Many issues have been going on in the video game industry recently, and many of them point to new policies that should be implemented so that a lot of stress can be avoided. Such as getting workers what they need when they need it during a time of crisis. Or perhaps treating your staff fairly so that they can have an enjoyable experience throughout the development process. Of course, that extends not only to the modelers, animators, and VFX crew, among others but to the game’s voice actors as well. Enter Brandon McInnis, who you might know as the male version of Alear from Fire Emblem Engage.
He had a problem that he noted on Twitter. Specifically, he noted that he pre-ordered the “Divine Edition” of Fire Emblem Engage, which has many extra items like an artbook and steel book cover, and was looking forward to getting it. But, there was a problem that could’ve easily been avoided:
He would say in another tweet how he got around this problem, but he wasn’t happy about it:
“When they originally told me it was delayed the night before release, I got a digital copy instead, and then bought a divine edition on eBay from a reseller, but it irks me that people gave money to GameStop believing they’d get a copy of something special to them and were duped.”
Sadly, GameStop has a reputation for not being the “most reliable” company out there. Not to mention their “buying used games” policy which has become a meme over the years.
Brandon would later note in his thread that he didn’t pull the “I’m a big deal” card or berate the employees as he knew it wasn’t their fault.
But the problem that this puts a spotlight on is significant. First, GameStop shouldn’t have been selling copies of a special edition they didn’t have. If they have ten, you don’t sell fifteen and “hope you get five more in.” Second, you have to wonder why Nintendo didn’t give McInnis or others in the cast who asked for it a copy of the Divine Edition. Given their work in the game, it seems like a fair “bonus” for their talents.
Plus, you have to feel bad for McInnis going to eBay to get the Divine Edition because you know he paid more than the original asking price, as that site loves to gouge the cost of things.