Shopping at game store chains is actually less odious than shopping at a megastore like Walmart or Best Buy when it comes to games.

Sure, they're both corporate, which in and of itself is not inherently bad, but one caters to a very select niche of consumers (gamers) whereas for the megastores, it's just a subsection of their A/V equipment department. Niche specific product knowledge is not important if you know exactly what it is you're looking for, but a lot of people go into game stores, shopping for answers as well as recommendations.

My only real gripe with chain game stores like EB and GS is their policy of basing their initial orders for new titles primarily off the pre-orders which their clerks are trained to push. The problem with this system is that individual stores frequently only order a small percentage over their pre-orders/sales for walk in customers, which may be good from a retail standpoint in keeping inventory tight (as opposed to the overstock often seen at the big chains which means clearing inventory at a loss: all those red tag/bin discount titles), it is a bit annoying to walk into a retail store the day a new game is released, ask to buy a copy, only to be immediately asked if you pre-ordered it as if the game was a rare commodity, since they don't typically have a huge stack of copies allocated for walk in customers.

My response is "no I didn't, but if you don't have any unreserved copies I can just buy one at Best Buy, Target, Circuit City, etc. etc." assuming it's wasn't undershipped/produced. They'll always have a copy to sell if you say that.

It's not that other stores don't have pre-sales (Target and Best Buy have pre-order cards), they just don't try to push them, as virtually all of their sales are based upon walk in customers who didn't pre-order.

It's a bit disingenuous to say that the clerks at Game Stop and EB are all bad. While I have received unsolicited opinions and recommendations from clerks at some stores that weren't helpful at all, for the most part, unless you ask, you won't be badgered with anything more than the typical, polite "is there anything I can help you find?" which is standard to any retail store that pushes customer service.

For the most part, my personal experiences have been largely positive and most of the clerks I've spoken to have been polite and helpful if you have any questions.

It's not the same as a local, privately owned shop that can cater to an even more select clientele, but it's just really tough for small businesses like these to exist based upon retail and collectible sales. Personally, I find it admirable when any such shop is able to prosper based upon customer loyalty and service. It's just pretty rare.

You know what's funny? There are 4 Gamestops within 2 miles of where I live, literally. There are 2 in the mall, and the other 2 are in nearby shopping centers. One of those used to be a Funcoland (which I absolutely adored). Another was originally a Babbages, then Software etc., and then finally became a Gamestop. A third started out as EB Games. Only 1 was originally built and opened as a Gamestop. They just opened a 5th store next to the Walmart I work at. Seriously, gamestops are spreading faster than a wildfire around here.

Is it like that in other places I wonder?