A Funny/Sad sighting

[Rust]

So this happened back in February, but since I only just joined I figured I'd share it now.

I'm at my local Walmart wandering through the electronics section, but what do my eyes behold?



They were clearing out the back room and had a few copies in the back. I was torn between informing them of CoH's shut down and buying a copy of my own for posterity's sake. Eventually, I went and found the Eletronics Department Manager and explained that the game servers had been shut down since December, and anyone buying this would be returning it angrily.

They pulled them off the shelves, but I do regret not buying a copy for myself first.

[Rotten Luck]

I would have done the same.  Then ask if I could buy a copy anyway with explanation it was my favorite game and would like a memento.

[Rust]

The most difficult concept to get across to the poor woman was that CoH didn't exist any longer.

"You're buy the game. It's on the disk, right? Why should a company ceasing support of a game stop you from playing it?"

and

"Why would any sane company go through all the hard work to develop a game and then prevent anyone from playing it ever again?"

[Lucretia MacEvil]

"You're buy the game. It's on the disk, right? Why should a company ceasing support of a game stop you from playing it?"

and

"Why would any sane company go through all the hard work to develop a game and then prevent anyone from playing it ever again?"

Oh, do I wish this is how it really worked....

[Shenku]

The most difficult concept to get across to the poor woman was that CoH didn't exist any longer.

"You're buy the game. It's on the disk, right? Why should a company ceasing support of a game stop you from playing it?"

and

"Why would any sane company go through all the hard work to develop a game and then prevent anyone from playing it ever again?"

I have similar difficulties explaining stuff like this to my bosses at Goodwill, though typically about used MMOs that are donated in where the serial numbers have already been used, and thus all we're selling is the outdated install disks because the games have had years of updates, and a pretty box... You'd still have to shell out $20-40 and download several gigs of updates to play the games after buying them, so we're really just ripping people off for $2...

Most people who aren't gamers just don't understand these things...

[TimtheEnchanter]

I have similar difficulties explaining stuff like this to my bosses at Goodwill, though typically about used MMOs that are donated in where the serial numbers have already been used, and thus all we're selling is the outdated install disks because the games have had years of updates, and a pretty box... You'd still have to shell out $20-40 and download several gigs of updates to play the games after buying them, so we're really just ripping people off for $2...

Most people who aren't gamers just don't understand these things...

Give it time and they will. As soon as some jerk decides to put 'always online' DRM's into power saws.

[Rust]

I have similar difficulties explaining stuff like this to my bosses at Goodwill, though typically about used MMOs

Who in the world donates used MMOs? When I quit WoW, I threw the disks away because I knew they were worthless.

[Blondeshell]

The most difficult concept to get across to the poor woman was that CoH didn't exist any longer.

"You're buy the game. It's on the disk, right? Why should a company ceasing support of a game stop you from playing it?"

and

"Why would any sane company go through all the hard work to develop a game and then prevent anyone from playing it ever again?"

The question I would have had for the worker was "Why didn't your department manager send it back two years ago when you got the routine recall notice for computer software that's no longer on the planogram?" This should never have happened, and all the store can do now is mark it down to zero and throw it in the trash.

[Golden Girl]

When I got WoW, I threw the disks away because I knew they were worthless.

Fixed

[Rust]

That one's easy. They were clearing out the backroom. The problem with Walmart (I work there) is there's zero organization in the backroom. There used to be an attempt at it, then Corporate just said "hug it!" and now everything's stashed back there all willy nilly. General Merchandise is the worst because there's no "Sell By" date, so things can get lost and forgotten back there for quite a long time.

[Rust]

Fixed

True. If I wanted to go back, I could. Thankfully, I don't want to. All I'd do is linger in Outland and Northrend anyway, soloing Heroics because I could.

Kind of what I did in TOR, to be honest.

[Menrva Channel]

The most difficult concept to get across to the poor woman was that CoH didn't exist any longer.

"You're buy the game. It's on the disk, right? Why should a company ceasing support of a game stop you from playing it?"

and

"Why would any sane company go through all the hard work to develop a game and then prevent anyone from playing it ever again?"

I think a lot of gamers, especially those whose MMOs have closed, are asking the same thing. It just doesn't seem fair.

[Blondeshell]

That one's easy. They were clearing out the backroom. The problem with Walmart (I work there) is there's zero organization in the backroom. There used to be an attempt at it, then Corporate just said "hug it!" and now everything's stashed back there all willy nilly. General Merchandise is the worst because there's no "Sell By" date, so things can get lost and forgotten back there for quite a long time.

I, too, have a fair amount of personal experience with Walmart, and I can confidently say that not every store is run that way. Or, at least, not every department in every store. The tools are there to make things run smoothly in the back room now, as long as you have people with the desire, engagement, and competence to care about it.

You did the right thing in not buying that copy, though, because you can get it for less than a dollar here if you still want one.

[Rust]

as long as you have people with the desire, engagement, and competence to care about it.

And a management team not made of spineless layabouts that actively drive out those that show any kind of ambition or drive. But I digress.

[downix]

True. If I wanted to go back, I could. Thankfully, I don't want to. All I'd do is linger in Outland and Northrend anyway, soloing Heroics because I could.

Kind of what I did in TOR, to be honest.

I can't even go back. When they migrated to battle.net, my account was one of the ones which got borked. They never could fix it.

[JaguarX]

Give it time and they will. As soon as some jerk decides to put 'always online' DRM's into power saws.

Ok if they do that. I'd had it and going on a riot, for real.

[Epelesker]

I had something similar happen a couple months back or so at a Walmart. I tried informing the associate on hand of the situation with the game being shut down, and he sort of looked at me.

The next time I went back, though, it was pulled off the shelf.

[Botzo]

Gah. The feelings. I remember buying the digital version to get dual pistols and Demon summoning early, only to reserve the expansion at Gamestop for the special stuff that came with it. I still have the expired Razor Naga(?) coupon that game with it and the Desdemona mouse pad. Still kicking myself for not buying the CoV special edition I saw at Gamecrazy when they were shutting down.

[Ice Trix]

Who in the world donates used MMOs? When I quit WoW, I threw the disks away because I knew they were worthless.

A lot of stuff that ends up in goodwill can be from parental units going through rooms and cleaning them.

[Segev]

That one's easy. They were clearing out the backroom. The problem with Walmart (I work there) is there's zero organization in the backroom. There used to be an attempt at it, then Corporate just said "hug it!" and now everything's stashed back there all willy nilly. General Merchandise is the worst because there's no "Sell By" date, so things can get lost and forgotten back there for quite a long time.

This is actually very discouraging.

Did you know that Wal*Mart got its start as a major success story precisely because Sam Walton invented the inventory system that is now the backbone of every major retailer? Through his system's capability, when properly used, to accurately track practically all of the merchandise in any scale of retail distribution network, he was able to cut enormous amounts of waste and make the "big box" store a possibility.

[blackjak]

They just got too big for the system to work all the way down.

[Rust]

This is actually very discouraging.

Did you know that Wal*Mart got its start as a major success story precisely because Sam Walton invented the inventory system that is now the backbone of every major retailer? Through his system's capability, when properly used, to accurately track practically all of the merchandise in any scale of retail distribution network, he was able to cut enormous amounts of waste and make the "big box" store a possibility.

Oh yeah. I actually read his book. Fascinating read. The man was cutthroat, but knew his stuff.

A pity those that came after him are all Classroom-to-Boardroom Business Majors who have never worked a sales floor in their lives. Seriously, the Corporate Directives we get reek of policies made by people who don't comprehend retail at a practical level.

Heck, a few years ago they commissioned a third party to conduct a study on workplace efficiency and come up with "solutions" to help "alleviate confusion as to what associates should be doing". Which basically boils down to requiring Sales Associates - ie the people whose job it is to be there for Customer Service and keep your shelves stocked - to stand around in the backroom filling out paperwork that confirms that yes, they know how to do their job and yes, they did their assigned tasks for the day.

You know, instead of the managers having to leave their dens at the back of the store and actually walk the floor once in awhile. And yet they added a whole new level of management around that same time. Madness. Too many chefs in the kitchen, not enough line cooks.

Sorry for the derail, but this is just madness to me.

You had the Sales Associate on the bottom, and then you have the Department Manager. Then you have the Zone Manager who can override the Department Manager. Then you have the Assistant Manager who can override both the DM and the ZM. A Co-Manager (though they call them "Shift Managers" now) above the Assistants, Zones, and Departments. And on the top of the pile is the elusive and rarely seen Store Manager.

That means on any given day I have five managers who can assign me work and none of them are talking to each other or coordinating decisions.

[Aura Controller]

Ok if they do that. I'd had it and going on a riot, for real.

Here the song you can play while you riot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgi8OVLCcxk