Blockbuster Not The Best Game Store So Far

So I ran out today to pick up Iron Man the video game, exciteable little fanboy that I am, and decided to purchase it at my local Blockbuster Video, to see how they were doing with the new retail push. They had one copy for the PlayStation 3 and one copy for the Xbox 360 available, and on a whim I chose the PS3 version, seeing as my poor system hadn’t been getting much attention since Hot Shots Golf last month. Upon getting the game home I hastily unwrapped it, only to discover that my PS3, which I have long considered the best of the three current consoles when it comes to reliability, would no longer accept any Blu-ray media. PS2 games work fine, and DVD’s, but PS3 games and blu-ray movies were a no go. I was completely crushed, and jonesin’ for some Iron Man, so I took the game back to Blockbuster, hoping they would show pity on me for buying a game I couldn’t play. They swapped out versions for free and I lived happily ever after!

Unfortunately I’m lying.

No, the manager at the Blockbuster Video…someone I had known for years…wouldn’t let me return the game. All I could do was trade-in the game for store credit – $US 35 – which I then put towards the Xbox 360 version of Iron Man. All in all, I wound up spending about $US 90 for a copy of Sega’s Iron Man, but with the game I received a bit of knowledge that I will carry with me from here on out. Don’t buy games from Blockbuster.

I understand that it isn’t their fault my PS3 decided to crap out on me, and I understand they have store policies to adhere to, but unfortunately for many Blockbuster employees that is the limit of their understanding. Without a basic knowledge of how the game systems work, they simply don’t understand this sort of situation. Hell, when I first brought the game back the elderly day shift manager looked absolutely terrified, running to the back room to get the store manager to handle the return.

I know for certain that had I done this at my local GameStop store, the employees there would have swapped out the version without blinking an eye, especially considering I was back within the hour. Of course I have built a rapport with them over the years, but as I said, I have known the Blockbuster Manager for years (she knows my mother) and she still couldn’t do anything to help.

Incidentally, Iron Man? Not worth $US 90.