GameStop Removing OnLive Coupons Deus Ex: HR Boxes

GameStop has come under fire for many things over the years, but the latest incident takes the cake. It’s been known for some time that the company will open most games that are sold in order to keep the disc behind the counter, secured. But with the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, employees have been instructed to take out a little more than that.

OnLive, the online game streaming service, partnered up with Square Enix for the launch of the game, and as a result included a voucher in each copy of the PC version box that would allow gamers to sign up for an OnLive account and use the game there. By itself, that privilege would normally cost gamers another $50, so you can understand the reason gamers might want it. After all, being able to game it up on the go, from any PC? Sounds good.

Except for the fact that GameStop doesn’t like the idea. It’s understandable, given that OnLive is somewhat of a competitor. But does that give it the right to open up the games destined for gamer hands and take the coupon out? Since that’s just what happened, it seems so.

This isn’t a case of someone higher up enforcing a brilliant idea that the company as a whole disagrees with either. On the company’s official Facebook page, a post reads: “Square Enix packed a competitor’s coupon within the PC version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution without our prior knowledge and we did pull these coupons.“

I’m not sure if this is something that raises a legal issue, but I do know that I will not be purchasing another product from GameStop again. I had plans to pick up both Madden 2012 and FIFA 2012 there, but no longer. It’s a good thing there’s more than just GameStop as an option, because it looks like the company is trying to kill itself off.