Deus Ex: Human Revolution Message Board  

I agree that this probably backfired on Gamestop since they are getting negative press AND ONLIVE is getting free publicity for it. However, you have to agree that Eidos screwed them over pretty good with this. I mean ONLIVE either paid a fortune to do this OR Eidos completely botched a good relationship with one of the few remaining brick-and-mortar PC games retailers. I've been to a few Gamestop's that stopped selling PC games completely.

Usually games companies are doing things to promote Gamestop and make exclusives for them, etc. Putting in ONLIVE coupons into boxed games that sell at Gamestop seems like a boneheaded move by Eidos to me. They put Gamestop into a no-win situation in that they do nothing and accept that people will be given adverts to competator PC game distribution OR do what they did and get the bad publicity while ONLIVE gets free publicity.

Also, the game is for STEAM only, which isn't exactly Gamestop's favorite distributor. Likewise, I don't really see how putting free copies for ONLIVE players helps ONLIVE other than the free publicity at Gamestop's expense.

Boneheaded by alot of peeps. That's how things go sometimes-

lolz
Cal

I picked up a copy at gamestop after work today, came home to find out the news, opened up and found that it was indeed missing the onlive code coupon. The box was wrapped though so I'm guessing they took out the coupon and shrink-wrapped it again to make it looked new. Needless to say, I took it back, got full refund, and then proceed to get an actual new copy from best buy instead. I'm about 1/2 hour in game, and it's fantastic so far.

[Edited by iosa, 8/24/2011 10:18:54 PM]

well i got mine on launch day it was sealed in box though i did get the augmented edition and there was no coupon but i dont really care cause i have my steam account and steam will let you re-download any ways i did it with civ v
i actually now check to see if there is a steam version or if programs require steam because i actually like steam since i can download again later when i redo my pc and keep my cds nice and clean

Nothing new here they have been opening new games for a while.So next time you purchase an item new from gamestop remember a employee may have played your game and there selling it as new.

[Edited by Kman25, 8/24/2011 11:01:50 PM]

What they did is illegal.

Any business has no right to open any sealed packaging for software no matter the content.

It is not up to Gamestop etc to decide what Square should include in the packaging, its a retail box and it comes as is.

If Gamestop wasn't happy they had 2 choices, sell as is or don't. Because its an anticipated title they had to try to sell, nobody would expect to wait a couple of days waiting for a new batch to arrive.

Gamespot should have done what Onlive did, to ensure that a cd-key for the online service was included for Impulse. They didn't want to pay the money for that and Onlive did. Tough.

But opening and removing it and then selling a now incomplete product as new is very much illegal no matter what country you come from. That has easily broken numerous laws. And I hope they get hit heavily by the official bodies responsible in the US for trading and consumer rights.

What actual law did they break? Nothing I've read said it was illegal. They didn't truly tamper with the actual product. Not only that but there is a PENDING recall that's being looked at so they will probably re-release with additional content or something to make up for the voucher that was removed. Don't count Gamestop out until after the fact.

"As part of Deus Ex: Human Revolution's boxed offering on PC, Square Enix included a third party coupon. GameStop was not made aware of this inclusion and Square Enix respects the right of GameStop to have final say over the contents of products it sells and to adjust them where they see fit in accordance with their policies." -Latest comment from Square Enix.

[Edited by fire_foxxx, 8/25/2011 12:42:06 AM]

I find this hilarious, to be honest. The last bastion of Brick-n-Mortar game retailers to sell PC titles, and they were put in a no-win situation where they chose the worst possible course of action (Mountains of free press for Onlive, their own policy coming under massive amounts of scrutiny and alienating many would-be customers who don't want to risk buying an opened/played product from them).

Yet another reason Digital Distribution is going to stamp out Brick and Mortar. Steam alone has brought traditional retailers to their knees in terms of PC game sales (And I doubt Onlive, Origin, or anything short of Good old Games making their own stand, will be able to dethrone them now), and thus why for the sake of convenience and peace of mind I pretty much only buy through Steam now.

While this is a very unfortunate event for Gamestop, I don't see how most people will be directly affected unless they're completely incapable of using Digital Distribution. As they say, if you can afford the PC to play the game, you can afford the internet to get it with, and you can afford the game you want to play, at least in most cases.

Sales of Goods Act for one, and possibly a few under something similar to the Trading Standards Act in the US.

Like I have said, Square can put whatever they wish in the packaging and it is not up to Gamestop to decide to remove it, they have opened a product and removed an item that is included with the full packaging, thusly not giving the customer the choice if they wanted to use the enclosed key or not.

Square has been so far willing to help gamestop, but they also did not have to be so willing.

[Edited by DABhand, 8/25/2011 5:52:44 AM]