The Games Wal-Mart Doesn't Play

[sbp]

Everyone remember how Giants: Citizen Kabuto was altered at the last minute?

This article talks about changes made to games to satisfy Wal-Mart over the years. As the article says, "Wal-Mart sells 25 percent of the computer and video games purchased". Most of these publishers can't tell Wal-Mart to go shove themselves.

http://www.wired.com/news/games/0,2101,55955,00.html

[Jeffbx]

This is another reason I won't shop at Walmart - they do this with many of their suppliers, not just games.

My wife used to work for a large consumer products company (laundry detergent, soap, toothpaste, etc) and the restrictions Walmart puts on them is crazy. Different packaging, different sized packages, even specifying the number of items that can be shipped on a pallet. All of this, and they have to do it at an extremely low price. And if they don't comply? Walmart won't carry the brand. They're big enough to get away with it, and so they do.

Now, it's bad enough that they do this with packaging and the like... but to make games mfrs change content? What's next - they have to pre-read Stephen King's new book & have him tone down the gory parts before they'll sell it? Maybe edit out objectionable content in the R rated DVDs?

Sheesh...

[apmiller]

Wal-Mart isn't the only one. Toys R Us are starting to jump on this band wagon too.

Sucks too. Overall it should be the consumer who picks what they want to buy and what they don't. But now you have places like Wal-mart stepping in and making that choice before we can even find out if we want it or not.

[Tommy Boomfiger]

just another reason on the long list of why i dont like walmart. i never realized walmart held such a large share of the market.