Game Crazy releases useful retail app for iPhone

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jun 12th 2009 at 6:00AM }

In the madness of E3, retailer Game Crazy released a nice little app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The impressive little program gives all the standard info we'd expect, but a nice touch is that it also gives users the current trade-in values and prices for used titles, there's even the option to view trailers.

The app is free and the only super useful function we noticed it's missing is the ability to give real-time information of titles in stock at stores. Currently, all it does is note the nearest Game Crazy location. We've contacted GameStop to find out if it has something similar in development, but knowing that corporation, we don't expect its app to give trade-in values. Actually, come to think of it, we halfway expect the GameStop app to ask if we'd want to pre-order anything before even opening.

[Thanks, Brian J.]

Tags: app-store, game-crazy, gamecrazy, gamestop, retail

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mana37 @ Jun 12th 2009 6:40AM

FINALLY!!!
Now I don't have to wait till I'm in the store to find out that a 2 week-old game is 15 bucks!!

I beg all to jump ship over to Amazon!

Heavytoka @ Jun 12th 2009 10:44AM

Yeah Amazon's trade in system is great! Plus their payout is really high.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Jun 12th 2009 6:58AM

I'm sure if GameStop ever creates an app, it will make FULL use of those new push notifications.

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRE-ORDER A GAME TODAY?"
*taps No*
*opens browser*
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRE-ORDER A GAME TODAY?"
*taps No*
*opens address input*
"WOULD YOU LIKE TO PRE-ORDER A GAME TODAY?"

John Z @ Jun 12th 2009 7:22AM

The Gamestop clerks are pushy, yeah-- more so than I ever was "asked" to be-- but push notifications cost the developer money, IIRC, so I highly doubt they'd do that. It would not *surprise* me, but I doubt they would.

Besides, I think that GS's trade-in values are region-dependent anyway, as there's been discrepancies between what I've seen quoted online and what the clerk says it's worth when I take a game in. Again, I'm close to 7 years removed from my time as a clerk at EB, so things may have changed.

As an aside: please be nice to the Gamestop clerks, or at the very least civil. The only upside to the job is that they work for a video game store, presumably because they like video games. The rest of the time they get paid not nearly enough to deal with people who... are remarkably like the sort that gets banned from here, as it turns out. They have it bad enough.

sonicspike41 @ Jun 12th 2009 7:26AM

"Welcome to the Gamestop app for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Before we begin we need to know which consoles you own to show only games relevant to your interests.

Touch all that apply.
Xbox 360 *touch*
Playstation 3 *touch*
Wii
Nintendo DS
Nintendo DSi
Sony PSP
Playstation 2 *touch*
Windows Computer *touch*

Thanks! Now you'll only see games for the consoles you own.

Would you like to preorder God of War III (PS3)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Uncharted 2: Drake's Fortune (PS3)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Mass Effect 2 (X360)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Assassin's Creed 2 (X360)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Mass Effect 2 (PC)?
Yes
No *touch*

Would you like to preorder Ghostbusters (X360)?
Yes
No *touch*

Quit?
Yes *touch*
No

Are you sure?
Yes *touch*
No

Uninstall app "Gamestop Mobile"?
Yes *touch*
No

Before uninstalling the Gamestop Mobile app please take a moment to tell us what you thought of it!

1. Would you like to preorder Halo 3: ODST?
Yes *touch*...
No

2. Would you like to pay the minimum ($5) on the preorder or pay in full?
$5
Pay in full *touch*
Other (specify)

3. Thank you for making a donation to gamestop in the amount of $65. You should receive a paper with information on claiming a tax deduction in the mail, please allow up to 10 business days for arrival.
Continue *touch*

4. Gamestop Mobile has now been uninstalled."

Hashbrown Hunter @ Jun 12th 2009 12:47PM

Wait.......push notifications are charged extra?! Wow do I smell bullshit or what?

John Z @ Jun 12th 2009 7:15AM

Honestly, while this is cool and all, I'm waiting for an app that lets you work with your Gamefly queue while out and about.

Josh @ Jun 12th 2009 7:31AM

I completely agree. I already have a request in to their support center asking for that very thing.

butaneko @ Jun 12th 2009 9:18AM

oot and aboot!

waynski1457 @ Jun 12th 2009 7:30AM

What are they thinking?!?! They must be CRAAAAAAAAAAAZY!!!

ScottG13 @ Jun 12th 2009 9:00AM

Gamestop proactively do something for the consumer? Don't be ridiculous. Its a publicly traded corp.

mrmackavelli @ Jun 12th 2009 9:14AM

For those of you ragging on the GameCrazy app, how many of you have tried it yet?

butaneko @ Jun 12th 2009 9:19AM

I think they are all ragging on a theoretical Gamestop app.. which is more or less ridiculous? I'm not sure.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Jun 12th 2009 12:48PM

yea i think everyone is ragging on how a GameStop App would be.

i actually love GameCrazy, the people there are so friendly and don't come off as asshole fanboys (at least the store i go to). every time i go in there i end up talking to the guys for at least a half hour about new games coming out. and no i'm not that lonely guy that goes in to talk to them cause they can't leave, i have a lot of gamer friends lol. the guys in GameStop always talk to me like i'm an idiot and it pisses me off.

Me - "hi i'd like to buy the new Ratchet & Clank"
GS Emp - "you DO know it's for PS3 right?"
Me - "yes....that's why i'm buying it....to play it on my PS3."
GS Emp - "why would you buy a PS3? you should get an Xbox for Halo."
Me - "....yea i was thinking about picking up Halo."
GS Emp - "you DO know you can't play it on a PS3 right?"
Me - "(sigh) i have an Xbox too."
GS Emp - "(surprised) you own an 360 AND a PS3?"
Me - "yes...."
GS Emp - "Oh.....well would you like to pre-order anything today?"

i don't know if i look stupid or poor or something to them but i've had that conversation more than once at GameStop (and at more than one GS). that's mainly why i go to GameCrazy.