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Having just returned from two weeks in Gran Canaria, I done so baffled and amazed. I didn’t return like this due to the temperatures which climbed higher then any seen in Britain, nor did I return like this because of the great time I had abroad. The reason I came back like this was because of the state of the games industry over there and probably the way it is in many other country’s, if not worse.
Gran Canaria is part of Spain and holds millions of tourists each year. Apart from just relaxing by the pool or soaking up the sun on the beach there is many opportunities to go shopping in large shopping complexes. These shopping complexes hold many shops but mostly contain gift shops, perfume shops and electronics. Once I reached my local shopping centre I thought I could escape the street traders of their fake items and shop with comfort, but I was wrong.
Most shops were electrical shops and nearly every shop stocked video games, everything from Gameboy to Playstation 2. It didn’t matter if u were a fan of Sega or Nintendo, they had it. But behind the shops professional look and the games official packaging there was another story.
My little sister wanted a copy of Pokemon Gold for her Gameboy Color. She had been playing Pokemon Blue all holiday after leaving it gathering dust on her bedside table and just wanted more Pokemon. So, after whining and whining to my parents I was forced to go with my sister to the shopping centre to go and buy her Pokemon Gold (She didn’t want Silver, Gold was her chosen colour, selfish? I know). The number of shops that stocked the game left my mind in stalemate, making it hard to choose one. But as my sister pointed out games she liked in many shops and the staff approached us, my mind changed about the quality of the games.
Everyone in the shop just seemed so eager to sell their products, I just thought this was their way of getting you to buy from their shop, their salesmen technique. My mind suddenly clicked that the stockage may be illegal when I saw a Pokemon Blue box with a ‘Gameboy Color’ bar down the side of the box. I knew that Pokemon Red and Blue was not released bearing the ‘Gameboy Color’ name. So, I left that shop.
One shop looked promising and my sister was bugging even more now, as we could of brought it, but I was not sure. Armed with Spanish Currency I considered buying, but last minute instincts made me think again. I wanted to try before I buy.
The staff member approached me and I asked the details about the game, he spoke and spoke and didn’t let me get a word in, always going on about the price. I knew this guy didn’t know much when he gave me the wrong explanation of ‘Clock-Time’ on the games box, “Clock-Time lets you turn off your system and continue whenever you want” he stated. Clearly this was wrong as what I think he was trying to say was, simply: “You can save your game”.
At this time I knew I didn’t want to buy here and was having doubts, so as I tried to leave he stopped me and gave me the game to play as he dealt with a complaint from a customer about her game that didn’t work on her son’s Gameboy Advance. I had friends that had downloaded Pokemon Gold illegally off websites before it was released as a ROM and had seen it play. As soon as the game started I could see this game was not officially a PAL version, the Japanese title screen was displayed and when the game started the writing was definitely not the same as an official copy. Professor Oak was going on about rubbish! Before the guy came back I took a glimpse at the cartridge and saw it was not the right colour, it was a pale purple/greyish colour. Not very official and not very appealing.
I told the man I wasn’t going to take it and my sister asked why, I didn’t want to say in front of the man that he was trying to sell me pirated goods. My sister made me stay and so did the man, he took the Gameboy and showed me through the game. He said it was all in English and works perfectly and as he said this he quickly skipped the title screen. I knew this game would not make sense all the way through, had been translated and put on a cart and would turn Japanese 25% through so I just heard the man out now for the fun of it.
He told me I was his friend (trying to be nice) and then offered me a special offer, a cartridge with 24 Gameboy games on, including all Pokemon Editions! You should have seen my sister’s eyes light up. But I was not fooled, how could 24 games be compressed onto one cart, I felt like laughing in this mans face!
“No sorry, I don’t want it” I said and at that walked out the shop. “You take it not or you can’t have it,” He shouted as he chased me out the shop gradually lowering the price. He said I was missing out and was stupid after following me out the shop and then went back to his perch. My sister, nearly in tears as she didn’t get her game. “Can we try another shop” she asked, “No chance” I said and left the shopping centre, for good.
This true story which took place probably happens all the time. But unlucky, it happens to the wrong people. People that don’t know much about games and will buy anything with a good price tag. I feel sorry for all the small children who brought their illegal copies and now they cannot play them, they had been conned.
The question is now, piracy is illegal and I thought this kind of thing happened secretly towards customers so the pirates could not be fined etc. So how can pirated games be sold like this in shops set up in public with such a professional look? How can Nintendo, Sega and Sony let their names be ruined in this state?
One thing for all you gamers don’t buy from stockist’s abroad, the games can only cause you trouble. Just because it bears a name like ‘Stockist’s of Nintendo’ on the shop, it doesn’t mean it is official.
And lastly, one thing for you games companies, don’t give your company a bad name, your reputation is being ruined.
Piracy on this scale is pathetic.
Thank’s for reading and don’t be fooled,
Monkey_With_Attitude
Gran Canaria is part of Spain and holds millions of tourists each year. Apart from just relaxing by the pool or soaking up the sun on the beach there is many opportunities to go shopping in large shopping complexes. These shopping complexes hold many shops but mostly contain gift shops, perfume shops and electronics. Once I reached my local shopping centre I thought I could escape the street traders of their fake items and shop with comfort, but I was wrong.
Most shops were electrical shops and nearly every shop stocked video games, everything from Gameboy to Playstation 2. It didn’t matter if u were a fan of Sega or Nintendo, they had it. But behind the shops professional look and the games official packaging there was another story.
My little sister wanted a copy of Pokemon Gold for her Gameboy Color. She had been playing Pokemon Blue all holiday after leaving it gathering dust on her bedside table and just wanted more Pokemon. So, after whining and whining to my parents I was forced to go with my sister to the shopping centre to go and buy her Pokemon Gold (She didn’t want Silver, Gold was her chosen colour, selfish? I know). The number of shops that stocked the game left my mind in stalemate, making it hard to choose one. But as my sister pointed out games she liked in many shops and the staff approached us, my mind changed about the quality of the games.
Everyone in the shop just seemed so eager to sell their products, I just thought this was their way of getting you to buy from their shop, their salesmen technique. My mind suddenly clicked that the stockage may be illegal when I saw a Pokemon Blue box with a ‘Gameboy Color’ bar down the side of the box. I knew that Pokemon Red and Blue was not released bearing the ‘Gameboy Color’ name. So, I left that shop.
One shop looked promising and my sister was bugging even more now, as we could of brought it, but I was not sure. Armed with Spanish Currency I considered buying, but last minute instincts made me think again. I wanted to try before I buy.
The staff member approached me and I asked the details about the game, he spoke and spoke and didn’t let me get a word in, always going on about the price. I knew this guy didn’t know much when he gave me the wrong explanation of ‘Clock-Time’ on the games box, “Clock-Time lets you turn off your system and continue whenever you want” he stated. Clearly this was wrong as what I think he was trying to say was, simply: “You can save your game”.
At this time I knew I didn’t want to buy here and was having doubts, so as I tried to leave he stopped me and gave me the game to play as he dealt with a complaint from a customer about her game that didn’t work on her son’s Gameboy Advance. I had friends that had downloaded Pokemon Gold illegally off websites before it was released as a ROM and had seen it play. As soon as the game started I could see this game was not officially a PAL version, the Japanese title screen was displayed and when the game started the writing was definitely not the same as an official copy. Professor Oak was going on about rubbish! Before the guy came back I took a glimpse at the cartridge and saw it was not the right colour, it was a pale purple/greyish colour. Not very official and not very appealing.
I told the man I wasn’t going to take it and my sister asked why, I didn’t want to say in front of the man that he was trying to sell me pirated goods. My sister made me stay and so did the man, he took the Gameboy and showed me through the game. He said it was all in English and works perfectly and as he said this he quickly skipped the title screen. I knew this game would not make sense all the way through, had been translated and put on a cart and would turn Japanese 25% through so I just heard the man out now for the fun of it.
He told me I was his friend (trying to be nice) and then offered me a special offer, a cartridge with 24 Gameboy games on, including all Pokemon Editions! You should have seen my sister’s eyes light up. But I was not fooled, how could 24 games be compressed onto one cart, I felt like laughing in this mans face!
“No sorry, I don’t want it” I said and at that walked out the shop. “You take it not or you can’t have it,” He shouted as he chased me out the shop gradually lowering the price. He said I was missing out and was stupid after following me out the shop and then went back to his perch. My sister, nearly in tears as she didn’t get her game. “Can we try another shop” she asked, “No chance” I said and left the shopping centre, for good.
This true story which took place probably happens all the time. But unlucky, it happens to the wrong people. People that don’t know much about games and will buy anything with a good price tag. I feel sorry for all the small children who brought their illegal copies and now they cannot play them, they had been conned.
The question is now, piracy is illegal and I thought this kind of thing happened secretly towards customers so the pirates could not be fined etc. So how can pirated games be sold like this in shops set up in public with such a professional look? How can Nintendo, Sega and Sony let their names be ruined in this state?
One thing for all you gamers don’t buy from stockist’s abroad, the games can only cause you trouble. Just because it bears a name like ‘Stockist’s of Nintendo’ on the shop, it doesn’t mean it is official.
And lastly, one thing for you games companies, don’t give your company a bad name, your reputation is being ruined.
Piracy on this scale is pathetic.
Thank’s for reading and don’t be fooled,
Monkey_With_Attitude
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It's disgusting. I go around boot sales and see the same thing.
It's not an official part of the Spanish kingdom, so they can make their own rules. That's the problem, they're not worried because it makes them money.
They should have standards and practises out there.
I've been to these places, they exist anywhere where the piracy laws are more lax. The Canaries are notorious for this kind of trade, as they are not part of the EU (not falling under the same laws as Spain etc) so they can get away with selling the things.
I found Gameboy and Gamegear cartridges which promised 120-150 games on one cartridge. After playing them, it soon transpired that these actually had around 20-25 games on the single cartridge instead of the large amount promised, and most of the others were the same games under a different name. There were still quite a few top quality games on the one cart though and it does make you wonder how much space the programmers really have left on them. The main point though, is that these are pirated cartridges and unfortunately, they sell really well out there.
The way these shops in places like these work is that the price in the window is not the price you pay in the shop. If you wanted a Camcorder or game, you would go in and say you were interested, then ask the price. When they tell you the 'special' price 'just for you, the special customer' you act surprised at the cost and then look disinterested. They bring the cost down further and you continue to haggle. If you don't get the price you want then you start to walk out, at which time they will offer you the lowest price. This is how they work and make a tidy profit at the same time.
Last time I went over, they were selling Pokemon games and others like Tetris DX, R-type, etc. all on one cart. The packaging made no sign of saying Nintendo on it and some never even mentioned Gameboy (they made it obvious though) As I said, no Tax and no piracy laws make this and video/DVD piracy a big seller in these places. Sad but true.
I found Gameboy and Gamegear cartridges which promised 120-150 games on one cartridge. After playing them, it soon transpired that these actually had around 20-25 games on the single cartridge instead of the large amount promised, and most of the others were the same games under a different name. There were still quite a few top quality games on the one cart though and it does make you wonder how much space the programmers really have left on them. The main point though, is that these are pirated cartridges and unfortunately, they sell really well out there.
The way these shops in places like these work is that the price in the window is not the price you pay in the shop. If you wanted a Camcorder or game, you would go in and say you were interested, then ask the price. When they tell you the 'special' price 'just for you, the special customer' you act surprised at the cost and then look disinterested. They bring the cost down further and you continue to haggle. If you don't get the price you want then you start to walk out, at which time they will offer you the lowest price. This is how they work and make a tidy profit at the same time.
Last time I went over, they were selling Pokemon games and others like Tetris DX, R-type, etc. all on one cart. The packaging made no sign of saying Nintendo on it and some never even mentioned Gameboy (they made it obvious though) As I said, no Tax and no piracy laws make this and video/DVD piracy a big seller in these places. Sad but true.
Heh. I think some Governments don't really care, and in some ways seretly endorse piracy, as it means that their foriegn counterparts are making less money from their people. The stubborn barstewards.
You would think that if piracy was on this scale then someone would act and clean it up. But it looks as though nothing is being done!
Anything team FOG can do? hehe!
Anything team FOG can do? hehe!
You should visit Hong Kong and the far east. The amount of crap available there, pirated and junk, is appaling.
Scared? nope!
Every shop was just like a SR shop or say a EB shop to the Spanish. There were about 20+ shops with games in one centre and all the games were illgeal!
It baffles me how they can get away with it!
Anyone brought a game abroad before here?
Every shop was just like a SR shop or say a EB shop to the Spanish. There were about 20+ shops with games in one centre and all the games were illgeal!
It baffles me how they can get away with it!
Anyone brought a game abroad before here?
Wow, that is unbeliveable, you would have thought that if the stockist was in a large shopping complex they would have been a little scared to sell dodgy goods. I guess the law enforcement over there about fakes is pretty poor if you can get away with that on such a large scale.
Thanks for the warning though, MWA!
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