GameStop now offering cellphone plans

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Specialty retailer partners with NET10 for unlimited talk, text, and data service plans beginning at $50 at all U.S. stores.

GameStop is hoping to not only be a go-to destination for games, but also for phones. The company is now offering unlimited talk, text, and data plans at all stores across the United States through a partnership with NET10.

Those interested can purchase a SIM card at GameStop, place it into any GSM-enabled device, and then activate one of NET10's numerous plans, which begin at $50.

GameStop already sells numerous compatible devices, including iPhones and Android phones.

Cellphone plans may not be the only new area GameStop is branching out to. Last year, CEO Paul Raines said the company is considering selling vintage games, noting the company had already begun acquiring inventory.

A decline in foot traffic saw GameStop sales during the ever-important holiday period sink last year, falling 4.6 percent year-over-year to $2.88 billion.

Eddie Makuch
By Eddie Makuch, News Editor

Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.

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dominoodle
dominoodle

@Metallicwolf29 Gamestop will open one copy of a new game so there will be a box out on display on the shelf. The game doesn't get played though.

TheHappyDrunk
TheHappyDrunk

@dominoodle That's not strictly true. Unless policy has changed, employees can check out that copy of the game to take home so long as there is sufficient stock for customer sales. That was one of the only real perks of working there.

DESTROYRS_F8
DESTROYRS_F8

Pretty interesting.  If you think about it, every new phone plays video games (apps).  And once physical media of games are gone, they can call themselves PhoneStop.

nini200
nini200 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

LOL so let me get this straight, the same company that employs people who know almost nothing about the games they sell, that only hype Madden, GTA, God of War and Halo, the same company that gives you 20% (if you're lucky) on your games if you're actually silly enough to sell them back to Gamestop, and the same company that can't get it's release calendar correct, is now trying to start selling Cell Phone Plans?  LOL This is Rich!!!

TheHappyDrunk
TheHappyDrunk

@nini200 I agree with most of your post. However, the Gamestops around here seem to actually hire gamers. They are a bit more knowledgeable about gaming than just EA/Activision/whatever poster is on the door. I guess we're not the norm these days.

xXNutcrackerXx
xXNutcrackerXx like.author.displayName 1 Like

@nini200  

I actually worked at one for around 6 months. Our manager was a complete idiot, and a pathological liar. Anytime he brought in somebody that didn't know their stuff we would try to get rid of them as soon as possible. Overall, we had a pretty good crew that knew their stuff. So some stores are good, but I agree MANY are filled with terrible workers that make no sense that they are there. And I had the same reaction when I found out about the cell phone thing. It's a pretty funny attempt to keep in business with the rise in digital content. It definitely will not work though. Customer service is hard enough to deal with at places that only do cell service. 

DESTROYRS_F8
DESTROYRS_F8

@xXNutcrackerXx @nini200 also radio shack adopted in selling cellular - more than just electrical parts.

k2theswiss
k2theswiss like.author.displayName 1 Like

glad they attempting to be smart and adapt to the world.

Rheinmetal
Rheinmetal

Those mega-stores offers all the time! I'm such a compulsive consumer myself, that If I lived in America I would spend my fortune in no time, and would end up living in a cardboard box.

MatrixGamer78
MatrixGamer78

Gamestop should start digital distribution services like Steam & Origin..

k2theswiss
k2theswiss

@MatrixGamer78  they do lol but why would you want buy stuff from there when other stores does it better? Games for windows is the worst thing in the world

Vambran
Vambran

Looks like the poor clerks will be forced to ask yet another annoying question for every customer that walks in. 

I have not shopped in a Game Stop for years. Find it easier to use Amazon or even big box stores , no hassle or people messing with my packaging.

rlv217
rlv217

@Vambran Agree completely. Kid asked me last Nov. when picked up Halo 4, do you want to pre order anything? Said no. He pulls out the book list sits it down in front of me and opens it up instead of ringing up the transaction. Told him if I wanted to preorder I would say so. Then he kept going on but, Crysis 3, Fuse, etc. are all coming out. Needless to say they lost a customer of 8 years.

Caede
Caede like.author.displayName 1 Like

@rlv217 @Vambran 

 Blame corporate. Poor kid will lose his shifts if he cant meet a certain required Res/Sub/IPT/Add-On/everything else they make them force upon you to keep a minimum wage job that only gets them 10 hours a week.

xXNutcrackerXx
xXNutcrackerXx like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

@rlv217 @Caede @Vambran  

Yeah, by the corporate standards, I was not a very good employee because of my numbers for preorders and subscriptions. But I brought in a lot of return business so they kind of looked the other way. My motto is service the customer in the way that will make them the most happy. Half my subs came from large transactions where the customer actually saved a decent amount more than the sub even costed. Often times these were grandparents purchasing for kids and walked away with extra money, and 12 free magazines for the kid. I always felt good when I could find ways to save people money or recommend games I was certain they would enjoy. It's sad what corporate tries to turn those stores into. I won't go to any store except the one I worked at because I know as of now they still have a great crew.

I only worked there for like 6 months on the side to save up for an engagement ring (and some games).

rlv217
rlv217 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Caede @rlv217 @Vambran I am a businessman, and I know this. Was not attacking the kid, but Gamestop's policy for forcing teenagers, adults, and all of their employees to harass consumers like parasites. The instance I was talking about was just the last straw, and prime example of the faults of shopping there. Gamestop's Corporate Office has received a ton of complaints from consumers alike, including me. It's not just Gamestop that does this anymore though, it's virtually all retailers in some shape or form. The reality is old farts like me are turning to Amazon, and eBay because the harass aspects of the "Corporate Policy" is just not worth it.

Max_160
Max_160

if i take a cellphone plan offer from gamestop, it will be my biggest financial problem right after my insane college debt. 

TheCyborgNinja
TheCyborgNinja like.author.displayName 1 Like

I used to sell phones for a couple different companies, and it is harder than it seems (in terms of product knowledge and all the legal stuff). There's a reason it paid so well, and NOT minimum wage. I see nothing but errors and pissed off customers. I hated it because of all the stress it caused me, from the scummiest customers I have ever dealt with to the constant problems with the interface and technical side.

Dom_Hawk_basic
Dom_Hawk_basic

This is surely targeted at a low income demographic.   The Teeny boppers whose parent's don't want to buy them an expensive IPhone.   However, I have to question whether or not GameStop is losing their focus.    Over the last several years the company has been making huge profits quarter after quarter which has helped the company's stock but, between the embezzlement money they lost and the console market on the decline and being on the verge of new consoles coming to market and what is rumored to put a hamper on game sales GameStop may be trying to figure out a way to stay relevant.      Although they bought Impulse to play in the direct download market I would say their market share is pitiful in comparison to Steam or even Origin at this point, and a farcry :) from their dominance in the Brick & Mortar means of distribution.       So, they've got a plan to go back to Vintage games which is awesome, as a former employee of the company I know that they must have a crap ton of product stocked up as I remember when they shipped it all out.   I'm thankful it wasn't destroyed. 

Devil_wings00
Devil_wings00

Who thought this was a good idea lol I mean a lot of gamespots are in shopping malls already and where are a great number of cellphone stores located? THE MALL lol Just what shopping malls needed more of, cellphone stores. Since 17 kiosks all selling variants of the same crappy plans weren't enough, now I can do it while I'm buying games! Brilliant. 

 I get the vintage game thing but this one has me scratching my head.

soulless4now
soulless4now like.author.displayName 1 Like

Anything to stay relevant, I suppose.

RiKanKiDD
RiKanKiDD

(GAME)stop where cell phone plans are made. WTF?

Heirren
Heirren

GameStop has never been good, even when it was called Funcoland.

Metallicwolf29
Metallicwolf29 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Heirren funcoland was awesome. They had a great selection of games, but ofcourse when they decided to go mainstream, its service began to decline

xXNutcrackerXx
xXNutcrackerXx

@Heirren  

Holy cow, I remember that place. One thing they did well was let you try out games at the console kiosks before you buy to see if you liked them. I only went a few times before they were purchased.

travisallred
travisallred like.author.displayName 1 Like

M y only issue with GS is they don't do the buy 2 get 1 often enough.  Sure they rip you off if you want to sell your games but so does every pawn and game shop out there...the solution is don't sell your games there.  I'm fine with my local GS trying to up sell a little.  Just so long as they wait until I approach the counter instead of following me around and then only 1 or 2 questions please.   

Dom_Hawk_basic
Dom_Hawk_basic

@travisallred  I know what you mean I was once employed with them I hated pestering people.  If you got a no on one question try another title and another until you strike a cord where the customer is like alright or the child starts bugging the parent.   ...  Although I do tell people and I believe this if you got kids you can't go wrong with the disc warranty.   (I actually believe that)

Caede
Caede

@Dom_Hawk_basic @travisallred 

 GPG (disc Warranty) is trash. They plan on your receipt fading out, which it does, and/or you losing it, which you do. The turnaround on GPG's that actually get used are very very low. 

They rake hand over foot wth GPG's.

On top of the inflated price you pay you give them another $3 free cash to have them wipe themselves with.

Tsuchikage
Tsuchikage like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I miss the days when GameStop cared about gamers and not just their money.

Bowser05
Bowser05 like.author.displayName 1 Like

@Tsuchikage That's why you find a store with good employees. A corporation will always be a corporation. It ultimately only cares about it's profit.

This comment has been deleted

hunter8man
hunter8man like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I predict this is the beginning of the end for Gamestop. At least, I hope it is.

CivilizedPsycho
CivilizedPsycho like.author.displayName 1 Like

There are probably doing this since they're business could be in trouble with next-gen consoles.  You can't sell your PS4 games since they won't work after it has been played on your console.  I don't know if Microsoft will do the same.

Bowser05
Bowser05

@CivilizedPsycho I believe Microsoft already confirmed they won't do this with the coming generation. Sony is the only one up in the air still.

EdmundKain4682
EdmundKain4682

The only thing I can say to this is..... What???

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