Visit to to the Game Store

[ElPolloDiabl]

I figured out what was missing from the game store: They have no computers set up, not even a console. The atmosphere is very stale.

Having computer set up with games on it lets you try the less marketed games and be pleasantly surprised. In Amiga days the clerk didn't mind installing a game on one of the systems so you could try it.

This is terrible customer relations and I'm surprised they sell anything other than heavily marketed games. Is this is a general trend in society where you get a minimum wage teenager to look after stores? Minimize cost and maximize profit margins. Look at the millions of sales they make, but the stink they kick up over piracy. Well if they didn't have multi-million dollar salaries I'd feel sorry for them.

[ElPolloDiabl]

2... 2... 2... 2... to

Sorry about that, but I can't edit it.

[Cammy]

They still have lots of laptops and the current generation consoles set up to test out at JB HiFi. It's the only place I ever got to play Street Fighter IV since I can't afford a new console. I remember back when I was a little girl, they used to have computers set up at K-Mart and Tandy for you to play. They'd usually have a golf sim, Prince of Persia or Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego on them.

[koshman]

Having computers and consoles set up in a store to try out games would be nice, but you can't really compare the current situation with the way it was 15+ years ago. At the time you at best read a review with a few pics in a magazine, today you can read all about any given game on specialized sites, forums, watch videos, video reviews etc etc. I would be all for it, but it's not really necessary to drive sales of even lower profile titles IMHO.

EDIT: usually the shop assistant is playing something on his computer, because he's bored

[hardlink]

but you can't really compare the current situation with the way it was 15+ years ago. At the time ...

15+ years ago, Brno was in Czechoslovakia, and run by the boys in Moscow. Were there game stores then? If so, did they have anything other than the Comrade BK-0010?

http://www.gnomeslair.com/2006/06/soviet-home-computer.html

[save2600]

This is terrible customer relations and I'm surprised they sell anything other than heavily marketed games. Is this is a general trend in society where you get a minimum wage teenager to look after stores? Minimize cost and maximize profit margins. Look at the millions of sales they make, but the stink they kick up over piracy. Well if they didn't have multi-million dollar salaries I'd feel sorry for them.

Yes, what you observed is the norm today: customer no-service. I agree with Koshman that the climate has changed, but not for the better. Yes, you can do your own "research", but it's not the same. Getting knowledgeable, professional, warm and friendly help in store is a thing of the past. The fact of the matter is that retail today is a very hostile and sterile environment and I'm afraid that's somewhat out of necessity. 70's-80's, kids were not the shits that they are today. We respected other peoples things, especially expensive technology. Today, you have to worry about theft, damage and wankers with no life hogging a kiosk or computer all day while their parent shops at stores nearby. I've worked retail nearly my entire life and am happy to report I got out in the nick of time. Mid 2000's at Sears, I was acting just as much as a security guard as I was a salesman. Bottom line: these times suck and for many, many, many reasons.

[Hell Labs]

I once went on holiday in barcelona. Guess what I saw on one street? A games shop, with signs for Commodore, Sinclair, amstrad, and a load others on each side of the door. The shutters were down, but it was a sunday, and it looked well looked after.

this was roughly 2005/6. I don't know either.

[Daedalus]

Yeah, I think many stores have gone the same way in recent years... I worked in Maplin Electronics for a few years and while I was there we generally tried to have a lot of time for the customers, and it was enjoyable. Now, if I go in there and ask for a part, some very bored and very disinterested guy shoves a catalogue at me, grunts and walks off. It's exactly that, paying fewer people less in order to maximise margins. Shame really, but that's capitalism for you...

[Hell Labs]

70's-80's, kids were not the shits that they are today. We respected other peoples things, especially expensive technology.

Hahaha no you didn't. Kids were little shits back then too. People have been going "in my day, kids respected their elders!" and "get off my lawn" since Ancient greece.

[save2600]

Shame really, but that's capitalism for you...

'Irresponsible' capitalism. There's a big difference. Without capitalism, there wouldn't be the innovation and diversity in products and quality throughout that we once had. But yes, politics and greed are in full swing during these mediocre consumerism times. These days, companies want to make money hand over fist for doing nothing or next to nothing. Crummy attitude to have about business and your customers - but there it is.

And Hell_Labs - yes indeed, but so has the decline of decency with each generation     I stand by my words. Yes, kids are kids and always have been - but they are MUCH worse today than ever, for our time. It's a fact. The word 'entitlement' barely scratches the surface here and relates directly to what were talking about in this thread. I see it everywhere, but especially in what used to be customer-centric service industries. Gimme, gimme, gimme - with no thought of reciprocating on an adult/professional level.

[ElPolloDiabl]

@Cammy
Yeah JB Hi Fi are good. I love their massive selection of movies and music and they have the cute netbooks set up too.


Regard to teenagers/kids: The were certainly some bad kids in my day, they were loathed by more decent folk. Equally there were some obnoxious adults. But attitudes are very selfish nowadays, people seem to be tuned into there own little world and don't know how to (or don't want to) interact with others.

[koshman]

Well, I in the 90s I was in my early teens and I didn't have my own money to buy games, so "warm and friendly help in store" is something I've never experienced.
And kids today are worse - I work as a teacher at elementary school and what those spoilt brats are capable of I just don't get sometimes. Everybody thinks the world revolves around them even though most of them are absolutely pathetic - they can't do anything, they don't know anything and are happy that way - e.g. 95 percent of boys play games full time (I just overheard one: "I can't go out, I MUST play..."), they have totally pimped computers their parents bought them, but they can't even send an email - all they do is just click the GTAIV icon (pirated, of course, which their more knowledgable friend got them)....... I better stop....

@ hardlink: not exactly, Czechoslovakia existed only till 1993 and the commies were already long gone then (Velvet revolution in 1989). Sure, computers were expensive here back then but obtainable - fortunately my father has always been a computer enthusiast, he had Sharp MZ 821 in 1984 (it cost him 3 months' salary...) and some other 8bits later (unfortunately, while my father bought a 386 PC in 1992, I didn't get my hands on an Amiga for the first until in 1996). Btw, some of the communist cloned computers weren't half bad. But I guess you weren't serious

[Daedalus]

'Irresponsible' capitalism. There's a big difference. Without capitalism, there wouldn't be the innovation and diversity in products and quality throughout that we once had. But yes, politics and greed are in full swing during these mediocre consumerism times. These days, companies want to make money hand over fist for doing nothing or next to nothing. Crummy attitude to have about business and your customers - but there it is.

Sorry, yes, I did mean the irresponsible kind... Since I have now worked in R&D for several years I can see first-hand what is involved, and how it's changed in recent times. Even in the past 5 years it's gone to a state of only developing subtle design changes which are mainly aimed at reducing costs. Innovation has moved further into the back seat and we spend most of our time trying to remove components from PCBs and shorten cables without anyone noticing...

[runequester]

Yes, what you observed is the norm today: customer no-service. I agree with Koshman that the climate has changed, but not for the better. Yes, you can do your own "research", but it's not the same. Getting knowledgeable, professional, warm and friendly help in store is a thing of the past. The fact of the matter is that retail today is a very hostile and sterile environment and I'm afraid that's somewhat out of necessity. 70's-80's, kids were not the shits that they are today. We respected other peoples things, especially expensive technology. Today, you have to worry about theft, damage and wankers with no life hogging a kiosk or computer all day while their parent shops at stores nearby. I've worked retail nearly my entire life and am happy to report I got out in the nick of time. Mid 2000's at Sears, I was acting just as much as a security guard as I was a salesman. Bottom line: these times suck and for many, many, many reasons.

Part of the problem is parents who won't watch their kids, and deposit them in stores to act as unpaid babysitters. I've seen mothers do this to kids as young as 4 or 5, and it infuriates me.

And guess who they'd threaten to sue, if their kid got hurt ?

The guys at the store.