Honestly I'm not that upset.
I have bought new games from EBGames and local game stores brand new but having been openned. Infact its not that rare especially if your buying a less popular title. I complained once to EBGames that my copy was scratched and had been opened, they told me that they needed the case for display and that I had gotten the last copy. I insisted on getting a new copy so their next shipment came in they gave me a new one.
But I've had this problem at other retailers as well. A local game store gave me the same excuse saying they used the case on display and that I was buying their last copy and as such they gave me the display copy. In that case the game wasn't scratched however I was upset that I was getting an oppened copy and paying full price.
In my opinion if you open the product regardless of reason you should sell the product as used, its not brand new if you went to FutureShop they wouldn't sell you the display model at full price. In the same way an oppened game that was used on display should not be sold at full price either.
So knowing its common practice for games retailers to open their games before selling them. I'm not that suprised or upset.
Also as others pointed out, Square-Enix knowingly promoted a competitors product in their store without their permission. Sure a developer doesn't need to tell a retailer everything its including with the game. However to advertise a competitors product in your product without telling the retailer, thats alittle scetchy itself.
So I can see why GameStop removed its competitors coupons from the products. However I think it was a very stupid move to make politically because consumers will get pissed as they have now. So GameStop did what they should have done to begin with and sent all new copies back to the manufacturer to get new copies that didn't promote a competitors product.
I think GameStop was foolish to open all the games and remove the codes, they should have returned all the copies to Square in the first place. But at the same time I don't think it was unreasonable or odd. Because as I said retailers often open the games and sell them as new so simply removing the code doesn't diminish the value of the game.
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
