What should be in a video game store?

Strubes said:
What benefit would you have from people who know nothing about video games as staff in a..ahem...video game store?
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Knowing you're in a place just like the average Gamestop.


Wait, that's not even a benefit.
 
Strubes said:
Depends what Gamestop. The one by here has crazy smart staff.
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Same, but I'm basing this off everyone else's whinings that they get pestered by preorders and magazine subscriptions.
 
fhqwhgads said:
Same, but I'm basing this off everyone else's whinings that they get pestered by preorders and magazine subscriptions.
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Yeah, you either have to find one that doesn't do that, or get to be good enough friends with the people at Gamestop to where they don't do that anymore.
 
I do not see how either staff hurts the store. Im just proclaiming that consumers searching for video games are not as helpless as people make them seem to be. Advertisements, commercials, and posters and other such pieces aim to get the person to buy the product. They already contain on them either a consensus of the popular opinion about the game, thus making the person who came to the store, or who is just browsing in the store wanting to buy it further. The goal of the store is to make sales. All an informed staff member would say is express their baseless opinion on why the person should avoid that game at all costs, which is usually contrary to popular opinion and what is stated on the box. An informed staff will actually hurt sales as they will only get people to buy "in their eyes" things that are the cream of the crop while ignoring the fact that there are tons of other games in the store that may appeal to someone. Instead of focusing on the top 20 games that are always guaranteed sales, these informed staff members need to get people to buy other titles and such to open the market wider for more creativity. An uninformed staff is usually good at this for when someone will ask for their opinion they either read the back of the box and point out anything good or they express their own sincere like for the game, not based on whether they have played it or not, but rather on how nice the box art looks and such. Woe to those informed staff that prevent creativity in the marketplace.

The only time these informed staff are needed are maybe during the time when it is up to put their 100 favorite games of the year on the special "games of the year" discount pricing scheme. Even then the uninformed staff could be of much better benefit. Informed staff give customers zero benefit at all in the games sector.
 
fhqwhgads said:
And how do uninformed staff help in any way?
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Simple, by getting people to buy a more variety of games, increasing the profits of the store by suggesting the need for accessories, by expressing a genuine concern for getting these people to experience great fun in a wide varitey of games and not just forcibly selling the same "10 greatest games of the year/system".
 
Im just proclaiming that consumers searching for video games are not as helpless as people make them seem to be.
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This is where I stopped reading because I just couldn't think of anything smart following, no offense. But allow me to contest this.

I've seen, only too many times, helpless customers wander into a store and get the exact help they need finding games. I'd go as far as to say 50% or more of consumers searching for video games at a store are helpless and need assistance. Especially if a game has a similar name to another game, or looks like it. Take Dogz and Nintendogs for example. If a kid wants a dog game for the DS and gives limited details, it's probably best to ask a sales associate his opinion on the manner. A knowledgeable staff is also very useful for holidays, as they can point you in the right direction instantly. Also, if you can't find a game at that store, they can check other stores for you or call around. If they're not knowledgeable and helped you get the wrong game, wouldn't you be kinda upset?

Starrynite said:
Simple, by getting people to buy a more variety of games, increasing the profits of the store by suggesting the need for accserories, by expressing a genuine concern for getting these people to experience great fun in a wide varitey of games and not just forcibly selling the same "10 greatest games of the year/system".
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And these are all things knowledgeable staff at the stores around me do.
 
Informed staff don't force you to buy any games, and I still don't see how buying a good game is a bad thing. :/
 
fhqwhgads said:
Informed staff don't force you to buy any games, and I still don't see how buying a good game is a bad thing. :/
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Oh dude, it's terrible. Trust me, I've bought good games before. STAY away from those.
 
Strubes said:
Oh dude, it's terrible. Trust me, I've bought good games before. STAY away from those.
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Of course, let's go to a store where they don't provide any help whatsoever and stick your face to the bargin bin.
 
Starrynite said:
Simple, by getting people to buy a more variety of games, increasing the profits of the store by suggesting the need for accessories, by expressing a genuine concern for getting these people to experience great fun in a wide varitey of games and not just forcibly selling the same "10 greatest games of the year/system".
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Can an informed staff not do all of that and more?

Let's say a somewhat uninformed and new gamer comes into my store, looking to preorder MGS 4 because one of their friends said it was awesome. Would it be such a horrible thing for me to point him to the MGS collection so he is caught up on the story in time for MGS 4, and knows whether or not he would like that game? Could a brainless, ignorant staff do the same thing?
 
Strubes said:
This is where I stopped reading because I just couldn't think of anything smart following, no offense. But allow me to contest this.

I've seen, only too many times, helpless customers wander into a store and get the exact help they need finding games. I'd go as far as to say 50% or more of consumers searching for video games at a store are helpless and need assistance. Especially if a game has a similar name to another game, or looks like it. Take Dogz and Nintendogs for example. If a kid wants a dog game for the DS and gives limited details, it's probably best to ask a sales associate his opinion on the manner. A knowledgeable staff is also very useful for holidays, as they can point you in the right direction instantly. Also, if you can't find a game at that store, they can check other stores for you or call around. If they're not knowledgeable and helped you get the wrong game, wouldn't you be kinda upset?
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There are plenty of labels in stores that announce which game to get. Both Dogz and Nintendogs have great sales, however the person who would be buying the game would have instantly recognized that Nintendogs was from Nintendo based on the commercials. There are so many details that distinguish both of them that the kid should never have had any confusion in his mind. Woe be to the one that lacks confusion. And it would be simple really, an uninformed sales staff would clearly direct them to the one that is displayed so prominently. Nintendo does such a well job with making their games stand out, and based on the various versions offered (unlike Dogs), the uninformaed sales member has a 1 in like I think 6 chance of picking a nintendogs title over the dogz if they are really that clueless. An uninformed staff would at least point them to the direction, read off the back of the box and then let the person buying decide what they want cause ultimately they will be playing it. For example, I have never played Super Mario Galaxy and Super Paper Mario, if someone came up to me with both titles in hand trying to decide which to buy, I would ultimiately prominently display both, find a poster of both, and then proceed to reading the back of the box to them, based on which had the better art design and features, I would ultimately suggest that one. It is as simple as that. Was there a knowledgable staff, no, and the person would go home happy cause they picked the one they wanted regardless if they listened to my suggestion or not.

Both staff would be trained on searching for each store, so there is no benefit there, and even then they can just search on the catalogue or something.

fhqwhgads said:
Informed staff don't force you to buy any games, and I still don't see how buying a good game is a bad thing. :/
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These staff only suggest the same games. When I go buy a game that is not one of the key 20 they instantly suggest otherwise and point to more prominent titles that have either been at the top marks of the reviews or either titles that have been out for a year or more and that were the bestselling. I go to buy a game that is fun, not whether or not it is the highest rated thing on Earth. It is annoying to have to face and see so many people with the same games and people without these other games that are dreadfully fun and had excellent advertising or average reviews, or great player reviews from site that featured player reviews.

Homicidal Cherry53 said:
Let's say a somewhat uninformed and new gamer comes into my store, looking to preorder MGS 4 because one of their friends said it was awesome. Would it be such a horrible thing for me to point him to the MGS collection so he is caught up on the story in time for MGS 4, and knows whether or not he would like that game? Could a brainless, ignorant staff do the same thing?
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There would be no way for a new gamer to get caught up in time. No it wouldnt be wrong to suggest the purchase of the MGS collection to catch them up on the story (for that would be admirable). A brainless ignorant staff would ultimately be able to do the same thing as they would just point to ads in the store and other such things, though at the same time, the staff could know how this new gamer is (as this brainless ignorant staff is not a gamer), and would suggest starting more slowly to get into games, maybe suggest a light hearted game such as Ratchet and Clank or something else.
 
tl;dr

I can still reply, too. INFORMED STAFF >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> UNINFORMED STAFF. In large, angry, yelly caps. You're not even thinking this through logically. Why wouldn't you want informed service when you go to a store?
 
We all have a friend in the digital age....

But seriously, we all live in the digital age, thus any help that this elite group of informed staff can do can easily be outdone by simply conducting an internet search at ones house. As I have stated before, Ive never at once seen anyone have to consult any live person when they are making a purchase for video games or even browsing for them on Amazon.com or any other online site to order video games and systems.

It isnt like we are buying priceless jewels and diamonds, or expensive appliances, or even a car here, it is a simple video game...informed staff are complete worthless for video games, completely.
 
Well, you obviously haven't been looking then. Lemme put it this way, in words you can understand.


Informed staff = don't help anyone, but can.

Uninformed staff = don't help anyone, and can't.


That's essentially what you're saying. Do you see how moronic it is now?
 
Bluntly speaking, both Informed Staff and Uninformed Staff help people...But the help that the Informed Staff give is usually invaluable and totally worthless and definitely self-serving. Uninformed Staff on the other hand help everyone and offer truly valuable advice and usually reside in letting the decision lie in the hands of the consumer, rather than forcibly stating a blunt and rude opinion about a game in their store being truly rubbish.
 
Starrynite said:
Bluntly speaking, both Informed Staff and Uninformed Staff help people...But the help that the Informed Staff give is usually invaluable and totally worthless and definitely self-serving.
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I don't see how it's worthless if they're informed.
Uninformed Staff on the other hand help everyone and offer truly valuable advice and usually reside in letting the decision lie in the hands of the consumer, rather than forcibly stating a blunt and rude opinion about a game in their store being truly rubbish.
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No, they don't. They don't know **** of what you're talking about.
 
What is so hard to understand?!!??!?!?! The informed staff are usually opinionated to be of any value. When I go to a store I dont want to hear discussion of "insert game title" being the worst game created in the last 2 months. Then I grab it and take it to them to purchase and they suggest that I get "insert game that was number 1 selling for the previous month". That completely ruined the purpose of my decision. And what if the game isnt as cracked up as they make.

The uninformed staff avoid this tragedy and at least say "great game purchase" or "hope you have fun". Plus they are usually better able to hold discussion with.
 
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