J-Stop Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 In South Dallas, at least. Store only sells video games to kids with good grades By JEFF BRADY / WFAA-TV Imagine a video game shop that reinforces good grades instead of undermining them? Well that's just what we found at one retail store along I-20 where the manager, who happens to be married to a teacher, asks kids about school before making a sale. He's not exactly a video game MVP but he wants every school-age client to know about another set of letters. "He needs to be reading a book. He knows how to play Madden before he knows how to do his ABCs and 123s - that's backwards!" said GameStop manager Brandon Scott. Scott manages a popular GameStop in south Dallas - and started a new policy this summer on his own. No school-age customer can buy a video game unless an adult confirms that the child's getting good grades in school. GameStop doesn't endorse or even know about the good-grade rule. "I'm probably going to get in trouble for this, but to me it's worth it, because the kids understand that somebody cares," said Scott. So far, parents and other adults like the concept. "Well it makes sense. Why reward a kid with a game when he's not doing good in school?" said customer Robert Coulter. So far, Scott has refused about two dozen sales. But he says most of the students come back later, with good grades, to make a purchase. And Scott has other unwritten policies. "They know when they come in here, they do not curse, they do not use the N-word, pull your clothes up," Scott said. He's even pledged to buy any video for a student on one condition. "If you give me straight As with your teachers signature, endorsing it and your parent up here, I'll buy you a brand new game," Scott said. "I was like, man he's going lose his job! But no I don't think so because I think there's got to be a point at which you put the kids and the value of education over the dollar," said Ann Fields. So what does everyone think about this? Obviously it's not going to impact anything. Kids will just get their parents to go in by themselves and buy whatever game they want like every person under 18 did when a GTA game was released, and there isn't much of a doubt that when the sales figures start to slip the bigwigs will come in to drop the hammer on this. Link to comment
Ikari Warrior Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I like it. My elder nephew is 6. He plays pokemon. He uses attacks on the other pokemon that don't work. He thinks they work because he can't read "attack was ineffective." He hates Mega Man Legends because there's too much reading. I think when I have kids, they're not going to be allowed to play video games until they know how to read, at least. Good grades = good games. Bad grades = Bubsy 3d. Link to comment
eleet Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Considering this made the news, expect this guy's regional manager to crush him like a fly as soon as he gets word of this. Anything to make a sale. Link to comment
Ceraziefish Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I couldn't buy games without the consent of my parents anyway, since they controlled all my money. If I was doing badly in school, they wouldn't give me money to buy games, it was that simple. I doubt this will impact anything. I think that parents should be more aware of what their kids are doing with video games, though. Link to comment
Siendra Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I can't see the company coming down too hard on him (Assuming this is true). The negative attention generated would not be worth the recovered sales. Link to comment
Artie Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I game want now rite! I no all need i to no. Link to comment
J-Stop Posted September 15, 2007 Author Share Posted September 15, 2007 Game$top $ay$ kid$ are allowed to play Madden before reading. Link to comment
Adam Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Jesus christ. No one, even fat little kids with 100's in Math, should get to play Madden. SCREW. MADDEN. Link to comment
Ceraziefish Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Game$top $ay$ kid$ are allowed to play Madden before reading. I'm glad we put a stop to that. (Seriously, though, that's dumb. If he had made a unique idea for his store and it had turned a profit they would have encouraged it, but since you might lose a total of one or two sales IT'S EVIL. In closing, Yay Capitalism!) Link to comment
Gundampilotspaz Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I couldn't buy games without the consent of my parents anyway, since they controlled all my money. If I was doing badly in school, they wouldn't give me money to buy games, it was that simple. I doubt this will impact anything. I think that parents should be more aware of what their kids are doing with video games, though. No wonder you're a communist Link to comment
Ceraziefish Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 No wonder you're a communist What, because I didn't have the chance to waste my parents money on stupid stuff when I was ten? Maybe capitalism you're a capitalist because as a child you were able to spend other people's money on things you don't even need, anyway? EDIT: (Also, I'm not a communist.) Link to comment
Gundampilotspaz Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 What, because I didn't have the chance to waste my parents money on stupid stuff when I was ten? Maybe capitalism you're a capitalist because as a child you were able to spend other people's money on things you don't even need, anyway? EDIT: (Also, I'm not a communist.) You said they controlled all your money I didn't know that by your money, you meant their money. EDIT: A rose by any other name... Link to comment
The Lone Magician Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 This angers me. However, I don't have to worry because I get good grades and don't know people this dumb. I wanna go punch out whoever's idea this was. Link to comment
ROCKSTEADY Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Video game words were honestely some of the first words i learned Start Select Save Load Quit Resolution Peripheral Link to comment
Natsu Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Well that sucks..and considering the area of South Dallas I can understand why he proposed this...I like the idea, kids need to fucking learn and go to school. Link to comment
Alundra Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I don't know about other kids out there, but playing alot of console RPG's, I learned alot of my 7+ letter words like Annihliated, precipitate, bastardize, indefinite and so on. I would go and pick up the dictionary when I didn't understand a word on the screen, which made me an vocabulary genius all the way until graduating high school (I only took the required 2 English Comp classes in college). Link to comment
Adam Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I grew up on videogames. My reading level is higher than anyone in my class. 5.0-13.0 (I don't think you can go any higher, and reading lvl obviously means vocabulary) Only person same as me is this fat ugly as sin girl who is obsessed with Naruto, (the dubbed /puke) Link to comment
Ceraziefish Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 You said they controlled all your money I didn't know that by your money, you meant their money. EDIT: A rose by any other name... What kind of money does a kid under the age of, say, 14 or so have? Their parent's money, or money they've stolen. By my money, I meant my spending money; as in, we agreed on an allowance but they'd really only give it to me if I could prove I wasn't going to spend it on something stupid. Link to comment
Siendra Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 What kind of money does a kid under the age of, say, 14 or so have? Their parent's money, or money they've stolen. Shoveling driveways Raking leaves Baby sitting Allowance (I never got an allowance as a kid. I had to babysit every week from the age of 13-15 to afford games. :/) Link to comment
DreamerGirl Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I thought the free game for kids who got good grades was a really cute idea.... I see this as a decent reason to avoid Gamestop. << >> I mean, not totally boycott, but look elsewhere first. What kind of money does a kid under the age of, say, 14 or so have? Their parent's money, or money they've stolen. I was legally able to work my first real job at 15, but before that I- 1. Delivered newspapers 2. Babysat 3. House work Link to comment
Gundampilotspaz Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 What kind of money does a kid under the age of, say, 14 or so have? Their parent's money, or money they've stolen. A reasonable, responsible kid. Link to comment
Ikari Warrior Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 What kind of money does a kid under the age of, say, 14 or so have? Their parent's money, or money they've stolen. I bought my PS1 when I was 14 from years' worth of allowance (from chores) and walking other people's dogs. I think it's bogus that this guy got suspended. It doesn't surprise me at all, but it's still bogus. Like others here have said; he's suspended because he could be costing gamestop sales, versus an idea where it'd make the company money. Link to comment
Cleese Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 They shouldn't even have to do this. Parents should have control over when their kids play a game, not the business. Hell if I had bad grades, my parents took away my nintendo or any of the following consoles. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still like to think parents have control over their own kids before anyone else does. especially on something like this. Link to comment
Artie Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 They shouldn't even have to do this. Parents should have control over when their kids play a game, not the business. Hell if I had bad grades, my parents took away my nintendo or any of the following consoles. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I still like to think parents have control over their own kids before anyone else does. especially on something like this. agreed. That's how my parents did it. and that's what is gonna happen to my kids along with a smack across the head. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now