The current state of GAMESTOP is not good

[@PixelGameSquad]

Use code 50PGS to get 50% OFF plus free shipping on your first Factor box at bit.ly/4f3cOiD!

[@keithh4117]

It’s not whether I like it or not, they just seem irrelevant in today’s market.

[@80sNinjaVandal]

Hey Riff show graffiti some respect! Go play some Marc Ecko Getting up you’ll understand what it means to be a graff writer 😂🥷🏽💨

[@MicahR728]

What about code URCKSKR

[@streetfightertwo]

I dont understand how GAMESTOP sells you a "new" game but its already been opened with a sticker price barcode on the cover???? NEW games should be sealed

[@lightninstriker10]

[EDIT] All I did was answer the fucking question, if you wanna hatefuck GameStop so badly, go do it yourself instead of telling me how much you hate the policy, I'm sure after the *40 YEARS* the company has been around, your complaint will be the one to convince them not to do it anymore. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They have to have a game to put out on the shelf for display, and they will sell the sealed copies until that's the only one they have left. Once they're down to that one, it's all they have to sell you. The disc has not been played, the disc has hardly been touched, the case may be open but the game is still "new." If that's a dealbreaker to you, that's understandable, but they're not trying to scam you, shockingly enough. I worked a few holidays at my local GS. I know a few things.

[@spursdynasty7378]

Someone needs to sue their asses 😂

[@JBird401]

​@@lightninstriker10yea but if I need to return the game then gamestop will say it's not new since it's not sealed. Its a crappy business practice even if you describe it with a paragraph

[@michaelmiguel6937]

Because people will steal the game off the shelf if it’s in the case lol

[@streetfightertwo]

@lightninstriker10 the last 5 times I went in there and got a NEW game, they've given me the game like that??? I guess I was being sold their last copy. Thank you, I did not know that.

[@PrinceOfMadness]

Honestly my favorite part of the video was you going back to your nostalgic childhood locations! It made me feel so happy for you and recount some of my old nostalgic locations about 10 minutes away from where I live now!

[@dc5330]

Depends on the location and relationship with the employees. After chatting with an employee last week, he let me know a collector turned in 250 mint condition x360 games and let me rifle through and pick out anything I wanted. They were in beautiful shape, and had yet to be priced. I walked out with 3 large bags of games and it was awesome

[@ZBatt1]

I dont like Gamestop’s business practices but their employees are usually cool!

[@gangaffiliated3245]

Yeah its not the employees fault that the store is bad 😂😂

[@PixelGameSquad]

I usually deal with cool employees as well

[@Airjet2582]

Manager types and higher rank employee have to be jerks. Not only do they get maybe a higher income but they also have to be on the business side of things like make a fast successful sale with a customer or else their boss (either a higher ranking member or a company man whose close to the CEO) will go medieval on them.

[@JoshuaVaughan-pi1sn]

I always get a 50/50 I either have a complete jerk or a pretty chill guy at the front also I noticed it's literally never the same person it's as if GameStop can't keep employees no surprise honestly from what I hear they treat them like garbage 🤦

[@princesspikachu3915]

I have never had a bad experience at a Game Stop. Then again, I’ve only ever been in four different ones over the years.

[@ThaRBMVenom]

Your walk down memory road seeing you taking it all in was So Cool Riff. You are a Great Guy. I Appreciate You Brother.

[@shaun8062]

Bro, I'm a fellow skateboarder from the 90s and I feel your energy and nostalgia. I'm also a physical therapist by trade but I skateboard with friends at night and collect retro games. I would have been rooting you on and yelling when you got that heel flip over the sewer. Cheers man.

[@PaleoSteno]

Wow!!! I cant believe I re-found your channel after all these years! Nice to see you still making stuff!

[@Cosmic_Charles]

Before: I like GameStop might not be the best store ever but I enjoy stopping by every now and then.

[@sleepymike7]

Nice solo video riff! always awesome to go back and visit old skate spots. I miss the old days man.

[@tylercurrier4726]

I love your guys personal touches in videos, taking us to child home is cool.

[@TipToeVertigo]

I visited my childhood home in Maryland a few years ago. I had so many incredible 90s memories there. Our neighborhood had 2 giant cul-de-sacs attached to one another with about 20-30 homes and every home had kids around the same age and parents around the same age. We’d run loose for hours and would go to each other’s house to play SNES/N64 and our parents would all drink and cook out together. I seriously can’t imagine a better childhood, it was fun all day every day. Then when I was 8 my parents said we’re moving to Delaware, and in my 8yr old brain I’m thinking “I don’t wanna live in another country” not realizing it was a 3hr move 😂

[@GamerAhmer]

Maryland for the win!!

[@SuzuiChan]

we don't have GameStops in Finland anymore, we used to but they went down around 10 years a go, now we have puolenkuunpelit in like three cities wich happily one is where i live. But let's put it this way, i love that there are still physical stores for games available

[@RichRetr0]

Last year I had to fly down to Florida for a funeral. I also was driving by my old skating stomping grounds and had to stop and get out and just absorb it all. It was an old business park that had a Subway sandwich shop off in one of the corners and it never seemed that busy so we didn't get chased out very often. Plenty of stairs and rails and flat surfaces, it was the best, so many memories.

[@OVO794]

Can’t believe you did not recognize Phanpy, it’s a Pokemon from Gen 2, Gold and Silver.

[@lronlance6366]

I think they said they only really played gen 1 which is true for most people.

[@FantasyZoneGaming]

That games like 215 years old. Heart gold on ds wasn't even that good either.

[@Torgr_SH]

Never watched a video on this channel before, but this popped up so I watched it and the trip down memory lane you had genuinely made me so happy. It was beautiful to see. Thank you for that. Great video!

[@zachm7595]

I want Gamestop to do well. I remember going a lot as a kid, but I feel like they shoot themselves in the foot. My store gets retro in, but oftentimes it's fake because they (understandably) don't know what they're looking for. Then most pre-owned games feel gross, when I feel like they could either clean the stuff better, or just deny products that are little too "loved." It'd be nice if they had some sort of legit refurbishing process for consoles, that isn't just taking a magic eraser and scuffing them, and cleaning the products. That's their niche. Walmart can beat them at new game prices, so they need to focus more on pre-owned anyways and make their stores more lively (by making employees more happy. That's another issue in itself, so many miserable workers) and also make sure the employees are trained on legit checking.

[@Joeorosz]

I saw a garage sale sign one day and the address was my childhood home. I stopped there took the backyard in sound something to buy then told the family I grew up here. We had a great conversation. It was a feeling!!! Your old neighborhood was more interesting then the gamestops 😂 👍🏽

[@MortsGarage]

Loved the walk down memory lane. The camera work was great here as well!

[@SlimAdventures]

Mort🫡

[@PixelGameSquad]

Thanks for the kind words about the video! 💪

[@ToiletClogger1945]

the visit to places of childhood was wholesome my man. more of that with story time! lol

[@TheSirlock]

Every Gamestop within 75 miles of me might as well be renamed Funkopopstop, because that's literally pretty much all they carry, barely any video games at all now a days.

[@MLaker221]

13:22 I did this over the summer, I called it the old house tour. I was driving thru for work training. It was awesome and I totally relate

[@lacriptavideoclub]

Every time I go back to Puerto Rico for vacation I have to take a time to drive by my neighborhood where I rented my first VHS tapes and rented NES games. So nostalgic

[@PIMPTD]

I did not expect a walk down memory lane when clicking on a GameStop video but it was amazing to see.

[@Cetghost06]

I wish GameStop would change their website structure for purchasing games online. It gets frustrating when you purchase a game at cib prices and receive disc only or a “new” game that’s clearly been opened and placed in a resealable bag.

[@neoturfmasterMVS]

Santa Ana, yup. So familiar and also so sad. Every home with walls and gates with graffiti everywhere. California has not changed, only older now. Didn't improve, didn't become safer, didn't get any cleaner. I moved away from California many years ago to Texas. A night and day difference. When I told people at the time I was moving out of California, in 2007, they asked what was wrong. Now I ask whats wrong with those that say. There's a better life in many other states today. Beautiful cities, safe, clean, new and some of the friendliest people you'll never meet in California. RIP CA.

[@KennethC420]

Former employee here. I’ll answer any questions you might have Riff. I can say I have had a LOT of jobs in my life and GameStop treats their employees worse than any place I have ever seen. It’s sad.

[@PixelGameSquad]

Appreciate the honesty.

[@leomendez3195]

okay question that point system sounds like alot but in reality its a little why? and games that are sold as new that are open already really new? how many times do you replace price tags on pre-owned games from lets say 4.99 to 15.99 you know those buy 2 get one 1 at so and so price

[@uchihasasuke191]

I agree. Been a customer first, for 22 years now. I've got friends at local GameStops near me that get treated badly, and have had breakdowns from the pay, and the way they get treated by higher ups.

[@ontopofmygame]

I'm also a former employe and I had a good experience for almost 5 years. So yeah...just because you had a bad experience is not a generalisation.

[@emacsterm2949]

My local GameStop and its employees are all great

[@TheLastLineLive]

12:37 rolling stop, be careful on the road there 😂

[@AtlasNight]

The Gamestop I Have been in Has never stopped me from recording except for at One Gamestop Store. but then he got Fired One Month Later and I was told by a Gamestop Manager it's fine to Record inside a Gamestop store just don't Record the Employees unless you get their Permission.

[@FrankWest-r2z]

From watching your videos at Gamestop, it seems like most of those employees know you're not trying to prank them or anything. Plus there is the fact that you have a lot of money. I saw you flashing those hundred-dollar bills around in your videos, so you must have won the lottery or something and Gamestop doesn't won't to lose any business with you.

[@AthenaGoddess1]

@@FrankWest-r2z yeah it's crazy how gamestop employees are so loyal to gamestop for $10.00 an hour and get fired a few months later and then there surprised when it happens 😂.

[@Gameboy_Master]

Last black Friday, GameStop had several "new" (they're technically not new because they take the game out of the case) games marked down from $50 to $40. So then I checked Walmart for some deals. (All their games are sealed and locked up) They had the same games on sale for only $30 each!! I never buy new games from GameStop anymore. I either use Walmart or Ebay.

[@shanenice5380]

it's better they locked it up

[@JohnnyVasquez8]

Had to pause midway to leave a comment! I love that you took the time to stroll through memory lane. It’s so good for our health, emotions, and memory. I always ask the question, was the past truly better because it was simple and easy? Or because it was our childhood and that’s simply why we miss it? I know I would do anything to go back and time and spend one day in our childhood. Not any particular day just a random one when we walked over to get snacks, played outside, walked around the neighborhood, etc.

[@MistaWikked]

Mad respect that even though you get embarrassed being seen filming, you still full send!

[@tretion]

Just wanted to say thank you Riff for showing us your childhood home and area. It was neat to see where you grew up. Much love from Canada. Game on!

[@G-snail24]

I’m from Brooklyn and I enjoy all the gamestops I been to I record with no issues and the employees are always super chill

[@RetroGalaxy802]

I recently brought my wife to my home town and walked with her through the route I would take to get to and from school and it was so surreal! Definitely can't recommend it enough.

[@SWOhioSpeedtesting]

10:57 never imagined PGS to get excited over seeing a manhole cover 😭

[@PixelGameSquad]

Me neither hahaha

[@PlasticCogLiquid]

Most of the places I grew up in have been torn down, including an entire woods, they built houses through it.

[@WavesNGames]

Dude, I cannot express how relatable the feeling of walking the place you grew up is. I moved when I was 13 from California to Oklahoma. I never wanted to claim Oklahoma as my home town. But now I have kids and I take them back to see where events that shaped me happened and it brings a whole new light to those places.

[@FoxyPercival714]

You're telling me. They just closed a prime location for 15 years near a wallmart in Brea.

[@valerius7305]

Oh man riff. Seeing your feels from being in your old neighborhood was so great. I visited my child home home for the first time in 24 years this year. It hit me so hard seeing what had changed and what hadn't. Seeing my old school boarded up and falling apart brought me to tears. Is such a unreal feeling

[@JPAmerica]

I always go in them hoping for gold and leave depressed

[@Braxton_Hafley_1124]

I was hoping they still had 3ds games bc I wanted majoras mask and a link between worlds. I guess I’ll never get to play them 😔

[@Al3X-1989]

at least you have them in your area, we went from 8 or 9 in the area I live in to just 1 after all the layoffs and store closures

[@ItsEricSmart]

your making me want to go see my childhood home

[@Dynamic0NE]

You recommend we all open our creepy van doors? and point a camera at an elementary school while you pineeee to get in at the gate 😂😂

[@houstonfob2FOREVER]

I dont care if Gamestop goes out of business. Support your local mom and pop gaming stores, they are the ones that deserve your time and money.

[@jonrodriguez893]

I haven't been to gamestop in years. Decided to go and narrowly missed a robbery at gun point. The gamestop employee was freaked out and called his boss. They told him they were aware of this guy that robs local stores. ???? This man was working by himself lol. I told him to close the store and that I would leave as there was nothing stopping the robber if he wanted to come back. I left and he ended up locking up. I went to a different store and few days later. Someone went in paid 500 cash for a VR headset, and was told they could pick it up when it came in. 9nly to find out that that employee stole his money. It was a month later and this guy was still complaining that he hadn't recieved the item, or his money. Gamestop is wild 😅

[@linka0935]

Hi Riff, I grew up in Costa Mesa. I remember the Kmart and Payless store in the shopping center where the first game stop is. That store used to be one of the best EB games back in the day

[@vivithegr8389]

10:24 that guy laying down. classic, just like my hometown

[@blainethemono19]

First I love your content! But you can’t really compare a retro shop (which is usually a unique, personal, nostalgia driven experience), to a modern day business line. They have different business models so it’s apples to oranges. You are spot on about customer service and inventory though as long as you’re not expecting a GameStop to have 3DO or Saturn stuff. I do think GameStops should play around with their layouts and make sure they employ nice people. Rooting for you to finish the NES set!

[@RetroBros1]

RIFF.. loved the trip down memory lane.. We went and did the same thing just a couple months ago, revisited our local shops and videogame store and parks and houses we grew up in. So many emotions really do come out !! Great stuff man ❤

[@rayzer369]

during city wide garage sale season i visit a small town i use to live in about 30 minutes out

[@Ianator73]

Great vid! I especially like the nostalgic experience you took us along with. I recently visited my childhood home and neighborhood too. That feeling indeed 🥰

[@Puscruna]

Came for GameStop slander, stayed for the riff rollercoaster of emotions

[@JoshuaVaughan-pi1sn]

Think at 8:09 we got a camera cut off for some juicy riff vs employee riff literally said they were not nice about it at all as well and riff is pretty laid back if he says they were not nice that's probably an understatement 😂

[@keeganwhitworth2647]

GameStop isn’t about the games anymore and that’s problem. the used games are a joke. Half the time they don’t have the game I want or it’s in a crappy GameStop case

[@Lalo-kj6dg]

Used games indeed are a joke just got one and dosent run cause it’s so scratched

[@AndreasMolenaar-qu8qe]

Riff it's André from the Netherlands here. Childhood memories of your childhood home and things you did their; are priceless. And seeing you enjoy and talking and getting emotional made my sunday already; because I know the feeling. Thanxs ones again for filling up so many peoples lives with all the good and funny memories, nostalgia and just for being you. Love you mate. Keep up the good work 🙏👊 blessings and love from the Netherlands for you, your family and the guys. Greetings and have one good end of 2024 and beginning of 2025 from André

[@KonbiniTV]

Glad i got recommended this video! I've lived in this area my entire life and didnt know about hidden gems video games!! Thank youuu

[@indatubesurfer]

I like GameStop as it sells the stuff I enjoy the most, Video games! A lot of ppl talk crap on GameStop. But they will all be sad when they leave like toys r us did and they will all say remember how GameStop was so good. So I think we all need to support all types of game stores, whether it’s local shop or franchise.

[@JoseDiaz-pl5kk]

I stopped shopping at gamestop back when the SNES classic came out, I was lucky enough to get one online, then on release date I went to the mall and happened to see that they still had some in stock, and I know that my brother wanted one as well since we had SNES growing up so I figured I'd pick on up for him. When I was being rung up I got to talking with the cashier there and I mentioned the story and that I already had one for myself and that this one was going to be for my brother, she abruptly ended the sale there and told me I was not allowed to purchase it since I already got one on pre-order.

[@thebodybeatdownDiTi]

I still live in my home town. Of course we lived in different areas of the county but still im always around my childhood areas. I did a bike ride one day in another part of the county where i grew up as a toddler and still lived/visited there all the time because my gma lived there and friends etc..Its not easy seeing places like that for me. Nostalgia is not always fun or peaceful it can stir up memories of simple times which can also lead to even more depression and sadness. This is true with some songs and movies/tv etc. Ive always wished to stay young even when I was young. BUT here i am just turned 53 Nov 30th and time waits for no one. You see moms,dads,grandparents die..You see your nieces and brother in laws die..you see so much in life. Its not easy. All we can do is try and keep going. ive not followed the channel in a long time,but glad i stumbled on this video..

[@Oogasra]

With GameStop put aside, it’s fantastic to go back to your childhood home to see how it has aged since you grew up and moved away.

[@AutoCorral]

I enjoyed your walk down memory lane honestly. Made me wish I could go do the same back home. Nice

[@PotbellyPunch]

Protip on fester's quest. Even the manual tells you to use an autofire controller on the game, otherwise you spend hours constantly mashing the fire button

[@thelastdragon5551]

Your old spot looks almost identical to my (updated) old home that I lived from 1986-1989. Which was in El Monte, CA.

[@amperesi9576]

Last time I entered a GameStop was when the SNES mini released and I watched the last one sell

[@DaWrestla]

Growing up in the military it isn’t so easy to retrace all the places you grew up in around the world. But I’m actually pretty blessed that now I’m in my 40s I’ve seen them all again and yeah it was a trip for each one.

[@jezebelley]

Loved your nostalgia trip. I feel the same way when I go back to my old neighborhood as someone in their 40s. I've even asked if I could walk through my old home, but the owners were weird about it. Man, I wish I could go back. 80s and 90s were infinitely better than the awfulness of today.

[@augustinebarrett1991]

Watching these videos reminds me that just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I can't enjoy the smaller things in life. To be a kid again in a video game store is priceless.

[@gfr237]

This is like blockbuster all over again, you know youre cooked when people start videoing the inside of your workplace like its an archeological find

[@NothingButDanks]

Crazy I grew up skating the same area.. Los Amigos class of 08!

[@PixelGameSquad]

My bro went there!!!

[@masonjouclas]

I haven't been to my local Gamestop in years. The last time I went the experience itself was fine, the employees were great and super nice but there weren't a lot of games; mostly funko pops and stuff like that which isn't really my thing. I will however cherish the memories there with my friends, like going there on weekends to check out the latest games, playing in tournaments, & waiting in line for the midnight release of Skyrim. We still talk about some of those things to this day.

[@Purepecha]

Great video, very surprised to see where I was born (Santa Ana) being featured here.

[@Truekingr6]

Lmao this was just an ad for your friends store and a thank you for giving me money video 😂😂

[@retren]

I cannot remember the last time I set foot in one. It used to be magical.

[@skurgeI]

I know why. It's the last copy that they used for displaying on store shelves. All the games they display on shelves come from physical copies that they eventually sell. It's opened for display but not used. They will sell all sealed copies first. Once they have sold all sealed copies, that's when they sell you the display copy.

[@TadashiNazuka]

I stopped going there over a decade ago. The big stickers that don't peel clean off the case is a deal breaker.

[@grimmbeatZ]

I grew up in Santa Ana. J+J Comics was my favorite comic book shop. Love this trip down memory lane

[@AthenaGoddess1]

yeah it's crazy how gamestop employees are so loyal to gamestop for $10.00 an hour and get fired a few months later and then there surprised when it happens 😂.

[@austintaylor5683]

My biggest problems: 1. Used copies are only $3-5 cheaper than new copies 2. Trade in value is really bad compared to other stores. 3. Many items in the store are a little garbage and are taking up valuable shelf space. 4. Really annoying when you are just trying to check out and the store clerk is pushing disc protection and GameStop pro memberships at every purchase and every store. 5. Stickers. So many stickers all over their cases and annoying to peel off and clean.

[@z0mb3rry]

Really want a road trip video. Just you guys in the van, travelling across the U.S., and game hunting in towns and stores you’ve never been. Something like the Chasing Cardboard channel mixed with American Pickers and old school hunting.

[@PixelGameSquad]

That sounds like my actual dream!

[@patrickrodgers861]

I have zero game stores in my town so all I’m left with is my mini GameStop.

[@ChrisSauer-oe5ve]

Lived very close to you, a lot has changed, some good, some not so good. But nice to see the place again through your eyes 👍 as a SoCal native 🇺🇸

[@jf-zq2qz]

I enjoy these chilled videos ,merry Christmas

[@GamersAtticshow]

What a wonderful memory to visit by the house your grew up in 😊

[@erikmajorwitz1916]

No apologies necessary Riff. I go back to my town every summer to take a trip down memory lane. .

[@robertojimenez721]

nostalgia Brother It's crazy bro, but I do remember it's time for me to take a walk around my old neighborhood... love video,God bless

[@Family-Knas-Games-retro]

I did the exact same thing a few months ago, it's a great feeling to spend some time where you grew up ❤️Thank you Riff for sharing this with us

[@HappyBeardGames]

Genuinely fun video! Nice pickup on Fester's Quest I love that game. It really is an amazing feeling revisiting where you grew up.

[@justinguerrero6357]

I wish you did this with a hidden cam. Once they know they are being filmed they will be the best fake employees you won’t get the real experience. But generally the reason I hate gsmestop is how much they pressure you for subscriptions, protection plan, reservations. I’ve had them add on the protection plan without me even asking and later when I checked my receipt. The fking girl added it on secretly. Another time the same store kept wording my transaction where I HAD to pick a protection plan for my ps5 on purchase It always feels like you’re about to battle a bunch of vultures. Makes each visit a pain in the ass. I’d go to a diff store farther away just so I can purchase stuff in peace.

[@indatubesurfer]

Really cool seeing ur old neighborhood.

[@MissRavengaming]

The best part of this video is the wholesomeness for sure re visiting childhood areas. I do the same sometimes, I can tell you there is no matched feeling. It's amazing to take trips down memory lane like that ^-^

[@Dizaster1995]

9 times out of 10 gamestop tries to sell me a "new" game that was already unsealed, and my trade ins.... Just... NEVER TRADE GAMES IN AT GAMESTOP! You will never... EVER even get a microfraction of your money back! 😢

[@paulmason3328]

I’ve done the same thing a few months back drove around where I grew up. It’s very emotional, but very nostalgic.

[@PixelGameSquad]

Such a wild feeling....almost cant even describe it

[@paulmason3328]

@ I know exactly how you feel. It was cool going around where my old bus stop was old comic shops just a incredible feeling.

[@sigma682]

I walked around for a GameStop for like 30 mins and told myself I would buy something if any of their employees asked me if I needed help, and I wanted to buy some Disney and Pokémon stuff but unfortunately they’d rather talk to each other than their customers.

[@Stampede215]

Thanks for sharing Riff! Merry Christmas to you and yours!! Cheers!!

[@joshsparrowchannel]

God bless you and your Fam Riff. very much!! love you and this channel!! thank you for years of entertainment!

[@VGPreserve]

Reading the Google reviews is hilarious! Thanks for another great one Riff!

[@Tenchi10]

One gamestop, they wouldn't even give me a box for my NEW game.

[@TheCompletionist]

Gamestop is one of those enigma's where it truly is based on the location and more importantly the staff. It's one of those places where I personally have never had a bad experience and one of my best friends is actually the manager at a gamestop. At the end of the day, it really is a corporation so out of any and all game stores - they are the most likely candidate to be incredibly lifeless and rude compared to any other game store out there. Much like any corporation, you treat people badly enough then they are simply going to go somewhere else. More and more gamestop locations are closing down and they are slowly becoming less and less about video games while diverging into other products in order to produce income. Whether or not it will work in the store or increase sales - who knows. However, if you can't establish a dedicated customer base and be better to your customers than your going to be a closed location pretty soon. At least with this journey Aaron, you got to relive some great childhood memories. I get to go back to my childhood home where my parents still live once a year and I can only really visit the area once a year because it is a 12 hour drive away. Even if your experience at the gamestop locations was a little mixed at best - you got to take a little bit of good out of it by getting an item at hidden gem games and you got to reminiscence about a happier time in your life where being a kid you didn't have to be bombarded with so much responsibility.

[@Flip_side_games]

Man I wish I could find some more Long Boxes for my PlayStation Side quest ! That Tekken looked clean

[@88XavierC]

It's such an unbelievable feeling going back to the place that made you the person you are today. It's awesome for you to share that with us and I'm glad to see that it still remains rather familiar. God Bless.