Odin

Haven't we heard enough horror stories about people opening the box of their recently purchased gadgets only to find bricks, tiles, blocks of wood, and other things they didn't buy?

Blister packs might be annoying to open, but you only have to do it once, and they save you a lot of trouble that you can get from re-shrinkwrapped boxes.

guspaz

Derigor

The technical term for this type of packaging is "Blister Packaging". I cant even see why you would associate it with clamshells.

But yeah BLISTER packaging FTL.

ThatguyRichie

alby13

OUT WITH THEIR HEADS!!!

some_peruvian

robinhood1086

techwhiz140

As far as those clamshells go though, I still regularly find empty clamshell packages in the store almost daily, so I'm not sure how much it actually cuts down on theft. (That or they steal it package and all)

moonbunnychan

Exactly! I always called them blister packs and thought that was the term for them. Clamshells are what hold all my fond memories from my Genesis collection. (And technically most games now.)

placebofud

Maybe more bubble wrap should be involved. People love bubble wrap.

Phlycheez

You'd be surprised, people will steal ANYTHING that isn't locked down tight. I see open boxes of things lying in stores all the time. Hell, worst thing I ever saw, was when I was working at Kmart and someone stole 4 bottles of FDS, they came in these little cardboard boxes, and I thought, wow, if you have to steal 4 of those, something is REALLY wrong, and you should go see a doctor about your problem.

jello44

Because sadly, once you open them, the packaging is destroyed to shriveled remains by your attempts to pry it open >_>

gravytoast

I find a nice NT CUTTER-D 400 from Japan works wonders, however you could slice off your finger with the blade I guess. I guess people could use exact-o knifes or what have you if they don't want to spend so much on an art edge.

That's what I used to open this new PS3 controller pack. Three cuts and it opened easy as pie. A pie with very sharp plastic edges.

Mongoosekun

Clamshell packaging though, they make you want to stomp on it with all your might, but you can't because your new product is still trapped inside.

wildfire759

Using a scissor simply decreases the amount of cuts....

I like Japanese controllers, they come packaged in carton boxes instead of clamshells like the US...

smashfanDS

I hate clamshells. But I hate the bastards that make clamshells even more.

onikuwagata

Barf#1

Chaoticevl

Samnub

Anemone

BaronVonCrogs

And for real clamshell packaging, it's even easier, as all they consist of is a thin single-piece form that folds in half and snaps together with a simple friction-fit seal. Peel the corners apart, and it'll pop open quite easily.

Purple Dave

That said, I am for more practical packaging. In Japan the Gamecube controllers came in a cardboard box. There's no reason that they can't sell them like that here. Heck the Wiimotes come in boxes inside of a clamshell. >_<

I know there's a theft deterent there but places like Wal*Mart who already make you ask for games/dvds etc. could just as easily have you ask for a controller.

I would like to see a real independent and truly unbiased study done on the costs of both types of packaging and which the customer would prefer.

battra92

Also would make your inventory 10X easier if titles were not accessible to customer hands.

Just something I thought about many, many times while taking multiple 3 foot high piles of CDs, titles from all over the store, away from the video listening stations adjacent to the "latin rap" section and putting them on a sorting cart...a piece of paper with the CD barcode would be much, much easier to clean up ;)

DaiMacculate

islandknight

"what a security deposit is to a landlord, money for nothing"
Assuming your landlord is a crook. Just because you got burned once doesn't mean we're all bad.

skankingfool

angry_gamer

relic1980

Starcade

ryohazuki

But ultimately I end up using a heavy pocketknife on them. Even something like the DualShock 3 (which I finally found today! :D) has a little obstacle course of raised sections and a micro lip around the edge that is hard to stay in. Twist to drill a start hole, make as long a slice as you can, come at it from another section, try to pry and pull until the remaining uncut piece breaks or tears, and then start slicing away on it again. And take it from the guy with scarred hands - ALWAYS cut away from yourself. Generally the times I've been cut it was breaking that rule "because it's too hard the other way."

I hate excessive litigation, but if someone hurts themselves opening something in this stuff and sues, I say more power to them.

I also considered today before reading this that it must take a century or two to break down somewhat in a landfill. I'd love to recycle this stuff - it sure feels like pop bottle, but there are never any stamps for plastic type, and my area only does one kind anyway. :/

Just give me a good old recycled cardboard box with a decent quality seal over openable points.

And for the record, if I returned a defective product that was blister packed and I got stopped for not having the original packaging, I would get my way before leaving. Just bluster a bunch and work your way up the command chain until you find someone who can override stupid policy BS and help you - they can whatever the poor desk workers say. I mean, what if something broke under warranty a month later? Would you still have the mangled plastic husk laying around?

fuchikoma

But they're not even remotely as bad as clamshell. Fuck whoever designed clamshell packaging.

NinjaMarion

It works well in retail cause it can stop theft because well the packagaing is impossibly to get into,
I bought this thing called the magic shark and it cuts the packaging no problem.

But on the green side its no good. I think minimal packaging is the way it should go.

Jamaces

All I ask is you don't slander Best Buy's name, as it is a company I enjoy working for, that is trying it's best to do more for gamers in the future.

HolyOrphan

ShiNZ

Darth_Pogo

ashman512

realyst2k

Haniko

Awesome. That's all I have to say.

Samos42

Wolfkin

topbanana

I despise clamshell packaging and have recently started wishing violent, painful, horrible death on anyone deciding to use it. Even with scissors, you can't get into them half the time. Either the scissors aren't good enough and you have difficulty cutting through it, or you still get scraped up by the cut off end that's hanging there as you cut through the entire length of the package, since the dangling edge never wants to stay outta the way. Plus like someone else already mentioned, they always position extra stuff in the worst places, so you either end up hacking through your headphone cord or cutting little paper dolls out of the instructions.

I bought a trivia system from Woot a couple months ago, whcih came with an extra controller and some expansion carts. FIVE FUCKING CLAMSHELL PACKAGES TO GET THROUGH! By the end, I'd cut up my knuckles on both hands and slashed through every single instruction manual those accessories had.

NinjaMarion

topbanana

topbanana

Otacon91

Wolfers

lewdev

ek0st0ns

lewdev

so, you have to admit, sometimes it is a good thing!

joelface

Moonshadow101

And Wii Point Cards are in real DVD cases (great replacement for brocken DVD cases).

Kawaii-e

DugDawg

My Logitech Harmony remote[555] came in a clever variant however. The top corner has a small sticker "fold here" you fold the corner down and reveal that one side is perforated ready for you to simply pull apart, the fold forcing the perforations to separate.

Accordion

xcalibro

I end up getting pissed off cause I can't find a pair scissors to open the damn packaging and try to rip it open resulting in cuts and broken electronics :(

SPni

Pornosaur

Pornosaur

jcrow

Belkin for example, uses a bubble plastic container still but has an easily popped out, perforated opening system so that's ok. Also, many higher end electronics products are using nicely designed paper boxes, obviously taking design cues from Apple. The Nintendo DS came in paper box, for example.

I think this direction will be covered by more manufacturers faster than you might expect for various reasons.

cybereal

Struct09

Para

Edge of Blade

I'm surprised that governments haven't recognized it as a torture method; lock the victim in small cell and instruct them to open a MadCatz Gamecube controller wrapped in clamshell packaging...

...but don't give them scissors

Sandbox_Emperor

1) Slide your thumbnail between the front panel and the hinge to cut the plastic, then continue tearing it off.

2) Pop off the bottom hinge and flip the CD open vertically. This will expose the sticker to easy peeling.

You're done. This may occasionally break the hinge if it is already cracked/weakened, but oh well.

Yeah Clamshell packaging is BS, and as others have alluded it is basically a way to limit returns and "shrinkage" by retailers. Having worked at a retail DVD/CD store as a manager for almost 4 years (ending in 2006 thank the gods), I'm all too familiar with it. Its not just dangerous to open, its also environmentally stupid, another thing we're wasting precious petroleum on. Like the "tall" CD cases of old, designed ostensibly to fit in LP display, their time has come and I hope this group succeeds in its mission to destroy them.

DaiMacculate

I always wondered if these companies thought that since they already have your money, "**** 'em". I'd rather dig through a 3 ft tall box of packing peanuts to find a set of headphones than ever have to deal with this crap again.

thinkfreemind

treegoat

BPMΣ

If you lock this shit up, why in the hell do I have to risk slicing my hands open getting this crap out the box?

heretrix

The pain is unbearable!

xeifer

Clamshell is dangerous and ineffective. We need to end it.

wild homes loves you but chooses darkness!

djHEAT

CD packaging, however, always has and always will be a massive pain in the ass. First it's a chore just to get the cellophane wrapper off and then that damn sticker...
At least DVD packaging opens easily and the sticker usually just sorta glides right off.

MR. FAP☆FAP!

There are a bunch of those gadgets that claim to open them painlessly out there, I've tried a few and found one brand that works decently, but even then it's a hassle.

Owen, you want to start a cult (or grab some torches and head to the castle) and I'm right there with you.

@GUNDAM-RX-78-2: I've come very close to breaking my purchase because of the damn clamshell - and I certainly have damaged instruction manuals that way.

NYLatenite

gcZanmato

* Customer enters store breaks packaging
* Customer leaves store
* Retailer removes "broken" item from shelves
* Customer returns asking for the product.
* Customer is enraged about price, asks if there is some version with a discount
* Retailer is happy to sell the product with the broken packaging at a small discount.
* Customer wins.

That won't work with clamshells.

Asbestos_Underwear

Other than delicious justice for thieves though, I agree it's nasty stuff. I can't imagine it's good for the environment either.

teraphony

MisterFeeny

A large, fifteen-year old can opener lid scar on my right thumb, and a small, clamshell packaging induced scar on my left thumb. Fun times.

KeroseneClimax

What I hate with all my being are the thick ones, like Microsoft often uses. I remember literally bleeding on the package for my 360 hard drive. No consumer should have to put up with that for something they legitimately bought.

futurebiblehero

LaserProof

So yeah, even though clamshells are a pain, if handled right, they'll save you money by not having us raise prices to cover theft losses...

relic1980

Waka in Japan

Wazza85

I also hate those stickers they put around the edges of DVD cases to prevent them being opened. They're often so stuck to the case that to get your nail under it you end up deforming the plastic of the case rather than lifting the sticker.

While I'm on this mini-rant, I hate shrink wrap that doesn't have a pull tab so you have to tear it off. I also hate it when the shrink wrap has partially adhered to the case leaving annoying little triangles of plastic at the edges.

I know they need to keep the thieves at bay but when it comes at the cost of the legal, law abiding consumer drawing blood it's going too far! I wonder if someone could sue for injuries sustained while trying to open clamshell packaging...?

photoboy

Think in a year or two, it's out- Consumerist has articles on this.

arstal

Aye Mak Sicur

Clamshell packaging (damn near cut my finger off one time because my damn pocketknife slipped.)

The DVD Security stickers that have a tendency to rip the plastic off of the case.

Anything where thye put those dumb things in to hold them in place.

Amazon_Chris

gaggle64

Spiraltribesman

holy_cow

MonkeyBiz

though, in the end, nobody can open it unless they use a large pair of scissors, some knives, and spend at least 20 minutes stuggling to yank free that object of which they desire.

in most cases, I tend to stab the plastic several times, trying to make a hole big enough so that I can rip the plastic apart.

no such luck so far.

chaos_isnt_here

GUNDAM-RX-78-2

Clam Shell Packagin reminds me of buying a new toy and not having anything to open it with on the ride home. Oh how impatience tormented me then.

Frustrating days long since past.

theCornerinvasion

onomeister

holy_cow

"What's wrong with it?"

"It doesn't open" :(

MetaKz

Iceking5

Though I have to say I don't think it should exist anymore, for a pretty obvious reason. All of those products in clamshell packaging at the stores I go to are behind glass cases and security locks. That means there's absolutely no reason for that level of security. What is a shoplifter going to do? Smash the glass, get a boxcutter, cut off the lock, and then remove it from the packaging?
It's absurd at this point. No need for such excess.

Polywhirl

Anemone

Anemone

Cchrist

QFT

dead_red_eyes

stickfodder

vandals856

William Killer Shatner

jayntampa

pandafresh

GUNDAM-RX-78-2

Anemone

DELICIOUS BUNNY

Anemone

evening-aura

Boudabras

Monkey Majiks

Malaky

Rocci1212

"Won't somebody please think of the children!"

themadman123

xandergaiden

If its gone that'd make me happy.

Raziel Dune

Kavatar

haha, "within 10 years we plan on having 20% of all clamshell packaging out of the market, and in 15, we'll hopefully be up to 35%, clearly leading the world in going green."

bangbangblah

globones

kylenalepa

Aethyr

Witzbold

Knight-Zero

JonC

kingross

GUNDAM-RX-78-2

amadeus3000

And then it wasnt as much fun to use the controller because my trigger finger was tender and sore because of my owie.

But im not sure of your gripe on dvds. It's just covered in plastic right? Generally i either just rip it off with my fingers or take the top or bottom of the case, frin the corner of a table, slide the dvd down real quick and off comes the plastic.

ArmyofJuan

NitrousO

Witzbold

Death to clamshell packaging!!!

ShiNZ

MAN do I hate those packagings.

IntelSilver

My hands and the hands of many others thank you.

Even with scissors / sharp objects those things are a bitch to open at times. If not DANGEROUS. ;D

Witzbold

Cruithne

evslin