Buying games that don't work

[sumdawgtwigg]

I've had absolutely no luck with games lately. First my major glitch with Tomb Raider that made me start all the way over and now I finally break down and go buy skrim (because it got cheaper) and I get home and the dang thing won't play. It freezes up and won't install and upon closer inspection I found a small deep scratch on it. Point of this is, I feel like game retailers should do something more for you if you have to bring a disc all the way back to their store just to get replaced or cleaned. It's quite the hassle to drive 30 minutes for me to take back a game that should of worked to begin with. They try to make it sound all nice that they will replace the game with another copy or clean the disc but really...look at the disc before you take it in on trade a little harder next time. I guess I can also understand why they can't do more for you in these situations. People would definitely take advantage of it if they gave you anything. Scratch the disc a little after they walk out the door or something like that.  Still, I know it's inevitable for it to happens sometimes. Just frustrated as hell with games lately. 

 

Rant Over. 

[Nomad Jay]

The latest SImCIty fiasco drives the point home, particularly EA's initial unwillingness to address the problem.

[Nuala]

Since I adopted the "DRM = No buy" politic I can't say I had any problems. Of course I won't have the last AAA game but I don't really care. There are a bunch of good games that are DRM free and I'd rather give my money to indie game programmeur than big company like EA or Ubisoft that treat their paying customers like thiefs with their intrusives DRM (seriously, always online DRM need to disappear) 

[bigm141414]

I've had absolutely no luck with games lately. First my major glitch with Tomb Raider that made me start all the way over and now I finally break down and go buy skrim (because it got cheaper) and I get home and the dang thing won't play. It freezes up and won't install and upon closer inspection I found a small deep scratch on it. Point of this is, I feel like game retailers should do something more for you if you have to bring a disc all the way back to their store just to get replaced or cleaned. It's quite the hassle to drive 30 minutes for me to take back a game that should of worked to begin with. They try to make it sound all nice that they will replace the game with another copy or clean the disc but really...look at the disc before you take it in on trade a little harder next time. I guess I can also understand why they can't do more for you in these situations. People would definitely take advantage of it if they gave you anything. Scratch the disc a little after they walk out the door or something like that.  Still, I know it's inevitable for it to happens sometimes. Just frustrated as hell with games lately. 

 

Rant Over. 

 

 

I always look at the disc before walking out of the store if I am buying a used game for this very reason. And if I see a big scratch I'll ask them to swap it out. 

[JonDixonYT]

The newest SimCity is such a disappointment to me.  If it had been good I wouldn't even be so upset, but the game is leaps and bounds behind SC4, IMO AND it often doesn't work for me because as soon as my connection drops my progress is no longer being saved.  If I end the game before my connection is re-established then I've lost that progress.

 

Ugh, I've been looking forward to a new SimCity for a long, long time and this newest version is just an utter diappointment.

 

But, that's alright, maybe I'll spend less time building (and destroying!) cities and more time becoming stronger.

[Terinatum]

I heard so many great things about SimCity and I wanted it real bad. But then it came out, I was quite rich enough and had to wait. Now, I'm thankful. I can't believe they screwed this up so bad. WTH

[sumdawgtwigg]

I always look at the disc before walking out of the store if I am buying a used game for this very reason. And if I see a big scratch I'll ask them to swap it out. 

 

The scratch was so fine you had to get it in just the right light to see it. I went back and exchanged it today and haven't had any problems from the new disc. 

 

I'm really glad that I wasn't eagerly waiting for the new SimCity. I can only imagine how frustrating it must of been to go buy it and that happen. 

[Drewstein69]

For me, as much as I can/as much as my wallet will allow, I go for digital downloads like on Steam. I know there's the possible security breach that's been discussed about the gaming cloud that Steam and Origin use but to me, I'd rather have that then rely on the disc quality and also the DVD Drive itself with the laser

[sumdawgtwigg]

For me, as much as I can/as much as my wallet will allow, I go for digital downloads like on Steam. I know there's the possible security breach that's been discussed about the gaming cloud that Steam and Origin use but to me, I'd rather have that then rely on the disc quality and also the DVD Drive itself with the laser

 

I can def see the advantages of digital downloads and use them quite a bit but I'm one of those people that love having a case with artwork and all that stuff. In the end I'd rather just have a game that always works though lol

[ArmoredGallant]

I think my worst experience was when I bought the Wii version of the first of the EA Exercise series. At the store I saw it and asked the clerk for it, he went and grabbed the display case and asked his manager where the actual game was, so he went into the back to grab it. When he handed it to me both the clerk and I commented on how light the box was and the manager said something like "I know, right?" I went home, a 30 minute drive for me as well, and when I opened it... the box was completely empty. No game case, no band, nothing at all was inside. I couldn't believe it. I even went on Google and tried to figure out if it happened to anyone else and could find nothing. 
 

I wound up calling the store and talked to the manager. I told him what happened, and even that I knew how ridiculous it sounded, but that I had paid the full price of a new game for what turned out to be an empty box. He told me, a bit rudely, that he couldn't do anything but would check with his higher ups just to see what he should do. They, thankfully, took my side and told him to swap my empty box for the actual game. He called me a liar when I came into the store, but he did give me the game so I just let it slide. I wound up not going back very often after that but, on the plus side, since it was the only game store in the city, I wound up discovering how great Amazon and Steam.

[sumdawgtwigg]

I think my worst experience was when I bought the Wii version of the first of the EA Exercise series. At the store I saw it and asked the clerk for it, he went and grabbed the display case and asked his manager where the actual game was, so he went into the back to grab it. When he handed it to me both the clerk and I commented on how light the box was and the manager said something like "I know, right?" I went home, a 30 minute drive for me as well, and when I opened it... the box was completely empty. No game case, no band, nothing at all was inside. I couldn't believe it. I even went on Google and tried to figure out if it happened to anyone else and could find nothing. 

 

I wound up calling the store and talked to the manager. I told him what happened, and even that I knew how ridiculous it sounded, but that I had paid the full price of a new game for what turned out to be an empty box. He told me, a bit rudely, that he couldn't do anything but would check with his higher ups just to see what he should do. They, thankfully, took my side and told him to swap my empty box for the actual game. He called me a liar when I came into the store, but he did give me the game so I just let it slide. I wound up not going back very often after that but, on the plus side, since it was the only game store in the city, I wound up discovering how great Amazon and Steam.

 

That's awful! I could see how they wouldn't believe someone though. I'm sure they go through that sort of thing more than you think. Sucks for honest people that really didn't get what they paid for. I'm glad it worked out for you. They also acted like I was lying about my Skrim, like i was really trying to get a refund or something. Oh well, I got a copy that works and that's all that  matters. 

[ArmoredGallant]

That's awful! I could see how they wouldn't believe someone though. I'm sure they go through that sort of thing more than you think. Sucks for honest people that really didn't get what they paid for. I'm glad it worked out for you. They also acted like I was lying about my Skrim, like i was really trying to get a refund or something. Oh well, I got a copy that works and that's all that  matters. 

 

Yeah, I remember being shocked. I mean, it's one thing to buy a defective, scratched, damaged, etc., game as those can (usually) be returned and/or swapped out for a working one, but to open a box and find literally nothing inside it? I didn't even know what to do. Thankfully they did help me, even if it was very reluctantly. I think the worst part was I completely understood their side (I even worked at a Gamestop for a little while some years ago) and knew what my story sounded like, so while I was annoyed at the treatment, I did understand why I got it (which in some ways made it worse, lol).

I'm glad you got a copy of Skyrim that works, it's a pretty great game. I wonder why some places give such grief, especially if you're just trying to get a swap and not a full refund or whatever.

[sumdawgtwigg]

Yeah, he kept making comments on how he couldn't see anything wrong with the disc. Like i enjoyed driving back and forth over and over just for the fun of it. A little twist in the story that I thought was kinda cool, it turned out to be my running partners disc. He was having the same exact problems (how we know it was his) and decided to take it and trade it in that condition. They didn't test it because it didn't look like anything was wrong. He apologized for being the cause of so much grief for me lol. 

[ArmoredGallant]

Yeah, he kept making comments on how he couldn't see anything wrong with the disc. Like i enjoyed driving back and forth over and over just for the fun of it. A little twist in the story that I thought was kinda cool, it turned out to be my running partners disc. He was having the same exact problems (how we know it was his) and decided to take it and trade it in that condition. They didn't test it because it didn't look like anything was wrong. He apologized for being the cause of so much grief for me lol. 

 Funny how those things work out, lol.

[Ennalia]

This one is my fault, but GTA4 bought it, got it home, bumped the Xbox and ringed the disk. Yup. Before the first loading screen.

I have bought a cartridge game that didn't work, back when that was a thing.

Unless it is on PC, gamefly FTW. There are so many games out there I want to play, and even more I'm trying since I'm not paying 60 a pop.

Also, I'm on a EA boycott at the moment. 2 reasons,

sim city 3. Nuff said

I wanted to purchase the whole sims 2 collection. So, I go to ea.com, and see its only sold through origin. A pain but ok. Well, origin keeps defaulting to Japanese. That's because I live in Japan, but don't speak Japanese past ordering food or asking a price in a store. So i contact support. They tell me to order the game through the mail, even though it will take weeks to ship here. By then I won't want to play their 8 year old game that I felt nostalgic for. Ugh. And support went as far to imply that it is unreasonable to expect them to make a way for military in Japan to do digital downloads. Origin can burn. <3 steam though.

[Teros]

gotta love 'always online'  even for single player games..... ugh.  I'm frustrated with games in general- but just certain games not working.  I really think indy games are the way to go. (Torchlight II rules)

[sumdawgtwigg]

This one is my fault, but GTA4 bought it, got it home, bumped the Xbox and ringed the disk. Yup. Before the first loading screen.

I have bought a cartridge game that didn't work, back when that was a thing.

Unless it is on PC, gamefly FTW. There are so many games out there I want to play, and even more I'm trying since I'm not paying 60 a pop.

Also, I'm on a EA boycott at the moment. 2 reasons,

sim city 3. Nuff said

I wanted to purchase the whole sims 2 collection. So, I go to ea.com, and see its only sold through origin. A pain but ok. Well, origin keeps defaulting to Japanese. That's because I live in Japan, but don't speak Japanese past ordering food or asking a price in a store. So i contact support. They tell me to order the game through the mail, even though it will take weeks to ship here. By then I won't want to play their 8 year old game that I felt nostalgic for. Ugh. And support went as far to imply that it is unreasonable to expect them to make a way for military in Japan to do digital downloads. Origin can burn. <3 steam though.

 

Yeah, I think EA deserves to be boycotted. Funny, I did the same thing to my copy of GTA4, thankfully it was after I'd had it for a few years.