GameStop Giveaway - Sludge Wave Gengar and Diancie

[Talon87]

The official Pokémon site has updated with a new page titled "A Pokémon Autumn to Remember". In it, they explain the release schedule for the two latest event Pokémon: a shiny Gengar who knows Sludge Wave and the Crystal Princess herself, Diancie!

Who: Shiny Sludge Wave Gengar w/ Gengarite
Where: GameStop
When: October 13 to October 26
How: during the specified time window, visit GameStop to collect a scratch-off card. Each card contains a unique download code.

Who: Diancie
Where: GameStop
When: October 27 to November 16
How: during the specified time window, visit GameStop to collect a scratch-off card. Each card contains a unique download code.

These events seem to be quite similar to the Heracronite/Pinsirite event I wrote about several weeks ago. I imagine that some GameStop locations will unfortunately not be playing nice and will hold customers hostage, telling them they're not allowed to get a card unless they pre-order a copy of Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire. Hopefully the ludicrousness of having to make three pre-orders of the same exact game just to get one copy each of three giveaways is not lost on some of these managers or their regional managers. -.- Hopefully most GameStop locations do not hold the cards hostage and will allow players to collect them without any hassle. That was my experience with the previous event, and I'm hoping to see it happen again with these next two.

[Electric Blue Eye]

I lied to them saying I had already preordered my game, truth is I haven't and won't unless I know for sure Gamestop will be giving out some kind of promotion for the game upon release. They didn't even bother checking when I told them and just gave me the card for the mega stones...

[jolteonjak]

The one I went to was so busy they just gave me a card and sent me away.

[uhhhhh]

>Gamestop event

*eyetwitch*

(I don't live in the US BTW)

[Shuckle]

EBGames event

[Talon87]

Heads up, Canadian Pokémon players: the Shiny Gengar event has been confirmed for Canadian EB Games stores as well. I don't think we have any active members from Mexico, but NoA has our friends to the south covered too: just go to Game Planet between October 13 and 26 to collect your Shiny Gengar!

Singaporeans? According to this news report, you too will have a chance to get the event Gengar. As part of Pokémon Day, I guess employees will be at the Jalan Besar Stadium to hand out codes which can be redeemed to get one Shiny Gengar from the WiFi server. There will only be 3,000 of them, though, it seems. So be sure to get there early if you don't want to miss out! The gates open at 6:30pm and the opening ceremony begins at 7:20pm.

Scandinavian Pokémon fans: you're covered for both Gengar and Diancie, it sounds like. October 15 to November 5 for Gengar, November 6 to November 28 for Diancie. I didn't realize you guys had GameStop in Finland (I am so sorry ), but the news story reports that GameStop's where you'll have to go to get 'em, just like us in the US.

Chile: here

South Korea: here

UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands: here

It's possible I've missed a few countries who have previously announced plans to give away the Shiny Gengar and/or Diancie, so please do be sure to check for yourselves if your country wasn't listed here. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you find!

[Marion Ette]

Originally Posted by Talon87

I imagine that some GameStop locations will unfortunately not be playing nice and will hold customers hostage, telling them they're not allowed to get a card unless they pre-order a copy of Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire.

Thankfully, not so for the one my friends and I went to the day the deal started. We went to the Gamestop near my boyfriend's apartment at 7 PM and there was nobody in the store. There were 5 of us, and none of us had pre-orders. I asked for one card, and the clerk said that we could all have one if we wanted. He didn't even ask if we had pre-ordered the game or anything. So we all got cards and left.

I'm going to be asking for additional cards tomorrow at a different Gamestop for some friends who don't have access to Gamestop where they live. We'll see if they're as accommodating.

[rotomotorz]

I should get this

[Talon87]

Just a heads up: I only have one Shiny Gengar card right now (for my own personal use). Last time I went to the two GameStops in Lafayette. This time I went to the one GameStop in West Lafayette. The West Lafayette location would only give me one card, even when I tried to play the "I own X and my sister owns Y ;(" card. ^^; [/shameless] And I actually felt sorry for the guy who worked there. Here's the story:

Spoiler: show

First off, the West Lafayette GameStop apparently only received one packet of cards. Each packet contains between 40 and 50 code cards.

Second, when I visited them Tuesday night, they were already down to their last twenty-five.

Third, the guy who worked there and gave me my card without hassle? He's a fan, just like us. Looked to be about 21 to 25 years old. He wants a card for himself. But guess what? GameStop employees are disallowed from collecting code cards. According to him, his manager said that she would let him take one card for himself only after the chimes struck 12 and the final day of the giveaway was over. (Reminder: they quit giving away the cards sooner than the codes quit working.) When I encouraged him, sympathetically, to try one of the Lafayette GameStops as a private citizen, he revealed that he works at all three locations -- apparently GameStop employees are hired by the company rather than by the individual stores? Who knew! -- and further opined that the other stores would similarly only have ~50 cards each to start off with.

Now, you may remember last time that I indicated that the stores had a ridiculous surplus. Well, this clerk's story made me doubt myself, I won't lie. But then my friend in Oregon called me and reported that his GameStop, just like the ones in Lafayette last time, had "piles hundreds of cards thick" of Gengar code cards. So I was able to rest easy that a) I didn't screw over any local fans ^^; and b) I'm not crazy or blind. ^^;;

But back to West Lafayette GameStop. I tried to look at the pile of cards as he got mine. They weren't hidden per se: they were on the desk but under the recessed countertop. The pile was already so small that I couldn't even see it as the employee retrieved one for me. So I believe his claim that he only had ~twenty-five cards remaining. And of course that means that I can't really justify taking 2+ when it's only Day 2 (now Day 3) of the event and there are still fans who want to get a card for themselves.

I will probably visit at least one of the two Lafayette GameStops some time over the next few days. If they appear to have hundreds upon hundreds of cards, I'll have no qualms requesting one or two copies in order to share with disadvantaged friends. But if their piles are pretty thin, I'm going to leave them be. (Might circle back around on the final day of the event.) So ... don't rely on me for a Gengar, guys! That's all I'm saying. If you can go to GameStop yourself, then please do. Don't expect that I'll have extras because I very well might not. And even if I do, I'll probably offer them up as a raffle like I did last time.

[jolteonjak]

I have an extra Shiny Gengar card I can offer to people who don't have access. If there's demand, I'll see about getting more. I have many Gamestops nearby.

[uhhhhh]

Originally Posted by jolteonjak

I have an extra Shiny Gengar card I can offer to people who don't have access. If there's demand, I'll see about getting more. I have many Gamestops nearby.

I'd like one! (No Gamestops here at all :'D)

[jolteonjak]

Originally Posted by uhhhhh

I'd like one! (No Gamestops here at all :'D)

Sure thing.

I'll see about grabbing one or two more for the future.

[jolteonjak]

I got another one tonight. Anyone want it?

[uhhhhh]

Originally Posted by jolteonjak

I got another one tonight. Anyone want it?

I still don't have a code. :'D

[Talon87]

I ended up waiting until the second to last day (Saturday night) before seeking out any extra code cards. Went to the GameStop at the mall. They still had cards (plural). Asked for one, received one. If anyone still needs a Shiny Gengar, just say so. If there's 2+ people who want one and not enough supply, then I'll probably do what I indicated I'd do last time with the Heracronite/Pinsirite giveaway.

As for Diancie, today's the day! Will go to GameStop later today to pick up a card for myself. If it looks like they have hundreds of cards, I'll try to get some extras, but my priority is going to be two IRL friends first and so unless they both get cards of their own from their local stores I probably won't have many or any extras to go around. We'll see. I mean, I may not even have spares for them if it looks like the GameStops in Lafayette, like the one in West Lafayette last time with Gengar, have only got 50 or fewer cards. No one really cares about a Shiny Gengar (even with Sludge Wave), but everyone is going to want a copy of Diancie. Don't want to screw any local players out of that chance to have one. So it's going to be something I'll have to figure out once I see how big the pile looks.

[Sparkbeat]

My nearest GameStop is an hour or so away, and I never got a chance to head over there. If you or anyone else has extra's, I'd be grateful for one.

[Kuvario]

I didn't manage to get the Shiny Gengar code two weeks ago since school, nobody to drive me to the mall, and they apparently ran out of them. So if anybody has an extra, I'd appreciate it.

Also, if I somehow manage to get to a GS before the Diancie event finishes, I may get a code and give that to someone who doesn't have one, as I already have a Diancie. So maybe we could arrange something? Idk.

[jolteonjak]

Uhhhh want me to see about getting you an extra?

[Marion Ette]

I got uhhhhh covered. Not sure if Bal wants one or not, though.

[rotomotorz]

Oh right that's a thing

[Balmund]

Originally Posted by Marion Ette

I got uhhhhh covered. Not sure if Bal wants one or not, though.

Seeing as there're no Gamestops in Panama at all, oh yes I would definitely want one! If anyone could spare one for me it'd be much appreciated!

[RealMrGame10]

I'd love to get one if at all possible, I never got one, and if I had, I intended to give it to my little brother for his use because lolhisteamsux.

[jolteonjak]

I got my two Diancie cards tonight. I can get more for others who need one. Balmund. Anyone else?

[Talon87]

So it looks like the people who have spoken up wanting a shot at the spare Shiny Gengar are Sparkbeat, DarkLucarioADV, and possibly RealMrGame10. (You'll need to confirm/deny you wanted the Gengar, RMG10.) I'll close the window for sign ups by either tomorrow evening or once RMG10 writes in confirming/denying he was interested, whichever comes first. Then I'll RNG it to determine the winner.

As for Diancie, I got a card for myself. Could not see how large their pile was. (Was the GameStop in the mall, one of the two in Lafayette, not West Lafayette.) Will wait until later in the event cycle before attempting to get more.

[RealMrGame10]

I confirm my entry into the "gimme a spare Shiny Gengar" deal.