Gutted Games

Cravez

This is my understanding of the practice of 'Gutted Games' when I worked for a Games retailer years ago. My understanding it was all about merchandising and shelf space.

- If a new game was released and arrived at the store, along with the copies of the game we would receive copies of the game cover. If it was a suspected big seller we would receive more copies of the game covers if it happened to become a chart title.

- With the physical copies of the games, we would gut 2 copies of the game. These acted as the control copies.

- We would put the copies of the game covers into blank DVD boxes and put these onto the assigned shelf spaces, along with these blank copies we would put the boxes of the two control copies on the shelf also.

- If a customer wanted the game, or happened to pick up a copy off the shelf (be it the blank box copy or the gutted control copy), we would give them a sealed copy first.

- Depending on how much the game sells, if all the sealed copies of the game are sold, if someone wishes to purchase the game we then sell them a gutted copy.

The purpose of the gutted copies is that if the game moves shelf and requires less shelf space, eventually the game may perhaps have only one spot on the shelf, which the standard required two copies deep of the game. Eventually the game cover copies are removed so eventually you are left with the gutted copies as the Merchandising pieces for the game, depending on how much shelf space the game has.

Sometimes a game would be sent to the store that is only two copies and has no game covers with it - again why the two copies need to be gutted and put on the shelf as standard for the shelf to require two deep copies of the game.

I wouldn't understand the logic of a retailer who would gut every game they have when availability of copies of the game cover is there.

TheDoc

Michael Cravez wrote: »

This is my understanding of the practice of 'Gutted Games' when I worked for a Games retailer years ago. My understanding it was all about merchandising and shelf space.

- If a new game was released and arrived at the store, along with the copies of the game we would receive copies of the game cover. If it was a suspected big seller we would receive more copies of the game covers if it happened to become a chart title.

- With the physical copies of the games, we would gut 2 copies of the game. These acted as the control copies.

- We would put the copies of the game covers into blank DVD boxes and put these onto the assigned shelf spaces, along with these blank copies we would put the boxes of the two control copies on the shelf also.

- If a customer wanted the game, or happened to pick up a copy off the shelf (be it the blank box copy or the gutted control copy), we would give them a sealed copy first.

- Depending on how much the game sells, if all the sealed copies of the game are sold, if someone wishes to purchase the game we then sell them a gutted copy.

The purpose of the gutted copies is that if the game moves shelf and requires less shelf space, eventually the game may perhaps have only one spot on the shelf, which the standard required two copies deep of the game. Eventually the game cover copies are removed so eventually you are left with the gutted copies as the Merchandising pieces for the game, depending on how much shelf space the game has.

Sometimes a game would be sent to the store that is only two copies and has no game covers with it - again why the two copies need to be gutted and put on the shelf as standard for the shelf to require two deep copies of the game.

I wouldn't understand the logic of a retailer who would gut every game they have when availability of copies of the game cover is there.

The above, I know thats what happened when I worked in a gaming retailer, and also what was organised when I moved working on the supply chain.

If the title is popular it comes with display sheets to be put in blank DVD cases, if its not a massively popular game its gutted.

And I never ever encountered a disc that was damaged or scratched from being kept in the drawers, as a customer or working as a retailer.

circadian

Thanks. I was trying to convey that message but it's hard to do on a phone. Excellent synopsis.

I much rather them being "gutted". That plastic cover can be a right c*nt to take off sometimes!

Mr. K

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Maybe he enjoys slowly unwrapping them, bathing in the crispness of the foil as it crackles in his manly hands, breathing deep the scent of new game smell before gazing on the naked beauty of the defoiled box.

This.

I actually don't buy unsealed games. It came about after I got one or two scratched games, now I don't buy games from HMV or other retailers that gut their games.

After paying so much money, I don't want my games to have been pawed by randomers!

TheDoc

Mr. K wrote: »

This.

I actually don't buy unsealed games. It came about after I got one or two scratched games, now I don't buy games from HMV or other retailers that gut their games.

After paying so much money, I don't want my games to have been pawed by randomers!

I've actually never got a gutted box in recent memory from HMV. Be it DVD or game. I've been buying all my physical games in HMV since they are the cheapest retailer in the country for gaming, and anything I've bought has been in a sealed box.