The Giants Players must be getting restless...GO PATS!

I don't get people these days. when it comes to stealing, it's the ps3. violence or beat up someone for a ps3. 360 deals with death lol.
Wii, well... <3

People these days.

They just wanted to watch porn on High Definition, thus stealing a PS3 just for the blueray player, and the cash to buy the movies :P

@ChewyChew:
I don't know, HD porn can be risky. There are somethings that can scar a person if seen in HD, especially if done by professionals.

How much things do you expect them to steal considering they "fled on foot"?

Seriously? This is your news? And then an insert cliched joke about the ps3? Wow. Really.

PS3... so hot right now.

@Gadgetron: Dear Pats fans, "players" is not capitalized.

New England educational system = mediocre.

Maybe they were actually really nice men, who couldn't afford a PS3, so they politely asked for one at gunpoint, not wanting to go overboard.

one of these days, Sony is going to put RFID tags in every single PSTriple if this crap is going to continue...

@Wildarmsjecht: Guess you haven't been around very long (or paid much attention). Usually not a good idea to shoot your mouth (fingers) off about 'zomg this is not news!'. And again, they make cracks on all the systems when they post news. Get over it.

It's obvious why they wanted the PS3. If they had taken a 360 they would have to rob the store over and over again every time they get red-ringed.

GameStop becoming a favorite stop for robbers I see.

It's been official for awhile, but it needs to be mentioned again - videogame stores are becoming the new convenience store-styled robbery location of choice. The majority of the standalone stores that I have been to seem to have minimal if any security to them.

I hate hearing these stories. It just reminds you that you have a bunch of douchebags are out there who don't want to make a living like the rest of us.

Get your robbery tips via Kotaku. Courtesy of Flynn De Marco (the long lost musketeer).

@Ampillion : Now with 50% more LJ gaming blog.:
Oh wise interweb user with infinite internet points. Clearly you have figured out that I've only been here less than 7 months on different usernames. My obvious statement referring to a post about a store getting robbed of some cash and a videogame system was unnecessary. I mean, everyone wants to know when a gamestop gets robbed right?

Get over yourself dude. I guess you havent attained enough common sense to realize that i was merely pointing out that of other videogame news that can be displayed, its yet another go go robber man. And yes, I know they crack on any system. Insert Atari joke here. kthxbye.

"While I certainly don't condone robbery, but if you're going to go to all the trouble to hold up a game store and take the time to make the clerk go in the back and get you a PS3, wouldn't you probably load up on other stuff too?"

If they are on foot, well then a get-away-car would be handy. Hasn't any of their Grand Theft Auto games taught them how to steal properly? I pity the future of criminals.

They stole a PS3? Wrong, the PS3 stole them.

Man I hate these gamestop robbery stories. Like robbing them is all the rage now or something. 'Least once again no one was hurt.

@MoeB:

Though i don't usually laugh at console jokes... that gave me a chuckle. Good work.

@Wildarmsjecht: Oh no, your witticism has cut deep into my fragile ego. Woe is me!

@ssjmichael: Maybe a game, they can fit in your pants pocket. If youre not EMO.

@njhardcoreguy: @Gadgetron: There are better places for such a discourse, just a friendly suggestion from someone who is a fan of neither club playing tomorrow ;)

Yeah, I'm not surprised at this, while I'm not specifically saying "they asked for it", being a pawn-style operation and operating in some of the shopping centers where I've seen them located recently is going to expose you to more risk of this. They should either resurrect the EB brand or create another "premium" brand of store that they can put in high-end shopping outlets with better security (not that there aren't some GS stores in nice malls now, but even more so) and close some of these stores.

Because then we can further enforce the fortress-ghetto dynamic in our society, which we all know is really productive :P

Could've at lest took one of each system, some peripherals and some games.

Guess someone REALLY wanted to play Uncharted.

Well, because Uncharted is the only game for PS3 AMIRITE?!HAHA

Seriously, if the coveting of the console tells us something, it's that when the price goes down low enough and games start coming out exclusively for it, it'll sell like gangbusters.

@ChewyChew: Also, High Definition might be cool for things like sports or documentaries... Porn, isn't generally one of those things.

/shudder.

Cash-strapped, so they want to steal a PS3 and cash. They should get a job then.

Maybe they were aiming for minor theft instead of grand theft. Big difference if they get caught.

I would of stole rockband... twice but thats just me.

@MoeB: You owe me a can of pepsi because your post made me spill mine.

@BD:

No, you're wrong.

It's quite obvious that this is the result of video games addiction. Either the addiction made them steal the most expensive system on the market, or they were re-enacting GTA.

@Wildarmsjecht:

It's appropriate that you write "kthxbye", as your ass has now been banned. Haha!

This whole GameStop robbery fiasco is insane!!! They're truly becoming more and more like 7-11 everyday. I wouldn't want to work there, that's for sure.

Well, it proves these robbers were future investers.

@Ampillion : Now with 50% more LJ gaming blog.:
I don't get it... How would HD porn be any different than SD porn? :S

--

Hmm... I think I know where that GameStop is...
Although, someone should've told them the good one (the 60GB model) is no longer in production. I guess the 80GB one's okay, too.

at least no one was hurt. but i agree, if your going to actually rob someone they usually have about $1300~ish in cash, which you can stuff into your pockets easy. Then carry the system and probably snag a stack of discs or throw some games in your backpack?

as long as your don't kill someone, you've already robbed them you might as well get your jail-times worth. now if you kill them you might as well pull your pants down, spread 'em outside and pray to god you get the death penalty ;)

ThiefStop!

@BPM 6th Mix MAX: Let's just say in HD, some things just do not look as sexy or hot as they do with a little less definition. Sometimes, that lack of being able to see every detail pays off.

Though I suppose it'd depend on the quality of this HD porn as well. I'm not really a connoisseur of such things.

Why do I have a feeling they took display boxes for games to play?

Another week, another Gamestop hit.

"The two men had apparently been casing the store..."

And this is the problem: Gamestops are, on the whole, pretty damned easy to "case", as they attract all sorts of 'unsavory' and antisocial types who can loiter and just look like they're there for the same basic reasons as the yammering and stammering, hygenically-challenged geeks. It's also safe to say that they get more than their share of part-time employees who do the casing for their more, um, brazen compatriots. The honest employees, on the other hand, don't exactly deter theft by their mere presence, either.

Also, is it me, or is there a higher 'thug interest' correlation with PlayStations than any of their competitors' consoles? Does Sony have Chad Warden to largely thank for that??

Hi Flynn, long time Kotakuite, and I'm actually the clerk that this happened to. I was considering emailing Brian about this and how it is becoming common (5th Gamestop this year in the Pheonix area) due to the little payroll hours stores have been receiving. Thursday was the third day in a row that one of us had to close alone after being by ourselves since 5:30 that day. I would like to answer any questions you or Brian may have, as well as any readers.
@bluesquareapple:
The one guy chose Conan, NFS:Pro Street, NFS: Carbon, and Fantastic Four RotSS.
He waited until everyone else left and came up to check out right at close (9:00p). He said he didn't have the cash and needed to run out to the car. When he came back he still was stalling for time until the other guy came in walked up and put the gun in my face. When the gunman took me into the back room, he reached over the counter and took the games then left, probably to their car. The report says on foot because I never saw a car, just the gunman walking to the left outside. A few cars rove by afterwards, but we're right in front of a theater, so it could be any one of those.

@ca$h: 2girls1cup Blu-ray? I'd rather wait for the Wii game personally.

I'm glad I work in a mall instead of a strip store. And I'm SURE that the reason the PS3 was stolen instead of anything else, was because they were out of Wii's, 360's and DS's, as we have been since Christmas.

Oh yeah, they didn't load up on other stuff because we have been sold out of everything, and had just received some PS3s. It was the last one we had left, still in the UPS box.

Idiots. Why steal a system unless they plan on playing it themselves? A weight to profit ratio shows software is always the way to go, even when stealing. It just makes for an easier caper if your loot doesn't weight as much as a PS3. Now, I don't condone crime and I enjoy working hard to buy things but if you're going to do something, do it efficiently and without waste.

Anyway, all kidding aside. It's sad to see that this is probably going to be more common as time goes by. We're going to have to start watching ourselves at night when going to the local GameBrothel.

First Cooking Mama at MLB Spring Training, now this. What's happening to my home?

I used to be a store manager for many retailers over 11 yrs. (gawddam it's been that long?!?) such EB Games, Game Crazy & family-owned import stores before now working for Nintendo. //cue 'Finding The Master Sword' theme here//

I personally have been robbed, smash-n-grabbed, attacked & SHOT AT enough times to not be surprised by events like these. They truly all boil down to location/neighborhood. For EB Games, I worked mall locations which were naturally very secure and in a very high-end shopping center as our esteemed collegue, DAIMACCULATE mentioned.

But the demographics always say, "put the stores near the families". Gaming has become so mainstream I can locally (Seattle & areas) head on down to a 7-11 and pick up a copy of Halo 3 if need be. And this trend will always bring out the worst in people by providing more opprotunity for them to commit a crime.

Two things I feel can help reduce hearing about these kinds of stories:

1) Security. Alot of mall or lot locations simply don't have it or it's just not adequate. Store managers (with their DM's & possibly higher-up's help) need to get property owners to realize that crimes like this on their lots will de-value it in the eyes of other renters...and more so, customers. No customers? Retailer leaves. No good retailers? Property owners lose $$$.

2) In-Store training. Everytime something like this occurred in my district of stores, regardless of the company I was working for, put very little effort into actual PREVENTION. Or even actual assertion into employees that things were safe. All it broke down to were lame little topics @ meetings or conference calls. And that just doesn't cut it. They need to train and be educated on deterring these crooks. I implemented my own steps @ EVERY store I worked in after learning my lessons. And if there are any managers/assistants out there in Kotaku-land reading, you should encourage the same. No location is really safe. See: [kotaku.com]

Sorry for taking up SO much posting space as this is most likely a waste of time to my fellow Kotakuites. But I respect the retail level, and moreso the people who work there, in our world of gaming. But I just felt I had to chime my more-than-two-cents.

That...and PS3's ARE fuckin' heavy.

(Prior to the robbery)

Robber #1: What should we rob?
Robber #2: A Gamestop, we can get a PS3 too.
Robber #1: Why do we want a PS3?
Robber #2: Because I've seen the commercials for it. It can float off the ground, so we won't even need a getaway car!
Robber #1: Sweet!

(After the robbery)
Robber #1: It's not floating us to safety!
Robber #2: Maybe it needs to be plugged in!
Robber #1: Wait, we're saved! There's a bus stop up ahead!
Rober #2: Oh noes, I do not have exact change!

(end)

Ah....that was fun and pointless.

@djgil:
You are absolutely right. We don't have near enough hours so we're closing alone, no training, just "Give them what they want." Like I said, we're the 5th in the area this year and my wonderful company is not taking any steps to prevent this, just that they'll pay for any counseling I need. After reading the article posted here earlier, I have to absolutely agree and say that GameStop is the new 7-11 of this generation.

I might seem bitter, but I had a gun pointed at my face Thursday, and the entire incident is considered a LP issue.

Out of Wiis apparently. =D

@djgil: "That...and PS3's ARE fuckin' heavy." Can't wait for the PS3 Slim.