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Come for the word monkey, stay for the topic. Now, we've all been there, every single one of us without exception. We've gone out and bought a game, popped it in and after one play we've decided that we hate it. We decide it's terrible, and that we never want to play it again. I recently had this awful experience with the dreadful Spider-Man movie tie-in and no matter how many people try to advocate the bad camera, illogical targetting and frankly boring combat scenes, the game is not worth £35 of anyone's money. Naturally I was crestfallen...but as a true sign of my manhood I swallowed my pride, and put the DVD case on my shelf. I didn't make myself suffer through the many bosses and levels, nor did I spend hours doing nothing more than going through the motions of stuff like training levels - nope, I did the right thing and put it away.
However, many people are unlike me. Many are weaker, and some do not have the luck and wealth of titles that I do, and so it is that if and when they do buy a bad game, they suffer in silence. Atrocoties such as Dave Mirra's BMX 2 and Operation WinBack are hogging the limelight that should belong to new wonders such as Tony Hawk's 4, or GTA:Vice City. But really, what choice is there, apart from playing? There are only three, and I've just typed one of them. The other two is to leave it there, lying there taunting you or face down in a drawer, collecting dust...but there is another. One that I have used a few times, and one that I wholeheartedly encourage - the exchange.
Stores like GAME offer no-fuss-no-muss 10-day returns, which are great. I admit that I abused this feature horrendously, buying MOH:Frontline, Endgame and Deus Ex for PS2 and returning them all a week later, saying sheepishly to the shop assistant: "I didn't like 'em." The first two, actually, I really didn't like...but Deus Ex was bloomin' brilliant, and I bought it again later, cheaper, somewhere else. Anyways, back on topic, had I bought Frontline with good intentions, and had I decided that I didn't like it, how brilliant that I could not only trade it for another game, but get a full refund, provided I hadn't spat on it or scratched it with a nail or anything? And the mexican wave of refunds has started to catch on, with other high-street chains taking to their feet and letting people make amends, taking back the stuff that it turns out isn't for them. So, hopefully, there won't be so many grudging gamers left...of course, there are other reasons.
The trade-in is, cliched as it sounds, a double edged sword. Again, GAME is a main pioneer as they encourage customers to take in games they've finished, got bored of or just can't shift to their mate for a fiver, and give it over for store credit. I did it with Spider-Man, and got a cheaper deal with Stuntman. Of course, I was already going to pay full-price so the trade-in was a bonus...but what about those dependent on recycling their collections for new games? I'm afraid it's not good news. Ever since Cash Converters told me my Terminator cart for my old grey brick of a Game Boy was only worth £4 (it's still upstairs by the way. I'll take offers, but wouldn't advise buying it - it's rubbish) I've remained cautious of what I'll get for my games. Spider-Man, in mint condition, played a grand total of about an hour (well, that disc anyway)...£15. And it says £20 in their magazine, so I guess it had some damage to take into consideration. Or, there's the possibility that the assistants are all tight gits. As I was saying, you always get stiffed. New games depreciate quicker than old cars. You could probably buy a game, go have a cup of coffee, come back, try and trade back the same, unplayed game and you'd probably only get about 1/3 of the full price.
On one hand, you're getting rid of dead weight and in addition, getting a vial for the injection of new blood. However, the quality of the needle is almost always not as high as you deserve. Of course, this analogy might confuse some of you (you won't run the risk of a deadly infection from trading in an old game) but I hope the bulk of you get the point; it's a good idea, but for it to work it has to be rubbish. So, the trade-in is best used as a sort of helper when you're a few quid short rather than a crutch to lean on all the time.
My advise is to always make sure you're covered. There are some games, like PES2, where everyone knows what they're getting and if you don't want it, you don't buy it. However, games like Ico can go a bit like Marmite and marzipan, where some love it and others hate it. It's the best feeling in the world to discover a little-known gem, but it's a billion times worse to buy a bad game. We all hate it, but if you know you can just put it back in its box and give it to the nice sales assistant and never have to see it again, it'll save you a lot of bother.
However, many people are unlike me. Many are weaker, and some do not have the luck and wealth of titles that I do, and so it is that if and when they do buy a bad game, they suffer in silence. Atrocoties such as Dave Mirra's BMX 2 and Operation WinBack are hogging the limelight that should belong to new wonders such as Tony Hawk's 4, or GTA:Vice City. But really, what choice is there, apart from playing? There are only three, and I've just typed one of them. The other two is to leave it there, lying there taunting you or face down in a drawer, collecting dust...but there is another. One that I have used a few times, and one that I wholeheartedly encourage - the exchange.
Stores like GAME offer no-fuss-no-muss 10-day returns, which are great. I admit that I abused this feature horrendously, buying MOH:Frontline, Endgame and Deus Ex for PS2 and returning them all a week later, saying sheepishly to the shop assistant: "I didn't like 'em." The first two, actually, I really didn't like...but Deus Ex was bloomin' brilliant, and I bought it again later, cheaper, somewhere else. Anyways, back on topic, had I bought Frontline with good intentions, and had I decided that I didn't like it, how brilliant that I could not only trade it for another game, but get a full refund, provided I hadn't spat on it or scratched it with a nail or anything? And the mexican wave of refunds has started to catch on, with other high-street chains taking to their feet and letting people make amends, taking back the stuff that it turns out isn't for them. So, hopefully, there won't be so many grudging gamers left...of course, there are other reasons.
The trade-in is, cliched as it sounds, a double edged sword. Again, GAME is a main pioneer as they encourage customers to take in games they've finished, got bored of or just can't shift to their mate for a fiver, and give it over for store credit. I did it with Spider-Man, and got a cheaper deal with Stuntman. Of course, I was already going to pay full-price so the trade-in was a bonus...but what about those dependent on recycling their collections for new games? I'm afraid it's not good news. Ever since Cash Converters told me my Terminator cart for my old grey brick of a Game Boy was only worth £4 (it's still upstairs by the way. I'll take offers, but wouldn't advise buying it - it's rubbish) I've remained cautious of what I'll get for my games. Spider-Man, in mint condition, played a grand total of about an hour (well, that disc anyway)...£15. And it says £20 in their magazine, so I guess it had some damage to take into consideration. Or, there's the possibility that the assistants are all tight gits. As I was saying, you always get stiffed. New games depreciate quicker than old cars. You could probably buy a game, go have a cup of coffee, come back, try and trade back the same, unplayed game and you'd probably only get about 1/3 of the full price.
On one hand, you're getting rid of dead weight and in addition, getting a vial for the injection of new blood. However, the quality of the needle is almost always not as high as you deserve. Of course, this analogy might confuse some of you (you won't run the risk of a deadly infection from trading in an old game) but I hope the bulk of you get the point; it's a good idea, but for it to work it has to be rubbish. So, the trade-in is best used as a sort of helper when you're a few quid short rather than a crutch to lean on all the time.
My advise is to always make sure you're covered. There are some games, like PES2, where everyone knows what they're getting and if you don't want it, you don't buy it. However, games like Ico can go a bit like Marmite and marzipan, where some love it and others hate it. It's the best feeling in the world to discover a little-known gem, but it's a billion times worse to buy a bad game. We all hate it, but if you know you can just put it back in its box and give it to the nice sales assistant and never have to see it again, it'll save you a lot of bother.
Ah, i've abused this system too many times.
They make you sign a book now..
They make you sign a book now..
Good post, not exactly ground breaking, but it makes enough sense. I think the thing about buying games is play them at your friends housse until you decide that you want it and then no trouble is caused. But the worst of it is, when you recieve a present or a pre ordered game that you really look forward to, and then its utter crap. *sigh super smash bros*.
Come for the word monkey, stay for the topic. Now, we've all been there, every single one of us without exception. We've gone out and bought a game, popped it in and after one play we've decided that we hate it. We decide it's terrible, and that we never want to play it again. I recently had this awful experience with the dreadful Spider-Man movie tie-in and no matter how many people try to advocate the bad camera, illogical targetting and frankly boring combat scenes, the game is not worth £35 of anyone's money. Naturally I was crestfallen...but as a true sign of my manhood I swallowed my pride, and put the DVD case on my shelf. I didn't make myself suffer through the many bosses and levels, nor did I spend hours doing nothing more than going through the motions of stuff like training levels - nope, I did the right thing and put it away.
However, many people are unlike me. Many are weaker, and some do not have the luck and wealth of titles that I do, and so it is that if and when they do buy a bad game, they suffer in silence. Atrocoties such as Dave Mirra's BMX 2 and Operation WinBack are hogging the limelight that should belong to new wonders such as Tony Hawk's 4, or GTA:Vice City. But really, what choice is there, apart from playing? There are only three, and I've just typed one of them. The other two is to leave it there, lying there taunting you or face down in a drawer, collecting dust...but there is another. One that I have used a few times, and one that I wholeheartedly encourage - the exchange.
Stores like GAME offer no-fuss-no-muss 10-day returns, which are great. I admit that I abused this feature horrendously, buying MOH:Frontline, Endgame and Deus Ex for PS2 and returning them all a week later, saying sheepishly to the shop assistant: "I didn't like 'em." The first two, actually, I really didn't like...but Deus Ex was bloomin' brilliant, and I bought it again later, cheaper, somewhere else. Anyways, back on topic, had I bought Frontline with good intentions, and had I decided that I didn't like it, how brilliant that I could not only trade it for another game, but get a full refund, provided I hadn't spat on it or scratched it with a nail or anything? And the mexican wave of refunds has started to catch on, with other high-street chains taking to their feet and letting people make amends, taking back the stuff that it turns out isn't for them. So, hopefully, there won't be so many grudging gamers left...of course, there are other reasons.
The trade-in is, cliched as it sounds, a double edged sword. Again, GAME is a main pioneer as they encourage customers to take in games they've finished, got bored of or just can't shift to their mate for a fiver, and give it over for store credit. I did it with Spider-Man, and got a cheaper deal with Stuntman. Of course, I was already going to pay full-price so the trade-in was a bonus...but what about those dependent on recycling their collections for new games? I'm afraid it's not good news. Ever since Cash Converters told me my Terminator cart for my old grey brick of a Game Boy was only worth £4 (it's still upstairs by the way. I'll take offers, but wouldn't advise buying it - it's rubbish) I've remained cautious of what I'll get for my games. Spider-Man, in mint condition, played a grand total of about an hour (well, that disc anyway)...£15. And it says £20 in their magazine, so I guess it had some damage to take into consideration. Or, there's the possibility that the assistants are all tight gits. As I was saying, you always get stiffed. New games depreciate quicker than old cars. You could probably buy a game, go have a cup of coffee, come back, try and trade back the same, unplayed game and you'd probably only get about 1/3 of the full price.
On one hand, you're getting rid of dead weight and in addition, getting a vial for the injection of new blood. However, the quality of the needle is almost always not as high as you deserve. Of course, this analogy might confuse some of you (you won't run the risk of a deadly infection from trading in an old game) but I hope the bulk of you get the point; it's a good idea, but for it to work it has to be rubbish. So, the trade-in is best used as a sort of helper when you're a few quid short rather than a crutch to lean on all the time.
My advise is to always make sure you're covered. There are some games, like PES2, where everyone knows what they're getting and if you don't want it, you don't buy it. However, games like Ico can go a bit like Marmite and marzipan, where some love it and others hate it. It's the best feeling in the world to discover a little-known gem, but it's a billion times worse to buy a bad game. We all hate it, but if you know you can just put it back in its box and give it to the nice sales assistant and never have to see it again, it'll save you a lot of bother.
However, many people are unlike me. Many are weaker, and some do not have the luck and wealth of titles that I do, and so it is that if and when they do buy a bad game, they suffer in silence. Atrocoties such as Dave Mirra's BMX 2 and Operation WinBack are hogging the limelight that should belong to new wonders such as Tony Hawk's 4, or GTA:Vice City. But really, what choice is there, apart from playing? There are only three, and I've just typed one of them. The other two is to leave it there, lying there taunting you or face down in a drawer, collecting dust...but there is another. One that I have used a few times, and one that I wholeheartedly encourage - the exchange.
Stores like GAME offer no-fuss-no-muss 10-day returns, which are great. I admit that I abused this feature horrendously, buying MOH:Frontline, Endgame and Deus Ex for PS2 and returning them all a week later, saying sheepishly to the shop assistant: "I didn't like 'em." The first two, actually, I really didn't like...but Deus Ex was bloomin' brilliant, and I bought it again later, cheaper, somewhere else. Anyways, back on topic, had I bought Frontline with good intentions, and had I decided that I didn't like it, how brilliant that I could not only trade it for another game, but get a full refund, provided I hadn't spat on it or scratched it with a nail or anything? And the mexican wave of refunds has started to catch on, with other high-street chains taking to their feet and letting people make amends, taking back the stuff that it turns out isn't for them. So, hopefully, there won't be so many grudging gamers left...of course, there are other reasons.
The trade-in is, cliched as it sounds, a double edged sword. Again, GAME is a main pioneer as they encourage customers to take in games they've finished, got bored of or just can't shift to their mate for a fiver, and give it over for store credit. I did it with Spider-Man, and got a cheaper deal with Stuntman. Of course, I was already going to pay full-price so the trade-in was a bonus...but what about those dependent on recycling their collections for new games? I'm afraid it's not good news. Ever since Cash Converters told me my Terminator cart for my old grey brick of a Game Boy was only worth £4 (it's still upstairs by the way. I'll take offers, but wouldn't advise buying it - it's rubbish) I've remained cautious of what I'll get for my games. Spider-Man, in mint condition, played a grand total of about an hour (well, that disc anyway)...£15. And it says £20 in their magazine, so I guess it had some damage to take into consideration. Or, there's the possibility that the assistants are all tight gits. As I was saying, you always get stiffed. New games depreciate quicker than old cars. You could probably buy a game, go have a cup of coffee, come back, try and trade back the same, unplayed game and you'd probably only get about 1/3 of the full price.
On one hand, you're getting rid of dead weight and in addition, getting a vial for the injection of new blood. However, the quality of the needle is almost always not as high as you deserve. Of course, this analogy might confuse some of you (you won't run the risk of a deadly infection from trading in an old game) but I hope the bulk of you get the point; it's a good idea, but for it to work it has to be rubbish. So, the trade-in is best used as a sort of helper when you're a few quid short rather than a crutch to lean on all the time.
My advise is to always make sure you're covered. There are some games, like PES2, where everyone knows what they're getting and if you don't want it, you don't buy it. However, games like Ico can go a bit like Marmite and marzipan, where some love it and others hate it. It's the best feeling in the world to discover a little-known gem, but it's a billion times worse to buy a bad game. We all hate it, but if you know you can just put it back in its box and give it to the nice sales assistant and never have to see it again, it'll save you a lot of bother.