Topic: Being outside the Wii's percieved "target demographic"

Has this happened to anyone else?

On times when i've picked up a supposed "causal gamer" type game for the Wii (Wii Sports Resort, etc), i often am treated by store staff as if i know nothing about games at all. I understand that it's actually a good thing in a way, that the sales people are trying to help out a "new" gamer (like making sure you have the right cables or controllers or whatever). But at the same time i wanna smack the kid and be like "Look kid, i've been a gamer since before your momma and daddy even met each other. I got it covered." Lol.

Like i said, it is a good thing that they're helpful, but i find it interesting that just because i'm getting what's perceived as "casual" software, i'm presumed to know nothing about the medium. And I don't imagine i'd get the same response if i was buying a "casual" 360 or PS3 title (like Scene It! or something). Curious whether anyone else has had this kind of thing happen in their Wii shopping travels.

I don't, and I think it might be because I'm wearing a Super Mario Bros. shirt with a Nintendo hat, so they assume I know what I'm talking about when it comes to video games.

pfft, I'm smarter and have more gaming knowledge than most of the morons that work at walmart or gamestop, usually I'm the one pointing stuff out to other customers, and even the staff.

@the shypdar

That's why I try to stay away from gaming shops like Gamestop. It's sad, really, because I'd love to support stores that specialize in games, but so long as they keep staffing idiots, I'm crossing my fingers that increasing online / downloadable sales will run them into the ground financially.

Luckily the gamestops around me are staffed by knowledgeable folk.

Ditto, but I go to Game Crazy, since their staff are nice and smart about games.

@warioswoods
Lol. I prefer to shop at Gamestop, for exactly that reason, to support gaming stores. I'd rather shop at a smaller/small business shop that specialized in games, but the few that i did know of in the area usually close up shop fast (can't compete with the chain stores). Thankfully the main Gamestop that i go to the older guys (read: mid 20s-30s) working there know me and have similar gaming tastes. But the young'uns working there .. oy. =)

I don't care what retail staff think of me.

All the Gamestops I've been too had knowledgable staff

No it hasn't happened to me. But I'm surprised that many of the employees at Gamestop didn't know what "Little King's Story" was when I was asking for my preorder. In my experience, most of them are knowledgeable though.

I have to agree with adam, but I do not go to like a gamestop anyway.

I like the local used games stores and chances are I go to like a crappy shopko on a new release. Also Amazon or ebay, I am not a 'mall' person at all.

Not sure I have a peer group to live up to I guess, lol...

I'm in on this too. I go to Best Buy and I immediately attract a 20-something salesperson who figures he needs to recommend a nice slow-paced game for the old guy.

I'm 29 and when I ask about a Wii game people always look me down like I'm some kind of creepy guy wanting kids games (one time I said I already owned Klonoa and the girl had a hard time trying not to laugh) but if I enter a store asking for 360 games they always believe I have the money to spend on stupid games (they assume I'm some kind of "hardcore" gamer)
The funny thing is I don't even look 29!

I'm only embaresed at stores like wal-mart wear I have to ask the staff to get the game for me.
it's one thing If I can just grab the game and see them for a sec but I hate geting the person and am all like "that one please" like some wee tot who cant reach it of the top shelf. Also I dont want to interact with them, im a hermit damit!

same here. the only thing I care about is how quickly they can ring me up and let me outta there so I can play my new game.

lol, I could understand if you were asking for Petz Catz or Imagine Babyz, but generally when I get a game, they don't seem like they care which game it is anyway.

I'm with you there, malnin, but I don't ever go to Wal-Mart (or any place like that) for video games. I usually buy used games.

@Ramandus: I had to teach my coworkers about Little King's Story. They're generally knowledgable if you want something on 360 or PS3, but I'm the go-to guy for Nintendo product (makes sense with me hanging around NLife all the time, right?). LKS was one of those games that got next to no coverage in your average gaming magazine (in this case, Game Informer, which my coworkers foolishly make their sole subscription). It got tons of coverage in Nintendo Power, though. That's where I first heard of it sometime last year.

@the shpydar: Because I'm 20 and dress like a game geek (over half of my shirts are game-related, and I'm frequently wearing my Twilight Princess cap), I don't get that kind of treatment. Plus, I usually shop where the people know me (my coworkers, after all)...

I've found that at Gamestop, most people your age (not that you've actually said how old you are, but I'm guesstimating) simply DON'T know much about gaming. We have to start somewhere, until you tell us about yourself!

If any Person at Gamestop or any other shop tried to make me look like an idiot,it wont happen.
Believe me....dont even take their crap.

@Stuffgamer1:
I'm 34, one of the oldies around here. I'm glad Corbie's around to make me feel mildly young .

I've found the exact opposite at some stores -- game store staff i've dealt with closer to their 30s seem to have a more comprehensive knowledge (about Ninty, MS, Sony and more), while younger staff seem to know little about Ninty stuff (or worse, know little beyond the EA Sports franchises). Of course, this isn't universal, just the few stores that i mainly go to -- the older guys working there are like me, started gaming back in the Atari or NES days. I've certainly also dealt with younger staff who know gaming backwards and forwards. I guess it's less of an age thing than it is just how "much" of a gamer the individual is.