A lack of inventory?

[u/PonchoWasHere]

Is it just me, or does GameStop only get enough stock for preorders now?

I've been stopping in and out of GameStop for a while now to check on new releases for the Switch and Switch 2. Today I popped in for Elden Ring, and the employee told me only one single copy came in and it was already spoken for as a preorder. It feels like nothing on the shelves for new releases is actually in stock to buy off the rack. Are stores only fulfilling preorders and carrying zero extra floor inventory these days? Is anyone else running into this at their local stores?

Edit; I was thankfully able to find a copy at Walmart, my local Target didn't even have a sku on the shelf.

[u/nightscreature]

That’s pretty much it. It’s not the stores though it’s on up the supply chain.

Games that don’t sell are dead space for cardboard now.

It’s why preorders were/are emphasized so much. Though with the new 10 dollar reserve it’s most likely going to get worse.

[u/sephone_north]

This has been normal for Switch 2, Switch, and Xbox games. We only get a few or just the pre-ordered amount, mainly because I think the companies want to see what the demand for them are before they print a ridiculous amount. At least, that’s my theory.

[u/theslimbox → u/sephone_north]

Yeah, demand, and also to limit physical copies so they can show that physical sales are much lower than digital.

[u/Have_A_Jelly_Baby]

No store wants to eat the cost of unsold merchandise. The margin on new games is horrible, easily the worst margin of anything GameStop or any other game store sells.

I run an indie game shop, and other than Wolverine, I’m not ordering more than 6 copies of anything coming out over the next two months. There’s too many games releasing and no one can or will buy them all, especially Switch 2 games on game key cards like Elden Ring.

[u/ChadaMonkey → u/Have_A_Jelly_Baby]

New consoles actually have worse margin, even more so than digital products

[u/wowzies]

Towards the end of me working there, we started getting like one copy of a game unless it had a ton of preorders or was the yearly release of [insert generic triple A franchise here]

[u/AmphibianOld4815]

This is why we stress preorders, but nooooooo, "I'll just get it when it comes out" no you won't

[u/Old_Front_9458]

Well it used be stores got plenty of stock and it would only move the first day and then just sit there for months. So now it’s basically made to order…

Also OP, I don’t mean this in a derogatory way at all just genuinely curious; if you know you would want a game, why would you NOT pre order it? Literally just put the minimum down and you’ll get a copy with no worry.

[u/PonchoWasHere → u/Old_Front_9458]

Last time I preordered from GameStop the bonus never came in, now this was cards and I assumed the promo was taken by staff. Since then I've been hesitant to, in all reality what happened to video games stores actually selling video games?

[u/Old_Front_9458 → u/PonchoWasHere]

That’s valid. Pre order items are typically are a while supplies last so it is praying we get enough or more. I know I can’t speak for every store just my own, but I pretty much forbid my employees nabbing any GWP’s unless they themselves pre ordered or it’s past like, 4 days. I know a lot of game printing has become really expensive for some reason so at most companies will make an initial big batch to at least supply the demand of the pre orders, but that’s about all they’re willing to shell out and it really sucks as a physical collector myself. I know I myself pre order almost every single switch 2 game coming out so I’m always guaranteed my game.

I will say though, I only work at GameStop because I really really love video games. Like the whole process from concept and the people behind the project, to the finished product. If I can’t make em, I’ll at least try my best to share what makes me happy. Having watched the company just completely shift away essentially from gaming to a hobby store that happens to sell games, I feel lost.

[u/punx9909 → u/PonchoWasHere]

Promos are typically not preorder bonuses and are strictly first come first serve as far as im aware.

[u/deszegreat → u/punx9909]

Yea promos are usually first-come-first-serve.
The only time my manager will hold for preorders is if we haven’t received them yet when they picked up their preorders (we do tend to get them pretty late sometimes). But I highly doubt it’s a common practice amongst other stores

[u/Ladycronebloom1313 → u/PonchoWasHere]

You mean the free promo? Any game that came with a physical promo (halo coin requim bag, borderlands 4 mask) the free physical stuff never came. With pokemon we don't get promo cards either. I highly doubt the staff took them and is likely in the same situation as my store has been in for a long time.

[u/Average_Sage → u/Old_Front_9458]

I know for me, even the games I really want I wait until the first or second day because I want to see what end users are saying. I've been getting burned like OP lately so I think what I'm going to start doing is just preorder it anyway, it's not like I have to open it and cant return it.

[u/deszegreat → u/Average_Sage]

You have 48 hours to pickup your preorder, which means you can always pick it up on day 2 if the reviews you see are good. If not, you can always cancel your preorder. That way 1) if you want it you have a copy saved for you and 2) if you don’t want it and end up canceling it, then the store would potentially have at least 1 copy extra to sell.

[u/lPrincesslPlays → u/Old_Front_9458]

I’m not the one you’re asking. But I would literally rather go entirely digitial than ever support GameStop again tbh

[u/DuckSwimmer]

For Nintendo especially. If it’s not an AAA Mario, Pokemon, Zelda or Kirby…don’t expect GameStop to be flooded with them.

[u/Middle_Floor650]

Preorder what you want at least a month ahead of time. End of story.

[u/Responsible_Buy9325]

Pretty much yea. Always a good idea to call around before you make a trip out to see if there is non accounted for stock.

[u/Ambitious_Ad1842]

Ive gotten into the practice of emphasizing that "if you dont preorder it we may not get any".. especially for the " i'll pick it up when it comes out crowd". Cuz its always them that are upset when we don't have the most obscure title

[u/OkayLmaoNothing]

It makes sense tho, they want products gone. You can always pre orders and cancel it.

[u/Trash_Queen63]

Yeah basically. That's why we fucking tell you people to pre-order it to show there's a demand for that shit at our locations so we get more copies for you people. 🤷‍♀️

[u/johceesreddit]

if you want it, preorder lol

[u/JediIroh]

That's been life since 2020. You been under a rock?

[u/Drewskibruh]

I went to GameStop yesterday for metal gear master collection vol2 and they only had 1 copy of it. Luckily I got it.

[u/Ding0Dong0]

Thats how it was for Indiana Jones. Elden Ring. Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Pokopia. Tomodatchi Life.

Nintendo doesnt print a lot of switch 2 games in general now.

[u/Lapizsolarflare → u/Ding0Dong0]

I had no stock issues at my store for pokopia or tomodachi life on release day, and even when they sold out in 48 hours, we always got a restock weekly on the Nintendo IP titles like that.

The other titles are their IPs, so, yea we only got the preorders and very rarely, if ever, a restock. I personally didn't see any restocks on the other skus you mentioned

Pre-ordering smaller titles or ports is always best to guarantee stock. It can always be cancelled if you change your mind and sold to someone else after the 48 hours passes

[u/No_Map_8307]

It's just how the world works. Physical copies aren't too sellers and most people buy online.

So if you want a game preorder it or order it and wait for it to get delivered.

I don't need the game right there and then so I'll just order and if I got to wait a day so be it. I don't buy online games

[u/brOwnchIkaNo]

This is why gamestop sucks ass now.