GameStop instructs employees to ignore law enforcement and not shut down | Hacker News Reader

GameStop instructs employees to ignore law enforcement and not shut down

vice.com

52 pointsminimaxir22 comments

That's both irresponsible and an upcoming PR disaster at once. What do they think to gain from fighting law enforcement to stay open a few extra days? Why not put a big sign on the door to promote ordering online?

Two games:

Doom Eternal

Animal Crossing

These are huge games, and being closed on their launch has the potential to be a deathblow to a weak company. Gamestop has nothing to offer for online sales compared with the console storefronts, Amazon, Steam or Epic.

Pitting its employees against law enforcement for a few potential fines wouldn't matter to a company that cares little (if at all) for its employees.

>This morning, GameStop announced it would start selling Doom Eternal today—a full day early—to try and separate the Doom and Animal Crossing Crowds.

I think releasing those two particular games on different days to separate their respective crowds would be a wise idea, regardless of Coronavirus.

Amazon has delayed my shipment of Animal Crossing to prioritize essentials.

From the email I got from them this morning: "As COVID-19 has spread, we've recently seen an increase in people shopping online which has had an impact on how we serve our customers. So in the short term, we made the decision to temporarily prioritize household staples, medical supplies and other high demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock and ship these products to customers. As a result, your order may be delayed."

I'm going to cancel my order from Amazon and go pick up the game at GameStop. I suspect my behavior has something to do with the reason they're staying open.

If you are in the Bay Area, this is an illegal violation of the mandatory shelter in place order, and is punishable as a misdemeanor.

For completeness sake, that is California Health and Safety Code § 120295, et seq. [1]

[1] - https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/16/read-shelter-in-place...

I wonder how likely this guess is. Not only specific to one country, not just a state in that country, but an area of a state. Wonder how the chance of successful guess looks like, compared to the total users here on HN.

He's right, haha I am in the Bay Area..

Then tell the police you're picking up some essential marijuana as well, right after you pop by GameStop. And that Animal Crossing makes it easier to tolerate the side-effects of your medical marijuana.

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/18/817779558/amid-coronavirus-sa...

I'm all about getting physical games, but maybe you could just get a digital copy this time...

"I'm going to support businesses putting their employees in harm's way just so that I can get a game a few days sooner.

Fuck you, losers who actually want essential staples or the ability to safely prioritize your health!"

~ DigIt

He's an adult who plays Animal Crossing, what do you expect.

I'm an adult who plays Animal Crossing. He's a poor excuse for a human being.

Why not just cancel and get a digital copy?

That is an interesting argument. They're basically saying its for the greater good that they stay open. There may be something to that, but their approach is tone deaf and irresponsible. Also, they're motivated by greed which is never a good look.

“Due to the products we carry that enable and enhance our customers’ experience in working from home"

For example they probably sell headsets and webcams which can be used for video conferencing. Seems legit enough. At least as legit as restaurants offering takeout. (How is takeout "essential" when you could just cook for yourself?) If you are in a high risk group or you have contact with someone in a high risk group, don't go into GameStop.

Not everyone is physically capable of cooking for themselves. Others are staying in rooms or hotels with no kitchens. And if fewer people buy takeout food from restaurants then that just means even more customers in grocery stores, which is no better from a disease transmission standpoint.

Is GameStop CTD and pulling out the (game)stops to try and get a few sales out of the Animal Crossing / Doom releases?

I suspect game Dev and sales companies may be worth investing in right now. Millions of people are about to be locked in their houses for months.

Given how tightly the game industry market is tied with the general market, it won't be a good bet until the market at large finishes its fall. And, since their studios will also close and impact the timelines on future games, they won't be a great medium-term investment.

That said, they'll probably be strong in the long term; videogames as entertainment is only growing.

>won't be a good bet until the market at large finishes its fall

Normally I'd agree with you but under these circumstances millions of people are going to have absolutely nothing to do sitting at home for months, both adult gamers and children. And everyone's about to get >=$1000 to spend on whatever...

Yeah, but everything will happen so fast the market won't have time to react as you think. The value of stocks et al are based on what people think will happen in the future, not what's happening right now.

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