So, I went by a video rental store on my way home for work because there was a starbucks beside it. First of all, Starbucks coffee kind of sucks, and the atmosphere of the whole place blows. Beyond that, they have raised their coffee price in the recent past. That's fine..prices go up. The thing is that a grande coffee now costs $2.00 even. Back when it was $1.80 or whatever you'd give them $2 and walk away from the change anyways because who the fuck needs two dimes? Considering the roughly $40 in change I end up with from the bar every weekend, the last thing I need is two dimes twice a day monday to friday. Anyways, they raised the price up to $2 even...essentially cutting out the tip money from their employees without actually raising the prices.
At first, this may seem like a good idea, but I think otherwise. People who go to starbucks are going to go to starbucks anyways. Their whole model is based around either convenience or aesthetics for people with no taste. Coffee is something you can either make better yourself if you're not too lazy or can go to a smaller place and get for cheaper (and more delicious). Specialty drinks are another story, but I don't think raising the price up another ten cents would have killed starbucks. What this does is basically take money from their employees, who are going to want to be compensated in some other way. So now, instead of starbucks having a revenue stream benefiting their employees completely off the book, they now have to either settle for shittier employees or compensating them on the books through other means after being taxed on that twenty cents. Not that I care, those assholes are paid too much anyways and totally don't deserve tips.
Um, back onto topic....I swung by the store and saw they had FFXII for $30 used. I looked at it and remembered it was done by the guy who did Vagrant Story (maybe the best game ever). My decision was made and I picked it up. The kind of nice, kind of bitchy cashier told me they had a two for one deal so I swung back and picked up Valkyrie PRofile 2 as well. Two games ran me about $32.
Sadly, they didn't have GoWII at all, so I'll have to grab that another time. The other option was Resident Evil 4 (PS2), but the sticker on that was only $14 so it wouldn't have made much sense (besides, I've played through most of it and don't really feel like doing so again at the moment unless it's on the wii or PC). I think I'll head by another branch of the chain today and see what they have in there.
So, has anyone played Valkyrie Profile 2 yet?
