However, Fry's practices something I absolutely hate. Forced Bundling.
When the PS3 launched, I stopped by every morning to see if they got shipments in. Eventually I could buy one... ONLY if I had also purchased my choice of 7 games. That was in November.
Closer to Christmas I could buy one... ONLY if I purchased my choice of 11 games. 'Choice' my ass... that would mean I had to take home 2 versions of an NBA game. It made me buy most all the launch games at once.
Not to mention that took a $600 system and pushed it over the $1000 mark.
Needless to say, I purchased my PS3 elsewhere. #pspgo
Gotta tell ya, this really doesn't make the price any more reasonable. Let's just assume the UMD PSP has ceased to exist for a second. Sony now has a product that no longer needs retail outlets to sell software. Sony has a product where Gamestop cannot undercut them with used game sales. No more plants producing UMDs or boxes to put them in. Sony cuts costs across the board by not having to produce physical copies of games, and furthermore eliminates the huge competition of used game sales.
And the reward for the consumer? The magical device that makes everything cheaper and more profitable for Sony costs more money. Whether that's fucking evil or fucking brilliant, I don't know.
More troubling to me, even though I've purchased at least 30 games on Steam, 350+ songs on my 360 for Rock Band 1/2/ACDC, and numerous PSN and XBLA titles, is that there is absolutely no way to sell those games/songs/etc. when you don't want them anymore (at least that I'm aware of). At least physical media has some sort of inherent, though depreciated, value. Purely digital media has no re-sale value, no tangibility, and often times you can't even use the goddamn stuff if the service or internet connection goes down (Steam, Rock Band DLC, and XBLA games are the worst for this, they essentially cease to function).
This is troubling to me, but there's no stopping the all-digital download train at this point. I just can't get over that there will be no used games in the future, and no way to sell your old games. #pspgo
@Strangelove: Purely digital media has no re-sale value,
The only real way around this is to sell the account the games are attatched to, at least in the case of Steam. It's awkward and round about but at least it's something. I think perhaps in a few years as DD grows into it's own and the masses adopt it more that things will improve. It would be great if Steam or another DD service set up a sort of auction house, I'm sure there's some way they and the devs/publishers could turn a profit with it.
often times you can't even use the goddamn stuff if the service or internet connection goes down (Steam, Rock Band DLC, and XBLA games are the worst for this, they essentially cease to function).
Steam isn't bad at all in that regard. All you do is switch to offline mode and hey presto, Steam offline and functional.
As for no used games in the future, I couldn't really care. It does take sales away from devs that deserve them and really, there's a helluva lot of people that don't know how to look after their games. #pspgo
@Strangelove: You make zero fucking sense. I only read your first sentence - that's all I needed to read. $200 is more reasonable than $250, I don't care if you're selling dog shit. You can pay more money for your stuff if you'd like, however. #pspgo
My original 360 RROD'd, and when I sent it in for repairs, they sent a different one back. I followed the instructions that are supposed to make your XBLA content accessible when you're not online, but it doesn't work. I've downloaded probably 200 songs since then, and none of those will work, either, when XBL or the internet goes down.
You're supposed to be able to re-download the license (or whatever) to the new Xbox, but I've tried multiple times (and followed the instructions exactly) and it doesn't work for me. #pspgo
I've tried using Steam in offline mode on those occasions when it has stopped working, but a lot of games have internet functionality built-in as piracy protection, and will not work at all without the connection. #pspgo
@-MasterDex-: But if Steam is down they games can't connect ... It's linked. The real issue for me, though, is that you can't re-sell individual games. I have dozens of games on Steam, and to have to sell my whole account to get rid of used games is pretty ridiculous. #pspgo
@Strangelove: It's certainly not a perfect system but I think the only way to improve the system is to support it and try to work towards change. #pspgo
Hey, man, I'm obviously all-in at this point. But I think it's more hoping for change than working for change, and, to be frank, I don't see companies giving away their stranglehold on downloadable content or cutting prices. They have a new business model that helps to prevent piracy, cuts costs, and screws Gamestop. Chances are that's the new norm. #pspgo
@Rompehamster: One thing I've always found to be a nice touch is each Fry's is different. They'd have a loose theme per each store. The Palo Alto store would be arranged like a wild west general store/saloon, the San Jose store (right behind company headquarters) was built like a Mayan Temple/Pyramid, the Campbell store is made up like an Egyptian Pyramid (and was the place I worked at, earning the nickname of "The temple of doom") and I'm not sure where, but one store has a 1950s sci-fi movie theme where it looks like a flying saucer slammed into the building. #pspgo
Always count on Fry's for all the gadgets that you can't find anywhere else… and at cheap discounts, too! :)
And hey, they are the only big-store chain in my area that have really great deals on electronics and a healthy shipment of all the equipment you need!
@(Starman) AnalysisDialysis: They are pretty good for that usually. Only problem I'd say with them is that customer service isn't that hot. Most people either make a mistake of asking employees when they should ask the other customers. They have gotten better about it, but I've had a tough time finding a few things when I knew where to look. Otherwise, they're better than they were a few years back. #pspgo
My first job ever was at a Fry's and for any of my friends who come to visit from out of state, I make a point to take them there for a vision of true one stop shopping. Where else could you buy hentai anime, a popcorn maker, a nerf machine gun, beef jerky, a projection TV and a solid state hard drive all in the same place?
@Torokun: No offense, buddy, but that's pretty unreasonable. With a mindset like that you won't be playing a new console or handhold until about eight years after their launch. #pspgo
@Komrade Kayce: Add products you want to buy, PRINT the list and bring it with you when you shop at Walmart. You can also put together your list and SHARE IT with others.
@WhiteMage: This is a standard Fry's tactic so they don't get in trouble with the product maker. Same as Amazon's "Why we can't show you the price" deal you sometimes see on their site. #pspgo
Yeah, that was the gist of it. I didn't understand how it could be 249.99 on sale when it was always 249.99. The picture and the article confused me until I looked a bit harder at the picture. #pspgo
10/17/09
When the PS3 launched, I stopped by every morning to see if they got shipments in. Eventually I could buy one... ONLY if I had also purchased my choice of 7 games. That was in November.
Closer to Christmas I could buy one... ONLY if I purchased my choice of 11 games. 'Choice' my ass... that would mean I had to take home 2 versions of an NBA game. It made me buy most all the launch games at once.
Not to mention that took a $600 system and pushed it over the $1000 mark.
Needless to say, I purchased my PS3 elsewhere. #pspgo
10/17/09
10/16/09
And the reward for the consumer? The magical device that makes everything cheaper and more profitable for Sony costs more money. Whether that's fucking evil or fucking brilliant, I don't know.
More troubling to me, even though I've purchased at least 30 games on Steam, 350+ songs on my 360 for Rock Band 1/2/ACDC, and numerous PSN and XBLA titles, is that there is absolutely no way to sell those games/songs/etc. when you don't want them anymore (at least that I'm aware of). At least physical media has some sort of inherent, though depreciated, value. Purely digital media has no re-sale value, no tangibility, and often times you can't even use the goddamn stuff if the service or internet connection goes down (Steam, Rock Band DLC, and XBLA games are the worst for this, they essentially cease to function).
This is troubling to me, but there's no stopping the all-digital download train at this point. I just can't get over that there will be no used games in the future, and no way to sell your old games. #pspgo
10/16/09
The only real way around this is to sell the account the games are attatched to, at least in the case of Steam. It's awkward and round about but at least it's something. I think perhaps in a few years as DD grows into it's own and the masses adopt it more that things will improve. It would be great if Steam or another DD service set up a sort of auction house, I'm sure there's some way they and the devs/publishers could turn a profit with it.
often times you can't even use the goddamn stuff if the service or internet connection goes down (Steam, Rock Band DLC, and XBLA games are the worst for this, they essentially cease to function).
Steam isn't bad at all in that regard. All you do is switch to offline mode and hey presto, Steam offline and functional.
As for no used games in the future, I couldn't really care. It does take sales away from devs that deserve them and really, there's a helluva lot of people that don't know how to look after their games. #pspgo
10/16/09
As for no resale value, that seems to be your only real complaint. And as far as I'm concerned, a real gamer keeps their stuff anyway. #pspgo
10/16/09
10/17/09
Way to contribute, jackass. Try reading the entire post before you start insulting somebody next time. #pspgo
10/17/09
My original 360 RROD'd, and when I sent it in for repairs, they sent a different one back. I followed the instructions that are supposed to make your XBLA content accessible when you're not online, but it doesn't work. I've downloaded probably 200 songs since then, and none of those will work, either, when XBL or the internet goes down.
You're supposed to be able to re-download the license (or whatever) to the new Xbox, but I've tried multiple times (and followed the instructions exactly) and it doesn't work for me. #pspgo
10/17/09
I've tried using Steam in offline mode on those occasions when it has stopped working, but a lot of games have internet functionality built-in as piracy protection, and will not work at all without the connection. #pspgo
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
10/17/09
Hey, man, I'm obviously all-in at this point. But I think it's more hoping for change than working for change, and, to be frank, I don't see companies giving away their stranglehold on downloadable content or cutting prices. They have a new business model that helps to prevent piracy, cuts costs, and screws Gamestop. Chances are that's the new norm. #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
Much better. Check out Wirebrain's post below. lol #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
And hey, they are the only big-store chain in my area that have really great deals on electronics and a healthy shipment of all the equipment you need!
Now if only they weren't so far away (15 min)… :(
10/16/09
10/17/09
Better in tech expertise in my opinion though. Better than Best Buy, at least. :P {Being pseudoserious.} #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
And sweet lord, when they mean Technology Center, they MEAN Technology Center. ^__^ #pspgo
10/16/09
We will talk when it's priced at $100. #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
I guess not. #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
10/16/09
Silly Canadian e-commerce. #pspgo
10/16/09
I knew something couldn't be right about the way I was understanding the picture combined with the words...
sigh...
time for bed.*
10/16/09
10/16/09
Yeah, I get that now.
Epic Kayce fail. #pspgo
10/16/09
What kind of idiotic ad puts the BEFORE price in enormous letters? The traditional format is
NEW PRICE!
After savings
not
OLD PRICE WOW GET EXCITED ABOUT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS!
Before savings!
But then I didnt see the original post and am only assuming this is the issue. #pspgo
10/16/09
10/16/09
Yeah, that was the gist of it. I didn't understand how it could be 249.99 on sale when it was always 249.99. The picture and the article confused me until I looked a bit harder at the picture. #pspgo