Game Crazy were saying that Enter the Matrix is the BEST game ever and you NEED it or better yet Shenmue (I worked at one when we had to push Shenmue even though it blew). Independent shops are around you should check them out. One about a mile away from me Indianola Video Game in Columbus is a little shit hole in the wall with the best prices and honest workers I've been to. Sometimes they give me too much for my trade ins too. (I don't complain about that). I've actually been offered a penny for some games at EB

You, of course, made a few mistakes:

#1 and most important of these mistakes is that not only did you walk into a gamestop but that you preordered something from them. We all know that most of the time EBGames has a much better business enviroment. This always depends on the manager and staff there but in general many of use have learned that gamestop employees tend to be jackasses.

#2: Getting into an argument with someone who obviously does not appreciate good gaming is just not a good idea. All TRUE gamers love and appreciate every system ever created, they wouldn't have been made unless there was absolute good reason or innovation behind it. I too own a DS and AW:DS (too bad there's no online mode!) and just the (short lived) nostalgia of the first AW I feel playing this fantastic game makes the DS well worth it.

#3: Unfortunately, I have to back the Gamestop guy on one thing: The remark about preordering a game. Although I'm absolutely certain that Kim Possible wasn't a tracked title I do know that all of these employees (EB and Gamestop) are part of a corporate entity. They're just doing their job when they ask these questions. But that guy is still an idiot for that cynical remark.

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How much prejudice exists in the gaming industry today?

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