Amazon Trade-In vs. Best Buy Trade-In

If you're like me, you refuse to trade your games into Gamestop.  I always feel cheap - like a hooker - walking out of the store with an extra $15 of trade-in credit when I feel the game was worth at least twice that much.  Then, I'm forced to go back to Gamestop in order to use the credit only to find my trade-in being sold for $54.99.  A business has to make money, I understand that, but as a consumer I have the right to bring my business elsewhere.

A few months ago I found myself with a pile of games that I didn't play and wasn't sure what to do with them.  Should I have a garage sale?  No, garage sales are never worth the effort.  Should I ship them off to my friends?  Nah, I don't really like those guys any way.  So, I went searching for alternatives and found two high profile options - Amazon and Best Buy.

Ease of Use:

It was difficult to find the trade-in section on both the Best Buy and Amazon websites.  On Amazon, you first have to choose "Video Games" from the drop down, select "Go", and then on the far right you'll see a small icon for used games.  Best Buy was equally as challenging.  I couldn't even find the trade-in section, so I instead had to go to www.bestbuy.com/tradein.

          ADVANTAGE: Tie

Shipping:

Once I logged into both websites and submitted my trade, I was given an option to print a prepaid shipping label.  I'm required to use my own box and packaging material, but it was nice that I didn't also have to pay for shipping.

          ADVANTAGE:  Tie

Value For Games:

I searched both sites for new and old games, which included the following:

1. Madden 11
2. Madden 10
3. NBA 2k9
4. Fable 2
5. Mass Effect 1
6. Mass Effect 2
7. Left for Dead
8. Left 4 Dead 2
9. Splinter Cell: Conviction
10. Halo Reach
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
12. Call of Duty: World at War
13. Nintendo DS Titanium
14. New Super Mario Brothers
15. Brain Age

In all but one case, Amazon was the better deal.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

Trade-In Payment Method:

This is more personal preference than anything, but I would prefer to have a tangible Best Buy gift card than an Amazon credit.

          ADVANTAGE:  Best Buy

Speediness of Payment:

Here's where the gap begins to widen.  Within one week of shipment to Amazon, I received an email notifying me that the games had been received and my account was credited.  It was as easy as that, but I wish I could say the same for Best Buy.  Without going into too much detail, it ended up taking 29 days between the time I shipped the games to the time a gift card was received.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

Customer Service:  

On my second order to Amazon, I was told that they never received the Nintendo DS Titanium.  After a quick phone call to Amazon, the customer service representative immediately credited my account $20, which was $3 more than the value quoted.  

Once again, Best Buy failed when it mattered most.  After two weeks of hearing nothing from Best Buy, I decided to call their customer service center.  After waiting on hold for about 5 minutes, the rep told me that I would receive the gift card by the end of the week.  Needless to say, I didn't receive the card and had to call again.  This time, I was told by a different rep that the card now wouldn't arrive for another week.  Two weeks later, I finally received the card.

          ADVANTAGE:  Amazon

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And the winner is...Amazon!  All in all, Amazon provided a much better experience as well as more value per game.   

-BC-

Gearbox Community Manager

I noticed a few weeks ago that Gearbox posted a new Community Manager position.  Given my love for the industry and my vast marketing, sales, and customer management experience, I decided to apply for the job.  The question was, how can I stand out when Gearbox will receive thousands of resumes?

Well, I thought I found the answer - I spent the next couple of weeks putting together a video resume.  This was sure to stand out from the crowd, right?  Well,  much to my chagrin, it seems that the job has been filled and I didn't get so much as an email or phone call.

I haven't shared my video resume with anyone outside of my family and sending it to Gearbox - thought I would share it in my blog.

Let me know what you think.  ENJOY!



-BC-

Visit to Gearbox Software

Last Thursday I was invited to Gearbox Software, in Plano Texas, to play test one of their unannounced titles.  As you can probably guess, I can't talk about the game, but I CAN talk about my overall experience.

This was my first time in the office of a game developer so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I was greeted by a receptionist that had to be no older than 25 years old with bleach blond hair and a Monroe piercing.  Almost everyone in the office was wearing jeans and were pretty friendly. 

I was ushered into a break room where there was another room full of all types of candy/snacks and an equally large refrigerator with everything from soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks.  This couldn't have started out any better.

I was then brought into a room where there were at least 10 flat screen TV's and dev Xbox 360's.  I've heard through the grapevine that most cross-platform games are developed on the 360 and ported to the PS3/PC, and this was made even more obvious when talking to some folks at Gearbox.

I spent about 3 hours playing game X, giving feedback, playing more game X, giving more feedback, and then eventually participated in a a group discussion with the three main developers. 

When all was said and done, I was given a bag with some Gearbox swag - I was hoping for a t-shirt or a CL4P-TP action figure but settled on a Borderlands keychain and Brothers in Arms mug.  Overall, I had a great time at Gearbox and look forward to more testing in the future.

-BC-

Alan Wake: The Writer - Review

If you haven't played through Alan Wake and The Signal (free DLC), stop reading and go play the damn game.  Seriously.

Alan Wake is one of the most mesmerizing games I've played in recent memory.  The only thing I can compare it to is Eternal Darkness, which by most accounts, is one of the greatest video games ever made.  My jaw was on the ground when I finished my retail copy so naturally I've been anxiously awaiting the next DLC, which hit Xbox Live on Tuesday, October 12th.

If you are hoping The Writer will answer things such as where is Sara, who is Mr. Scratch, what's with the FBI agent, and where is Alan, then you may be disappointed.  But if you're wondering why Alan went bat-shit crazy, then you're in luck!

The Writer starts where The Signal left off - Alan is floating between sanity and insanity and may be teetering over the edge.  The "shine-your-flashlight-at-the-words" mechanic is still strongly at play and feels as fresh as ever.  This feels like the perfect extension (and ending) to Wake.  

[SIDEBAR ON]
Were you disappointed by The Signal?  So was I.  It didn't "feel" like Alan Wake.  Too much focus was placed on combat, it wasn't very creepy, and it didn't really advance the story much.  It felt like The Matrix: Revolutions; kind of confusing, the worst of the series, and probably could have done without.
[SIDEBAR OFF]

There are some huge set pieces that trump anything the retail game and first DLC pack have to offer.  The ferris wheel of death is one of many standout moments that in itself makes the DLC worth the $7 price tag.  There are plenty more "holy shit" moments, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

It took me right around 2 hours to complete, however, I didn't spend much time exploring.  The story was clear and targeted, answered one of the main mysteries, and introduced a few new ones.  Don't take that the wrong way, Alan Wake and The Writer are no Lost.  Everything feels like a perfectly executed plan with an end in mind.

With the underwhelming sales figures of Alan Wake, my only worry is that Remedy won't be given the opportunity to finish what is one of the best video game stories of all time.  If you liked Alan Wake, The Writer is a must have.

I give Alan Wake: The Writer 9 flashlights out of 10.

-BC-