Sony Incentivizes Gamestop Managers to Push PS3s

Gamestop managers whose stores outperform other district branches in PS3 console sales will be handsomely rewarded thanks to a Sony-sponsored "contest."

Gamersreports.com claimed in a news item today that Sony is dangling incentives in front of Gamestop managers whose stores sell the most PlayStation 3 units.

In what is apparently a Gamestop memo, managers are advised that stores with the highest average PS3 sales in a given district will win 20,000 points redeemable at the company's GamestopRewardstop.com website. One overall winner will be showered with an additional 10,000 points.

It appears Gamestop customers would be well-advised to do their research on console choices before entering the store, and to not necessarily rely on employee advice.

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To correct myself here for users seeing the error before it gets edited: this should be Gamestop, as in the guys who used to be EB Software, not Gamespot, as in Gamespot.com. My apologies.

Ha! I had to do a Gamestop/Gamespot article not too long ago, and it drove me nuts too. Good to know I'm not the only one.

Related to the article, I'm not sure I see a problem. As someone with a certain degree of experience in a similar retail field, I can tell you that this sort of thing happens all the time: one company offers some sort of bonus while its competitors do not, and suddenly that company's product is the best thing on the market. It's unfortunate not just for the consumer, but for the honest and reliable employees as well, because the actions of the greasy ones make them all look like douchebags.