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Gaming store disgrace. Anyone thinking of buying a 2nd hand Pokemon game, read.

Conquistador

Vive la Revolution!
I went into EB Games (Australia) a few hours ago, and (finally) bought Emerald. As I approached the counter, I saw in a cabinet a whole bunch of 2nd hand games. Among them were numerous Pokemon games. One in particular caught my eye; A Ruby version.

However, this was not any normal Ruby version, it had a BLACK cartridge.

Yes that's right, black. This - for anyone who right now thinks I'm some crazy crackpot - means that the game is bootlegged!

I didn't get the chance to say anything for I was in a rush, but I'm now sitting here thinking, "How the hell could a high profile gaming store let a blatantly obvious fake be traded in, and then put it up for sale!"

I really feel sorry for the numbskull that buys it....

Disscuss...
 

Omega493

Well-Known Member
I went into EB Games (Australia) a few hours ago, and (finally) bought Emerald. As I approached the counter, I saw in a cabinet a whole bunch of 2nd hand games. Among them were numerous Pokemon games. One in particular caught my eye; A Ruby version.

However, this was not any normal Ruby version, it had a BLACK cartridge.

Yes that's right, black. This - for anyone who right now thinks I'm some crazy crackpot - means that the game is bootlegged!

I didn't get the chance to say anything for I was in a rush, but I'm now sitting here thinking, "How the hell could a high profile gaming store let a blatantly obvious fake be traded in, and then put it up for sale!"

I really feel sorry for the numbskull that buys it....

Disscuss...

i dont think they'd pay enough attention to relize it was fake by the color. I mean if they were an avid player of Pokemon, they would, but its easily missed. Still, thats uh...not nice.
 

Tytus

Iron Islander
I destest EB Games. Used Sapphire version? $35? What a deal! Seriously, they rip you off. A new Sapphire at WalMart doesn't even cost that much. The EB at my mall is even trying to sell off old Blue and Gold games for $15.
 

Alzi

Toon link
Yes i've seen alot of 2nd hand ruby and saphires somtimes even fr/lg and emerald cartridges being traded in then sold but if you tell them that it is a fake they won't believe you anyway.
 

Charmeleon

No 'Zard For Me.
It doesn't surprise me one bit...

If I was working at a Gamestop or whatever store, and someone came in wanting to trade in a game I don't see too often, I might look past the color too.
 

Assassin

Cascade Trainer
Not nessecarily.

For the most part, EB/Gamestop staff don't play Pokemon, so they wouldn't know the difference between a legit copy, and a pirated one. Any cartridge colour differences could be put down the limited edition vs standard, or something similar. Heck, once we got a new manager in at the EB I used to work at. He came with this brilliant track record, and all the higher-ups loved him to death. His first day at my store and POW!

"Hey boss, you do realise you just traded in a pirated copy?"

"What? No I didn't."

*Points out all the tell tale signs* "Yes, you did."

Not to mention, have you ever worked at an EB? That place can get busy as heck at times, and when someone comes in wanting to trade stuff, if it's busy, you often don't have time to thouroughly check everything that's being traded in.

Another thing is, if it was merely a casual who did the trade in, there's a high chance that their boss is on their back 24/7 about doing lots of stuff, like adding Game Guarentees, selling/trading in pre-owned games and the like. They are under pressure to do as much as they can, lest they get less hours, or indeed, fired.


Am I defending EB? Heck no. I hate the place with a passion, and I wouldn't shop there if my local Big-W would get all the awesome games I want in (Atlus titles, I'm looking at you), but try and realise that while the company itself may be the faceless organisation out to take your money, the individuals themselves are not. They're trying to get by, just like you.
 

Conquistador

Vive la Revolution!
Mmm, I agree with all you're saying, however, almost all bootleg copies of any game are in that very-odd-shade-of-grey coloured cartrige.
 

Master Ballz

Well-Known Member
Like anything you pay for "let the buyer beware" applies. If someone isn't smart enough to know that a ruby cart is supposed to be... well... ruby colored then they probably won't catch on that it's a bootleg when they play it either. So in the end they get what they deserve.

I myself have had a good bit of luck buying used Pokemon games. In fact I've gotten a few nice items and pokemon from picking up used games at lower prices and traded then over before restarting the games for my characters.
 

Saph

Rapscallion
Like anything you pay for "let the buyer beware" applies. If someone isn't smart enough to know that a ruby cart is supposed to be... well... ruby colored then they probably won't catch on that it's a bootleg when they play it either. So in the end they get what they deserve.
If you're not a serious Pokemon player you would have no idea the cartridges are coloured. It being Grey would be no different from any other GBA game, so to them nothing is wrong.

Don't confuse ignorance with stupidity.
 

scissorX

Well-Known Member
Seriously the people who work at these places just bung it on the shelf. All they do is type in Pokémon Ruby on their computer, see the estimated value and give a price, they don't know if its real or not unless they play the games themselves.
 

Omega

Togepiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
:p I mgiht go to my EB games, and buy the bootlegg ruby they have there, then tell them, THIS IS BOOTLEGG! I WANT MYM ONEY BACK!
 

Master Ballz

Well-Known Member
Ideally the game store employees should know which games are knockoffs and pull them, but since this isn't an ideal world it's the consumer who needs to arm themselves with a little knowledge before dropping $25-$30 on a used game. Buying a used item without a little prior fact finding shows a lack of intelligence and ignorance since you have no gaurantees you are getting the same product as the new unopened alternative. If they are that entirely "ignorant" of a product they plan to pay for then what can anyone do for them after the fact except offer them a tissue and a jar of vaseline?
 

Jeraldo

Plays with his wii
Can they get in trouble for having bootleg games? Or was it the japenese version. I've never seen this before.
 

Dude18210

Fear my freaky hair!
Of course they can get in trouble. It's sales fraud and is against the law. :)

That is a sad story...not the crying kind of sad, but the pathetic kind of sad. :s
 
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