GameStop's Employee Launch Kit

[ColdGlider]

In an earlier post today on the Reach controller, I mentioned "Bob" from GameStop. 

I have a blurry cell phone camera photo of Bob, which might get posted later.  For now, Bob remains safely anonymous.

The aforementioned-and-heretofore-known-only-as Bob was cool enough to bestow some sweet Halo Reach swag on yours truly.  Sure, it may amount to nothing more than a fancy empty box, but it's one cool fancy empty box.  And anyways Bob told me I would like it because- in his words- "I say you'll like it."

Here in the Reach Image Gallery are some photos of the Halo Reach Employee Launch Kit for GameStop Employees.  Bob was wearing a nifty Halo Reach launch shirt which he indicated came packaged in the box.  I don't know what else came in the box, if anything.  I'm assuming there was one box per employee, so the "kit" might have also come with pin or lanyard or who knows what else.

The Spartan Helmet is actually made of plastic and resembles a child's Halloween Mask.  It flips down, and inside is a nice "panorama" image of Noble Team:


The really cool thing is, if you ask around at your local GameStop you may be as lucky as I was to get my hands on one. 

If you get any more info about this item, please feel free to contribute.  Anyone have a friend who works at GameStop?

Anyhow, in case Bob is reading this (I gave him our URL):  THANKS BOB!

[Pulse Cloud]

I think Bob is a pretty cool guy. He gives CG cool stuff and doesn't afraid of his boss.

[CIA391]

Lucky you. In my area I don't have a Gamestop. I know it's sad.

[Phantasm 08]

Lucky you. In my area I don't have a Gamestop. I know it's sad.

Oh, the horror!  There's three or four within a half hour drive from me x_x  Come over here, and I'll share one with you

[Apollo Doom]

The only employee I have ever encountered at my local Gamestop is the pushiest salesman-nerd I've ever met.  He always aggressively pushes pre-order of like 8 games whenever I go to buy one.

I want your friendly folk.

[ThatGuy]

The only employee I have ever encountered at my local Gamestop is the pushiest salesman-nerd I've ever met.  He always aggressively pushes pre-order of like 8 games whenever I go to buy one.

I want your friendly folk.

First and Foremost i want to say thank you for the shout out! I enjoy my job very much and if i can ever go the extra mile i will everytime. I am sorry that you get treated that way when you walk into the store..i pray to god that this is not my store that happens....Hope every one enjoys Halo Reach and come back and see me I will see what i can do about my posters when they come down!

That Guy

[ColdGlider]

Hey-  it's "That Guy"!!!

Thanks again for the generous donation of the cool swag- and thanks for joining!  I won't mention names, but your welcoming disposition won me over from the other GameStop where I had previously stood in midnight lines for Halo 3 and ODST.  And the swag helped.  A little.

Please tell me you are managing a midnight release at your store as well... because that's where I'd like to be waiting at 11pm on the 13th.

Suffice it to say that GameStop...especially in our neck of the woods... would be a much better place if more managers adopted your mentality!

[ThatGuy]

Yes i will be working the midnight release as far as i know for now but schedules change....I want to because i am trying to work somethings out with Auntie Annas Pretzel an Starbucks so they can be there as well...I enjoy working the midnight releases i think they are a lot of fun...You would not be the first person to tell me about the other gamestop so dont worry we know lol...stop in anytime...I made my back counter a display to Halo Reach! I think you would like it.. :police:

[ColdGlider]

Great news!  I've locked in new coordinates for my release night fix.

While we're in this thread... what else can you tell us about the Employee Launch Kit?  Was it one per person?  What else was in there?

I'd also like to add its release to our Reach Product Timeline.  Do you know what day they came in / street date?  Any other cool exclusive items we should know about / lust after?

[ThatGuy]

Along in the kit came the Halo Reach T-shirts (3) Lanyards (3) and a paper explaining that the game is street dated and came with ideas for the Midnight launch. It also stated a thank you for our continued support for the game and hard work we put into the sales of the game.It arrived i believe on 8/24. It also came with a little thingy to hang with our name tags that says Halo Reach on it.

[ThatGuy]

I hope All of you are Enjoying Halo Reach as much as Everyone else is...Happy hunting!!!

[ColdGlider]

I hope All of you are Enjoying Halo Reach as much as Everyone else is...Happy hunting!!!

Thanks, Guy!

I have been meaning to report on your stellar midnight launch event, so here goes:

Almost a year ago, yours truly had an intensely negative experience obtaining Halo 3: ODST from a GameStop in my area.  I actually logged the whole affair into a personal document because I never wanted to forget why I'd never, ever patronize GameStop again.  (Yes, dear reader, it's true.)

As an older gamer (relatively speaking) who can recall what these stores used to be before GameStop was ever a glint in anyone's eye, I have seen my share of game events and dealt with decades of gaming store customer service.  And I've watched- in my locality, mind you- the whole thing fall apart and deevolve into a robotic exhange between corporation and consumer.  Like an army of cloned off little Darth Vaders, game store management staff had become "more machine now, than man...."

Enter ThatGuy.

Now, I know what you're thinking:  "ColdGlider gets one piece of free swag and suddenly he's spreading like a virus for GameStop."  Oh, no dear reader.  Oh, no. 

You see, Mr. Guy doesn't work at the big GameStop in the big ass mall.  He doesn't work in the #1 sales store in the region.  Mr. Guy has the distinct privilege of working at a store that was- quite frankly- shafted by their own corporate management.  Despite a tradition of providing free pizza to midnight launch customers, because they were not at the top of the sales chart they were told they wouldn't be one of the 'select few stores' to receive a pizza budget.

So what did Mr. Guy do?

Mr. Guy pitched in with others from his store and bought the damn pizza himself.  He stood outside and worked a multiplayer tournament.  He raffled off a prize.  And- very notably- he talked with his customers who knew who he was.  You see, in a galaxy full of Sith Lords and their lackeys, Mr. Guy is like Obi Wan Kenobi going postal in the cantina.  He's there to do the best damn job he can do, and I'm here to tell you that the man is doing it.

So yeah.  Ultimately, GameStop has some of my money.  And after less than a year of boycotting the Big GS, I broke my vow and pushed my way in to suck on the same udder as the rest of the thirsty calves.  But I admit to being a little Vaderesque in my own right.  If I couldn't recognize the humanity that was being imbued into my local gaming store- no matter where the pocketbook may ultimately reside- then perhaps I was denying a little bit of my own humanity.  Call me sentimental, but I prefer to buy my products from people whose paychecks are being spent in the same town where I drink my water.  That's just me.

So, ThatGuy:  I salute you!  Your store is a pleasure to do business with, and you handled the "receipt issue" that plagued yesterday's work day with flying colors.  I hope to the Forerunners that your dedication is being recognized- and rewarded- by your employer.

And no... he didn't give me more free swag to write this.  But maybe he will now.  (Just kidding!)

Thanks, Guy.

[ThatGuy]

I hope All of you are Enjoying Halo Reach as much as Everyone else is...Happy hunting!!!

Thanks, Guy!

I have been meaning to report on your stellar midnight launch event, so here goes:

Almost a year ago, yours truly had an intensely negative experience obtaining Halo 3: ODST from a GameStop in my area.  I actually logged the whole affair into a personal document because I never wanted to forget why I'd never, ever patronize GameStop again.  (Yes, dear reader, it's true.)

As an older gamer (relatively speaking) who can recall what these stores used to be before GameStop was ever a glint in anyone's eye, I have seen my share of game events and dealt with decades of gaming store customer service.  And I've watched- in my locality, mind you- the whole thing fall apart and deevolve into a robotic exhange between corporation and consumer.  Like an army of cloned off little Darth Vaders, game store management staff had become "more machine now, than man...."

Enter ThatGuy.

Now, I know what you're thinking:  "ColdGlider gets one piece of free swag and suddenly he's spreading like a virus for GameStop."  Oh, no dear reader.  Oh, no. 

You see, Mr. Guy doesn't work at the big GameStop in the big ass mall.  He doesn't work in the #1 sales store in the region.  Mr. Guy has the distinct privilege of working at a store that was- quite frankly- shafted by their own corporate management.  Despite a tradition of providing free pizza to midnight launch customers, because they were not at the top of the sales chart they were told they wouldn't be one of the 'select few stores' to receive a pizza budget.

So what did Mr. Guy do?

Mr. Guy pitched in with others from his store and bought the damn pizza himself.  He stood outside and worked a multiplayer tournament.  He raffled off a prize.  And- very notably- he talked with his customers who knew who he was.  You see, in a galaxy full of Sith Lords and their lackeys, Mr. Guy is like Obi Wan Kenobi going postal in the cantina.  He's there to do the best damn job he can do, and I'm here to tell you that the man is doing it.

So yeah.  Ultimately, GameStop has some of my money.  And after less than a year of boycotting the Big GS, I broke my vow and pushed my way in to suck on the same udder as the rest of the thirsty calves.  But I admit to being a little Vaderesque in my own right.  If I couldn't recognize the humanity that was being imbued into my local gaming store- no matter where the pocketbook may ultimately reside- then perhaps I was denying a little bit of my own humanity.  Call me sentimental, but I prefer to buy my products from people whose paychecks are being spent in the same town where I drink my water.  That's just me.

So, ThatGuy:  I salute you!  Your store is a pleasure to do business with, and you handled the "receipt issue" that plagued yesterday's work day with flying colors.  I hope to the Forerunners that your dedication is being recognized- and rewarded- by your employer.

And no... he didn't give me more free swag to write this.  But maybe he will now.  (Just kidding!)

Thanks, Guy.

First and For most let me tell you that it is my pleasure to give the customer service that i do give. I look forward to all events that i do and try to make it big....I look at the whole situation like this Some people shop at my store just because it is convenient, and i like to think that the others shop there because of the service and some knowledge of games that we as the employees provide. I have left the company before and yes like every corp company  the job can suck ...but it was the customers i get to deal with day in and day out that I came back to the company...I am Thankfull that you are pleased with the service and that you will continue to shop at my store. Thanks Again and Happy Hunting

[Apollo Doom]

That Guy, every time you post I just get more and more jealous that your Gamestop is cooler than the ones near me.

[ThatGuy]

That Guy, every time you post I just get more and more jealous that your Gamestop is cooler than the ones near me.

Ummm I am sorry LOL