Dealing with J6P & videogaming...(long) (1 Viewer)

[Calvin Watts III]

I need to vent. Had a bad night at work,so I decided to post about it here.
Most of what I get is normal questions...
Most asked question today - Do you have any Gamecubes?
2nd most asked - Do you have any Xboxes?
Those I understand. I also go out of my way to help the people who really don't have a clue when it comes to games. Like they can't find a game,but it is right in front of them.
Then there are the pennypinchers,and the totally clueless. I can't tell you how many people have asked why can't they play PS2 games in their old PS,and why do GBA games not work on a GBC??
Right now,though - the worst question I get,& the hardest one to answer is:
Which system is the best? Gamecube,Xbox, or Playstation 2??
In my honest opinion,none of them at the moment is the best. All three systems have their upsides, & their downs. All 3 have something different to offer. I try to point that out to my customers,and explain my point.
Example: PS2 is a year old,and slightly less powerful then the other systems,but it has a much bigger library of games because of having that year head start.
I had someone like that today. The guy wasn't happy with what I tried to explain to him. All he wanted was me to pick a system,simple as that. Another associate ended up helping him,and he chose a PS2. Why,you ask?
Not because it has a good stable of games.
Not because it can play DVD's.
Not because it will be around for a few years.
Because they can buy cheap PSone games under $20 for their children. And that is all.
But the worst,I have ever had to deal with was this evening,with possibly the most hopeless customer I have ever had to deal with.
He saw NHL Hitz playing on the Xbox demo. So he started to watch, and I went over to see if he needed any help. The man commented that the graphics were awesome,and of course I agreed with him. (and it is true ).
He asked my recommendation for a system,so I told him that really depended on what his needs are. So...he tells me he wants to get a system for his kids - 6 & 3 years old,respectively. I tell him,that in my honest opinion,that either the PS2 or the GC would be better choices than the big Box. He says he has a friend in the "industry" and he knows all about the Xbox, & the PS2,and that progressive scan is really good,and that he can see the difference on his friends' Harmon Kardon $900 DVD player,and that both the PS2 & the Xbox are comparable.
I kid you not...
Thankfully I had 3 other customers come to me then for help,so I left him to play the Xbox demo. End of story,right? Nope...
After a few minutes he comes to me and asks me if he can get true surround sound with this PS2 addon.
(outside of the horizontal stand,this is the worst thing available as a PS2 accessory - click below to see it)
Intec PS2 Game Sound System
That thing is horrible,and I'm embrassed that we even sell it. He repeats his statement about his "industry" friend,and then wants to know if either the XB or the PS2 will play DVD's as good as his friend's "$900 player"
I told him simply that the gaming systems are primarily that - just gaming systems. Having DVD playback is a extra,and a good one,to be sure,but you just aren't going to get a top of the line DVD player,with all the features he wants,and a good videogaming system for that price. I was as nice as could be,but all he wanted to hear was that the Xbox was the best choice for him & his situation,because of the good "graphics".
Thank god my relief came over at that moment,so I could go on my break....
Those of you who actually read this,well thanks for letting me vent,and any comments are appreciated.
PS: No, I don't think the XBox is a bad system at all. But mainly for a 6 & a 3 year old? No way.
Calvin

 

[Graeme Clark]

Those backward compatability questions bug me. I had someone ask on Sat. whether the N64 games will work on the Gamecube. I was curious as to how that would work.

 

[Stefan A]

Calvin,
There is not much you can do. Explain the facts, give your opinion, try to be cordial, and collect your paycheck. No use getting all upset. I can imagine day after day it can start to get annoying, but that goes with most jobs. I am a music teacher. Day after day I get kids who don't practice and can't understand why they can't play. There is only so much I can do .

 

[Graeme Clark]

Ya, but do you get kids asking why the reed from a Saxamaphone won't fit a Tuba?

 

[Camp]

After a few minutes he comes to me and asks me if he can get true surround sound with this PS2 addon.

LOL!!! I actually sold two of these to some lady the other day.

 

[Kelley_B]

Utter crap those speakers are, yes utter crap.

 

[Jerry Gracia]

Some people are soo freakin' clueless.
I love the ones who claim to have the "inside scoop" on things when they're really totally misinformed.
Like the ones who think the PS3 will be out by next year because some inside source told them so... :rolleyes
Whatcha gonna do?
You can't argue with these people even when you know your right.

 

[Michael Hudson]

I got into it with a Best Buy worker on Sunday tellling a customer that the gamecube would play DVD movies. I asked the guy if he had even seen a game cube he said not, I then told the customers the truth again walked off and the Best Buy worker tells the customers I am wrong. :frowning: Oh well sill me for trying to help.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Early this week I heard a Best Buy drone saying that "Microsoft bought the company that makes Metal Gear Solid, so it's guaranteed that future versions will be on the Xbox".

Lately I've also heard that "Sega went out of business", and "if you don't use a memory card on your Xbox, the game saves on the hard drive slow down gameplay".

I hear lame drivel like this all the time. These statements are all from the last week.

 

[DonRoeber]

When I was in line at Walmart picking up my GameCube, a woman walked by and asked what it was. I told her it was a video game system. She asked if it was compatable with the PlayStation, and I said that they were made by different companies, and not compatable. She gave me this "Then whats the point?" look, and said very boastfully to her friends "Then my kids aren't getting THAT for Christmas!"

Oy.

 

[AndyVX]

When I was in line at Walmart picking up my GameCube, a woman walked by and asked what it was. I told her it was a video game system. She asked if it was compatable with the PlayStation, and I said that they were made by different companies, and not compatable. She gave me this "Then whats the point?" look, and said very boastfully to her friends "Then my kids aren't getting THAT for Christmas!"

Oh man, that's horrible. LOL I really wonder what is going through some of these peoples heads sometimes. Hmm, it's probably better that I don't know now that I think about it
Andrew

 

[Kelley_B]

I used to go out of my way to help strangers, but now I just say screw it. What brought this on....so many people saying PS2 is better than Dreamcast, when the Dreamcast's library smokes the PS2s(atleast before THPS3, SH2, DMC, MGS2)....though in many ways I still feel like the DC's library is stronger.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Yup, the Dreamcast library continues to smoke the competition, even though it's a dead system
Gee, and people wonder why I wasn't waiting in line for a new system on launch day

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I think the DC library sucked. Why? Because I don't like sports or racing games, which pretty much cut it down to the Capcom games, a few Sega games, and a game or two from other companies. The PS2 has a lot of sequels to games or spinoffs from games I already liked, so it is obviously better for me.

The DC still had a good library for its lifespan, just not one for me.

 

[Dan B]

When I was at Best Buy the other day, one of the salesman told a lady that Sega's games would be exclusive to Xbox because Microsoft "bought Sega". I didn't have the energy to get involved with that conversation, but I have many times in the past tried to help out the sales drones who obviously have little knowledge of videogames.
I think you have to blame the parents who don't take a little time to research the systems properly when buying these for their kids (those are the people that are asking the sales drones for help). Hell, I don't ask a salesperson's advice on any purchases, come to think of it...why would I want to do that?
-Dan B
has asked sales drones to point the way to the restroom

 

[Dan B]

After re-reading this thread, I think that Michael St. Clair and I must be going to the same Best Buy! Or else, there's some kind of pro-Microsoft training program employees must be going through.
-Dan B

 

[Joseph S]

Or else, there's some kind of pro-Microsoft training program employees must be going through.

"If you sign up with MSN for 4 years at $75 a month we'll give you $400 free here at Best Buy." They've got the things plastered to the door and banner the opening trying to scam as many as they can.

 

[Camp]

and a few posts that make me want to beat you with a hammer.

ROTFL!!!!!

 

[BrandonG]

In response to Calvin's rant, I feel your pain everyday. I love it when parents pick up a PS2 and then they go buy the crap $9.99 titles for PS One. I just look at them bewildered and try not to scream.

On a different subject...

I agree totally with Morgan about the Dreamcast. I predicted it's death when it first came out, and I can't wait till Best Buy closes it all out and makes room for more xbox games. I let customers know that barely any retailer carry games and that there are only 2-3 new games coming out. Just go into Target, Walmart, Toy R Us, they hardly have any games. I will admit that games like Virtual Tennis, Soul Calibur, Powerstone and Crazy Taxi were excellent games, but arcade titles and sports games can only carry a system so far. Heck, if it wasn't for the sports titles, the DC would have died a silent death a long time ago. Sega will make so much more money as a 3rd party developer because their good games will sell well on all the systems, especially Super Monkey Ball.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Gotta disagree. I own over 30 game systems, and the titles that shipped for the Dreamcast in just the first year includes a lineup that puts the other systems first-year lineup (including one that came out just over a year ago) to shame. And that quality continued until the plug was pulled (due to the sins of the past, not the lineup for the DC).

However, I won't troll and claim any system has a lineup that sucks.

Trolling is lame and makes this place seem more like IGN or Cloudchaser.

How did this thread rot? Why is it always this way?