Used GameCubes Listing at $29

[97thruhiker]

Just thought I would pass this along.  Refurbished Gamecubes are now going for $29 at EBGames.  Great chance to pick up an often overlooked system that has a bunch of great games, especially some top quality first party games only found on that system.  If you passed on this system during the last generation of consoles there is no reason to do so now.  Enjoy.

[tommy]

Just so people don't get confused, from what i can tell from these types of stores around my area they never refurb anything about the system. All they do is put it in a new box with their name on it.

I have been handed a box with a supposedly refurbed unit and opened it only to find a dusty dirty mess of a console and asked what the hell is this, they said they don't do anything special to the used systems. Not even taking a rag to the outside of it. 

[AcidArmitage]

not as bad as a cooler i got from walmart with someones last name written in huge letters on the bottom with sharpee 

[ChadTower]

Gamestop doesn't do anything either... I remember getting a "refurbed" NES from there that didn't work at all... so I opened it up and it had a dead cockroach inside.

[tommy]

Was that an official Nintendo cockroach or some crappy 3rd party roach?

[ChadTower]

I believe that was an Official Florida monster roach.  It was huge.  I think it was part pit bull.

[97thruhiker]

I can definitely see all of those things happening, just wanted to post the info for those who may of never played a gamecube in favor of the Playstation 2 and Xbox and then just jumped into the current gen stuff.  Even if you have to clean it up (the one I got looks brand new) its still worth the $29. 

I'm actually a little stoked over it as I ignored the system, as well as all of the others of that generation as I've been heavy into the emulators and PC games the last 5-6 years.  So as it stands now I've got Resident Evil 4 and Zelda/Windwalker to play through first.  Plan on picking up quite a few more titles when I'm finished these.

Chad, I've gather over the last few years being on these boards that you are a fan of Nintendo.  Do you have any recommendations for me concerning this console outside the standard top 25 list that most people have?   Anyone else who has an opinion feel free to let me know of those hidden titles that may not be out there front and center.

[pmc]

Thanks for the tip. I'm in for one.

Gamestop and EB Games are the same company? I wonder why they operate under two mastheads? I could never remember the name of either place anyways I guess...

-pmc

[versapak]

Thanks for the tip. I'm in for one.

Gamestop and EB Games are the same company? I wonder why they operate under two mastheads? I could never remember the name of either place anyways I guess...

-pmc

Gamestop bought EB a while back. It has been a long while now though.

It is odd that they haven't just changed all the names to Gamestop yet.

[97thruhiker]

Thanks for the tip. I'm in for one.

Gamestop and EB Games are the same company? I wonder why they operate under two mastheads? I could never remember the name of either place anyways I guess...

-pmc

I actually picked mine up from the GameSpot in our local mall.  Saw the price on the Ebgames website and just figured the store at the mall was an ebgames (still believe it was at one time).  We actually have two gamespots in the mall as the store used to be a Rhino.  Looks like they might of bought them out also.

Anyways the manager at the store let me look through the box before I bought it.  Just happened to pick the first one I opened as it looked brand new and everything was neatly packed. 

[ChadTower]

Chad, I've gather over the last few years being on these boards that you are a fan of Nintendo.  Do you have any recommendations for me concerning this console outside the standard top 25 list that most people have?   Anyone else who has an opinion feel free to let me know of those hidden titles that may not be out there front and center.

I'm sure there are a billion top GC games lists out there... without looking at one, my first recommendation that may not be on them would be Luigi's Mansion (probably not because it was so early it's not "cool" enough).  I love that game.

[crashwg]

Gamestop bought EB a while back. It has been a long while now though.

It is odd that they haven't just changed all the names to Gamestop yet.

They're working on it...  I've seen two EBs change over since the buy. 

I'd imagine it's not cheap to change over all the stores at the same time.

[versapak]

Gamestop bought EB a while back. It has been a long while now though.

It is odd that they haven't just changed all the names to Gamestop yet.

They're working on it...  I've seen two EBs change over since the buy. 

I'd imagine it's not cheap to change over all the stores at the same time.

Would it not just be a matter of changing the sign?


I guess those signs aren't cheap, but I can't imagine they are THAT expensive either. 

[ChadTower]

Not really.  I mean, sure, to the customer that's about it, but to really change the stores over they have to migrate the inventory infrastructure, all of the vendor relationships and communications types, distribution and data warehousing, etc all over to the existing Gamestop system whereever their corporate headquarters happens to be.  It's a really big project that takes time.  This is some of the stuff I work on for my employer.

Of course, having seen some of Gamestop's backend technology, let's just say there isn't a ton of point to moving anything into it.  It's laughably bad and if you know what you're looking for it is directly manifested in their stores and their performance.

[versapak]

Not really.  I mean, sure, to the customer that's about it, but to really change the stores over they have to migrate the inventory infrastructure, all of the vendor relationships and communications types, distribution and data warehousing, etc all over to the existing Gamestop system whereever their corporate headquarters happens to be.  It's a really big project that takes time.  This is some of the stuff I work on for my employer.

Of course, having seen some of Gamestop's backend technology, let's just say there isn't a ton of point to moving anything into it.  It's laughably bad and if you know what you're looking for it is directly manifested in their stores and their performance.

Well, as far as inventory goes, they have had the same inventory since very shortly after the buyout, and it has now been over 2 years since.

[ChadTower]

Physical inventory, maybe, but no way of knowing if the inventory system (the software/network infrastructure used for tracking and distribution) has been converted.  I was talking more about that than I was the stuff on the shelves.

I think the main point to take away from this is that they suck at conversions just like they suck at most everything else.

[versapak]

I think the main point to take away from this is that they suck at conversions just like they suck at most everything else.

Yeah, that is all I was gettin at.

heheh

[pmc]

Well as long as they sell me a GC for $29, I don't care what they call themselves. I just don't want to bother to actually go to a store and have to deal with them if they won't honor the sale price. But sounds like that won't happen.

I too was hoping I could poke through their cubes to cherry pick a good one. I find that if traffic is low (which is rare this time of year), they'll generally let you inspect the merchandise. I looked at a used GBA there once and that thing looked like it had been through a war. I couldn't believe they would even try to sell it. There's no way I'd buy used hardware from them sight unseen even they do have a gaurantee on the used stuff.

-pmc

[ChadTower]

I may pick one up to try a second attempt at modding... I effed up the first one.  Still works but the traces I need for the modchip are gone now.

[tommy]

The best thing you can do is look at the fan on the side to find out how used the system is. If the fan and the surrounding area that you can see inside are decently clean, the system is pretty new.

[crashwg]

The best thing you can do is look at the fan on the side to find out how used the system is. If the fan and the surrounding area that you can see inside are decently clean, the system is pretty new.

That could also be a sign that someone used a leaf blower to clean out the dust... 

[tommy]

When people go to trade in their system they don't care about the condition it's in and do not do any cleaning, they just want to get rid of it. As I've said the stores do not clean the systems either so the logical thing would be a new cleaner looking system just has to be newer or just not used much.

[versapak]

When people go to trade in their system they don't care about the condition it's in and do not do any cleaning, they just want to get rid of it. As I've said the stores do not clean the systems either so the logical thing would be a new cleaner looking system just has to be newer or just not used much.

Every gamecube that I traded in was in immaculate condition, and I did indeed care to clean it up before trading it.


Of course, I would think that would still be a system worth getting. It may not be a sign of newness, but it is a sign of proper care.

[tommy]

Either way, clean fan almost always equals something worth getting.

[ChadTower]

I've gone through quite a few systems (of various platforms) where the console was immaculate... except for something stupid like some kid decided to clean the laser eye with an emory board. 

[versapak]

I've gone through quite a few systems (of various platforms) where the console was immaculate... except for something stupid like some kid decided to clean the laser eye with an emory board. 

Well, bad luck can happen no matter what, but certainly a clean system is more likely to be a good one than a dirty one, and it is definitely one thing a person should be looking at.

[tommy]

You can never really tell what's going on inside the console until you get it home and check it out or turn it on. The one thing you can do is at least make sure it looks like it's in good shape from the outside and from what you can see on the inside from the outside.

As for chad, if you got a console that was broken from the start the game store failed you as they are supposed to check to see that the console works before they take it in and YOU need to make them test it before you walk out with it. You should know better than that chad.

[ChadTower]

As for chad, if you got a console that was broken from the start the game store failed you as they are supposed to check to see that the console works before they take it in and YOU need to make them test it before you walk out with it. You should know better than that chad.

Gamestop doesn't test a game system when they take it in.  They power it up and make sure the power LED works.  That's it.  I have never seen them hook one up to a monitor and see if it actually works.  I've also never seen them let someone hook one up to a monitor before buying it.  Most of the time they won't even let you open the box to verify what is actually in there.

[tommy]

That's strange. When i traded a console in they tested it and plugging it into a TV and even tested it with a game and played it for a few. Even when i bought my used GC i had them test it on that same TV to make sure i did not have to come back and ---smurfette--- later on.

Maybe this is something that is only done in a few states or depends on who is at the counter. It is hard to believe they have different procedures from the same store in different areas but i guess so.

[ChadTower]

It is a poorly run chain.  Many of the stores have lazy and stupid employees.  It would be shocking if they did universally follow the same rules.  Trust me, if the store is busy, you're not going to find a Gamestop around here that will let you open a used console package and hook it up.  You'll have a hard enough time getting them to retrieve one for you from the back.

[tommy]

At the gamestop i go to it is part of the whole sales procedure for them to go get it and test it no matter if they are busy or not. Otherwise if they are not willing to take the time to make the customer happy there is no point in even opening the door. They may only want to grab a new game from the shelf and ring people up but if they sell used electronics they have to do what it needed to try and sell those as well and that includes testing and walking to the back.

[ChadTower]

Happy customer logic has no place in a Gamestop.  If it did they wouldn't spend half their day arguing with fat women that want $40 back for a game they bought 10 months ago for $45 and now is worth $4.

[pmc]

They once told me that they don't test the used equipment. They just offer a guaranteed replacement if it doesn't work properly. So if it works, you don't come back. If it doesn't, they just swap with you for another one.

What I don't know is if that's a matter of policy or if was just the practice at that particular store or with that particular staff/guy.

...and BTW, my experience is definitely more like Chad's than tommy's. I really hate going into those stores.

-pmc

[ChadTower]

That sounds like a corporate policy.  It is a balance between the amount they lose on buying a broken console (almost nothing) and the amount of time it takes to hook up and test a console before buying it.  If you're paying practically nothing for the system, and selling it for a lot more, then it's just more profitable to eat the bad ones and swap them with good ones.

[tommy]

When i walk into a GS i have to fight the workers off with a stick as they all try to say hi to me first as i walk in. I think they all were told we want to be told hello by the managers as we walk in and it's funny to see them all go at it.

I guess as long as we were told hello when we enter we can feel better about being ripped off later on as we leave.

[ChadTower]

Oh they say hello here too - and that's all they do.  Then they stand there and argue which chick in which PS3 fighter has the best body while you're standing at the counter for 5 minutes contemplating ringing yourself up.

[JimmyU]

I wonder if I can still get two ethernet adapters and two copies of Mario Kart:DD.

[tommy]

Oh they say hello here too - and that's all they do.  Then they stand there and argue which chick in which PS3 fighter has the best body while you're standing at the counter for 5 minutes contemplating ringing yourself up.

That's what happens when you have kids working at retail stores. In that case as the adult in the situation tell them what we want as we buy something and they have to do it.

[shardian]

Their used stuff policy definitely varies by store/manager. I went to trade in two games a few months ago at Babbages (also owned by same company). They took one, but rejected the other due to a "scratch that was too deep". Of course, she would have taken it if I took $4 less on trade so they can resurface it. Hey whatever, I thought and kept the game. I then picked up two used games. I was in EBGames a few minutes later and thought to check the cd's of the games I bought. One of them was HORRIBLY scratched up. I asked the guy at the EBgames counter why the lady raised cain about my cd, but then sold me an even worse disk. He kind of rolled his eyes and asked if it was a girl that waited on me. He then resurfaced the disk for me no problem.

[ChadTower]

That's what happens when you have kids working at retail stores. In that case as the adult in the situation tell them what we want as we buy something and they have to do it.

The Gamestop closest to me is staffed mostly with guys roughly our age.

The fact they're working in Gamestop and not someplace above min wage also likely explains why the do such a poor job.